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Arch Stanton |
The Top Ten giant monster movies? |
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Last Edited By: Arch Stanton 10/08/08 12:11 AM.
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ryanbrennan |
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I'm sure once everybody sees the entire list there will be some lively debate.
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Kaijubait |
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I'm sure once everybody sees the entire list there will be some lively debate. About ten different things are going on in my life right now to keep me pretty pissed off... *EDIT* You know me well enough to know this won't end well... |
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Great Ape |
So far... | ||
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I love the list! Great stuff Mr. Stanton, I am enjoying it immensely.
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GaryP11111 |
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Hmmm...
X the Unknown . . . not sure I would categorize it as a giant monster movie, but if it is, then okay, I can see it. Beast From 20,000 Fathoms . . . definitely belongs on the list, perhaps a bit higher than ninth place. Dragonslayer . . . an interesting title I probably wouldn't have considered but may deserve to be on the list. Starship Troopers . . . has a lot going for it but sufficiently flawed that it shouldn't be in the top twenty let alone the top ten. Jason and the Argonauts . . . a worthy inductee. Next top five? Should include Tremors, The 7th Voyage of Sinbad and King Kong ('33). I have a shuddery feeling that the (mostly) horribly miscast Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow might make the list. For an upset, I'll pick One Million Years B.C. to make . . . no, scratch that. Maybe the remake of The Blob. That either Gojira or Godzilla, King of the Monsters won't be included pretty much voids the whole shebang. GARY L. PRANGE "Sic gorgiamus allos subjectos nunc." Check out my YouTube Video of the Week! (updated 8-29-08) |
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Arch Stanton |
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GaryP11111 wrote: The blob in X THE UNKNOWN is huge. In the shot I mentioned where the guy spots in from the roof, it looks to be about a hundred yards in diameter. And there are several other scenes that show its immense size. As for GOJIRA/GODZILLA, since it's a Japanese movie it's not on this list. But I have to say that, had I combined domestic and foreign films together, GOJIRA wouldn't have made the top ten. In preparation for these articles, I watched it just recently. Not only is not very good as a movie, but the special effects are (for the most part) terribly unconvincing. In fact, the only really good thing about the movie is the way in which the devastation is depicted. Very strong stuff for a 1950s monster movie. I think most of us love GODZILLA for its place in our Monster Kid histories, not because it's really a good movie. It's very difficult for people to separate wonderful memories from harsh reality, and I think GODZILLA is such a case. |
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MikeTheMook |
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Anybody else having weird problems here today? The pages are loading waay slow, and Arch Stanton's post time is all screwed up.
My whole life I've been playing jacks with a square ball.
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Pulpmonster |
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Odds on the top five?........I'll make my guess:
King Kong ('33) even money Seventh Voyage of Sinbad........2 to 1 (if Jason and the Args made it, the 7th should) Tarantula.........3 to 1 The Blob (original).........4 to 1 Them...............5 to 1 King Kong (2005).........10 to 1 Jurassic Park..............15 to 1 my most likely outside shots: Jaws (the shark is really oversized) 2 to 1 if it qualifies...............20 to 1 that it qualifies Alligator: (love that movie) 50 to 1 Tremors: 20 to 1 The Monolith Monsters: 30 to 1 Gorgo: 50 to 1 Deep Rising: 40 to 1 Mysterious Island: 25 to 1 john |
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Arch Stanton |
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Pulpmonster wrote: Pulpmonster, you've mentioned all five in your post, but your betting odds aren't very good. Still, I'm very impressed! (I do have to mention that several titles you mentioned were already out of the running in the preface.) I'll also say that Gary Prange did a great job of guessing too. I really thought one title would never have been considered by anyone. |
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Kaijubait |
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As for GOJIRA/GODZILLA, since it's a Japanese movie it's not on this list. But I have to say that, had I combined domestic and foreign films together, GOJIRA wouldn't have made the top ten. In preparation for these articles, I watched it just recently. Not only is not very good as a movie, but the special effects are (for the most part) terribly unconvincing. In fact, the only really good thing about the movie is the way in which the devastation is depicted. Very strong stuff for a 1950s monster movie. That clinches it. For my own health, I won't be returning to this thread... |
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Pulpmonster |
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OK, I've read you're preface. Like the fan's of Gojira (which I happen to agree with your assessment Arch) I'm stunned by your
low opinion of Tarantula (a favorite of mine). So........we scrap Tarantula, Jurassic Park, Gorgo...................and probably Jaws from your list. Gary also included Tremors..........soooooo I'm guessing: 5) The Blob 4) Tremors 3) 7th Voyage of Sinbad 2) THEM 1) King Kong (33) fun list Arch......let us know when you unveil your top five. john |
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Arch Stanton |
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Pulpmonster wrote: Actually, you can eliminate two more of those by reading the preface and the X THE UNKNOWN entry carefully.
