Nato – Lake Placid
Alright, now we’re getting to the more guilty pleasures, as Lake Placid is a silly creature feature about a giant crocodile gobbling up tourists and locals who happen to be located near gorgeous Lake Placid. Oh wait, isn’t that in New York State as well? Yup, just a short drive from where I typically vacation. And yes, not only did I think Jaws was swimming up behind me while I was swimming, but I was also convinced a massive croc was right by his side. My nightmare is essentially a SyFy movie on steroids – yes.
Lake Placid‘s charm isn’t in its horror and terror though, as it has a much better grasp on the horror comedy aspect of B-Movie monsters. With a pretty decent cast including Bill Pullman, Bridget Fonda, Oliver Platt, Brendan Gleeson, and Betty White, Lake Placid is a goofy time-waster with some serious bite that’s entirely more fun than it should be. You’ll find yourself laughing even though a super-croc just bit the head off of some deputy, but that’s just the tone director Steve Miner creates.
Just do yourself a favor and avoid the sequels though, it’s all downhill from here…
Remy – The Host
Maybe my favorite “terror from the deep” movie of all time, The Host was a stellar film from start to finish. After years and years of the whole Godzilla idea being kind of lame, they finally made a Godzilla-esque creature (albeit way more amphibian) and actually made it cool.
The effects are amazing. The scene with it running through the crowd is amazing. Hell, even the humor that is liberally sprinkled in the film is amazing. Truthfully, there’s little about this movie that is NOT amazing, with most props going to the creature design, overall visual prowess, and the creature’s hunting style throughout the film.
Simply put, The Host is that “giant monster from the water” movie we always wanted.