10 Horror Monster Movies With Amazing Special Effects
We still have nightmares over these critters...
Monster flicks are a little different from other horror movies. Although a creature feature should have a palpable atmosphere, a tight script, and convincing performances, the most important part is, of course, the monster.
If the beast has a shoddy costume, sloppy makeup, or unconvincing CGI, it can ruin an otherwise solid film. For example, I Am Legend was pretty good until the badly rendered vampires showed up.
If the movie in question isn't that great, it's still impressive when the special effects team pull out all the stops to craft the most authentic or revolting monstrosity possible. Even when we understand what we're looking at is a puppet or an actor wearing prosthetics, our lizard brains tell us this abominable entity is the real deal.
It's more remarkable when the SFX crew create a masterful movie monster with minimal resources. Shackled by time restraints or a lack of funds, these visual wizards still found a way to devise a spine-tingling beast that's sure to leave anyone rattled.
Regardless of the quality of the movie itself, the special effects for the following ten monsters cannot be commended enough.
10. Society
In Brian Yuzna's Society, teenager Bill suspects his high-class family are hiding a dark secret from him.
During the climax, Bill walks into his house to discover his family and friends aren't human. Just when it seems like things couldn't get worse, he finds them engaged in a "shunting party" where they merge their bodies into an amorphous blob for orgasmic pleasure.
Up until this point, only minor effects and camera tricks have been used to indicate Bill's family aren't what they seem. However, the last 15 minutes is a truly unnerving feast for the eyes, as Billy is tormented and taunted by all sorts of surreal beings (including the infamous butt-head).
It's a simple touch, but the squelching sounds and the participants' oily textures really sell the idea these creatures are living organisms, rather than rubber puppets. The red lighting blaring throughout this cerebral sequence helps to depict the shunters as hellish and nightmarish creatures, magnifying their unsettling nature.
Society's pacing may be slow, but it's worth sticking with, since the ending is an absolute wonder to behold, especially for SFX purists.