Hunter Shea's Blog, page 2

Top 13 Horror Movies of 2023

Wow, has it really been that long since I last posted here? I don’t do New Year’s resolutions, but I think being more vigilant with the blog and chain is just the right thing to do.

And what better way to kick off the new year than sharing my list of what I felt were the best horror flicks of 2023. If any of you follow the Final Guys podcast, you may have heard me go through my list last week. Well, after some consideration, it’s changed (as I knew it would).

So here is my final list for what tickled my horror bone in 2023. How many have you seen, and what were some of your favorite movies?

13. SICK

12. Candy Land

11. WHEN EVIL LURKS

10. BIRTH/REBIRTH

9. INFLUENCER

8. M3GAN

7. HORROR IN THE HIGH DESERT : MINERVA

6. THE BOOGEYMAN

5. INFINITY POOL

4. NO ONE WILL SAVE YOU

3. EVIL DEAD RISE

2. THANKSGIVING

GODZILLA MINUS ONE

HONORABLE MENTIONS!

WHERE THE DEVIL ROAMS

SUITABLE FLESH

SATANIC HISPANICS

Build Your Horrortober Movie Watch List

For those hellions who thought the Monster Men were dead, I’m happy to report that we are back after dusting from grave dirt off our shoulders. I mean, how could we let Horrortober pass us by without playing the 31 Days of Halloween game?

You know the rules. All you need is the book and some dice. Each roll corresponds to a specific theme, movie and day to watch it throughout October. Big shout out to Steve Hutchison, the creator of this amazing book and game. And let me tell you, every single time, Jack and I learn something new. Check out the year’s first (and not last) Monster Men episode!

I want to know what you’re watching all throughout Horrortober, so tag me and Monster Men on Twitter/X at @Huntershea1 and @MonsterMen13. If you stick to the list that we rolled in this episode, I just may send you some books!

You can pick up the book right here-

And fear not, we’re not going to disappear for another year. We actually have some pretty cool new episodes already lined up. Get ready!

A Book Is Born – MANRATTAN Lives!

The long awaited sequel to Rattus New Yorkus is finally here. You asked for more ick and laughs. Well, now you got ’em!

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the sewers…

New York city is on the brink of destruction. First, millions of rats crazed from consuming an enhanced poison, Degenesis, devoured citizens too slow to escape their frenzy, and chased off the rest. Next came the pandemic, shutting the metropolis down just as it started to recover.

Man always has a plan. But nature, and science gone awry, are one step ahead.

Husband and wife exterminators, Chris and Benita Jackson, thought their nightmare was over. The scars of their narrow escape run deep, and fear is their constant companion.

The rats are back. Only this time, there are no hordes of hairy, whip-tailed vermin barreling down the streets. The next generation is bigger, stronger, more unstoppable than ever. And they are about to go up top!

Tapped by the military to help control the rising tide of death and destruction, Chris and Benita end up fleeing for their lives in the city that never sleep’s deadliest night. From Times Square to the Statue of Liberty, no one is safe from the feral evil determined to conquer the big, rotten apple.

New York, New York. It’s a hell of a town.

CLICK THE BOOK COVER OR HERE TO GRAB YOUR COPY TODAY BEFORE THE RATS CONQUER THE WORLD.

MANRATTAN is Coming! Come Take a Sneak Peek

With five years in the making, Manrattan, the sequel to my homage to New York’s least finest, Rattus New Yorkus, will be hitting the streets and sewers on July 11th! This time, the rat problem is bigger, badder and deadlier than ever.

Exterminator duo Chris and Benita Jackson are sucked into the madness once again as the underground denizens of the big city are transformed by generations of Degenesis and something new (and more hideous) into your worst nightmare. New York is the city that never sleeps – because the streets will run red with blood, filled with the cries of chaos.

Here’s a little sneak peek at chapter one. There ain’t no lollygagging in this tale of nature gone mad.

