Feeling the need to cleanse my soul after "Chupacabra: Dark Sea," I turned to The Creature from the Black Lagoon-Legacy Collection and watched the last film in the set, 1956's "The Creature Walks Among Us."
I feel better now.
There's something compelling about the classic Universal monster movies. If you haven't watched them yet -- go do so! So much of what passes for horror these days owe what little bit of suspense and soul they have left to the films that set the standard.
In the last of the "Creature" movies, a rich mad scientist/surgeon assembles a team to catch the Creature. Unfortunately, his plan appears to be: Let's catch it and screw with its genetic structure! Why? Because we can!
It's apparent that this film had a lower budget than the first two -- much of the underwater footage is recycled, the sets are smaller, and the Creature's makeup is much less elaborate.
But what this film lacks in production, it makes up for in atmosphere, story and the female lead's kicking white bathing suits. Dang -- why can't I find something like that in the stores today?
The deceptively-simple story has overlays of the Bible (tell me the Creature's removal from the water isn't a fall from innocence), the follies of science, and perception creating reality (If you believe someone is unfaithful, do you set them up to be so?)
One thing that did grate on me -- the film fairly crackles with misogyny, and the treatment of Marcia is shameful. This is partially story related, partially the 1950s ... but she is trapped in a world that has no place for her as much as the Creature is. At least she gets a happier ending than it does.
1 comment:
But the Creature from the black lagoon on a plane and you just might have the movie of 2007.
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