Anyone know any good monster movies/creature features from the late 50s to early 60s?

I want to show Joe Dante's massively underated Matinee (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wwAH5vJq6g) at 'The Trouble with Boys (http://www.myspace.com/troublewithboys)' and would like to precede it with a really good monster film from the period, does anyone know if there actually were any?

It depends on what your definition of 'good' is. ;)

The obvious one to show in conjunction with Matinee would be Them (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047573/). It's got a fair argument to being the most famous monster flick of that era, and is also one of the best I've seen (although honestly, that doesn't say a great deal. I think that was probably one of those periods where you just had to be there...).

Otherwise, a good place to check out is moviesfoundonline (http://www.moviesfoundonline.com/movies.php). The Horror/Thriller section has a half-decent list. Day of the Triffids is a safe option, but I'd recommend something like Tarantula if you really want to capture the spirit of the time.

Like Uncle Fred said in Gremlins 2, all the good stuff in the horror genre's in black and white.

It depends on what your definition of 'good' is. ;)
I mean a film that you can genuinely as opposed to ironically enjoy.

The obvious one to show in conjunction with Matinee would be Them (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047573/). It's got a fair argument to being the most famous monster flick of that era, and is also one of the best I've seen (although honestly, that doesn't say a great deal. I think that was probably one of those periods where you just had to be there...).

Otherwise, a good place to check out is moviesfoundonline (http://www.moviesfoundonline.com/movies.php). The Horror/Thriller section has a half-decent list. Day of the Triffids is a safe option, but I'd recommend something like Tarantula if you really want to capture the spirit of the time.
Can't believe I forgot about Them! which I really enjoyed when I saw it as a kid, I'll have to track it down and see if it's as good as I remember.

The 60s film of Day of the Triffids really annoyed me with it's 'salt water kills the aliens' idiocy and the wholly unnecessary Christian proselytising (I guess it must be a real favourite with Shyalaman though), the book is just so much better.

We'd like to 'capture the spirit of the time' to the extent of using some of the choicer bits of it's pop-culture & fashions, we'll do our best to avoid the ingrained racism, casual misogyny and anti-communist hysteria though.

'The Fly'?

'The Fly'?
I checked that out and it wasn't half as good as I hoped, pretty well acted but far too earnest and not really scary at all.

We'd like to 'capture the spirit of the time' to the extent of using some of the choicer bits of it's pop-culture & fashions, we'll do our best to avoid the ingrained racism, casual misogyny and anti-communist hysteria though.I thought showing up the anti-communist hysteria was the point of Matinee (from having seen the trailer alone, admittedly)?

Classic line from Tarantula: "there you go, give women the vote and suddenly you're becoming scientists." ;)

There's also a great line when the professor chap is talking about the frightening scale of potential future population growth: "Today we have 2 billion, by 1970 we'll have 3 billion, by the year 2000 we'll have 3.625 billion people on the planet!"

I honestly can't think of a monster film from that era that completely avoids problematic politics, misogyny in particular. Unless you want to widen the net to include sci-fi flicks like The Day the Earth Stood Still, but I guess that wouldn't fit as well.

I remember Them being pretty good when I saw it a few years back.

I thought showing up the anti-communist hysteria was the point of Matinee (from having seen the trailer alone, admittedly)?
Rather like the Iron Giant which I also intend to show Matinee mocks the hysteria, it doesn't endorse and try to further it.

Classic line from Tarantula: "there you go, give women the vote and suddenly you're becoming scientists." ;)

There's also a great line when the professor chap is talking about the frightening scale of potential future population growth: "Today we have 2 billion, by 1970 we'll have 3 billion, by the year 2000 we'll have 3.625 billion people on the planet!"

I honestly can't think of a monster film from that era that completely avoids problematic politics, misogyny in particular. Unless you want to widen the net to include sci-fi flicks like The Day the Earth Stood Still, but I guess that wouldn't fit as well.