Chapter One

            I was attempting to make a grilled cheese sandwich in our new air fryer when the phone started ringing. The whole air fryer experience was about as exciting as watching my toenails grow. I couldn’t even see if the damn thing was working. It just hummed away as the digital timer counted down.

            “You going to answer that?” Benny said from the living room. She was working on her laptop with the television on mute, some daytime court show on in the background.

            I looked over at the kitchen island. My phone was lit up and singing away.

            “I’m at lunch,” I said, both to the phone and Benny.

            “Just pick up the phone,” Benny said irritably. “It’s not like you’re out having tacos and margaritas at Paco’s.”

            Sighing heavily, I swiped the phone off the counter. This whole working from home bullcrap was getting to me. The line between work life and home life had been obliterated and I hated it. I was grateful when we got a chance to get out and traipse into a roach-filled building.

            “BC Pest Control,” I answered, keeping an eye on the air fryer.

            “Hey, Chris, how you been?”

            Wonderful. The last person I wanted to speak to at the moment was Creed. To be fair, I’m not sure what moment I wanted to talk to Creed. When he called, it was always because he needed something from us.

            “What is it now, Creed?”

            “You act like I’m calling to pester you.”

            “Because that’s exactly what you’re doing.”

            “That’s very presumptuous of you.”

            “How long have you been waiting to use that word?”

            Creed had a word a day calendar on his desk and saved the good ones for special occasions.

            “Maybe I just called to see how you and Benny are doing.”

            The air fryer dinged. I pulled the tray out as the fan died down. The bread was barely toasted and the cheese had leaked all over the place. “I’d rather not go through the whole song and dance routine. Just tell me what you need and I’ll tell you to hop in front of the nearest bus. My time is as precious as it is limited. I have a grilled cheese to somehow save.”

            Creed sucked on his teeth and I jerked the phone away from my ear. I just knew he was trying to extract bits of that homemade deer jerky he was always munching on. The last piece he gave me had fur on it. “Well, since you put it so nicely. I got something real weird at this apartment building in Mount Vernon.”

            “We don’t do weird.” Anymore, I neglected to add. Ever since the whole rat nightmare in New York City several years ago, my wife and I had reconciled our relationship but refused to return to the big, rotten apple. We’d experienced a lifetime of weird and had no desire to reacquaint ourselves with it.

            “Look, my partner Vince is out on account of he hurt his back. And this thing, shit, this thing I can’t take on myself.”

            I shoved the grilled cheese back into the air fryer and added five more minutes. At that point, I didn’t expect a delicious lunch anymore. I was just curious to see what would become of it, like a science experiment. The leftover pizza in the fridge was about to be called to the plate.

            “What are we talking about here?” I asked.

            “It’s a rat.”

            “Creed, you know we don’t do rats.” Anymore, I again neglected to add.

            “It’s just this one.”

            “You need help with one rat? Have you been hitting that cheap vodka again?”

            “After what I saw, as a matter of fact, I did. But I ain’t drunk. I just need a little help.”

            “Nobody needs help taking on one rat,” I said, thinking, as long as it wasn’t one altered by Degenesis. They were all gone now, though the nightmares Benny and I shared persisted.

            “They do if it’s almost four feet long and about two feet high.”

            Benny came into the kitchen wearing her sweats and a baseball cap. Even dressed down, she still got my troops assembling for action.

            “What’s Creed want?” she whispered.

            “He says he needs help with a four-foot long rat.”

            “There’s no such thing.”

            I held the phone out to her. “You want to tell him?”

            She took it from me and said, “Creed, there’s no such thing as a four-foot rat.” She tapped the speakerphone icon so I could hear.

            “Yeah, well tell that to the big bastard I gotta get out of the basement.”

            “You get a picture of it?” I asked.

            “I was too busy running to ask it to say cheese.”

            Funny, that exterminator humor.

            “I looked it up and I think it could be one of those capybaras,” Creed said.

