Now, terror has no shape.

Starring: Kevin Dillon, Shawnee Smith, Donovan Leitch, Jeffrey DeMunn, Candy Clark, Joe Seneca, Del Close

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"The thing on that man's hand killed him and then it killed Paul, and whatever it is, it's getting bigger!" - Meg Penny

Why watch this? The original was creepy. This 80's version is gory and terrifying!

Plot Summary: A small town faces a deadly threat when a meteor crashes nearby, releasing an acidic, amoeba-like organism. This creature consumes anything in its path, growing larger with each victim. As panic spreads, a group of townspeople must find a way to stop the unstoppable menace, while also dealing with shady government scientists attempting to capture it.

Palisades California Inc.; TriStar Pictures

The Sci-Fi Classic of the Atomic Age

Starring: James Whitmore, Edmund Gwenn, Joan Weldon, James Arness, Onslow Stevens, Sean McClory, Christian Drake

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"We may be witnesses to a Biblical prophecy come true - 'And there shall be destruction and darkness come upon creation, and the beasts shall reign over the Earth." - Dr. Harold Medford

Why watch this? Sometimes, it feels wonderful to watch gigantic ants on a rampage!

Plot Summary: After investigating mysterious deaths and disappearances in the New Mexico desert, police Sgt. Ben Peterson teams up with FBI agent Robert Graham and myrmecologists Dr. Harold Medford and his daughter Dr. Pat Medford. They discover that gigantic, mutated ants are the cause of the havoc, having grown to enormous size due to atomic radiation.

David Weisbart; Warner Bros.

Fight Evil With Evil

Starring: Vin Diesel, Radha Mitchell, Cole Hauser, Keith David, Lewis Fitz-Gerald, Claudia Black, Rhiana Griffith

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"All you people are so scared of me. Most days I'd take that as a compliment. But it ain't me you gotta worry about now." - Riddick

Why watch this? This is one hell of a sci-fi film. Strong female characters, flying creatures and introducing the smoldering Vin Deisel.

Plot Summary: A space transport ship carrying crew and passengers, including a dangerous criminal, crashes on a desolate planet where it is perpetually day due to three orbiting suns. The crash kills most of the passengers, leaving a small group of survivors, including the pilot, the criminal, a bounty hunter, a holy man, and a young girl. They discover that the planet's seemingly lifeless exterior hides a terrifying secret: a deadly species of creatures that emerge to hunt in the darkness of the infrequent total eclipse.

Gramercy Pictures, Interscope Comm.;
USA Films

THE PANTHER WOMAN lured men on - only to destroy them body and soul!

Starring: Charles Laughton, Bela Lugosi, Richard Arlen, Leila Hyams, Kathleen Burke, Arthur Hohl, Stanley Fields, Paul Hurst

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"You! You made us in the house of pain! You made us... things! Not men! Not beasts! Part man... part beast! Things!" – Sayer of the Law

Why watch this? When you create unholy life, there's always a chance it will turn on you.

Plot Summary: Shipwrecked traveler Edward Parker is rescued and subsequently stranded on a remote South Pacific island belonging to the reclusive Dr. Moreau. Parker discovers Moreau is conducting grotesque experiments, using vivisection to transform animals into human-like creatures, which he controls with a whip and a strict set of rules known as "The Law". Among Moreau's creations is Lota, a beautiful "Panther Woman" he attempts to mate with Parker.

Paramount Pictures Inc.

Fascinating Adventure Into The Unknown!

Starring: Grant Williams, Randy Stuart, April Kent, Paul Langton, Raymond Bailey, William Schallert, Frank J. Scannell, Diana Darrin, Billy Curtis

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"In my hunt for food I had become the hunted. This time I survived, but I was no longer alone in my universe. I had an enemy, the most terrifying ever beheld by human eyes." – Scott Carey

Why watch this? This classic sci-fi horror film is an amazing watch, still today.

Plot Summary: Scott Carey is exposed to a strange mist and subsequently begins to shrink in size. As he becomes smaller, everyday objects become menacing, and he must adapt to a world where his own home poses incredible dangers.
 

Dad's Preview: The concept is thought-provoking to say the least. The protagonist starts to shrink. First, his wedding band falls off. Next, he's shorter than his wife. He eventually becomes so small, people can no longer see him. The genius in this story is that it doesn't have the patented ending we'd expect. It also makes a larger statement about the significance of man, and mankind, on this planet.

Universal-International Pictures Col, Inc;
Universal Pictures

They Hear You, They Hunt You

Starring: Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe, Cade Woodward, Leon Russom, Rhoda Pell

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"Who are we if we can't protect them? We have to protect them." – Evelyn, speaking about their children

Why watch this? This novel idea for a horror film is refreshing, and really scary, too.

