Sociology of Monsters
Films and television shows that demonstrate how "monsters" are often used symbolically to represent societal tensions or social problems. These movies can be watched and count as homework for the class the Sociology of Monsters (SOC 4910) at the University of Central Oklahoma. These movies will primarily focus on the monsters we are covering in class: aliens, zombies, vampires, Frankenstein's monster and other "things", and Jekyll & Hyde (and other werewolves). There may be exceptional movies that deal with other types of monsters on this list if their merit both as a film and as a symbol of social tension is readily apparent. If you have a suggestion to add to this list, please contact Dr. Copley, or leave a comment on the list!
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- DirectorFred F. SearsStarsHugh MarloweJoan TaylorDonald CurtisExtraterrestrials traveling in high-tech flying saucers contact a scientist as part of a plan to enslave the inhabitants of Earth.Xenophobia and fears of communism--note especially how the aliens are pure bad guys and they speak through captured humans.
- DirectorSam RaimiStarsBruce CampbellEllen SandweissRichard DeManincorFive friends travel to a cabin in the woods, where they unknowingly release flesh-possessing demons.
- DirectorBrian De PalmaStarsSissy SpacekPiper LaurieAmy IrvingCarrie White, a shy, friendless teenage girl who is sheltered by her domineering, religious mother, unleashes her telekinetic powers after being humiliated by her classmates at her senior prom.A teen, female Jekyll & Hyde
- DirectorNeill BlomkampStarsSharlto CopleyDavid JamesJason CopeViolence ensues after an extraterrestrial race forced to live in slum-like conditions on Earth finds a kindred spirit in a government agent exposed to their biotechnology.Racism, xenophobia
- DirectorJaume BalagueróPaco PlazaStarsManuela VelascoFerran TerrazaJorge-Yamam SerranoA television reporter and cameraman follow emergency workers into a dark apartment building and are quickly locked inside with something terrifying.
- DirectorTom SixStarsDieter LaserWinter WilliamsAshlynn YennieA mad scientist kidnaps and mutilates a trio of tourists in order to reassemble them into a human centipede, created by stitching their mouths to each others' rectums.Frankenstein. And a good example of HORROR vs. TERROR
- DirectorFernando MeirellesStarsJulianne MooreMark RuffaloGael García BernalA city is ravaged by an epidemic of instant white blindness.Technically not a horror movie (more of a drama) and if you want to get really picky, not a monster movie. Oh, there are monsters alright, but they are of the common, human type. Disturbing in a Lord-of-the-Flies-but-they're-adults-so-they-should-know-better kind of way. Also, since this is about the spreading of an epidemic, it has ties to both zombies and vampires.
- DirectorArvin BrownStarsHector ElizondoEdward BinnsJoyce EbertAn unemployed man who lives with his wife and overbearing mother-in-law sees an opportunity to relieve himself of the old bat, which tangles him in a maze of deception.
- DirectorGeorge A. RomeroStarsMichelle MorganJoshua CloseShawn RobertsA group of young film students run into real-life zombies while filming a horror movie of their own.
- DirectorJohn Erick DowdleStarsJennifer CarpenterSteve HarrisColumbus ShortA television reporter and her cameraman are trapped inside a building quarantined by the CDC, after the outbreak of a mysterious virus which turns humans into bloodthirsty killers.
- DirectorRoland EmmerichStarsWill SmithBill PullmanJeff GoldblumThe aliens are coming and their goal is to invade and destroy Earth. Fighting superior technology, mankind's best weapon is the will to survive.A return to evil aliens; came out between Operation Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsRichard DreyfussFrançois TruffautTeri GarrRoy Neary, an Indiana electric lineman, finds his quiet and ordinary daily life turned upside down after a close encounter with a UFO, spurring him to an obsessed cross-country quest for answers as a momentous event approaches.The plot is a bit convoluted and boring by today's standards, but keep in mind that it was a miracle of special effects for its time. Literally, UFOs were being depicted in movies by pie plates dangling from strings a short time before this (maybe twenty years). Even today, its special effects are pretty impressive if you remember this is before CGI. Along with ET, this movie ushered in the newer, "hey, maybe they're good and smarter than us!" aliens.
