Most horrifying hell creature that ever menaced all mankind!

Starring: Kenji Sahara, Yumi Shirakawa, Akihiko Hirata, Akio Kobori, Yasuko Nakada, Minosuke Yamada, Yoshifumi Tajima, Kiyoharu Onaka

DML Rating: ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆ - above average

"Judging from a piece of its eggshell that we discovered, this one, which we've named Rodan, has a wingspan of 270 feet and weights over 100 tons." – Professor Kashiwagi

Why watch this? Rodan, a flying terror, destroys much of Tokyo in this thrilling film.

Plot Summary: In a Japanese mining village, mysterious disappearances and brutal deaths in the coal mine lead to a terrifying discovery: monstrous, prehistoric insects have been awakened. As the investigation unfolds and the insects cause havoc above ground, it becomes clear that these creatures are merely a prelude to an even greater threat dwelling deep within the earth. The awakening of a giant, ancient flying reptile, called Rodan, unleashes supersonic destruction across Japan.

Dad's Preview: This monster offering was Toho Studio's first film shot in color. It begins with a hysterical miner recalling his experience when he was trapped in a cave-in. He had to escape from gigantic car-sized insects. Forced deeper in the mountain's tunnels, he finds a huge egg. In sheer terror, he witnesses it hatch. The winged monstrosity within is large enough to consume the insects, as they are mere morsels to it. This film genuinely frightened me as a young child... and, of course, I could not get enough of it.

Toho

All Hail The King

Starring: Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, John Goodman, Brie Larson, Jing Tian, Toby Kebbell, John Ortiz, Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ - good

"Kong's a pretty good king. Keeps to himself, mostly. This is his home, we're just guests. But you don't go into someone's house and start dropping bombs, unless you're picking a fight." - Hank Marlow

Why watch this? This wonderful Kong film was made for one purpose: to set up a future battle with Godzilla!

Plot Summary: A team of scientists, soldiers, and adventurers journey to an uncharted island in the Pacific, unaware it is the home of the giant ape, Kong. The group quickly finds themselves in a battle for survival against Kong and other prehistoric creatures inhabiting the island. As the expedition continues, they must navigate the perilous landscape and determine if Kong is a threat to be eliminated or a force of nature to be respected.

Dad's Preview: After 2014's American Godzilla (2014) hit theaters, rumors of a Kong film quickly surfaced. Oh yea, I knew where they were heading, and it was about time! This is a very good film, with a lot of outrageous action, which is kind of the point. An all-star cast visits a mysterious island and there encounters the mighty sullen Kong. We quickly learn that Kong's most dangerous enemies are subterranean, reptilian creatures that are lethal. The CGI is off the chain (which my kids tell me means "cool").

Legendary Pictures, Tencent Pictures; Warner Bros.

A super Godzilla, it was born from Godzilla cells!

Starring: Kunihiko Mitamura, Yoshiko Tanaka, Masanobu Takashima, Megumi Odaka, Toru Minegishi, Yasuko Sawaguchi, Toshiyuki Nagashima, Yoshiko Kuga

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ - good

"So you did do it. You amalgamated one of Godzilla's cells together with the plant's cells. Are you proud of this? What kind science do you call this?" - Kazuhito Kirishima

Why watch this? This late '80s film was very fresh and downright exciting.

Plot Summary: Five years after Godzilla's last attack, a scientist seeking to preserve his deceased daughter's cells accidentally creates a hybrid monster using Godzilla's DNA and that of a rose. Meanwhile, international powers and a terrorist organization struggle to control samples of Godzilla's cells, leading to complications that release the dormant monster from his volcanic prison. The reawakened Godzilla eventually encounters Biollante, culminating in a clash that determines the fate of humanity.

Dad's Preview: Godzilla was re-booted by Toho Studios in 1984, which started the Heisei period, which re-established Godzilla as a more destructive, meaner threat. It took five years to make the second film, but it was worth the wait. Scientists, desperate to find a way to kill Godzilla, fuse planet genetics with his DNA. The result is a new life-form, that grows into Biollante, a female plant-reptile hybrid that quickly draws the big guy's nuclear-powered attention. I get that Biollante sounds like a Mexican wrestler, but trust me, the creature gives Godzilla all he can handle.

