.

This past Saturday was the 5th annual Secret Morgue hosted by the local cinephile group Film Geeks San Diego. The six-movie marathon doesn’t release the titles on the film being presented only the theme. For 2024 the theme was creatures & monster movies.

Movie One: Attack of the Crab Monsters (1957). A celebration and recognition of low-budget master Roger Corman this movie follows a group of scientists, technicians, and sailors left on an atoll following atomic testing. They are there to study the effects of fallout and radiation but instead encounter monstrous telepathic giant crabs.

This is typical low-budget 50s fare with poor science and less then adequate special effects but entertaining in its own right.

Movie Two: Dog Soldiers (2002). A squad of soldiers dropped in the wilds of Scotland for a routine training exercise discover another squad of special forces slaughtered, save for one member, by some unknown force. Trapped and out of communication they struggle to survive a pack of werewolves.

This is a fun, fast, and exciting werewolves vs soldiers of a movie and well worth the time.

 

Movie Three: Scream Blacula Scream (1973). The sequel to Blacula, William Marshal returns as the title character, an African Prince cursed by Dracula with Vampirism. Raise by Voodoo magics as part of a power struggle among the faithful Balcula is unleashed again on the modern world and hopes to find release from unending torment by way of a voodoo priestess, Pam Grier.

Part of the brief but entertaining subgenre of ‘Blaxploitation’ that run during the 70s, this movie is fast, entertaining, and led by amazing actors. Allowanced must be given to the filmmakers lack of money and special effect resources. If you can look past that this is a treasure.

 

Movie Four: Gamera, Guardian of the Universe (1995). The relaunching of the Kaijufranchise that challenged Godzilla, and still principally using men in suits, Gamera, Guardian of the Universe, is a fun romp and modern take on the classic Kaiju genre. Not scripted or produced with an ironic eye to the camera of tongue in cheek this movie is a straightforward film about giant monsters that threaten and defend humanity.

 

 

 

 

Movie Five: Deep Rising (1998). When pirates attack a large cruise ship in the South China Sea, they discover the passengers and crew slaughtered and the ship infested with tentacled monsters. Written and directed by Stephen Summers a year before his take on The Mummy, this movie has his typical style of mixing adventure, horror, and comedic effect.

 

 

 

 

The sixth and final film of the marathon was the home-made movie Suburban Sasquatch. I have a minimum level of quality that I require before I devote 80 minutes or more of my time to a film and this did not meet that prerequisite.