Creatures!
That are features!
In a movie!
Ahhh!
They’ve returned.
Yeah, sorry about that guys--but I’m running out of ways to creatively usher in this title
to this particular list series--because as it so appears, you guys are absolutely ravenous
for this kind of horror spectacular.
And I said that as a compliment--because over two parts of this series so far, we’ve managed
to cover some absolutely terrifying cinematic depictions of the titular creatures of the
features--and luckily for us--there is plenty more where that came from.
So, let’s take a look, shall we?
Hello horror fans--what’s going on, and once again welcome back to the scariest channel
on YouTube--Top 5 Scary Videos.
As per usual, I’ll be your horror host Jack Finch--as today, we curiously take a look
at the Top 5 Scariest Creature Feature Horror Movies--Part 3.
Roll the clip.
For the curious amongst you, that clip was from the 1996 thriller, The Ghost and the
Darkness, starring Michael Douglas and the fantastic Val Kilmer--detailing the true story
of the Tsavo Man-Eaters--two lions that besieged a small town in Kenya in 1898.
And you know what?
I was so pleased to see several of you mentioning that movie in relation to this list--because
I remember watching that film with my old man as a kid and being absolutely terrified
at the thought of man-eating lions.
SO yeah--with a smile on my face--consider it todays most honorable of honorable mentions.
On with the show.
Kicking off at Number 5--Razorback, 1984
Because speaking of real-life man-eating lions--move over, as per usual, Australia has got a thing
or two to add.
Or, should we say--a tusk or two.
Razorback--a film that, rightfully so, has been requested on several occasions for this
channel, and not just with this list series.
And you know what?
I think the winds have finally settled just right--because in many ways, Razorback is
very much an acquired taste.
But don’t let that fool you too much--because whilst on the surface this film is very much
a tongue-in-cheek relic of the 80s--deep beneath the surface, there is an incredibly unique
creature feature that irks on the surreal more so than the popcorn chewing disasterpieces
that we’ve come to expect.
And it happened at a strange time in Australian Cinematic History--at the tail end of what
is known as Ozploitation Cinema--an awesome oddity of cinematic history that produced
some strange movies indeed.
However, by 1984--with the release of Razorback, they’d pretty much perfected the form--and
the result was horror riddled brilliance indeed.
Written by Everett de Roche, Razorback was based upon the novel of the same name by Peter
Brennan--and it had the directing clout to back it up.
Directed by Russell Mulcahy, the man that would go on to direct Highlander--there can
be only one--part of the biggest appeal of Razorback is just how damn beautiful it is.
Really, this film is a feast for the eyes--and it’s perhaps one of the only B-Movie esque
creature features that could ever pull of a bizarre dream sequence smack-bang in the
middle of the second act.
Because--despite it trying it’s utmost not too--this film just works.
Razorback is just a neat-little package of horror goodness--and a giant razorback boar
terrorising the Australian Outback.
It tells the tale of Jake Cullen, played by Bill Kerr--whose grandson is kidnapped and
eaten alive by a giant Razorback Boar one night in the darkened outback--where Jake
himself is ultimately blamed for his murder.
What ensues, on the surface, is a tale of reckless revenge at any cost--a husband searching
for a wife, an old man searching for closure--all in the midst of a disenfranchised society
losing its identity.
Errr.
Yeah.
Whilst it may not seem it--Razorback covers some pretty weighty themes--and it looks amazing
whilst doing so.
Swinging in at Number 4--Life, 2017
You know what?
I didn’t expect too--but I actually really enjoyed this movie.
And although it’s more so wrapped up in the trappings of a sci-fi popcorn thriller--it
very much has all of the key components for a genuinely unnerving creature feature horror.
Which--may I add, is a pretty difficult thing to do.
Because this film makes you think--and that’s part and parcel as to how it delivers its
horror--and I’m fine with that.
Also, it stars Jake Gyllenhaal--and I am pretty sure it goes without saying, but the man can’t
make a bad movie if he tried.
I’m sorry if you disagree with my guys--but Jake Gyllenhaal is one of the finest actors
of our time, and 2017’s Life is no exception!
Directed by Daniel Espinosa with writing credits from Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, the writers
responsible for Zombieland and Deadpool--Life tells the tale of an unmanned space probe
that returns from Mars with strange soil samples, potentially containing evidence of extraterrestrial
life.
Thankfully though, the inhabitants of this near-future Earth are wise enough to keep
this new lifeform form, far, far from the surface, for now--and instead it’s captured
and kept by the crew of the International Space Station.