Toho Co. Ltd.

This Time It's Not Just A Walk In The Park!

Starring: Sam Neill, William H. Macy, Téa Leoni, Alessandro Nivola, Trevor Morgan, Michael Jeter, John Diehl, Bruce A. Young

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ - good

"Great, just great. We're in the worst place in the world and we're not even being paid." – Dr. Grant

Why watch this? To again feel some of the excitement of the first film. This brings it.

Plot Summary: Paleontologist Alan Grant is reluctantly lured back to Isla Sorna, the site of InGen's dinosaur breeding facility, under the pretense of a wealthy couple needing an aerial tour. However, after a plane crash, Dr. Grant discovers the couple's real agenda is to search for their son who went missing on the island weeks earlier. Stranded and surrounded by genetically re-engineered dinosaurs, the group must navigate the treacherous island and survive the hostile prehistoric inhabitants in their desperate attempt to escape.

Dad's Preview: The first sequel, The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997), just felt like a money grab; it was uninspired. Here, Sam Neill returns as Dr. Grant. This film's plot and pacing are much better. There are lots of run-for-your-life scenes and revelations the audience will love. But more importantly, its characters are better developed. A big bonus was that they FINALLY created Pterodactyls, and frankly, they are quite terrifying!

Amblin Entertainment; Universal Pictures

Man has made his newest predator

Starring: Song Kang-ho, Byun Hee-bong, Park Hae-il, Bae Doona, Go Ah-sung, Oh Dal-su, Ko Asung, Jae-eung Lee

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ - good

"How could you leave behind your only sister?" – Park Gang-Du

Why watch this? This Korean film was the best, most creative monster film in years.

Plot Summary: A monstrous creature emerges from Seoul's Han River, terrorizing the city and abducting a young girl named Hyun-seo. Her seemingly dysfunctional family, led by her father, Gang-du, then embarks on a desperate mission to rescue her from the monster's clutches. Their efforts are hampered not only by the creature itself but also by an incompetent government.

Dad's Preview: Years after repeatedly dumping formaldehyde in the Han River, a large, amphibious creature appears, terrorizing folks, and eating a few. The cast of survivors are not normal monster-movie caricatures. They are real, flawed, mistake-prone individuals. This is a plus for the film. Hats off to Korean film-making and director Bong Joon-ho - there's a deeper treasure trove there, as we're starting to learn.

Chungeorahm Film; Showbox, Kadokawa Herald

The most exciting original motion picture event of all time.

Starring: Jeff Bridges, Charles Grodin, Jessica Lange, John Randolph, Rene Auberjonois, Julius Harris, Jack O'Halloran, Ed Lauter, Dennis Fimple

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ - good

"You know I had my horoscope done before I flew out to Hong Kong. And it said that I was going to cross over water and meet the biggest person in my life." - Dwan

Why watch this? I watched this about 50 times... it gave Kong a great new vibe.

Plot Summary: An oil company expedition, accompanied by a paleontologist and a rescued castaway, travels to a remote island shrouded in mystery. On the island, they discover a giant ape, worshiped by the natives as Kong, and subsequently capture him to exploit him back in New York City. The film then explores the consequences of humanity's interference with nature and the unexpected bond that forms between the giant ape and the rescued woman.

Dad's Preview: This big Dino De Laurentis production features an all-star cast, amazing musical score, and wonderful special effects (for its time). Most of this film's Kong is an actor in a very well-done gorilla suit. It succeeds in creating suspense, horror and that necessary ingredient: sympathy for the gigantic ape who falls in love with a human girl. Jessica Lange, in her first major motion picture, captivates as the eccentric Dwan. Hunky, bearded Jeff Bridges, as her human love interest, also puts forth a nice performance. You will, er, go ape over this rendition of the Kong story.

Dino De Laurentiis Corp.; Paramount Pictures

Kings of the monsters.