            “Capybaras live in South America. How the hell is one in a basement in Mount Vernon? New York is a long way from Brazil and I’m pretty sure they’re not giving out passports to capybaras,” Benny said.

            “Maybe if you come with me, you can ask it,” Creed said. “All I know is that it’s there and I gotta get it out.”

            “Text us the address,” Benny said, cutting off the call before Creed could say anything else.

            “What the heck are we going to do with a capybara?” I said. “If that’s what it really is. Knowing Creed, it’s probably just a big dog.”

            “I don’t know. But aren’t you curious?”

            “About a giant South American rat? No, not really.”

            “They’re more related to guinea pigs. And the good thing is, they’re very docile. But don’t think about petting it. Their ticks give all kinds of nasty diseases.”

            “You are just a font of knowledge today.” The air fryer dinged again. I pulled the drawer out and showed her the abortion that was my lunch. “Anything in that beautiful mind of yours knows how to make this edible?”

            She patted my cheek. “I’ll pick you up McDonald’s on the way. Come on, I need to get out of the house. The capybara was probably someone’s exotic and illegal pet that grew too big and was cast aside. I kind of feel bad for it. Plus, I’ve never seen one in person. Remember when we went to that beaten down zoo in the Catskills?”

            “Vaguely. Was it the one where I was attacked by the baby goats?”

            Benny smirked. “That’s the one. They had a capybara, but it never came out of its shelter. Now’s our chance.”

            “I never realized I was missing a chance to see a giant rat.”

            “Guinea pig…ish.”

            I took a moment to appear that I was contemplating saying no way, Jose, sighed, and then said, “Your wish is my command.”

            I didn’t want to go at all, but things were finally good with us, and I was too weak from starvation to argue. With any luck, there was a McDonald’s nearby.

            “Is our van going to be here when we get back?” I asked Creed when we pulled up to the apartment building. Half of it appeared to be abandoned, the other half looked as if it wished it were. This was not one of Mount Vernon’s finest areas. A few people were out and about, and I didn’t like the look of any of them. I still had half of a quarter pounder in my hand.

            Creed was dressed in the filthiest overalls this side of the Mason-Dixon line. He was younger than Benny and I by about a decade, but looked at least that much older than us. He chain-smoked, drank Milwaukee’s Best Ice tall boys like they were the secret to eternal life, and lived with two mutts that hadn’t been bathed since their momma had licked them clean at birth.

            “What would anyone want with your van?” he asked. His eyes were glassy, and I smelled booze on his breath.

            I gave Benny an I told you this was nothing look and wolfed down the rest of my burger before Creed’s appearance and wet dog smell made me lose my appetite.

            “Just show us where it is,” I said.

            “You look beautiful as always, Benita,” Creed said with a bashful smile. The man’s open longing for my wife did not endear him to me.

            “The capybara?” Benny said to get him back on track.

            “Oh, yeah. Follow me.”

            We walked up the stained cement steps and through a set of double doors that had lost their glass probably back when Bill Clinton was playing hide the cigar. I heard a woman and man shouting at each other on one of the upper floors. The lobby was littered with old mail, food wrappers and little plastic baggies that drug dealers used. It smelled like mildew and foot odor. The quarter pounder rumbled in my stomach. I couldn’t guarantee it would stay there.  

            “This way,” Creed said, his voice echoing throughout the decrepit building. I wondered who had even asked him to come here. It didn’t look like anyone gave four farts about the place.

            He pushed a heavy door open, and we descended into the basement.

            My nose was sucker punched by a funk pungent enough to make me wince. “What the hell, Creed?”

            “There’s a lot of water down there, too,” he said.

            “Why didn’t you tell us before?” The last thing I wanted us to do was breathe in a ton of mold. Our ventilator masks were in the truck.

            “Just show us quick and we’ll decide what to do,” Benny said sharply. She was inching toward my way of thinking that this was Creed leading us on a mission to nowhere.