Last Edited By: Arch Stanton
10/08/08 1:13 AM.
Edited 1 times.
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Arch Stanton |
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Kaijubait wrote: Yeah, if you think that GOJIRA is a great movie, I wouldn't either. But if you really love all kaiju movies, you'll do fine with my second installment. |
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Pulpmonster |
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OK you caught me.....I just skimmed the into.. So, The Blob and THEM are out (your killing me here Arch...these are
high quality giant monster flix)...Since there is no specified exclusion of big sharks, I've got to assume Jaws is included. I'm guessing: 5) Mysterious Island 4) Tremors 3) 7th Voyage 2) Jaws 1) King Kong (33) Am I there yet? I can't argue that these are all great movies......but, I would definitely have some different choices. Tarantula, THEM, The Monster that Challenged the World, 20 million miles to earth, Cloverfield (yeah I loved it), Valley of the Gwangi, even Jurassic Park....how about The Lost Continent (giant floating plant thing) john |
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Arch Stanton |
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Pulpmonster wrote: This is where the size of giant monsters comes into play. Had the only monsters in STARSHIP TROOPERS been the warrior bugs, I wouldn't consider it a giant monster movie. THEM! definitely makes the cut in size, but just barely. (I go into more detail why THEM! doesn't make the actual top ten in the next installment.) THE MONSTER THAT CHALLENGED THE WORLD is one that would also scoot by on the size scale, and frankly, I forgot about it. It still wouldn't have made the top ten, but it would have come pretty close. THE LOST CONTINENT only has that one brief monster, so it wasn't a consideration. Plus, we really don't know how big it is, although I think we're supposed to think it's pretty damn big under the water. And you're the second person to mention JAWS as a 'giant monster.' (Kezilla would be turning over in his grave... if he was dead.) But no, JAWS is a little short on the size-mometer. |
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Kaijubait |
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Yeah, if you think that GOJIRA is a great movie, I wouldn't either. I'm a masochist who can't keep away, what can I say. The number one spot is actually the position I'd reserve for it, so I imagine that would qualify as great. But then a certain mr. Kurosawa and most Japanese film critics would (and have) list it in the top tier as well, so I guess I'm not in that bad of company... |
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GaryP11111 |
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Either GOJIRA or GODZILLA, KING OF THE MONSTERS would have made my top five. I think it's a thoughtfully crafted giant monster movie with some amazing set
pieces. I only saw the the last ten minutes or so of GODZILLA when I was a kid, so it isn't nostalgia that compels me to rate it so highly, but rather an
objective assessment of its strengths as a film and as a giant monster movie.