Starring: Kōsuke Toyohara, Anna Nakagawa, Megumi Odaka, Katsuhiko Sasaki, Akiji Kobayashi, Yoshio Tsuchiya, Robert Scott Field

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ - good

"An H-bomb was tested close by on an island called Bikini, and it's very possible that the radioactivity turned the dinosaur there into Godzilla!" - Kenichiro Terasawa

Why watch this? This is the best of the grittier Heisei Era Godzilla films. It's awesome!

Plot Summary: Time travelers from the future attempt to prevent Japan's destruction by removing Godzilla from history. This attempt, however, inadvertently leads to the creation of the three-headed monster King Ghidorah, unleashed to subjugate Japan. Godzilla must return to defend Japan from Ghidorah and the time travelers' true, dastardly scheme.

Dad's Preview: This film gave us the first concrete Godzilla origin story, featuring a dinosaur, called a Godzillasaurus, that was mutated by nuclear radiation into the towering beast we know as Godzilla. In present day, aliens arrive from the future (of course), and attempt to help earth by erasing Godzilla's existence. Their true intent, however (and of course again), is to kill Godzilla, and use King Ghidorah to wipe out earth's future in the galaxy.

Toho Co. Ltd.

To fight monsters we created monsters

Starring: Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day, Ron Perlman, Diego Klattenhoff, Burn Gorman, Max Martini

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ - good

"Today we face the monsters that are at our door and bring the fight to them! Today, we are canceling the apocalypse!" - Stacker Pentecost

Why watch this? Any fan of Godzilla or Transformers will love this robot-kaiju slug-fest!

Plot Summary: Years ago, Earth faced destruction from a portal opening beneath the Pacific Ocean, releasing monstrous creatures called Kaiju. To fight back, humanity built colossal robots known as Jaegers, piloted by two people who share a neural link to control them. Now, as the Jaeger program struggles against increasingly powerful Kaiju attacks, a retired pilot and an untested trainee must team up for one last, desperate attempt to save the world.

Dad's Preview: Gigantic monsters are coming forth to wreak havoc on the world. After years of taking a beating, mankind finally begins to fight back. The plot is fun to follow, the actors are young and attractive, and the special effects are next-level. I am really impressed with Idris Elba. He really carries a persona that lends legitimacy to the films in which he stars. Keep it up, big guy.

Legendary Pictures, Double Dare You Prod.; Warner Bros. Pictures

Out of Pollution's Depth's It Slithers! Breathing Poison... Leaving a wake of deadly slime... Destroying all in its path!

Starring: Akira Yamauchi, Toshie Kimura, Hiroyuki Kawase, Keiko Mari, Toshio Shiba, Kenpachiro Satsuma, Toshie Kimura

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ - good

"The atomic and hydrogen bombs cast their fallout into the sea. Poison gas and sludge got dumped into the ocean. Even sewage. I bet Godzilla would be mad if he saw this." - Ken Yano, second grader

Why watch this? This Godzilla film has some of the best Kaiju fight scenes in the franchise.

Plot Summary: A young boy and his scientist father discover a strange, pollution-eating monster known as Hedorah, which continuously evolves into increasingly dangerous forms as it consumes the world's waste. Godzilla, as the Earth's protector, rises to confront Hedorah in a desperate attempt to save humanity from the growing environmental threat. The fate of the world hinges on a climactic battle between Godzilla and the smog monster at Mount Fuji, as mankind also strives to find a way to defeat the seemingly invincible creature.

Dad's Preview: This is a Godzilla film that I treasured as a young boy. After several "team-up" films, it was refreshing to have my favorite behemoth square off alone against a new, deadly foe, Hedorah. This shape-shifting space oddity feeds on Earth's pollution. Its main diet is toxic smoke spewed from Japan's many factories. The film's not-so-subtle message is that humans will suffer for polluting our world. As a bonus, we learn that Godzilla can fly... What? This famous (more like infamous) moment is so campy, I know... but hey, I unapologetically love it! ... so sue me! As a ten-year-old, I was cheering!