- DirectorJohn LandisStarsDavid NaughtonJenny AgutterJoe BelcherTwo American college students on a walking tour of Britain are attacked by a werewolf that none of the locals will admit exists.
- CreatorFrank DarabontStarsAndrew LincolnNorman ReedusMelissa McBrideSheriff Deputy Rick Grimes wakes up from a coma to learn the world is in ruins and must lead a group of survivors to stay alive.The current reigning king of zombies on television. Interestingly, this seems to be more about fear of the living than fear of the dead, though.
- DirectorJacques TourneurStarsFrances DeeTom ConwayJames EllisonA nurse is hired to care for the wife of a sugar plantation owner, who has been acting strangely, on a Caribbean island.Old school, pre-Romero's Night of the Living Dead zombies. Creepy, shuffling about, but not cannibals.
Please note that this movie is less-than-sensitive to particular New-World African (eg, Haitians) ethnic groups. - DirectorGeorge A. RomeroStarsDuane JonesJudith O'DeaKarl HardmanA ragtag group of Pennsylvanians barricade themselves in an old farmhouse to remain safe from a horde of flesh-eating ghouls that are ravaging the Northeast of the United States.Really the beginning of the zombies as cannibals theme. Before this film, zombies were more like the Seabrook creation--corpses just walking around being creepy but otherwise pretty harmless.
Most people see this as a movie about the dangers of conformity. - DirectorVincenzo NataliStarsAdrien BrodySarah PolleyDelphine ChanéacGenetic engineers Clive Nicoli and Elsa Kast hope to achieve fame by successfully splicing together the DNA of different animals to create new hybrid animals for medical use.Modern-day Frankenstein
- DirectorGeorge A. RomeroStarsDavid EmgeKen ForeeScott H. ReinigerDuring an escalating zombie epidemic, two Philadelphia SWAT team members, a traffic reporter and his TV executive girlfriend seek refuge in a secluded shopping mall.
- DirectorZack SnyderStarsSarah PolleyVing RhamesMekhi PhiferA nurse, a policeman, a young married couple, a salesman and other survivors of a worldwide plague that is producing aggressive, flesh-eating zombies, take refuge in a mega Midwestern shopping mall.Zombie remake
- DirectorJames WhaleStarsColin CliveMae ClarkeBoris KarloffDr Henry Frankenstein is obsessed with assembling a living being from parts of several exhumed corpses.James Whale's classic. It may be hard to remember now, but this movie scared the ever-lovin-jeepers out of people when it came out.
- DirectorKenneth BranaghStarsRobert De NiroKenneth BranaghHelena Bonham CarterWhen the brilliant but unorthodox scientist Dr. Victor Frankenstein rejects the artificial man that he has created, the Creature escapes and later swears revenge.A bit long, but this version of Mary Shelley's classic really does pack a punch, pointing out repeatedly how the creature isn't really the evil one--his creator is.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsAnthony PerkinsJanet LeighVera MilesA Phoenix secretary embezzles $40,000 from her employer's client, goes on the run and checks into a remote motel run by a young man under the domination of his mother.Frankenstein's monster, anyone? A created sociopath?
- DirectorEdgar WrightStarsSimon PeggNick FrostKate AshfieldThe uneventful, aimless lives of a London electronics salesman and his layabout roommate are disrupted by the zombie apocalypse.Zombie comedy
- DirectorRuben FleischerStarsJesse EisenbergEmma StoneWoody HarrelsonA shy student trying to reach his family in Ohio, a gun-toting bruiser in search of the last Twinkie and a pair of sisters striving to get to an amusement park join forces in a trek across a zombie-filled America.Okay, I have to admit... This movie does not pack a big sociological punch. However, it is really amusing and the main character is known as Columbus, my hometown.
