Phil is on hand with his recommendation of the best creature features in cinema history.
With so many of us locked inside these days, It’s easy to run out of great entertainment. Netflix, Disney+, and Prime Video have become wonderful resources in these trying times but with so much content to choose from I often end up endlessly searching for that perfect movie to pass the time – often with no result. But alas, when push comes to shove – I always end up going back to the classics. Back to the movies that inspired my imagination as a child and still do to this day. With that in mind, I thought I’d share a few of these awesome flicks with you – so strap yourselves in – this is going to be a fun ride!
The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms (1953)
I grew up on monster movies. You name it, King Kong, The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, Jason and the Argonauts, The Blob, IT! The Terror From Beyond Space, It Came From Beneath The Sea, Clash Of The Titans, Aliens, Predator, you name it, I loved them all. But despite treasuring every single one of these glorious creature features, there is one movie that outshines most. The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms.
It is a true classic – in every sense of the word. An introduction to a world of imagination and wonder the likes of which has never been emulated. A creature feature that brought dinosaurs to life long before the wonders of Jurassic Park.
Harnessing one of the best fictional dinosaurs from prehistory, the story follows the fallout of atomic weapons testing in the arctic circle. The shockwave from a test blast releases the Rhedosaurus, a fictional dinosaur from its frozen, hibernating state. The beast had been trapped beneath the arctic tundra, locked in a state of suspended animation for millions of years – and the blast had unleashed it on an unsuspecting world. After witnessing the Rhedosaurus’ release, Thomas Nesbitt, the expedition’s top physicist attempts to warn his superiors about the peril, however, his concerns fall upon deaf ears and his testimony is dismissed as a side-effect of post-traumatic stress. All the while the creature begins to wreak havoc as it travels southward along its migration trail toward its ancient spawning grounds – New York City.
Harnessing the brilliance of one of Ray Bradbury’s fantastical short stories, the great Ray Harryhausen (the godfather of special effects) set about delivering one of the most iconic creatures ever to grace the silver screen. And boy did he deliver! Harryhausen’s incredible imagination conjured up one of the finest prehistoric beasts in cinematic history and inspired a generation of “atomic fallout” creature features including Godzilla.
The adventure is a classic tale of man against monster and addresses the universal implications of weapons testing on the natural world. The movie is an all-time family classic that will have adults and kids alike on the edge of their seats for 80 glorious minutes. It is pure unadulterated escapism at its best and in the current climate, The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms is the perfect food for the soul. So press play, sit back, and rediscover a classic.
Thank you, Ray Harryhausen.
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Let us know if you have any suggestions of great movies or TV shows our readers should check out and we’ll feature and share them with the FOTF community.
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Phil Roberts is the Owner, Daily Content Manager, and Editor-In-Chief of The Future of the Force. He is passionate about Star Wars, Batman, DC, Marvel, Star Trek, Indiana Jones, Ghostbusters, King Kong, and the Ray Harryhausen movies. Follow him on Twitter @philthecool where he uses the force and babbles frequently!
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Phil Roberts is the Owner, Daily Content Manager, and Editor-In-Chief of The Future of the Force. He is passionate about Star Wars, Batman, DC, Marvel, Star Trek, Indiana Jones, Ghostbusters, King Kong, and the Ray Harryhausen movies. Follow him on Twitter where he uses the force and babbles frequently!