Toho Co. Ltd.

Behind every great love is a love story.

Starring: Naomi Watts, Jack Black, Adrien Brody, Thomas Kretschmann, Colin Hanks, Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"That's the thing you come to learn about Carl, his undying ability to destroy the things he loves." – Jack Driscoll

Why watch this? A worthy remake of the original 1933 classic.

Plot Summary: Filmmaker Carl Denham leads a voyage to the mysterious Skull Island to film a movie, taking along actress Ann Darrow and playwright Jack Driscoll. On the island, they encounter prehistoric creatures and the gigantic ape, Kong, who develops a bond with Ann. Driven by ambition, Denham captures Kong and brings him to New York City, where the ape escapes and searches for Ann amidst the urban chaos.

Dad's Preview: Peter Jackson tackled this right after Lord of the Rings, and went all out. He faithfully remakes the original, and more. He coaxed some wonderful performances out of the fine actors, then turned his CGI gurus loose. They delivered almost too well (the vine-swinging T-Rexs were a bit much). Regardless, it's a great film as a whole and very enjoyable for a nerdy guy like me. Naomi Watts continues to impress. That gal can act!

WingNut Films; Universal Pictures

Travel back through time and space to the edge of man's beginnings... discover a savage world whose only law was lust!

Starring: Raquel Welch, John Richardson, Percy Herbert, Robert Brown, Martine Beswick, Jean Wladon, Lisa Thomas

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ - good

"Their laws are simple: the strong take everything. This is Akhoba, leader of the Rock Tribe..." - Narrator

Why watch this? Volcanoes. Dinosaurs. Cave People in fur swimsuits... I am way in!

Plot Summary: This pre-historic tale focuses on Tumak, a caveman banished from his violent Rock tribe after a confrontation with his father, the leader. Wandering a dangerous prehistoric world inhabited by dinosaurs, he eventually encounters Loana, a member of the more civilized and gentle Shell tribe. Despite initial cultural clashes, their connection sparks a romance that challenges the established traditions of both tribes.

Dad's Preview: This is another of the great Ray Harryhausen's stop-motion animation classics. We are catapulted back in time, when humans were savage and they shared the world with gigantic creatures. Yea, I know that's not how it really happened, but work with me here! It's epic and generally a wild ride through a land of explosions, lava flows, and creatures of every kind constantly attacking the tribes of prehistoric, scantily-clad humans.

Hammer Film Productions, Seven Arts; Warner-Pathé Dist.

Will you win, Godzilla? Will you win, Kong? The battle of the century!

Starring: Tadao Takashima, Kenji Sahara, Yū Fujiki, Ichirō Arishima, Mie Hama, Michael Keith, Harry Holcombe

DML Rating: ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆ - above average

"King Kong could kill us all. You wouldn't care. Publicity's all you want! Publicity!" - Furue

Why watch this? This may have been my first exposure to Godzilla way back in the '70s.

Plot Summary: To boost TV ratings, a pharmaceutical company sends an expedition to Faro Island to capture the legendary monster King Kong. Simultaneously, Godzilla re-emerges from an iceberg and makes his way towards Japan, generating a media frenzy. With the monsters now both present, a confrontation between King Kong and Godzilla becomes inevitable.

Dad's Preview: I recorded this film's audio on a cassette tape at a drive-in. This film started Godzilla's (and Toho Films) popularity in the U.S. It is a huge grudge match between America's giant ape, Kong, and Japan's fire-breathing lizard, Gojira. The first 1/3 of the film covers the discovery of Kong on Faro Island. He's captured and brought to Japan, just as Godzilla emerges from an iceberg. After two epic battles both behemoths plunge into the sea causing earthquakes and tidal waves. Oh yeah!

Toho Col, Ltd.

Postwar Japan. From zero to minus.