            “Lights don’t work down here,” he said. He tugged a long flashlight out of his overalls pocket.

            We made our way down rickety wooden stairs until he motioned us to stop well before we got to the bottom. I heard something big splashing in the water. My scalp tingled and my gut churned that quarter pounder around.

            “You hear it?” Creed asked.

            “We’re not deaf,” Benny said.

            “Check this out.” He swung the light around until he found the thing making the splashing noises.

            I didn’t know whether I wanted to scream, vomit, shit myself, or run up the stairs like a man on fire.

Hope you like what you read. Like I said, this sucker never lets up on the gas. If you’re in need of a rollercoaster creature feature with a sick sense of humor, MANRATTAN was written just for you. Big shout out to my daughter who came up with the title. I liked it so much, I just had to write a sequel. Big thank you to the team at Severed Press for everything they do to make my madness a reality.

And if you haven’t read Rattus New Yorkus yet, grab a copy now. It’s usually 99 cents, at most $1.99.

The Eerie Silence of UFO Discolsure

If the plan all along has been to slowly disseminate UFO (I’m not using UAP) information into the public through the media until it becomes ho-hum background noise, the recent revelations brought to light by Leslie Kean and Ralph Blumenthal have proven it a success. In their recent article published on The Debrief, they spotlighted government whistle blower David Grusch’s testimony that we have recovered vehicles and debris of unknown origin, and most likely not of this Earth. If you haven’t read the article yet, you can go to it right here.

The authors of this article are the same duo who published the NY Times expose on the government’s now not-so-secret UFO program, which led to the release of videos of strange craft buzzing our warships and skies. Kean and Blumenthal are far from hacks and do not have tin foil hats in their closet. And it appears David Grusch is who he says he is, which is a decorated ex-intelligence official.

I know a lot of people think those who come forward about their UFO tales are doing it for money and fame. You’ll be hard pressed to find those who have done just that in the past who have either, unless you confuse fame with infamy. And I don’t know anyone who’s gotten rich off their story. Not even Travis Walton or Whitley Strieber.

Now, as with the 2017 revelation, I caution those who desperately want to believe to go all in. As I explained to a buddy of mine who is a pretty famous UFO investigator, it’s hard to truly believe the same institution who we think has hoodwinked us for decades. This could all be some kind of juke and jive with intentions we haven’t dreamed of…yet. Or, it could be real.

What has shocked me here, a bit, is how little fanfare this latest revelation has garnered. It made a tiny flash for a day in the mainstream media. But that’s about it. Sure, the UFO community is buzzing, and that’s to be expected.

Do we, and other governments, actually have machines not made on this world? Hell, I don’t know. I’d like to see some indisputable proof. Maybe that will come. Maybe, because these stories no longer cause a stir, it will. Fear of worldwide panic may be abating. I mean, what’s proof of extraterrestrial life compared to the new season of The Kardashians or our political mind f*** that is certainly contrived to divide us? (Believe me, in politics, there is no left and right. They all hang out and party together while watching us fight and lose friends and family over their nonsense. Think twice before you add your voice to the idiocy. Neither Trump nor Biden care about your opinion.)

So, I don’t know how to take this latest revelation. On the one hand, it’s exciting, if not a little scary. On the other hand, it may be another fabrication. And what will definitive proof be? Thanks to our advances in technology, we no longer trust our eyes when it comes to photo and videos. Media manipulation has led to disbelief in our news channels. Belief and trust are in scarce supply, and it’s getting scarcer.

Where do we go from here? Most importantly, what do you think about the latest news? I’d love to start an honest discussion.

Cryptid and Paranormal Event This Saturday!

Forget your honey-do list or binge watching the latest Netflix eye candy. Come on down to New Jersey Saturday, June 3rd, and get your Bigfoot on!

