"Humans are such easy prey."

This week's entry is Stuart Gordon's follow-up to "Re-Animator"...




"From Beyond".

Starring the inimitable Jeffrey Combs, "From Beyond" concerns a parallel dimension filled with hostile and slimy creatures. Dr. Pretorius, and Dr. Tillinghast (Jeffrey Combs) create a device (the resonator) that stimulates the pineal gland in a person's brain. After Dr.Pretorius is eaten alive by a horrible something from another dimension, Tillinghast is driven mad. As a last-ditch bid to save his sanity, Tillinghast, bodyguard Bubba Brownlee (Ken Foree) and Dr. Katherine McMichaels (Barbara Crampton) drive back to the house. Their aim is to recreate the events of the murder, not counting on the fact that Dr.Pretorius is still alive and kicking in the mysterious beyond. Now insane and with the power to mutate his flesh like play-dough, non-stop hijinks ensue.

Made in 1986, "From Beyond is a practical effects showcase. All kinds of mutant freaks lurch onto the screen, including flesh-eating flies and horrible jelly-eels. Dr.Pretorius is the real show-stopper, with a new and horrible bodily mutation every time he appears on-screen. A wonderful double-bill with "Re-Animator", Stuart Gordon's other mad science goo-fest.

Check out the trailer here!

"Your every fear - all in one deadly enemy."

Haunting the town of Derry, Maine, Pennywise the dancing clown lives in the sewers and abandoned places around town. He lures children in, murders and eats them. Pennywise is a great creature in both his television movie appearance (famously characterized by Tim Curry), and in the Stephen King novel, "IT". Though his most oft-seen form is that of a smiling clown, he is literally whatever you fear the most. This isn't explored very well in the movie, but in the Stephen King book, Pennywise changes into a number of horrifying shapes. His true form exists in another dimension, and is so vast and horrifying, you'd go insane just to see it. Lovecraft style.

I decided against modeling my illustration after the Tim Curry version, and instead tried to illustrate the version from the book. I almost went with a design that showed off the various monsters he becomes, but felt that the clown was the iconic image to go with. I hope you enjoy it!

Click here for the trailer!

For next week's "Feature Creature", i thought i'd ask you guys! I'll list three possible movies to turn into an entry, and you guys add a comment with which one you'd prefer. I'll count the votes and that'll be the next entry! As this blog is very new and i don't have very many followers, i have a back-up entry planned if people don't vote.

1. "From Beyond" - Dr.Pretorius
2. "Day of the Dead" - Bub
3. "Return of the Living Dead" - Tarman

Let me know in the comments section.

See you guys next week.

- Trevor

"They eat so fast, you don't have time to scream."

In 1986, "Critters" introduced the Krites. All teeth and eyes and rolling fur, the Krites starred in a franchise spanning four entries, ranging in setting from small-town farms to outer space. The plot of the original film concerns the Brown family, whose farm is invaded by a group of alien criminal Krites on the run from a couple of shape-shifting bounty hunters. The action jumps back and forth between the Brown family fending off the Krites, and the alien bounty hunters busting ass in town while hunting the Krites.

The Krites have a pretty interesting combination of traits, with the ability to roll around like Samus from Metroid, the ability to shoot paralyzing spines from their back, and a nasty habit of clumping together into a gigantic rolling boulder of teeth and doom. They're pretty much just malevolent gopher freaks.

For my money, the second film is a little more entertaining, with the action expanding to encompass the entire town, rather than just the Browns' farm. But the first two entries are still both excellent fun. The third one has it's moments, (and Leonardo DiCaprio!), but the fourth entry in space, is a bore.

With the first two entries at least, you have a great trashy monster puppet double-bill. Just add beer.

View the trailer here!

Watch the best scene in "Critters 2".

"They're not staying down there, anymore!"

"...And that's when the CHUDS came at me..." - Homer Simpson

For this week's entry, i chose a bad movie with a great monster, "C.H.U.D." (1984). It's been referenced not once, but twice on "The Simpsons"! The plot concerns a number of disappearances around New York City, mostly homeless people and animals. A police officer, a photo journalist and his girlfriend, and a homeless man team up to find out what the hell is going on. Turns out it's CHUDS.

That's an acronym, by the way, which stands for cannibalistic humanoid underground dweller. And that's exactly what the movie delivers! Goopy, lantern-eyed mutant hobos irradiated by toxic waste! The movie suffers from a lack of scenes that showcase the monsters, but they look really great when they ARE on-screen.

Check out the trailer here!

And for a C.H.U.D. getting decapitated with a sword, click here!