Starring: Ryunosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe, Yuki Yamada, Munetaka Aoki, Hidetake Yoshioka, Sakura Ando, Kuranosuke Sasaki, Sae Nagatani, Miou Tanaka, Kisuke Iida

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"That's why this time I'd take pride in a citizen led effort that sacrifices no lives at all! This next battle is not one waged to the death, but a battle to live for the future." - Kenji Noda

Why watch this? On Godzilla's 70th anniversary, he won an Oscar for Best Visual Effects. Way to go, Big G!

Plot Summary: In 1945, kamikaze pilot Shikishima watches as his entire garrison is wiped out by a monster of incredible size. This leaves him with suvivor's guilt and PTSD. When he returns home, he learns his parents were killed in the bombing of Tokyo. While mourning, he takes in a woman and orphan child. To get by, he also signs on as a minesweeper. The monster, now known as Godzilla, has mutated (thanks to US nuclear tests) to be much larger. The Japanese Navy deploys Shikashima's boat to lay mines and hopefully deter the beast's onslaught of mainland Japan.

Dad's Preview: As compared to films of this same ilk, Minus One stands out for two reasons: 1) the plot is leagues richer than usual, and 2) the monster visual effects are out of this world! This version of Godzilla is much like the original film (Godzilla 1954). He's angry, murderously destructive, and all but indestructible. In fact, his wounds heal instantaneously. We more than feel for the lead characters as they wage war against their internal demons, while trying to stop the chaos caused by nature's deadliest mutation. 

Robot Communications; Toho Co. Ltd.

Sinbad Battles the Creatures of Legend in the Miracle of Dynarama

Starring: John Phillip Law, Tom Baker, Takis Emmanuel, Caroline Munro, Douglas Wilmer, Martin Shaw

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"Trust in Allah, but tie up your camel." - Sinbad

Why watch this? This is vintage, wonderful Ray Harryhausen - it may be his best work.

Plot Summary: Sinbad discovers a magical golden amulet that sets him on a dangerous quest to find the legendary Fountain of Destiny located on the uncharted island of Lemuria. He is joined by a vizier and a mysterious slave girl as they embark on a journey filled with mythical creatures, tempests, and dark interference from the evil sorcerer Koura. Sinbad must battle Koura and his magical creations to unlock the amulet's power and reach the Fountain.

Dad's Preview: This treasure almost made DML Top50, but lost out to Valley of Gwangi (1969). This is the best of Ray's Sinbad films. As Sinbad and his crew work to restore the Grand Vizier to this rightful throne, they must battle a sorcerer and his powerful magic and monstrous giant creatures. The acting feels natural, the villain is deliciously evil, and the special effects - well... they're freakin' awesome! Also, an un-credited Robert Shaw lent his talents to portray the ghastly "Oracle of All Knowledge" (The British actor felt this cameo was "beneath him", so he insisted on being uncredited).

Morningside Productions; Columbia Pictures

Godzilla, a weapon of science, a great battle of wonder and terror!

Starring: Akira Takarada, Momoko Kōchi, Akihiko Hirata, Takashi Shimura, Fuyuki Marakami, Sachio Sakai, Toranosuke Ogawa

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"It's impossible! Godzilla absorbed massive amounts of atomic radiation and yet it still survived! What do you think could kill it?" – Dr. Kyohei Yamane, Raymond Burr (American version)

Why watch this? ... this is the OG Godzilla - a superb and symbolic film about the cost of destructive science.  

Plot Summary: An investigation into a series of mysterious ship disappearances leads to the discovery of a giant, irradiated monster named Godzilla, awakened by atomic bomb testing. This monstrous creature emerges from the sea, causing widespread devastation and panic as it lays waste to Japan. Faced with an unstoppable force, a scientist wrestles with the moral dilemma of deploying a potentially even more dangerous weapon to stop Godzilla's reign of terror.

Dad's Preview: More than any country, Japan felt the full brunt of American war-power when two atomic bombs destroyed the cities of Hiroshima and Najasaski. Ten years later, this film displays the traumatic mental effect those events had on Japan as a nation. The menacing monster, Gojira, is a symbol of mankind's horrible decision to embrace a weapon so devastating. This film classic still has a powerful impact today.

(Note: for those over the age of 40, OG stands for Original Gansta, and, per my kids, it's a compliment.)