I remember Them being pretty good when I saw it a few years back.
Oh I realise that the attitudes of the era inevitably find their way into the pop culture, and in fact much of the music we play includes amusingly nonpc gender roles and we have no problem with that (that said we won't be playing Spector's 'He hit me and it felt like a kiss' or anything else so actively endorsing abhorrent positions) and the films are no different. I guess I was more refering to the kind of spirit we want to create on the night where we want to celebrate the best of the music, films & clothes of that era without any sense of nostalgia for the politics of the time.

Day of the Triffids

Day of the Triffids
I love the book but I've got something of a hatred for films in which Aliens invade a planet largely covered in a substance which is instantly fatal to them.

Not exactly a monster movies, but Invation of the Body Snatches is somewhat of a classic. Apparrently Sam Peckinpah (who is also in the film) helped to write some of the script.

Dracula, 1958.

Probably a few bats (creatures) in it.

The Crawling Eye?

Dracula, 1958.

Probably a few bats (creatures) in it.
That's on my long list of films to show in future but it doesn't really fit with Matinee.

The Crawling Eye?
Do you really think that's a good film? I vaguely recall seeing it on MST3K and wasn't too impressed.

Anyway here's the first bunch of films I intend to show:

Little Shop of Horrors (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOtMizMQ6oM&feature=related) - great film and the doo-wop Greek chorus fits the night perfectly.
Matinee (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wwAH5vJq6g) - wonderful film from Joe Dante, sadly underrated and largely unknown.
Them! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2PLls02gOU) - a genuinely good, exciting film which stands up really well today.
The Iron Giant (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgjmFBX34zc) - another great and under appreciated film which neatly fits our time period, debut film from the Brad Bird who went to direct The Incredibles and Ratatouille and as good as either of them.
Rebel Without a Cause (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAlzg0S51GY) - couldn't really not show this.,
Cry-Baby (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiRa7qrL5rY) - another really fun film from John Waters a nice follow on from Rebel.

What do you guys think?

Do you really think that's a good film? I vaguely recall seeing it on MST3K and wasn't too impressed.


I don't think any of the 50s monster films are that good to be honest. I enjoy watching them to see how things were done with little technology and no budget. And although they aren't 'good' they are entertaining. I particuarly enjoy the Godzilla films. Godzilla V King Kong is hilarious. The big rumble they have at the end is brilliant. Even better is the Japanese army's efforts to make King Kong fall asleep with a special powder they drop on him then play gentle drums at him.

There were some great horror films from around that time, such as The Haunting, but not many specifically featuring monsters as far as I'm concerned. All the really good monster films came earlier, such as the Universal ones like Creature from the Black Lagoon, Frankenstein, Wolfman etc.

Night of the Demon and Dead of Night (although I think that might be late 40s)

I don't think any of the 50s monster films are that good to be honest. I enjoy watching them to see how things were done with little technology and no budget. And although they aren't 'good' they are entertaining. I particuarly enjoy the Godzilla films. Godzilla V King Kong is hilarious. The big rumble they have at the end is brilliant. Even better is the Japanese army's efforts to make King Kong fall asleep with a special powder they drop on him then play gentle drums at him.

There were some great horror films from around that time, such as The Haunting, but not many specifically featuring monsters as far as I'm concerned. All the really good monster films came earlier, such as the Universal ones like Creature from the Black Lagoon, Frankenstein, Wolfman etc.
Creature from the Black Lagoon came out in 54, over the next few years the same guy also directed 'The Incredible Shrinking Man' and 'The Mouse that Roared' which we may show in the future.

Have to disagree about there being no good monster films from the 50s, Them! is excellent, and unlike most of the Godzilla films doesn't have to be enjoyed ironically.

for me it has to be george a romeros night of the living dead classic!!

Where are you intending to screen these films?

for me it has to be george a romeros night of the living dead classic!!
That's a bit late for the time period we're looking at.

Where are you intending to screen these films?
At The Forum (http://www.forumsheffield.co.uk/) where I've been running a similarly formatted French film & hip-hop night (http://www.myspace.com/hiphopfrancais) for several years.