I'm intrigued someone else considered THE MONOLITH MONSTERS, a movie that I thought might be on the list but then rejected thinking no one else would categorize it as a giant monster movie. It would certainly make my top ten list of the most underrated horror or sci-fi films. So maybe it should be on the list. The question of whether a non-living mineral can be a monster makes for an interesting debate. I also briefly considered THE MONSTER THAT CHALLENGED THE WORLD, which is above average but not quite a superlative feature meriting inclusion, IMO. Ditto MYSTERIOUS ISLAND. I think Arch's initial inclusion of X THE UNKNOWN forced a lot of us to think outside of the box as far as what is a giant monster movie. GARY L. PRANGE "Sic gorgiamus allos subjectos nunc." Check out my YouTube Video of the Week! (updated 8-29-08) |
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Kaijubait |
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Either GOJIRA or GODZILLA, KING OF THE MONSTERS would have made my top five. I think it's a thoughtfully crafted giant monster movie with some amazing set pieces. I only saw the the last ten minutes or so of GODZILLA when I was a kid, so it isn't nostalgia that compels me to rate it so highly, but rather an objective assessment of its strengths as a film and as a giant monster movie. Ah... looks I'm in more good company. Not to dog on Arch, but that wasn't the only thing I disagreed with. Gorgo would have also made my top ten. I think its by far the best of Eugene Lourie's monster trilogy, and the suit is beautiful. No tongue? So what? Still looks great. X The Unknown & Starship Troopers... neither of those would make a top ten list of ANYTHING I can think of. I'll even go as far to say that I like Starship Troopers, but it wouldn't come close to the top 100 of any list I would put together. I'm busy at the moment, but I'll have more coherent things to say later.... |
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Arch Stanton |
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Kaijubait wrote: GORGO is a well-crafted film with great photography and a very nice music score. But that suit is much less believable than Godzilla's -- and Godzilla's isn't all that hot, either. And it's not the 'no-tongue' thing that bothers me so much -- it's that rigid flapping jaw that wouldn't convince an eight-year old. And surely those goofy claws bother even you just a tad. Frankly, I can't think of hardly any 'man-in-suit' giant monsters that ever convinced me they were the least bit real. Maybe DAIMAJIN or Godzilla in GODZILLA, MOTHRA, KING GHIDORAH: ALL-OUT MONSTER ATTACK -- and that's a big 'maybe.' Consider the difference in the believability of the Creature from the Black Lagoon. Now that's a believable suit. Would it work as a giant monster? No, but that's why suits are just about the worst way to go for something gigantic. As for GOJIRA/GODZILLA, I just don't get it. Why would anyone think it was a great movie other than for the very serious tone of the devastation? The effects are just a complete mess and the storyline is extremely juvenile. Everyone knows it's a copycat of THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS, so just compare the rational thinking of BEAST compared to GODZILLA. For example, when Godzilla finally reveals his radioactive breath, there is absolutely no response to it at all -- hey, it happens all the time. Don't you think everyone (particularly the paleontologist) would be going apeshit over a revelation like that? Nope, not a word about it (in GOJIRA, anyway). And doesn't it ever bother anyone that none of the Japanese monsters are ever harmed by tanks, bazookas or massive missiles? Even given their size, there would still be some kind of damage done. Nope, not a word about it. No impervious flesh comments, no force field, no nothing. That's one big reason the Japanese monster movies are off in another world. I love Godzilla movies and I grew up loving GODZILLA, KING OF THE MONSTERS. But the idea that anyone would think that it was a really good movie on the level of KING KONG (or even THEM! or GORGO) is beyond me. Godzilla movies are terrific to me as fun, but as movies they just aren't even in the same ballpark -- which is why I had to separate them from the rest in my top ten lists. |
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oldmanster |
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The blob in X THE UNKNOWN is huge.
Not that huge, and besides, its size changes over the course of the film. I can't believe I'm agreeing with Prange on anything, but he and I are in synch regarding X-The Unknown and Starship Troopers. Dump 'em and put on monsters that fit the subject.
... Reed |
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Kaijubait |
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Arch Stanton wrote: Wow. Agree with 0% of what was just said. And its not often that people can accomplish that. For what its worth, The Battleship Potemkin is for me what Gojira is for you. |
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