Toho Co. Ltd.

Cowboys Battle Monsters in the Lost World of Forbidden Valley!

Starring: James Franciscus, Gila Golan, Richard Carlson, Laurence Naismith, Freda Jackson, Gustavo Rojo, Dennis Kilbane, Curtis Arden

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

DML Top 50 #39 - Dad's Full (Spoiler) Review and Deep Dive of The Valley of Gwangi

"He who takes from Gwangi the evil one is cursed." – Tia Zorina, the gypsy woman

Why watch this? ... to see the amazing spectacle that is Gwangi!

Plot Summary: When a struggling Wild West show, in early 20th-century Mexico, encounters a prehistoric horse, it leads them to a hidden valley teeming with dinosaurs. Driven by the desire for fame and fortune, the show's cowboys capture a formidable Allosaurus, known as Gwangi, intending to exhibit it as a grand attraction. However, their plans quickly unravel when the captured creature proves impossible to control.

Dad's Preview: As a young boy, I loved dinosaur movies and Westerns. You can imagine my elation when a preview at the local drive-in advertised Gwangi! I lost my mind. Cowboys discover dinosaurs in a hidden valley. The film itself did not disappoint. It features some of Ray Harryhausen's finest stop-motion animation, including a tiny horse, and numerous prehistoric beasties. This hidden gem increased my appetite for more Harryhausen films I am happy to say.

Charles H. Schneer Prod.; Warner Bros.-Seven Arts

Giant Excitement! Giant Terror!

Starring: Akira Takarada, Nick Adams, Kumi Mizuno, Jun Tazaki, Akira Kubo, Yoshio Tsuchiya

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

DML Top 50 #50 - Dad's Full (Spoiler) Review and Deep Dive of Monster Zero

"We need an exterminator, one that would drive away King Ghidorah. We need from you Monster Zero 1 and Monster Zero 2, Godzilla and Rodan." - The Controller from Planet X

Why watch this? ... 'cause it's one of my favorite Shōwa-era Godzilla flicks.

Plot Summary: Astronauts from Earth journey to a newly discovered "Planet X" where they encounter an advanced alien civilization, the Xiliens. The Xiliens reveal they are plagued by the three-headed space monster King Ghidorah, whom they call "Monster Zero". They request to borrow Earth's monsters, Godzilla and Rodan, to defeat King Ghidorah in exchange for a cure for cancer. After Earth agrees, the true intentions of the Xiliens begin to unfold as a series of suspicious events lead the astronauts to question the aliens' motives.

Dad's Preview: For some reason, a 400-foot radioactive Japanese dragon has occupied much of my thoughts and energies from age ten to, umm, present day. My top films list would feel incomplete without ONE Big G entry. This late-nite drive-in treasure features the nasty alien three-headed dragon, King Ghidorah. The movie takes us to space, to Japan and back again. To save the Earth, man and Earth's monsters will have to work together to figure out the alien's weakness. This hidden gem has every element a young boy needs to feed his beastly soul!

Toho Co., LTD

Some Thing Has Found Us

Starring: Michael Stahl-David, Mike Vogel, Odette Yustman, Lizzy Caplan, Jessica Lucas, T. J. Miller, Anjul Nigam, Margot Farley

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"Approximately seven hours ago, uh, some thing attacked the city. I don't know what it is. Um, if you found this tape, I mean if you're watching this, then you probably know more about it than I do. Uh, whatever this thing is, it killed my brother..." - Robert Hawkins

Why watch this? Its "found footage" presentation style adds a fresh take on a stale genre.

Plot Summary:  The story follows a group of friends as they attempt to survive an unexpected giant monster attack on New York City. At first, there is confusion, then the situation quickly changes. The destruction is devastating. Even the monster's "fleas" prove deadly to the fleeing humans. The film is presented as a tape discovered by the U.S. Department of Defense.

Dad's Preview: This found-footage film captures the chaos of an immense creature attacking New York City. We follow our small group of protagonists, who are likeable young adults, as they try to survive and find the ones they love. This creature thriller is intense and scary, so hang on tight.