Plot Summary: Earth comes under attack from by alien creatures. Though blind, these 8 ft. tall, armored beasts find their prey using acute hearing. Once there is the faintest sound, they immediately come hunting, intent of wreaking havoc on soft, defenseless humans. One New York rural family manages to survive using sound-silencing measures (sand paths, bare feet). It helps that they have a deaf daughter and can all communicate using sign language. But how long can the family of five avoid detection? The "death angels", as they are known, are mercilessly lethal and quite menacing.

Platinum Dunes, Sunday Night Prod.;
Paramount Pictures

What's Gotten Into You?

Starring: Nathan Fillion, Elizabeth Banks, Gregg Henry, Michael Rooker, Tania Saulnier, Xantha Radley

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"It tried to get in my mouth. What kinda thing wants you to eat it?" - Jack MacReady

Why watch this? It's crude, gory, slimy, violent, and completely awesome - if you like this kind of horror film.

Plot Summary: In the small town of Wheelsy, South Carolina, a meteorite crashes, unleashing a parasitic alien creature. The creature infects local businessman Grant Grant, transforming him and giving him a hunger for raw meat. As Grant's body becomes a monstrous breeding ground, a swarm of slug-like offspring threatens to infect the rest of the town, turning residents into zombie-like drones.

Brightlight Pictures, Gold Circle Films,
Strike Ent.; Universal Pictures

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (2026), Director: Nia DaCosta, rated R for language, nudity, zombie violence

Fear is the new faith.

Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Jack O'Connell, Alfie Williams, Chi Lewis-Parry, Erin Kellyman, Emma Laird, Sam Locke

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"I remember details. Events and people. But what it was actually like to live with shops and fridges and telephones and personal computers? I have no real memory of that at all. That said, I do remember there was a sense of certainty. The world had an order. A way about it." – Dr. Kelson

Why watch this? This 28 Days Late sequel is as good as the original.

Plot Summary: Following the events of 28 Years Later (2025), a young survivor, Spike, is forced into a brutal cult led by a fanatical leader who views the post-apocalyptic landscape as a Satanic domain. Meanwhile, a dedicated researcher in a nearby sanctuary makes unexpected, potentially world-altering breakthroughs regarding the nature of the infected. As these two storylines converge, the remaining humans must face threats that are far more disturbing than the infected hordes themselves.

Columbia Pics, Decibel Films, DNA Films;
Sony Pictures Releasing

Before Your Own Eyes A Man Turns Fiend!

Starring: Fredric March, Miriam Hopkins, Rose Hobart, Holmes Herbert, Halliwell Hobbs, Edgar Norton, Tempe Pigott, Arnold Lucy, Colonel McDonnell, Robert Adair

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"I shall not dwell today on the secrets of the human body, in sickness and in health. Today I want to talk to you of a greater marvel: the soul of man!" - Dr. Jekyll to his students

Why watch this? From the classic novel about the duality of man comes a thrilling, macabre film!

Plot Summary: A brilliant scientist named Dr. Henry Jekyll theorizes about the duality of human nature, believing that the good and evil within a man can be separated. To prove his theory, he creates a powerful potion and tests it on himself, transforming into the monstrous and depraved Mr. Hyde. Initially thrilled by the release from societal constraints, Jekyll soon discovers the terrifying consequences of unleashing his darker self.

Rouben Mamoulian; Paramount Pictures

A message. A warning. A sign...of things to come.

Starring: Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix, Rory Culkin, Abigail Breslin, Cherry Jones, M. Night Shyamalan

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"Swing away Merrill. Merrill... swing away." - Graham Hess

Why watch this? This rich, character-driven film gets really scary when unwanted guests arrive.

Plot Summary: After a tragic loss of faith, a former reverend, Graham Hess, lives on a secluded farm with his children and brother. One morning, they discover large crop circles carved into their cornfields, initiating a series of increasingly strange and frightening occurrences. As the family grapples with these unexplained phenomena and news reports of similar events worldwide, they must come to terms with the possibility that something otherworldly is happening.

Touchtone Pics, Blinding Edge Pictures,
The Kennedy/Marshall Co.;
Buena Vista Pictures Distribution

The Man Who Made A Monster

Starring: Colin Clive, Mae Clarke, John Boles, Boris Karloff, Dwight Frye, Edward van Sloan, Frederick Kerr, Lionel Belmore

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"You have created a monster, and it will destroy you!" - Dr. Waldman

Why watch this? It is a landmark in horror cinema history.