Obviously, as you may imagine--this strange soil sample certainly has a few interesting
properties--and the people of Earth are absolutely thrilled to discover that we are--in fact,
not alone in the universe.
So much so, that after running a national school-based competition to name this alien--they
decide on dubbing it--Calvin.
And what starts as a cutesy little Calvin-esque amoeba--well, that would be spoilers--but
as you’re probably guessing from the title of this particular list.
Yeah, things aren’t pretty.
Honestly, I would highly recommend this movie--particularly if you’re jonesing for a dose of Xenomorphic-esque
horror--because in many ways, 2017’s Life is perhaps more so of a pseudo-origin story
to Ridley Scott’s Alien than anything else.
And whilst that may be a little bit of a leap--it also may be telling as to where this particular
space vessel is pointed.
Hint.
Things get pretty bad--and the ending to this movie is… quite something.
Give it a watch.
Next up at Number 3--Splinter, 2008
Hey look!
It’s Skinny Pete--if only he’d have had an El Camino at that gas station--maybe he
could’ve wound up elsewhere.
But wait--what the hell are you talking about Jack.
Less Vince Gilligan--and more…
Toby Wilkins?
Well, whilst that particular horror director may leave a few of you scratching your heads--despite
this being his first foray into feature-length filmmaking, for his debut slog--2008’s Splinter
is a creature feature piece of work that certainly deserves to be reckoned with.
Really, this movie is pretty damn good.
And despite its outward appearance--when we boil Splinter down, this is an intelligent
and remarkably creative entry for an otherwise unknown director.
Why?
Because when applied to the creature feature archetype--it gets pretty much everything
right.
Intelligent script with little to no exposition.
Check.
Brilliant acting with some unexpected humour.
Check.
Gross physical effects and a creative monster?
Double check.
However, whilst getting all of these things right--Splinter also manages to turn quite
a few things on its head.
Mainly being--that this is perhaps one of the few rare horror films where all pretty
much all of the characters actually make smart choices.
Which again, is a rare thing--especially for a creature feature.
It’s a lesson that we should all learn.
Written and directed by Toby Wilkins, with writing credits from Kai Barry and Ian Shorr--Splinter
tells the tale of a young couple--Seth Belzer and Polly Watt--played by Paulo Constanzo
and Jill Wanger respectively.
Whilst travelling on a romantic camping trip through the backwoods of Oklahoma--the pair
get attacked and carjacked by an escaped convict named Dennis, played by Shea Wigham--who steals
the show in this movie--and eventually, the unlikely and unfortunate gang end up locked
in a gas station--sheltering from a strange lifeform in the woods.
You know what?
I almost don’t want to talk about the creature of this feature--despite, you know--the title
and poster of this movie being a pretty huge giveaway--but trust me, there’s more to
it.
Splinter is a lesson that we shouldn’t ever judge a book by it’s cover--particularly
if that book is filled with parasitic spikes and it’s running straight at you.
Coming in at Number 2--The Tunnel, 2011
And whilst my reverence for the awesome continent known only as Australia continues--there is
no denying the fact that when it comes to creature feature horror, they are peerless--given
the fact that--well.
Put it this way.
They were making horror movies about wild boars in the 80s--and when the ceiling is
set that high--the only way is up.
Or--down, in this case--beneath the abandoned underground railway system of Sydney.
But before we get to that though--I’d just like to make a point.
You know what, I hate to come across as preachy--but it irks me a little when people find fault
in a found footage film for being too *shaky*--like, the whole point of found footage is to suspend
the suspension of disbelief--and then believe, if not for a moment, that what we’re watching
is real.
Yeah, some movies definitely pull it off better than others--but to find fault with a film
just because it’s living up to its promise--eh.
I dunno.
It’s irksome.
And when a film gets it so right--and yet still get flak, well--such is the case with
2011’s The Tunnel.
Directed by Carlo Ledesma and written by Julian Harvey and Enzo Tedeschi--The Tunnel is perhaps
one of the most successful crowd-funded films of recent times--which also makes it worthy
of note here.
It tells the tale of Natasha--an Australian journalist who--following a drought and water
shortage in New South Wales--decides to follow up on the government's revoked plans to use
millions of liters of water trapped in a network of abandoned train tunnels beneath the city
of Sydney.
You see, initially--the Australian government were full steam ahead with this municipal
plan--but suddenly, after they’d discovered something down there--they decided to quickly
pretend that they’d never said anything--and refuse to tell the public exactly why.