- DirectorRobert RodriguezStarsHarvey KeitelGeorge ClooneyJuliette LewisTwo criminals and their hostages unknowingly seek temporary refuge in a truck stop populated by vampires, with chaotic results.vampires
- DirectorFrancis Ford CoppolaStarsGary OldmanWinona RyderAnthony HopkinsThe centuries old vampire Count Dracula comes to England to seduce his barrister Jonathan Harker's fiancée Mina Murray and inflict havoc in the foreign land.If you have anything bad to say about this movie, keep it to yourself. This has been one of my all-time favorite movies ever since its release when I was a young'n.
- DirectorTod BrowningKarl FreundStarsBela LugosiHelen ChandlerDavid MannersTransylvanian vampire Count Dracula bends a naive real estate agent to his will, then takes up residence at a London estate where he sleeps in his coffin by day and searches for potential victims by night.Classic. This movie set in our culture what Dracula is supposed to look/be like. And it’s all about deviant sex and xenophobia, to boot.
- DirectorGeorge WaggnerStarsClaude RainsWarren WilliamLon Chaney Jr.Larry Talbot returns to his father's castle in Wales and meets a beautiful woman. One fateful night, Talbot escorts her to a local carnival where they meet a mysterious gypsy fortune teller.Mental illness, stigma, social control, xenophobia
- CreatorAlan BallStarsAnna PaquinStephen MoyerSam TrammellTelepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse encounters a strange new supernatural world when she meets the mysterious Bill Compton, a southern Louisiana gentleman and vampire.
- DirectorStuart RosenbergStarsJames BrolinMargot KidderRod SteigerNewlyweds and their three children move into a large house where a mass murder was committed. They start to experience strange, inexplicable manifestations which have strong effects on everyone living in or visiting the house.This is actually a haunted house movie, not a monster movie. However, it came out during a recession when housing prices were dropping. See the sociological significance yet?
Do you think it is also a coincidence that the television show "American Horror Story" also came out right after a real estate bubble burst? Recall the first season is all about an evil house. - DirectorGuillermo del ToroStarsMira SorvinoJeremy NorthamAlexander GoodwinThree years ago, entomologist Dr. Susan Tyler genetically created an insect to kill cockroaches carrying a virulent disease. Now, the insects are out to destroy their only predator, mankind.Science gone awry - created creatures
- DirectorRenny HarlinStarsThomas JaneSaffron BurrowsSamuel L. JacksonSearching for a cure to Alzheimer's disease, a group of scientists on an isolated research facility become the prey, as a trio of intelligent sharks fight back.
- DirectorJacques TourneurStarsSimone SimonTom ConwayKent SmithAn American man marries a Serbian immigrant who fears that she will turn into the cat person of her homeland's fables if they are intimate together.A twist on the old werewolf theme - all about fears of female sexuality
- DirectorDanny BoyleStarsCillian MurphyNaomie HarrisChristopher EcclestonFour weeks after a mysterious, incurable virus spreads throughout the UK, a handful of survivors try to find sanctuary.
- DirectorJohn MayburyStarsAdrien BrodyKeira KnightleyDaniel CraigA Gulf war veteran is wrongly sent to a mental institution for insane criminals, where he becomes the object of a doctor's experiments, and his life is completely affected by them.
- DirectorNeil MarshallStarsShauna MacdonaldNatalie MendozaAlex ReidA caving expedition goes horribly wrong, as the explorers become trapped and ultimately pursued by a strange breed of predators.
- DirectorDon SiegelStarsKevin McCarthyDana WynterLarry GatesA small-town doctor learns that the population of his community is being replaced by emotionless alien duplicates.This movie is one of the first political horror movies I know of, in that everyone watching it *knew* the story was really about communism.
The population of a small American town starts to suspect their neighbors aren't really their neighbors--they seem to be replaced by people who look and act exactly the same, but seem to be lacking "something." The town doctor discovers pods that grow into replacement bodies, taking people over WHILE THEY SLEEP (if that isn't an obvious wake-up call to stay awake and aware, I don't know what is).