Plot Summary: Dr. Henry Frankenstein, obsessed with creating life, pieces together a human body from various sources and successfully brings it to life through electricity. However, the creature, despite its initial innocence, faces fear and rejection from society, leading to tragic consequences. The film explores themes of ambition, the dangers of unchecked scientific advancement, and the impact of isolation and prejudice on both the creator and his creation.

Carl Laemmle Jr.; Universal Pictures

The original nightmare that threatened the world

Starring: Kevin McCarthy, Dana Wynter, Larry Gates, King Donovan, Carolyn Jones

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"There's no emotion. None. Just the pretense of it. The words, the gesture, the tone of voice, everything else is the same, but not the feeling." - Wilma Lentz

Why watch this? It's truly terrifying to learn that the human race is being replaced.

Plot Summary: In a small town, a doctor notices a peculiar phenomenon: his patients believe their loved ones are impostors. What initially seems like mass hysteria soon reveals itself to be a sinister alien invasion where humans are replaced by emotionless duplicates grown from pods. As the truth unfolds, the doctor must desperately try to warn others before he too falls victim to the silent takeover.

Walter Wanger Prod.; Allied Artists Pictures

A chase through time -- to catch Jack the Ripper!

Starring: Malcolm McDowell, David Warner, Mary Steenburgen, Charles Cioffi, Patti D'Arbanville, Kent Williams, Joseph Maher, Corey Feldman

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"We don't belong here? On the contrary, Herbert. I belong here completely and utterly. I'm home."- Jack the Ripper, on being transported to New York City, 1979

Why watch this? As a fan of The Time Machine (1960), this takes things one more horrifying step.

Plot Summary: English writer H.G. Wells, having invented a functional time machine, finds himself chasing notorious serial killer Jack the Ripper through time. Jack has escaped to the year 1979 in Wells' own creation. Upon arriving in a future he did not anticipate, Wells encounters a woman named Amy Robbins and enlists her help in his pursuit of the infamous murderer, now turned loose in San Francisco.

Orion Pictures; Warner Bros.

M-G-M Takes You On An Amazing Adventure Into Outer Space...

Starring: Walter Pidgeon, Anne Francis, Leslie Nielsen, Warren Stevens, Jack Kelly, Richard Anderson, Earl Holliman, Marvin Miller

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"Guilty! Guilty! My evil self is at that door, and I have no power to stop it!" – Dr. Morbius

Why watch this? It really is a great all-around sci-fi film; certainly for 1956.

Plot Summary: A 23rd-century starship crew travels to a distant planet, Altair IV, to investigate a colony that has gone silent. They discover two survivors, Dr. Morbius and his daughter Altaira, along with a powerful robot named Robbie. The crew soon encounters a mysterious and deadly invisible force threatening everyone on the planet, prompting Commander Adams to investigate Morbius and the secrets surrounding a lost civilization that once inhabited Altair IV.

Nicholas Nayfak; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

28 Days Later (2002), Director: Danny Boyle, rated R for language, nudity, strong violence

His fear began when he woke up alone. His terror began when he realised he wasn't.

Starring: Cillian Murphy, Naomie Harris, Brendan Gleeson, Megan Burns, Christopher Eccleston, Noah Huntley, Stuart McQuarrie, Ricci Harnett, Leo Bill, Luke Mably, Junior Laniyan, Ray Panthaki

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"Right from the beginning you knew this was different, because it was happening in small villages, market towns, and then, it wasn't on the TV any more. It was in the street outside. It was coming through your windows. It was a virus, an infection. You didn't need a doctor to tell you that. It was the blood. There was something in the blood." – Selena

Why watch this? It starts out pretty bleak, yet tensely builds to a great ending.

Plot Summary: An bicycle courier awakens from a coma to discover a deserted, post-apocalyptic London, its population decimated by a contagious "Rage" virus. He soon finds a small group of survivors, but their desperate journey for sanctuary reveals that the true horror may come from the surviving humans luring them into their military compound.

DNA Films, Film Council; Fox Searchlight Pics

Watch out! They get you while you're sleeping!

Starring: Donald Sutherland, Brooke Adams, Leonard Nimoy, Jeff Goldblum, Veronica Cartwright

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"I keep seeing these people, all recognizing each other. Something is passing between them all, some secret. It's a conspiracy, I know it." – Elizabeth Driscoll

Why watch this? The original 1956 film was creepy. This remake is downright terrifying.

Plot Summary: A San Francisco health inspector, Matthew Bennell, and his colleague Elizabeth Driscoll discover that residents are slowly being replaced by alien duplicates. These duplicates appear identical to the humans they replace but are devoid of emotion and empathy. As the alien takeover spreads throughout the city, Bennell and Driscoll, along with two friends, must attempt to survive and warn others of the impending global invasion.

