9. It (It Came From Beneath The Sea, 1955)
It's true; they really don't make 'em like they used to. Which, given the B-movie brilliance of this film's premise (an octopus, rendered both radioactive and ruddy enormous thanks to a H-bomb test, threatens to sink the US Navy) is nothing but a shame. Columbia Pictures pushed this film as a means of showcasing Harryhausen's special-effects skills - which, as only his third feature-length production, must have been an overwhelming honour. Naturally, the results are remarkable. Look at the scene in which the octopus wraps its slimy tentacles around the Golden Gate Bridge; a marvel even to this day. The film, also known as Monster From Beneath the Sea, shows an animator growing in both skill and confidence; his reputation rising from studio showpiece to a man whose name could be - and was- used to sell a film outright.