GRIZZLY, SQUIRM, & FOOD OF THE GODS / 1976 Eco-Horror Triple Feature!

GRIZZLY (1976) d. William Girdler (USA)
SQUIRM (1976) d. Jeff Lieberman (USA)
THE FOOD OF THE GODS (1976) d. Bert I. Gordon (USA)

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In the wake of Steven Spielberg’s Jaws from 1975, drive-ins and hardtop theaters alike were suddenly overrun by creatures with a taste for human flesh. Intrepid and imaginative independent filmmakers proved that almost any member of the animal kingdom could be transformed into a successful box-office menace. Three standout entries from 1976—Grizzly, Squirm, and The Food of the Gods—perfectly capture the exuberant creativity and unapologetic pulp appeal of the Nature Strikes Back Eco-horror boom.

THE HOWLING & AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON - The Lycanthrope Classics That Changed It All

THE HOWLING (1981) d. Joe Dante (USA) 

AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON (1981) d. John Landis (UK/USA)

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In the spring and summer of 1981, werewolf cinema underwent a radical transformation—not through one film, but two. Released just months apart, The Howling and An American Werewolf in London didn’t just revive a fading subgenre—they redefined what cinematic horror could look and feel like. Each film approached lycanthropy from a different tonal angle, yet together they set a new benchmark for practical effects, storytelling, and the balance between terror and dark humor.

KING KONG (1976) Blu-ray Review

King Kong (1976) d. John Guillerman (USA) (134 min)

After Airport kicked off the all-star disaster-film craze, director Guillermin was tapped to helm Skyjacked, a fairly transparent riff on the Irwin Allen blockbuster, with Charlton Heston’s take-no-guff pilot contending with James Brolin’s mad bomber at 30,000 feet. Fittingly enough, Guillerman landed the next big bang boom, 1974’s The Towering Inferno, the success of which led to his assignment on the decade’s highest profile extravaganza to that point: Dino de Laurentiis’ then-staggering 24-million dollar remake of the classic Beauty and the Beast tale. It proved to be the perfect blend of 1970s big-budget mayhem and the “Nature Strikes Back” Eco-horror wave that was just hitting its peak with Jaws.

THE FURY (1978) movie review

The Fury (1978) d. Brian De Palma (USA) (118 min)

Though on the surface, De Palma could be accused of returning to the telekinetic well a little soon following his smash hit Carrie, John Farris’ adaptation of his own novel expands the tapestry far beyond the small-town concerns of misfit teenagers and into full-blown international government conspiracies and training grounds for potential assassins. (If that device sounds similar to Scanners, it is... and it preceded Cronenberg’s film by three years.)

SQUIRM (1976) Blu-ray review

Squirm (1976) d. Jeff Lieberman (USA)

A downed power transformer in the small backwater town of Fly Creek, Georgia, sends thousands of volts of electricity into the wet ground and thousands of agitated biting Glycera worms to the surface. From this somewhat farfetched premise, writer/director Lieberman wrings a laudable amount of suspense, aided in no small part by his no-name cast who inhabit empathetic, intelligent, and resourceful characters worth rooting for.

THE INCREDIBLE MELTING MAN (1977) movie review

Incredible Melting Man, The (1977) d. William Sachs (USA)

Combine a can’t-miss B-movie premise (an astronaut exposed to solar flares during a deep-space mission returns to Earth, where he slowly begins to dissolve) with rising makeup wiz Rick Baker, fresh off Dino De Laurentiis’ King Kong. Stir vigorously, and voila! Turkey dinner is served. Even as a kid, I knew something was awry with this riff on 1959’s First Man into Space as the trailer solemnly intoned, “He seems to be getting stronger the more he melts!” Um, what????

