Monster Invasion (2019): Subgenres of Terror

By Steve Hutchison

Two popular subgenres converge. Film critic Steve Hutchison covers 50 excellent monster invasion films and ranks them mathematically. A synopsis, five ratings, and a review are provided for each film. How many have you seen?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Steve Hutchison
• Release date: Mar 5, 2023
• ISBN: 9781778871429

Steve Hutchison

Artist, developer and entrepreneur in film, video games and communications Steve Hutchison co-founded Shade.ca Art and Code in 1999, then Terror.ca and its French equivalent Terreur.ca in 2000. With his background as an artist and integrator, Steve worked on such games as Capcom's Street Fighter, PopCap's Bejeweled, Tetris, Bandai/Namco's Pac-Man and Mattel's Skip-Bo & Phase 10 as a localization manager, 2-D artist and usability expert. Having acquired skills in gamification, he invented a unique horror movie review system that is filterable, searchable and sortable by moods, genres, subgenres and antagonists. Horror movie fans love it, and so do horror authors and filmmakers, as it is a great source of inspiration. In March 2013, Steve launched Tales of Terror, with the same goals in mind but with a much finer technology and a complex engine, something that wasn’t possible initially. He has since published countless horror-themed books.

Book preview

SubgenresOfTerror2019_Mixed_MonsterInvasion_Cover.jpg

Tales of Terror’s

Subgenres of Terror 2019

Monster Invasion

INTRODUCTION

Two popular subgenres converge. Film Critic Steve Hutchison covers 50 excellent monster invasion films and ranks them mathematically. A synopsis, five ratings, and a review are provided for each film. How many have you seen?

#1

Terminator 2: Judgment Day

1991

Two robots from a post-apocalyptic era travel back in time to alter the teenage years of an influential resistance leader.

Stars

8/8

STORY

8/8

CREATIVITY

8/8

ACTING

8/8

QUALITY

8/8

Terminator 2 only feels like a vague remake of the original in how it justifies Arnold Schwarzenegger’s return; this time defending the woman his previous incarnation attempted to kill. He helps returning actress Linda Hamilton’s character and her son, played by the excellent Edward Furlong. Standards have been upped a notch. Action predominates and the horror aspect is put aside.

This is the first film in history to successfully juggle with 3D effects. It achieves this with great talent, but, more precisely, because the new villain is made of malleable liquid metal. Blinn textures flatter the camera and convince the audience more easily than fur, hair and other particles. The visuals are not only ground-breaking, but also scripted not to be subject to bad CG.

Two unstoppable killing machines fight each other; the strongest trying to kill two mere humans, the other defending them at all cost. Extended car chases, big guns, explosions, gore; you get it all! It’s brilliantly written and rigorously directed. The movie is virtually flawless and arguably one of the best ever made. It explores every cinema genre seamlessly and with constant intensity.

#2

Gremlins

1984

A high-maintenance creature gives birth to an army of small devils after being exposed to water.

Stars

8/8

STORY

8/8

CREATIVITY

8/8

ACTING

7/8

QUALITY

8/8

Gremlins is a highly superior cinematographic experience in image and sound. It is meant for children and adults alike, but is rather oriented at the former. It’s a horror movie that avoids violence and death using creative detours, and, simply put, instead plays on the fears of ugliness and propagation. This all happens around Christmas time and the odd resulting ambiance is a delight.

The film is virtually flawless and an obvious fruit of effort. With some of the best animatronics, puppetry and creature design to ever hit the screen, it’s a nicely packaged story supported by lovable characters and spiced up by a dream team of performers who are wisely directed and scripted. Everybody on board seems aware of the fact that they have one of the best gimmicks in film history.

Gremlins is about a cute creature whose allergies trigger self-duplicating terror and destruction. In the context of Christmas, under keen lighting, when wrapped in comedy then glitter, and supported by an immersing score, this otherwise sinister film becomes a fantasy of its own before your entertained eyes. It belongs to all genres, yet none, and is unarguably one of the best pictures ever made.

#3

Ghostbusters

1984

Three unemployed supernatural investigators start a ghost hunting business.

Stars

8/8

STORY

7/8

CREATIVITY

8/8