I’ll be there with a trunk load of books to sell. I’m also looking forward to attending the lectures throughout the day. By request, I just may don my squatch costume. And we’ll have bigfoot cookies on hand for anyone who buys one of my books! Oh, and there will be some killer live music. This one is a can’t miss.

Come See Me At The Mahoning Drive-In

Howdy hellions far and wide! Just wanted to let you know that I’ll be signing books at the world famous Mahoning Drive-In on Sunday, April 30th as part of their Halfway to Halloween fair. It also coincides with the start of the Mahoning’s 2023 season.

If you’ve never been to the Mahoning, you’re missing out on a ton of fun. With one of the largest drive-in screens in the world, it’s become both a landmark and a treasure. People come from all over the country, if not the world, to experience it. Best part is, you can even sleep in the drive-in and make it a multi-day event.

So, for a damn good time, come on over to Lehighton, PA. I’ll be signing copies of To The Devil, A Cryptid, Bigfoot in the Bronx, Mail Order Massacres, Slash and so many more. And I just might don my Bigfoot costume and cause some mayhem.

10 Terrifying Alien Abduction Movies of the 21st Century

What can be more terrifying than being abducted by an entity from another world or dimension? To be under the control of a presence literally and figurately so alien, you have no way of gleaning the machinations of their minds and intentions.

The world was exposed to the UFO and abduction phenomena in a serious way back in 1977 with the release of Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Over the next three decades, only a few movies would plumb the depths of alien terror, such as author Whitely Strieber’s abduction account in Communion (the book is even more chilling) or Travis Walton’s Fire in the Sky.

The floodgates for celluloid abduction nightmares truly opened at the turn of the century. Suddenly, UFO/abduction movies were everywhere. Maybe it was the dawning of a new century, a new age, with the promise of reaching further into the stars, and maybe those stars reaching further into us. Or maybe it came from the adolescence of found footage flicks, which seem to dominate this strange and curious sub-genre. With 60 years of bizarre sightings and experiences under our collective belt, this could be our way of seeking answers.

No matter what the cause, for people like me, the 21st century has been a smorgasbord of high strangeness and extraterrestrial conundrums. Want to get me to drop everything? Tell me there’s a new UFO movie or documentary. Sure, they mostly explore the same material, but I can’t help being drawn in the way Travis Walton was sucked into an alien ship.

Because I watch them all, I thought it best to share 10 modern alien abduction movies that should scratch that ET itch. Ditch the tin foil hat and boil some potatoes. We’re about to stare into the abyss. Check out the trailers and head to your nearest streaming device. Things are about to get eerie.

10. The Fourth Kind (2009)

9. The Phoenix Incident (2015)

8. The Forgotten (2004)

7. Altered

6. Dark Skies (2013)

5. Phoenix Forgotten

4. The Gracefield Incident

3. Alien Abduction (2014)

2. Beyond the Sky (2018)

Extraterrestrial

10 Unfathomably Frightening Sea Creature Features

Back when I was a kid growing up in the Bronx, before my obsessions with UFOs and Bigfoot started, I was head over heels in love with the Loch Ness Monster and whales. The little library by my house had lots of whale books with glossy pictures. Luckily for me, it also had a few books on Nessie and other sea creatures. As a little one who knew of small beaches and lakes, the mysteries of the deep fascinated me.

It’s no wonder that when I became a writer, I was eager to pen my own sea monster tales for Severed Press like They Rise, Loch Ness Revenge, Fury of the Orcas and Megalodon in Paradise. You can even throw Just Add Water into the mix if you consider sea monkey-esque beings in a moist sewer a big old fish tale. I may be a land lubber, but part of my heart belongs to the sea and the creatures both real and imagined that lurk within it.

Because of my early love for Nessie, I’ve been a sucker for aquatic horrors all my life. I know there are plenty of others out there just like me. Which is why I wanted to share my list of sea creature features you should check out. I’m going to leave out movies like Jaws, Humanoids from the Deep and Creature from the Black Lagoon because, well, that’s just too easy. Here are 10 others that will satisfy that wet monster itch.