The main character actually says, "First our town, and all the towns around us. It's a malignant disease spreading through the whole country." The point: The communists are here and they look just like us! - CreatorKenneth JohnsonStarsMarc SingerFaye GrantMichael IronsideA year after Liberation Day, courtesy of the red-dust bacteria, the humanoid, lizard-like aliens develop a resistance to the micro-organism and try to regain control of the Earth--only now, some humans are knowingly working with them.
- CreatorKenneth JohnsonScott PetersStarsElizabeth MitchellMorris ChestnutJoel GretschAn extraterrestrial race arrives on Earth with seemingly good intentions, only to slowly reveal their true machinations the more ingrained into society they become.
- DirectorMike HodgesStarsSam J. JonesMelody AndersonMax von SydowA football player and his friends travel to the planet Mongo and find themselves fighting the tyranny of Ming the Merciless to save Earth.Honestly, this movie is so bad--so campy--it's kind of good. Plus, it’s based off of early comic strips and radio programs, so naturally I love it.
Unlike the typical alien movie where they come to us, this has humans going to an alien planet where disparate (ethnic) groups are kept squabbling amongst themselves and therefore don't join together to overthrow the evil ruler. Shades of conflict theory, Marxism, ethnic conflict... and xenophobia, too! - DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsHenry ThomasDrew BarrymorePeter CoyoteA troubled child summons the courage to help a friendly alien escape from Earth and return to his home planet.Along with Close Encounters of the Third Kind, this movie ushered in the second era of aliens: they're probably way smarter than humans to get here, so likely good. Unlike Close Encounters of the Third Kind, we actually get to know this alien personally.
This came out as the Cold War (and its resulting xenophobia) was starting to wind down. - DirectorGreg MottolaStarsSimon PeggNick FrostSeth RogenTwo English comic book geeks traveling across the U.S. encounter an alien outside Area 51.Perhaps the epitome of the newest era of aliens: aliens are pretty much just like us, only with a few relatively-trivial differences. Note the connection to the ethnic diversification of our population.
- DirectorBrad AndersonStarsMarisa TomeiVincent D'OnofrioHolland TaylorNew Yorker Ruby Weaver believes she has found the man of her dreams in Sam Deed, who is her best catch in some time--except that he assures her that he came from the future.Technically, this is a time-travel movie (not a monster movie), but our main character is essentially an alien from another time. Again, the connection should be pretty obvious to the newest wave of aliens, in that the aliens are really immigrants, and pretty much just like us (no smarter, no more evil, etc.)
- DirectorMervyn LeRoyStarsNancy KellyPatty McCormackGage ClarkeRhoda Penmark seems like your average, sweet eight-year-old girl. After her rival at school dies in mysterious circumstances at the school picnic, her mother starts to suspect that Rhoda was responsible.Another created killer, this one a little girl - poses questions about parenting, gender dynamics, etc.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsRod TaylorTippi HedrenJessica TandyA wealthy San Francisco socialite pursues a potential boyfriend to a small Northern California town that slowly takes a turn for the bizarre when birds of all kinds suddenly begin to attack people.Classic horror film (not really a monster movie, unless you count thousands of birds as tiny monsters). I always see it as the environment strikes back. Interestingly, it is based loosely on real events. There is a town in California where the birds seem to go crazy every couple of decades and swarm on the city. Turns out the culprit is toxic plankton due to pollution, which causes seizures and disorientation in the birds. So, it really IS the environment strikes back!
- DirectorWolfgang PetersenStarsDustin HoffmanRene RussoMorgan FreemanArmy doctors struggle to find a cure for a deadly virus spreading throughout a California town that was brought to America by an African monkey.No real monsters here unless you count a very sick little monkey, but an outbreak of contagious disease has the earmarks of both zombie apocalypse and old-world vampirism.
- DirectorJ. Searle DawleyStarsMary FullerCharles OgleAugustus PhillipsThe first filmed version of Frankenstein. The young doctor discovers the secret of life, which he uses to create a perfect human. Things do not go according to plan.Silent. Frankenstein before even the basic make-up effects of the 1931 classic. It does have a fairly neat little special effects scene where they burn a skeleton/doll then play it backwards to make it look like the monster is being created by the fire (rather than destroyed). The best thing about this short is to remind us of how far advanced the 1931 film was.