And--well, being the keen-eyed journalist that she is, Natasha quickly assembles a team
in an attempt to figure out just exactly what they’re hiding.
Well, bad mistake.
Because we all know that nothing good lingers in the sewer system of a city.
At the very best, you’re gonna see some giant mass of sewage--at worse--well, you’re
gonna get the monster from The Tunnel.
And that’s all I’ll say--because despite being a movie that certainly doesn’t show
a *lot*--The Tunnel is frighteningly effective at the implication of a horror monster--which
in this day and age, is a rare thing to not only see--but pull off well.
And, well--The Tunnel does it to near perfection.
Give it a watch.
And finally, coming in at our Number 1 spot--The Ritual, 2017
And you know what--whilst in many ways this movie isn’t exactly the most outwardly of
creature features--when we truly strip it all away, all of the warning signs were certainly
always there--albeit skewed behind an ancient Nordic treeline.
You see, 2017’s The Ritual is definitely a terrifying horror movie--although to see
the creature feature wood for the trees--you may have to do a little bit of digging.
But not too much digging--because, yeah--you’ve been warned, the Jotunn is there and you’ve
been offered as a sacrifice.
You see, the point is--although The Ritual certainly takes a while to get going--holy
shit--when we finally get the payoff--this is perhaps one of the greatest creature features
of this century.
And not only that--but it has one of the most well developed, and well executed creature
designs in a long, long time--perhaps ever--because I don’t say this lightly, the Jotunn could
give the xenomorph a run for its money.
The thing is--where this movie has it’s detractions--as in, where we can find fault
with it--is in it’s pacing.
Unlike Alien, this movie is not perfect.
Yes, I agree.
The Ritual is slow--it’s a difficult hurdle to get over--but with repeat viewings, this
movie only serves to get better and better over time.
And believe me, that’s hard to pull off for a creature feature.
The thing is--this isn’t just a creature feature on the surface.
It’s much more than that.
And it confused some people--I get it.
Maybe it’s just me--I enjoy the slow pacing.
But holy shit--either way, when it gets going this film is effective.
Directed by David Bruckner with a screenplay by Joe Barton--2017’s The Ritual is based
upon the 2011 novel of the same name by Adam Nevill.
It stars Rafe Spall, Arsher Ali, Robert James-Collier and Sam Troughton as Luke, Phil, Hutch and
Dom respectively--four friends who agree to hike the Kungsleden forest in Sarek National
Park, Northern Sweden--following the death of their long-time friend Rob, who’s wish
it always was to hike the King’s Trail.
And, that’s all you really need to know--because although this film is neatly framed by several
interlocking threads that serve to add some brilliantly earned depth to this movie--all
we’re concerned with is the forest and the many terrors that lurk within it, right?
And what begins as a strange series of events--an odd carved rune in an abandoned cabin--an
eviscerated deer left in a tree--or, you know--the low, rumbling sound of something that certainly
isn’t thunder--all manage to twist and turn their way throughout the forest trail in all
their horror glory.
If you’ve been put off by this movie--I’d recommend trying again.
Give it some time--because the final act is certainly worth it.
Well, there we have it horror fans--our list for the Top 5 Scariest Creature Feature Horror
Movies--Part 3.
What do you guys think?
Do you agree?
Disagree?
Have any more to add to this list?
Then let us know your thoughts down in the comment section below, as well as any choice
picks of your own.
Before we depart from today's video--lets first take a quick look at some of your more
creative comments from over the past few days.
DravenGal says--
I bet you don’t think people are catching the little puns you toss in there, Jack.
But some of us do.
They’re little hidden treasures, and don’t worry, I won’t spoil things by pointing
them out!
-- Well, DravenGal--thank you very much, I’m on my climb to Challenger in the Legendary
League of Puns--although, really, I’m hovering at mid to high gold.
And that’s actually a pretty awesome thought that my puns are like a treasure hunt--I really
like that.
Hey--how about someone try and see how many puns you can spot in this video?
Oh.
Did we just start a new thing?
Wait, I hope there’s more than one…
Oh well.
Have fun either way--and thank you for your kind words DravenGal.
Well unfortunately, that’s all we’ve got time for in todays video--cheers for sticking
around all the way until the end.
If you were a fan of this video--or just Top 5 Scary Videos in general--then please, be
a dear and hit that thumbs up button, as well as that subscribe bell, and I’ll be seeing
you in the next one.