Sometimes Japanese horror goes for ghostly chills, sometimes for kaiju-sized spectacle. 1963’s Matango, however, takes the road less travelled: stranding a group of bourgeois day-trippers on a rotting island and feeding them psychedelic mushrooms until they lose their humanity and their dignity. Directed by Ishirō Honda, best known for Godzilla, this damp, mouldy little nightmare…
Tag: monster movie
Beauty and the Beast (1978) – Review
Somewhere along the line, someone in Czechoslovakia looked at Beauty and the Beast and thought, “This needs more dread, more feathers, and significantly less comfort.” This 1978 adaptation, directed by Juraj Herz, answers that call with unnerving enthusiasm. It takes a familiar fairy tale and drags it through a snow-covered nightmare where romance feels like…
The Creeping Terror (1964) – Review
Some horror movies are so terrifying that you can’t sleep at night. The Creeping Terror is so terrifying that you might not stay awake at all. This 1964 “monster” movie is the kind of thing that makes you wonder if Ed Wood had an evil twin who was even worse at his job.
Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989) – Review
Have you ever watched a Godzilla movie and thought, “You know what this franchise needs? A kaiju that’s part Godzilla, part rosebush, and part nightmare fuel!” Well, buckle up, because Godzilla vs. Biollante delivers exactly that, and it’s glorious.
Island of Terror (1966) – Review
What happens when science goes too far? If you guessed “boneless corpses and Peter Cushing looking concerned,” then you may have seen the Island of Terror. This British sci-fi horror film, directed by Terence Fisher, is a solid blend of atmospheric tension, eerie practical effects, and that charmingly stiff-upper-lip British horror vibe of the era.