Solofilm; United Artists

She breathes, sees, hears, walks -- but can she love?

Starring: Boris Karloff, Elsa Manchester, Colin Clive, Ernest Thesiger, Valerie Hobson, Gavin Gordon, Douglas Walton, E. E. Clive

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"Yes, I know. Made me from dead. I love dead... hate living." - The Monster

Why watch this? This Universal monster film dared to have a sense of humor. Bravo!

Plot Summary: This sequel Frankenstein (1931) follows Dr. Henry Frankenstein as he attempts to abandon his life-creating experiments. However, he is pressured by his eccentric mentor, Dr. Pretorius, and threatened by his creation, the Monster, into constructing a female companion for the Monster. Frankenstein eventually agrees and embarks on the task of creating the Bride, facing the consequences of his ambition and the Monster's desire for companionship.

Carl Laemmle Jr.; Universal Pictures

Alien (1979), Director: Ridley Scott, rated R for sci-fi gore, violence, language

In space no one can hear you scream.

Starring: Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm, Yaphet Kotto

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

DML Top 50 #24a - Dad's Full (Spoiler) Review and Deep Dive of Alien

"Wait a minute. If we let it in, the ship could be infected." - WO Ellen Ripley

Why watch this? It introduced cinema sci-fi to a xenomorph and Sigourney Weaver.

Plot Summary: The crew of a commercial space tug, Nostromo, is awakened from cryosleep to investigate a distress signal from a nearby planetoid. They discover a derelict spaceship and a lower chamber filled with strange eggs. When one of the eggs is disturbed, a deadly extraterrestrial creature comes aboard the ship and proves to be quite lethal.

Brandywine Productions; 20th Century Fox

An Adventure 65 Million Years In The Making.

Starring: Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, Bob Peck, Samuel L. Jackson, Wayne Knight

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"…your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should." – Ian Malcolm

Why watch this? ... it's ground-breaking, based on a superb novel, and DINOSAURS!

Plot Summary: Wealthy entrepreneur John Hammond creates a theme park on a remote island, populated by genetically engineered dinosaurs. Before opening, a group of scientists, including a paleontologist, a paleobotanist, and a mathematician, are invited to assess the park's safety. However, a power failure caused by industrial sabotage leads to the dinosaurs escaping their enclosures. The visitors and park staff must then struggle to survive and escape the now-perilous island.
 

Dad's Preview: I read Michael Crichton's novel, about bio-engineered dinosaurs, and immediately thought, "Spielberg has to do this film!" Not long after, Spielberg announced JP as his next project. I wept. The original plan was to use only life-sized animatronic dinosaurs, however, the special effects team won over the director with their amazing CGI skills. The digital dinosaurs were jaw-dropping. The rest is history. The film became another Spielberg smash hit.

Amblin Entertainment; Universal Pictures

They came to CONQUER the EARTH!

Starring: Gene Barry, Ann Robinson, Les Tremayne, Bob Cornthwaite, Lewis Martin, Paul Frees, Housley Stevenson Jr. William Phipps

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

"The jets went in, but not one of them came out. I watched high-level bombers drop everything they carried. They were knocked out of the sky and their bombs did nothing. Nothing was effective against them." - Dr. Clayton Forrester

Why watch this? This is the best of the early sci-fi films about aliens.

Plot Summary: Earth is suddenly invaded by Martians in powerful war machines, initiating a global conflict as humanity struggles to defend itself. Scientist Clayton Forrester and Sylvia Van Buren are among those who experience firsthand the devastating attacks and attempt to find a weakness in the invaders' seemingly impenetrable defenses.

George Pal; Paramount Pictures

The Ultimate in alien terror.

Starring: Kurt Russell, Keith David, Richard Masur, Wilford Brimley, T. K. Carter, Richard Dysart, David Clennon, Charles Hallahan, Peter Maloney, Donald Moffat

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★★ - perfect

DML Top 50 #44 - Dad's Full (Spoiler) Review and Deep Dive of The Thing

"You see, what we're talkin' about here is an organism that imitates other life-forms, and it imitates 'em perfectly." - Doc Blair

Why watch this? ... the blood test scene is worth the prices of admission alone.

Plot Summary: A team of American researchers stationed in isolated Antarctica encounter a hostile alien life form that can perfectly imitate other organisms. The creature's ability to seamlessly impersonate their victims creates an environment of intense paranoia and distrust among the nervous crew. As the researchers struggle to identify and destroy the shape-shifting alien, they face a harrowing battle for survival.

The Turman-Foster Co.; Universal Pictures