- DirectorRidley ScottStarsSigourney WeaverTom SkerrittJohn HurtThe crew of a commercial spacecraft encounters a deadly lifeform after investigating a mysterious transmission of unknown origin.This movie can be viewed as a love story between Sigourney Weaver's character and the alien, or a parable about rape, or fears that we are opening a Pandora's Box by going into outer space.
- DirectorJames CameronStarsSigourney WeaverMichael BiehnCarrie HennDecades after surviving the Nostromo incident, Ellen Ripley is sent out to re-establish contact with a terraforming colony but finds herself battling the Alien Queen and her offspring.Sequel to the 1979 Alien; not quite as much sociology but decent movie. Has more of a Western feel to it - they have to go rescue the colony (read: frontier), and much shooting occurs.
- DirectorRob LettermanConrad VernonStarsReese WitherspoonRainn WilsonStephen ColbertA woman transformed into a giant after she is struck by a meteorite on her wedding day becomes part of a team of monsters sent in by the U.S. government to defeat an alien mastermind trying to take over Earth.Kids flick, the "monsters" are spins on classic monsters: Attack of the Fifty-Foot Woman, The Blob, The Fly, etc.
Oh yeah, and they fight aliens.
Plus, a good dose of mistrust in the government. - DirectorAlex ProyasStarsWill SmithBridget MoynahanBruce GreenwoodIn 2035, a technophobic cop investigates a crime that may have been perpetrated by a robot, which leads to a larger threat to humanity.Robots as Frankensteins
- DirectorFrancis LawrenceStarsWill SmithAlice BragaCharlie TahanYears after a plague kills most of humanity and transforms the rest into monsters, the sole survivor in New York City struggles valiantly to find a cure.Vampires/zombies classic story updated for a modern audience.
- DirectorRobert WiseStarsMichael RenniePatricia NealHugh MarloweAn alien lands in Washington, D.C. and tells the people of Earth that they must live peacefully or be destroyed as a danger to other planets.The prototype of the good aliens, though he's still scary - he basically tells us to stop playing with nuclear power or our celestial neighbors will stop us (i.e., destroy the planet).
- DirectorMario BavaStarsBarbara SteeleJohn RichardsonAndrea ChecchiA vengeful witch and her fiendish servant return from the grave and begin a bloody campaign to possess the body of the witch's beautiful look-alike descendant.
- DirectorDavid CronenbergStarsOliver ReedSamantha EggarArt HindleA man tries to uncover an unconventional psychologist's therapy techniques on his institutionalized wife, amidst a series of brutal murders.
- DirectorMichael ReevesStarsVincent PriceIan OgilvyRupert DaviesDuring the English Civil War, a young Roundhead seeks vengeance against a vicious witch-hunter and his henchman, who have terrorized the soldier's fiancée and wrongfully executed her uncle.
- DirectorMatt ReevesStarsMike VogelJessica LucasLizzy CaplanA group of friends venture deep into the streets of New York on a rescue mission during a rampaging monster attack.
- DirectorCharles LamontStarsBud AbbottLou CostelloBoris KarloffTwo bumbling American cops hunt for the mysterious Mr. Hyde in London, England.Sometimes, after watching all these scary movies, it is good to take a break with the heir-apparent sequel to Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948).
- DirectorCharles BartonWalter LantzStarsBud AbbottLou CostelloLon Chaney Jr.The Wolf Man tries to warn a dimwitted porter that Dracula wants his brain for Frankenstein monster's body.The first monster comedy, and part of the reason why we don't think the old Universal monsters are terribly scary anymore. Still, a sweet little classic with most of our monsters in attendance.
- DirectorEllory ElkayemStarsDavid ArquetteKari WuhrerScott TerraVenomous spiders get exposed to a noxious chemical that causes them to grow to monumental proportions.I haven't seen it, but I understand this to be a "fun" movie about spiders (read: science or Mother Nature) running amok.
