Author Topic: English monster movies? (Read 5346 times)

andygates · « **on:** 01 June, 2008, 03:12:07 pm »

Watched Cloverfield and the original Godzilla back to back last night. Both excellent fillums. But it begs the question: why do the monters always trash Tokyo and New York? Why not London? Are there any giant monster movies set in the UK?

The Chewits ad doesn't count

domesticated ape · « **Reply #1 on:** 01 June, 2008, 04:09:13 pm »

Because the budgets aren't big enough to have proper big monsters? The first film that sprung to mind when I saw the thread title was Dog Soldiers, but they're only little monsters and not particularly high-budget at that!

andygates · « **Reply #2 on:** 01 June, 2008, 05:21:30 pm »

We've got plenty of man-sized monsters.

Actually there was one - Gorgo, which starts in Ireland and ends up in London. With it's eco theme, we need a remake!

Zoidburg · « **Reply #3 on:** 01 June, 2008, 06:48:39 pm »

Gaaaahhh!

I am trying to remember the name of the film from when I was a kid that was about a giant english sheep dog

redshift · « **Reply #4 on:** 01 June, 2008, 06:54:55 pm »

Digby?

rogerzilla · « **Reply #5 on:** 01 June, 2008, 06:57:27 pm »

Blood on Satan's Claw. Not the sort of monster movie you're thinking about, but worth watching.

Zoidburg · « **Reply #6 on:** 01 June, 2008, 06:58:33 pm »

Thats the bugger.

Digby didnt lay waste to many skyscrapers though, plus we never did get to see a giant dog turds.

Wascally Weasel · « **Reply #7 on:** 01 June, 2008, 07:06:40 pm »

Rein of Fire had dragons trashing the UK but we never really got to see it happening properly.

Malandro · « **Reply #8 on:** 02 June, 2008, 10:26:56 am »

The Goodies and Kitten Kong?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhKcKvi1M0g

Maybe not what you're looking for.....

Flying_Monkey · « **Reply #9 on:** 02 June, 2008, 01:46:06 pm »

British ones tend to be post-apocalyptic, or about things lurking down below a la Quatermass.... we tend not to go for big stompy things.

andrewc · « **Reply #10 on:** 02 June, 2008, 11:36:37 pm »

Dr Who had London overrun with dinosaurs, and one story had a cyborged Loch Ness monster swimming up the Thames to attack Parliament.

Other than that British TV/Film SF is usually Weerd Things lurking in the shadows, usually so you don't laugh at the costume/effects.

hubner · « **Reply #11 on:** 03 June, 2008, 12:08:25 am »

Night of the Demon, classic.

Best lines:
Professor Mark O'Brien: Hobart, what is the order of the true believer?
Rand Hobart: Those of us who believe that evil is good and good, evil.
Professor Mark O'Brien: Yes, go on.
Rand Hobart: Who blaspheme and desecrate. In the joy of sin will mankind that is lost, find itself again

There's also the Quatermass films of the 50s and 60s. edit:already mentioned.

Got the free DVD of the original Godzilla film from the Guardian a few weeks back, haven't got round to watching it though.

scott · « **Reply #12 on:** 03 June, 2008, 04:48:20 pm »

Not English, but also not NY or Tokyo--there's "Reptilicus," in which a frozen-but-revived acid-spewing dino-monster escapes from a museum and trashes Denmark, in between enticing snippets of footage from the tourist board.

Cunobelin · « **Reply #13 on:** 03 June, 2008, 10:06:59 pm »

We were always more subtle and believed in making peple think - pyschological tension is always better than the big monster.

The Wicker Man must be one of the best films ever!

Now... does it count as a large monster ?

andygates · « **Reply #14 on:** 03 June, 2008, 10:28:07 pm »

Quote from: andrewc on 02 June, 2008, 11:36:37 pm

a cyborged Loch Ness monster swimming up the Thames to attack Parliament.

That's the spirit! Those sneaky Zygons!

andrewc · « **Reply #15 on:** 03 June, 2008, 10:43:33 pm »

Quote from: Cunobelin on 03 June, 2008, 10:06:59 pm

We were always more subtle and believed in making peple think - pyschological tension is always better than the big monster.

The Wicker Man must be one of the best films ever!

I first saw that when I was about 13, it had a profound effect on my youthful & innocent mind....