10. The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms (1953): This classic sci-fi monster movie is a classic for a reason, featuring a giant dinosaur-like creature unleashed by an atomic bomb test that wreaks havoc on New York City. It features some amazing special effects by the legendary Ray Harryhausen and a thrilling plot. I fell in love and awe of this movie as a kid and that hasn’t change one iota over the years.

9. It Came From Beneath The Sea (1955): This classic film stars none other than the giant octopus created by, who else, Ray Harryhausen, the renowned special effects maestro. Its tentacles reach out to destroy San Francisco before it can be stopped. It cemented my inability to even comprehend eating octopus.

8. The Host (2006) – This South Korean horror movie follows a family that must battle a monster that lives in the polluted Han River. It’s an intense and non-stop thriller that will have you jumping out of your favorite armchair.

7. The Bay (2012) – This horror movie follows a small town that must battle a mysterious creature living in the Chesapeake Bay. Talk about a movie that doesn’t get the love and attention is deserves. You’ll never fish or swim in the Chesapeake Bay again. Pure parasitic perfection!

6. Orca (1977): This film follows a fisherman as he attempts to take revenge on a killer whale that killed his pregnant wife. The suspenseful story is full of action and a lot of exciting underwater scenes and stars Richard Harris and the beautiful Bo Derek. I was OBSESSED with this movie when it came out. I remember the back of every comic book at the time had a full page ad for the movie.

5. Piranha (1978): This movie follows a group of people as they battle a school of piranha that were released into a lake by an earthquake. Okay, maybe not a threat from the depths, but damn is this a fun one. You can’t beat a movie written by John Sayles and directed by Joe Dante!

4. Tentacles (1977): This movie follows a team of scientists as they investigate a series of mysterious disappearances in the Mediterranean Sea and discover a giant octopus is responsible. Maybe not the finest example of quality moviemaking, but a must see for you sea monster completists.

3. The Shallows (2016) – This movie follows a surfer (Blake Lively) who must battle a great white shark while stranded in the middle of the ocean. For most of the movie, it’s just Blake, a seagull, a killer shark and a bloated whale corpse. And somehow, it all works as the second best shark movie of all time.

2. The Deep (1977): This film follows two divers as they search for buried treasure off the coast of Bermuda and run into trouble with a giant shark. The underwater adventure is full of suspense and some of the best underwater scenes of the decade.

DeepStar Six (1989) – This horror movie follows a team of deep-sea miners who must battle a giant sea monster. It’s a great mix of horror and suspense that has attained classic status for many.

What are some of your favorites? How many on this list have you seen? Most importantly, can you recommend something I may not have watched? Bring it on!

The Gill Man Trio

Universal Studios’ Creature from the Black Lagoon is a classic monster that has terrified and captivated audiences for decades. By far my favorite of the Universal Monsters (and the last of the line), ol’ Gill Man is a lover and a fighter with impeccable taste in women. The creature’s distinct look and terrifying presence has made it one of the most iconic monsters in film history. I strongly urge you to read The Lady from the Black Lagoon, the story of the Creature’s creator, Millicent Patrick. Talk about a woman being overshadowed by a male dominant industry.

There are plenty of CFTBL fans, but surprisingly, many aren’t aware that the classic film has two sequels. Hell, I didn’t know until well into my horror lovin’ adulthood. Over the course of a few years in the 1950s, there were three Creature from the Black Lagoon movies, and each one has its unique charm and appeal. Come grab my claw as we compare the three Creature from the Black Lagoon movies and explain why Universal monster fans need to watch them all.

Before we dive into the movies themselves, let’s take a brief look at the history of the creature. The Creature from the Black Lagoon is the aquatic love child of producer William Alland, who was inspired by the discovery of the coelacanth, a prehistoric fish that was believed to be extinct for millions of years. For folks interested in cryptozoology, the ugly fish’s reappearance is what gives Nessie and Squatch hunters hope.