- DirectorGuillermo del ToroStarsIvana BaqueroAriadna GilSergi LópezIn the Falangist Spain of 1944, the bookish young stepdaughter of a sadistic army officer escapes into an eerie but captivating fantasy world.This is a foreign monster movie that does not include any of our monsters, but it is a great example of the importance of stories to our lives, and especially to people in difficult social situations. It helps if you have a little knowledge of the Francoist period (after the Spanish Civil War) in Spain, but that isn't necessary to enjoy it.
- DirectorFrank DarabontStarsThomas JaneMarcia Gay HardenLaurie HoldenA freak storm unleashes a species of bloodthirsty creatures on a small town, where a small band of citizens hole up in a supermarket and fight for their lives.
- DirectorHenri-Georges ClouzotStarsSimone SignoretVéra ClouzotPaul MeurisseThe wife and mistress of a loathed school principal plan to murder him with what they believe is the perfect alibi.Is it a zombie film? You choose.
- DirectorGeorges FranjuStarsPierre BrasseurAlida ValliJuliette MaynielA surgeon causes an accident which leaves his daughter disfigured and goes to extreme lengths to give her a new face.Frankenstein with subtlety.
- DirectorJack ArnoldStarsGrant WilliamsRandy StuartApril KentAfter Scott Carey begins to shrink because of exposure to a combination of radiation and insecticide, medical science is powerless to help him.Science gone awry--man turned into "creature," sort of. Plus, this came out only a year before Attack of the 50 Foot Woman. Coincidence?
- DirectorNathan JuranStarsAllison HayesWilliam HudsonYvette VickersWhen an abused socialite grows to giant size because of an alien encounter and an aborted murder attempt, she goes after her cheating husband with revenge on her mind.Aliens. Came out during early rumblings of the modern feminist movement. (Also see The Incredible Shrinking Man.)
- DirectorFelix E. FeistStarsLew AyresGene EvansNancy ReaganThree scientists unlawfully remove the still living brain of a dead tycoon and experiment with it but the evil brain begins to telepathically control the lead scientist.Shades of Frankenstein. Remake of The Lady and the Monster (1944).
- DirectorGeorge ShermanStarsVera RalstonErich von StroheimRichard ArlenA millionaire's brain is preserved after his death, and telepathically begins to take control of those around him.Scientific creations gone awry at a time when advances in medicine seemed endless.
- DirectorJohn CarpenterStarsAdrienne BarbeauJamie Lee CurtisJanet LeighAn unearthly fog rolls into a small coastal town exactly 100 years after a ship mysteriously sank in its waters.
- StarsDavid SoulJames MasonLance KerwinA novelist and a young horror fan attempt to save a small New England town which has been invaded by vampires.Vampires.
- DirectorMel BrooksStarsGene WilderMadeline KahnMarty FeldmanAn American grandson of the infamous scientist, struggling to prove that his grandfather was not as insane as people believe, is invited to Transylvania, where he discovers the process that reanimates a dead body.I love Mel Brooks, but never cottoned to this movie. However, lots of people love the silly send-up of the classic monster movie.
- DirectorBruno VeSotaStarsEd NelsonAlan Jay FactorCornelius KeefeThe inhabitants of a small Illinois town begin disappearing after a strange cone is found sticking out of the ground nearby.Supposedly this is a terrible movie. I don't really think you should watch it - it's just on here so you know of it. (So you know to avoid it.)
- DirectorJeremiah S. ChechikStarsSharon StoneIsabelle AdjaniChazz PalminteriThe wife and mistress of the sadistic dean of an exclusive prep school conspire to murder him.Remake of the 1955 classic. I must admit that--as a child of my times--I actually like this one better than the original. This confession probably doesn't win me "movie snob" points, but, oh well.
- DirectorBryan ForbesStarsKatharine RossPaula PrentissPeter MastersonJoanna Eberhart has come to the quaint little town of Stepford, Connecticut with her family, but soon discovers there lies a sinister truth in the all too perfect behavior of the female residents.Feminism and Frankenstein.