Martin · « **Reply #16 on:** 03 June, 2008, 11:03:58 pm »

IMX recently with the exception of Hugh Grant twaddle even English / Scottish produced fillums have to pretend they are actually in the US (The Borrowers, Hellraiser, The Descent), I assume this is because other wise no 'merkins would go and see them.

scott · « **Reply #17 on:** 03 June, 2008, 11:22:32 pm »

Quote from: Martin on 03 June, 2008, 11:03:58 pm

I assume this is because other wise no 'merkins would go and see them.

Yes. We're in denial about the existence of the rest of the planet. I wish you people would just admit that you're all in New Jersey.

spesh · « **Reply #18 on:** 03 June, 2008, 11:25:53 pm »

Apropos English - or elsewhere in the British Isles - monsters, what's the best we have to offer, apart from Nessie, the Lambton Worm, or the Afanc?

They're all a bit well, meh, compared with say, Godzilla...

andygates · « **Reply #19 on:** 03 June, 2008, 11:28:55 pm »

I'm just a Hoboken boy.

Monsters we have! Barrow-in-Furness Bus Depot-smashing monster movies we do not! I wanna see a humungosaurus called Clathrus rip up from deep North Sea drilling and rampage down the country, wrestling the Angel of the Norf!

Lair of the White Worm doesn't count. Though it did have strapons

(Ooh, I guess the Afanc was where Mieville nicked his Avanc in The Scar)

spesh · « **Reply #20 on:** 03 June, 2008, 11:47:08 pm »

Quote from: andygates on 03 June, 2008, 11:28:55 pm

Lair of the White Worm doesn't count. Though it did have strapons

And Amanda Donohoe...

The trailer for the movie is unintentionally funny, mind, c/o the folk song soundtrack.

Quote

(Ooh, I guess the Afanc was where Mieville nicked his Avanc in The Scar)

Quite possibly, though Miéville's worm is a tad bigger.

andrewc · « **Reply #21 on:** 04 June, 2008, 05:45:10 pm »

Quote from: spesh on 03 June, 2008, 11:47:08 pm

Quote from: andygates on 03 June, 2008, 11:28:55 pm

Quote
(Ooh, I guess the Afanc was where Mieville nicked his Avanc in The Scar)

Quite possibly, though Miéville's worm is a tad bigger.

Yup, a lot of the races in Mievilles stuff are borrowed from various mythologies. Kephri (women with beetle heads) are Egyptian, Vodyanoi are Slavic water spirits, Garuda (winged chaps) are Hindu, etc.

Eagerly awaiting "Kraken" (if that's what he calls it!)

Cunobelin · « **Reply #22 on:** 04 June, 2008, 06:58:55 pm »

Quote from: andrewc on 03 June, 2008, 10:43:33 pm

Quote from: Cunobelin on 03 June, 2008, 10:06:59 pm
We were always more subtle and believed in making peple think - pyschological tension is always better than the big monster.

The Wicker Man must be one of the best films ever!

I first saw that when I was about 13, it had a profound effect on my youthful & innocent mind....

You realise it wasn't Britt though?

They used a Body Double!

Now - does Britt count as a pair of Monsters to a 13 year old?

Eccentrica Gallumbits · « **Reply #23 on:** 04 June, 2008, 07:45:04 pm »

Quote from: spesh on 03 June, 2008, 11:25:53 pm

Apropos English - or elsewhere in the British Isles - monsters, what's the best we have to offer, apart from Nessie, the Lambton Worm, or the Afanc?

They're all a bit well, meh, compared with say, Godzilla...

We could make one up.

andrewc · « **Reply #24 on:** 04 June, 2008, 08:43:00 pm »

Quote from: Cunobelin on 04 June, 2008, 06:58:55 pm

Quote from: andrewc on 03 June, 2008, 10:43:33 pm
Quote from: Cunobelin on 03 June, 2008, 10:06:59 pm
We were always more subtle and believed in making peple think - pyschological tension is always better than the big monster.

The Wicker Man must be one of the best films ever!

I first saw that when I was about 13, it had a profound effect on my youthful & innocent mind....

You realise it wasn't Britt though?

They used a Body Double!

Now - does Britt count as a pair of Monsters to a 13 year old?

And they dubbed her voice!

Author Topic: English monster movies? (Read 5346 times)

Zoidburg

Zoidburg

Flying_Monkey

Martin