IT’S ALIVE (1974) movie review

It's Alive (1974) d. Cohen, Larry (USA)

“There’s only one thing wrong with the Davis baby...” Expectant couple John P. Ryan and Sharon Farrell end up with more on their hands than just dirty diapers in this low-budget shocker, which became an unexpected hit with drive-in audiences everywhere. From its jaw-dropping delivery room massacre to the absurdly moving climax in the Los Angeles sewers, this is the scary mutant baby flick to end ’em all.

VIDEODROME (1983) movie review

Videodrome (1983) d. Cronenberg, David (Canada)

As a cable programmer seeking to challenge the limits of the medium, James Woods becomes hooked on the pirated TV show “Videodrome,” whose lineup consists of real sex, real torture, and real murder. Before long, he finds himself entrenched in a cathode ray-conspiracy that threatens the world – or is it just all in his mind? Under the influence of the Videodrome signal, his body begins to undergo some rather discomforting alterations, such as the vagina-like orifice in his abdomen that gobbles up firearms and pulsating organic videocassettes with equal ardor.

OCTAMAN (1971) movie review

Octaman (1971) d. Essex, Harry (USA)

One of special f/x maestro and multiple Oscar-winner Rick Baker’s early efforts and one that he’d probably like most of us to forget, which might account for its relative obscurity. However, thanks to Fred Olen Ray, the much-beloved limb-swinging creation finally made its home video premiere last year in a stunning widescreen print that leaves your darker-than-pitch TV broadcast bootlegs in the dust. Now you can actually see Baker's many-limbed creation as it stumbles along attacking a crew (headed by former Sinbad Kerwin Mathews) investigating the effects of pollution and radiation on a small Hispanic village - whether that's a good thing or not is open to debate.

THINNER (1996) review

Thinner (1996) (2nd viewing) d. Holland, Tom (USA)

After rotund lawyer Robert John Burke accidentally runs down an aged gypsy woman in the street, the victim’s father attacks the barrister (and those who colluded with him to avoid justice) with a terrifying wasting black magic curse. Despite medical testing and a literal all-consuming diet, Burke’s pounds keep slipping off until, frantic at the skeletal prospects, he enlists former mobster client Joe Mantegna to track down the vengeful mystic and his saucy slingshot wielding granddaughter (Kari Wuhrer). The same year Rick Baker turned Eddie Murphy into the charmingly obese Sherman Klump for The Nutty Professor update, Oscar-winning makeup legend Greg Cannom tried his hand at inflating (and deflating) his star to more sinister effect…with less success. But under Tom Holland’s surprisingly garish direction, the whole affair is as blatantly artificial and cartoonish as Burke’s latex induced triple chin; a shame since what is called for (and what worked to such fine effect in Stephen King’s source novel) is shadowy mystery and creepy atmosphere rather than eye-rolling C-grade performances and in-your-face gross-outs. Disappointing, especially considering the talent involved.

BEAST WISHES (2012) review

Beast Wishes (2012) (1st viewing) d. Dietz, Frank / Geiger, Trish

An affectionate look at one of the most beloved elder statesmen in the realm of horror and sci-fi nostalgia. Bob Burns, along with his devoted and equally passionate wife Kathy, has ended up the de facto curator of countless (and priceless) treasured props and costumes from over 50 years of sci-fi/horror genre cinema. Residing within the Burns’ basement are artifacts ranging from the original 1933 Kong stop-motion armature to the actual Time Machine from George Pal’s eponymous movie to a wealth of original set pieces from Alien, but the real marvel is the amount of sheer heart this dynamic duo impart to all who have crossed their path. Their cheering section includes a roster as luminous as their collection: everyone from Rick Baker to Tom Woodruff to John Landis to Joe Dante to Greg Nicotero have nothing but glowing memories of Bob and Kathy, and they are likewise thrilled to have the opportunity to reveal them on- camera. Great stories and wow-worthy items share the stage with footage from the couple’s elaborate annual haunted house attraction (which utilizes the skills of some of the finest craftsmen in the business, all working gratis). A terrific doc even for non card-carrying Monster Kids.