io9: Monster Movies

Kim Jong-il is dead. Here's his monster movie.

Charlie Jane Anders — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 19:35:00 PST

Now that lunatic dictator Kim Jong-il has passed on to the great rusty amusement park near the Earth's mantle, we've dug deep in the io9 vaults for a look back at his sole contribution to science fiction cinema, the 1985 kaiju flick Pulgasari.

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark is a monster muddle

Esther Inglis-Arkell — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 09:00:00 PDT

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark is a monster muddle" alt="Click here to read Don't Be Afraid of the Dark is a monster muddle" src="http://cache.io9.com/assets/images/8/2011/08/small_7e835c.jpg"/>

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark, produced and co-written by Guillermo del Toro, comes out today, promising tiny, Gremlins-style creature terror. As a look at a family trying to find common ground during a stressful time, it's okay. But as a monster movie, it fails in the most frustrating way possible. More »

Visit a secret island, filled with psychotic fish and prehistoric monsters

Annalee Newitz — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 12:30:00 PDT

Sandy Collora, creator of classic fan films like Batman: Dead End, and the recent feature Hunter Prey, is a concept designer whose creatures and costumes are legendary. He's known for his ability to create professional-looking practical effects on a shoestring, and now he's about to start work on his next feature, Shallow Water. He's trying to raise $250,000 to complete the entire film, which is a pretty tight budget for a feature - especially one with a lot of special effects. If you want to support indie monster movies, now's the time to kick in a little cash and help Collora out. More »

Behold the Piranaconda: Half Piranha Half Anaconda, all awesome!

Meredith Woerner — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 13:52:43 PDT

Syfy has released its latest monster creation out into the wild — the piranaconda! Get a better look at the fish/snake hybrid beast and answer us this: Could it beat a sharktopus? More »

Why tiny monsters are scarier than giant ones

Esther Inglis-Arkell — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 10:30:00 PDT

Once, scary monster movies were all about giants. The fifties had giant ants, giant spiders, and the occasional giant octopus. Then something changed: We still get giant monsters, but modern films know that small is scarier than big. More »

Why creature features are my comfort food

Esther Inglis-Arkell — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 15:43:19 PDT

There's nothing like a movie about a giant killer ape to relax you after a really stressful day. Here are five reasons why a monster movie can be the most soothing thing in the world. More »

Godzilla is coming back. But not alone.

Esther Inglis-Arkell — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 08:00:00 PDT

A new Godzilla film, tentatively scheduled for release in 2012, will have Godzilla fighting other monsters. As yet, there's no definite word on whether the other monsters will have wings or fur. Check out the Cinemablend article for more details. More »

Korea's man-eating pig masterpiece, Chaw, coming to the U.S.!

Charlie Jane Anders — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 09:00:00 PDT

Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the pig pen... We've been pumped for Chaw, Korea's monster pig movie, for a couple of years. So it's amazing news that Magnet Releasing has bought the U.S. rights. More »

Vampires Suck skewered Piranha 3-D at the box office. What does that say about Western civilization?

Charlie Jane Anders — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 06:20:00 PDT

What kind of world do we live in, where cheesetastic monster movie Piranha 3-D can go up against a vapid vampire spoof and lose? What does it mean that vampire slapstick made sashimi of the year's most promising monster-fish movie? More »

Doug Jones explains how to bring humanity to an inhuman character

Charlie Jane Anders — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 08:00:00 PDT

Nobody is better at playing bizarre creatures of the imagination than Doug Jones, who's probably Guillermo del Toro's most frequent collaborator. We asked Jones the secret of bringing creatures to life, and whether we'll ever see Hellboy's Abe Sapien again. More »

Johnny 5 Is Coming Back, But Tremors Is Dead

Meredith Woerner — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 10:38:00 PDT

Tremors is possibly the best movie about giant man-eating worms in the history of giant-worm movies. But alas, its reign is over. There will be no more rock jumping cowboys defending their worm filled mine shaft, or tight-jeansed Kevin Bacon's terrible accent. Now that the Sci Fi Channel's Tremors series is over, Stampede Entertainment (the Tremors crew) is out of a job. But not for long: their site promises new monster movies on the rise. Click through for more details, plus the return of Johnny 5 and more weird scifi stories. More »

The Tin Man Will Kick Monster Butt In Japanese Movie "G"

Meredith Woerner — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 10:40:00 PDT

G has everything any kaiju-loving fan could ever want, including giant monsters fighting even bigger robots. The acting and sets are pretty campy (par for the course for most indie monster films) yet the special effects are ultra-surreal. The filmmakers did an amazing job blowing up buildings and creating the red lasers that beam out of the big beastie. But even better than that is the hidden sense of humor — watch in the trailer as the shiny robot beats down the monster, then joyfully claps his metal hands. More »

Post-Traumatic Stress Makes Hulks Out Of All Of Us

Charlie Jane Anders — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 09:00:00 PDT

Bruce Banner, the Incredible Hulk's alter-ego, suffers from terrible post-traumatic stress disorder in the new Hulk movie. There are a few scenes of Banner freaking out in the bathtub as he remembers the violence of the military's latest attempt to capture him. You can't even get close to Bruce Banner (Edward Norton), because he's so wound up with his trauma. Flashes of guns and fists. But in the end, the movie suggests, Bruce's PTSD is a by-product of his struggle to hold onto his humanity, to avoid becoming the ultimate killing machine. Spoilers ahead. More »

The Only Minute Of Cloverfield Viral Video You Should Watch

charliejane — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 06:20:17 PST

Fox Grasps At Lost X-Files Glory

charliejane — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 11:32:26 PDT

J.J. Abrams just sold a pilot script to Fox for a show that sounds almost exactly like X-Files. A young female FBI agent, faced with unexplained phenomena, must recruit the aid of a scientist who's been institutionalized for his wacky theories. Fox hopes Fringe will help it recapture the glory of its Mulder-and-Scully days. The biggest mystery, however: When does J.J. Abrams sleep? More »