- DirectorTod BrowningStarsWallace FordLeila HyamsOlga BaclanovaA circus' beautiful trapeze artist agrees to marry the leader of side-show performers, but his deformed friends discover she is only marrying him for his inheritance.This was meant to be a horror film, but flopped spectacularly. It features famous last-generation freak-show performers. Turns out, people didn't like their horror movies to be real. It was just uncomfortable to watch.
- DirectorGene Fowler Jr.StarsMichael LandonYvonne LimeWhit BissellA hypnotherapist uses a temperamental teenager as a guinea pig for a serum which transforms him into a vicious werewolf.What adolescent hasn't felt like their body was changing into a hairy, hormone-laden monster?
- DirectorRod DanielStarsMichael J. FoxJames HamptonSusan UrsittiAn ordinary high school student discovers that his family has an unusual pedigree.A retelling of the adolescent as werewolf story
- CreatorJeff DavisStarsTyler PoseyHolland RodenDylan O'BrienAn average high school student and his best friend get caught up in some trouble causing him to receive a werewolf bite. As a result they find themselves in the middle of all sorts of dramas in Beacon Hills.Haven't seen it, but it was about time we saw another "adolescents as werewolf" show.
- DirectorTobe HooperStarsMarilyn BurnsEdwin NealAllen DanzigerFive friends head out to rural Texas to visit the grave of a grandfather. On the way they stumble across what appears to be a deserted house, only to discover something sinister within. Something armed with a chainsaw.
- DirectorJohn BadhamStarsFrank LangellaLaurence OlivierDonald PleasenceIn 1913, the charming, seductive and sinister vampire Count Dracula travels to England in search of an immortal bride.Even though we can trace the sexy Dracula all the way back to Bela Lugosi, this could be seen as the movie where there was no going back. Vampires past 1979 were going to have to be sexy to be popular.
- CreatorDan CurtisStarsJonathan FridGrayson HallAlexandra IslesThe rich Collins family of Collinsport, Maine is tormented by strange occurrences.Began as a soap opera (even played during the afternoons) with a Gothic twist, then got more and more bizarre. People who didn't even watch the afternoon melodramas got swept up into the stories.
Barnabas Collins is the first vampire who is not terribly happy about being a vampire, and maintains enough of his humanity to be distressed about feeding on humans. Anne Rice later developed this more fully in her character, Louis. - DirectorTim BurtonStarsJohnny DeppMichelle PfeifferEva GreenAn imprisoned vampire, Barnabas Collins, is set free and returns to his ancestral home, where his dysfunctional descendants are in need of his protection.Okay movie meant to be campy. Vampires, werewolves, and more.
- DirectorJames WhaleStarsBoris KarloffElsa LanchesterColin CliveMary Shelley reveals the main characters of her novel survived: Baron Henry Frankenstein, goaded by an even madder scientist, builds his monster a mate.Classic, also by James Whale. He had to make a sequel, so he decided the sequel would be campy and funny.
- CreatorEd HaasNorm LiebmannStarsFred GwynneAl LewisYvonne De CarloA family of friendly monsters have misadventures, never quite understanding why people react to them so strangely.It’s so delightfully sociological how they worry about their “normal” daughter.
- DirectorLouis LeterrierStarsEdward NortonLiv TylerTim RothBruce Banner, a scientist on the run from the U.S. Government, must find a cure for the monster he turns into whenever he loses his temper.Jekyll & Hyde, anyone?
- DirectorAng LeeStarsEric BanaJennifer ConnellySam ElliottBruce Banner, a genetics researcher with a tragic past, suffers an accident that causes him to transform into a raging green monster when he gets angry.Modern re-boot of the modern Jekyll & Hyde with anger management issues.
- DirectorStephen NorringtonStarsSean ConneryStuart TownsendPeta WilsonIn an alternate Victorian Age world, a group of famous contemporary fantasy, science fiction, and adventure characters team up on a secret mission.vampires, Jekyll & Hyde
- DirectorMerian C. CooperErnest B. SchoedsackStarsFay WrayRobert ArmstrongBruce CabotA film crew goes to a tropical island for a location shoot, where they capture a colossal ape who takes a shine to their blonde starlet, and bring him back to New York City.Not one of our monsters, but a classic of film reflecting social tensions--in this case, the racial exploitation of African Americans.