Bad Robot; Paramount Pictures

The monster movie that breaks new ground.

Starring: Kevin Bacon, Fred Ward, Finn Carter, Michael Gross, Reba McEntire, Bobby Jacoby, Tony Genaro, Ariana Richards, Richard Marcus

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"Run for it? Running is not a plan. Running is what you do when a plan fails!" - Earl

Why watch this? Gigantic, underground, man-eating worms! That's a hard YES for me.

Plot Summary: Set in the remote desert town of Perfection, Nevada, two handymen, Val and Earl, decide to leave their dull lives. Before they can depart, strange tremors and a series of mysterious deaths suggest a dangerous threat lurks beneath the surface. Along with other residents, including a seismologist and a survivalist couple, they must fight to survive against unseen, giant creatures that hunt by sensing vibrations.

Dad's Preview: I cannot say enough about Kevin Bacon. In Animal House (1978) I hated him as a snobby frat boy. He has since earned my respect. He certainly is a hard-working actor. This monster film hits the right blend of horror/gore, action and comedy from start to finish. Scientifically it's preposterous, so don't waste your time trying to make it make sense. Just go with it. Fred Ward also shines as Bacon's hillbilly sidekick, Earl. The two become unlikely protectors as giant worms threaten a small, desert hamlet. Despite the topic, the film is well-done and very fun to watch. 

No Frills Prod., Pacific Western Prod.; Universal Pictures

A Monster of Creation's Dawn Breaks Loose in Our World Today!

Starring: Fay Wray, Robert Armstrong, Bruce Cabot, Frank Reicher, Sam Hardy, Noble Johnson

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"He was a king and a god in the world he knew, but now he comes to civilization merely a captive - a show to gratify your curiosity. Ladies and gentlemen, look at Kong, the Eighth Wonder of the World!" - Carl Denham

Why watch this? It is a classic. It's the first great giant monster film, and so fun to watch.

Plot Summary: Adventurous filmmaker Carl Denham embarks on an expedition to a remote, uncharted island with his film crew and actress Ann Darrow. Upon arrival, they discover the island is inhabited by prehistoric creatures and a colossal ape named Kong, worshipped by the local natives. The natives kidnap Ann and offer her as a sacrifice to Kong, who becomes infatuated with her. After pursuing Kong and Ann through the perilous island jungle, Denham manages to capture Kong and brings him back to New York City to exhibit him to the public.

Dad's Preview: This is the original Kong created using stop-motion animation by Willis O'Brien. It opened to rave reviews and audiences could not believe their eyes. It's the fantastic tale of a giant ape who falls in love with a girl (the screaming Fay Wray) sacrificed to him. The beast is then captured and transported to New York City. Kong escapes, grabs the girl and scurries to the top of the iconic Empire State building. There we witness the film's tragic aerial finale.

Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack; RKO Radio Pictures

An Adventure 65 Million Years In The Making.

Starring: Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, Bob Peck, Samuel L. Jackson, Wayne Knight

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"…your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should." – Ian Malcolm

Why watch this? ... it's ground-breaking, based on a superb novel, and DINOSAURS!

Plot Summary: Wealthy entrepreneur John Hammond creates a theme park on a remote island, populated by genetically engineered dinosaurs. Before opening, a group of scientists, including a paleontologist, a paleobotanist, and a mathematician, are invited to assess the park's safety. However, a power failure caused by industrial sabotage leads to the dinosaurs escaping their enclosures. The visitors and park staff must then struggle to survive and escape the now-perilous island.

Dad's Preview: I read Michael Crichton's novel, about bio-engineered dinosaurs, and immediately thought, "Spielberg has to do this film!" Not long after, Spielberg announced JP as his next project. I wept. The original plan was to use only life-sized animatronic dinosaurs, however, the special effects team won over the director with their amazing CGI skills. The digital dinosaurs were jaw-dropping. The rest is history. The film became another Spielberg smash hit.

Amblin Entertainment; Universal Pictures

Back