The first film in the series is the titular Creature from the Black Lagoon, released in 1954 and directed by Jack Arnold (who also helmed flicks like Tarantula and The Incredible Shrinking Man).  The film tells the story of a group of scientists who venture deep into the Amazon to study the unusual findings of a colleague who was previously attacked by a mysterious creature. As they continue their expedition, they realize that the creature is not only real, but it is also dangerous and determined to protect its territory.

The first film is a classic monster movie that set the tone for all future creature features. The creature itself is an impressive feat of practical effects and underwater photography. You’ll find nothing more beautiful and suspenseful that Julia Adams (the most alluring woman in horror movie history) taking a dip with a horn dog and curious prehistoric beast swimming just underneath her, mimicking her moves and daring to touch her toes. Just when you though it was safe to swim in the Amazon! Throw in a killer score, some light hearted comedy thanks to captain Lucas and, well, the mere presence of pipe smoking Whit Bissell and you have all the ingredients for monster gold.

I was fortunate enough to meet both Julia Adams and Ricou Browning (the man behind the mask and suit). Their signed pictures hold a special place on our wall. I also peppered CFTBL references all throughout by novella, They Rise. Give it a read and see if you can spot them all. Good luck!

The Chimaera Fish are coming to get you Barbara!

The second film in the series is Revenge of the Creature, released in 1955. The movie picks up where the first film left off and tells the story of the creature being captured and transported to a research facility in Florida which also doubles as a public aquarium. The creature’s captors soon realize that it is more intelligent than they previously thought, and it quickly escapes, wreaking havoc on the city. And be on the lookout for a young Clint Eastwood playing a scientist in one of his very first roles.

Revenge of the Creature is a fun sequel that adds new dimensions to the creature’s character. The film is full of classic monster movie tropes, such as the monster on the loose in a populated area, but it also has some unique elements, such as the creature being trained to perform tricks at the research facility. The underwater sequences are once again impressive, and the creature’s suit has been improved since the first film. If you enjoyed the first movie, you will love Revenge of the Creature. Oh, if only this level of pandemonium would happen at Sea World. I’d pay good money to be there.

The third and final film in the series is The Creature Walks Among Us, released in 1956. This time around, a group of scientists successfully capture the creature and try to study its biology by performing surgery on it. The operation is a success, but it also causes the creature to become more humanoid, which leads to an identity crisis (not sure what pronoun to use here) and a desire for revenge. The transformation of the creature is downright bat shit nuts. Methinks they did so to get it on land and save some cash on all the underwater shoots. I also think Drax from Guardians of the Galaxy bears a striking resemblance.

The Creature Walks Among Us is an interesting conclusion to the series that takes the creature’s story in a new direction. The movie is more focused on the human characters than the creature, which may disappoint some fans, but it also allows for a deeper exploration of the creature’s motivations and emotions. The underwater sequences are once again impressive, but the film also includes some interesting scenes set on land. The lesson here – don’t fence the Gill Man in! If you try, you do so at your own peril.

So, why should Universal monster fans watch all three Creature from the Black Lagoon movies? Watching the movies allows fans to appreciate the creature’s design and development over time. Secondly, the movies are classic monster movies that set the standard for all monster movies that came after them, ala Humanoids from the Deep or, say, even something trashy like Slithis. The Creature from the Black Lagoon movies are not just important for their impact on the horror genre, but they are also entertaining and fun to watch. Each movie has its unique charm and appeal, from the suspenseful first film to the fun and campy second film, to the thought-provoking and emotional third film. Watching all three movies allows fans to experience the full range of what the series has to offer, as well as bearing witness to the end of one of the greatest monster making eras in movie history. There will never be another Universal cranking out terrifying creatures for decades. And we as a viewing audience will never be as innocent again and easily made aghast. Makes me kind of wistful and sad. But happy as hell I have these movies to watch over and over again.