- DirectorBill CondonStarsIan McKellenBrendan FraserLynn RedgraveThe last days of Frankenstein (1931) director James Whale are explored.Actually, this is an imagining of James Whale's final days, but could be watched as an interesting commentary on the Frankenstein films. Decades after directing the first two Frankenstein films, the famous director was suffering from dementia and living an openly homosexual life during a time when such a lifestyle was practically unheard of in public.
- 1988–19991h 33mNot Rated7.6 (596)TV EpisodeDirectorKevin MurphyStarsTrace BeaulieuMichael J. NelsonJim MallonSwarms of giant grasshoppers are headed straight for Chicago in Beginning of the End (1957). Mike catches the Mads off guard, Crow presents his latest screenplay "Peter Graves Goes to the University of Minnesota," and Tom performs a stand-up comedy routine about grasshoppers.You are welcome to watch the original movie, but it is somewhat difficult for a modern viewer to enjoy. Science gone awry to the tune of giant bugs terrorizing (pictures of) the world.
- DirectorF.W. MurnauStarsMax SchreckAlexander GranachGustav von WangenheimVampire Count Orlok expresses interest in a new residence and real estate agent Hutter's wife.Early depiction of Bram Stoker's Dracula. All the names are changed because Bram Stoker's widow refused to sell the rights.
- DirectorE. Elias MerhigeStarsJohn MalkovichWillem DafoeUdo KierThe filming of Nosferatu (1922) is hampered by the fact that its star Max Schreck is taking the role of a vampire far more seriously than seems humanly possible.This is an imagining of the filming of Nosferatu (1922); see it as imaginative commentary.
- DirectorPaul WegenerCarl BoeseStarsPaul WegenerAlbert SteinrückErnst DeutschIn 16th-century Prague, a rabbi creates the Golem - a giant creature made of clay. Using sorcery, he brings the creature to life in order to protect the Jews of Prague from persecution.We will talk about Golems in class. They are the prototype for Frankenstein’s monster.
- DirectorFritz LangStarsBrigitte HelmAlfred AbelGustav FröhlichIn a futuristic city sharply divided between the working class and the city planners, the son of the city's mastermind falls in love with a working-class prophet who predicts the coming of a savior to mediate their differences.People either love this movie or hate it. I personally love it, but I will understand if you don’t want to give it a go. Two and a half hours of silent film is a lot for most people to sit through. It is wonderfully sociological and has phenomenal cinematography, though. What’s the monster? Ooh, I’m not going to give it away. I’ll give you a hint, though... Modernity.
- DirectorTerence FisherStarsPeter CushingMartita HuntYvonne MonlaurVampire hunter Dr. Van Helsing returns to Transylvania to destroy handsome bloodsucker Baron Meinster, who has designs on a beautiful young schoolteacher.
- DirectorJim MallonStarsTrace BeaulieuMichael J. NelsonJim MallonMike Nelson and his robot companions watch and give their comments about This Island Earth (1955).Shows This Island Earth (1955). Again, you can watch the original film instead, but it may be more enjoyable for the modern viewer to watch this version.
- DirectorJohn S. RobertsonStarsJohn BarrymoreMartha MansfieldBrandon HurstDr. Henry Jekyll experiments with scientific means of revealing the hidden, dark side of man and releases a murderer from within himself.silent, but beautiful sets.
- DirectorVictor FlemingStarsSpencer TracyIngrid BergmanLana TurnerDr. Jekyll allows his dark side to run wild when he drinks a potion that turns him into the evil Mr. Hyde.
- DirectorRouben MamoulianStarsFredric MarchMiriam HopkinsRose HobartDr. Jekyll faces horrible consequences when he lets his dark side run wild with a potion that transforms him into the animalistic Mr. Hyde.
- CreatorLeslie StevensStarsBob JohnsonBen WrightWilliam Douglas"The Outer Limits" was an anthology series of insightful science fiction tales.