When watching a Monster movie, you want to see the monster. For me, even a cheesy monster is better than an off screen one. Whether for dramatic effect or lack of budget, some horror movies go light on the monster visuals. Sometimes it works. Other times, it doesn't.
In no particular order, here are my top five horror movies where you seldom see the monster.
Fiend Without a Face (1955)
A thumping drum, carpet impressions, and then someone clutching his throat as an invisible monster strangles them. Something's there, but what? I originally saw this as a kid watching Cleveland area horror host Superhost. Although you don't see the creatures until the last 12 minutes of the movie, the stop-action, brain monster payoff is worth it, at least it was for me as a kid. And still is.
It's Alive (1974)
A monster baby was fairly shocking for 1974, which resulted in a movie showing exceptionally limited views of the creature, with the suspense instead created from the gritty, grindhouse tension. Re-released in 1977, every kid growing up in the 70s was freaked out by a TV ad featuring a baby carriage with a claw coming over the side. Master monster maker Rick Baker created the monster baby, .
The Beast with 1,000,000 Eyes (1955)
Spoiler: The beast doesn't actually have 1 million eyes. Unlike Fiend Without a Face, this low budget black and white move doesn't have a monster payout. A superimposed eyeball with voiceover at the beginning and a few moments of a puppet thing at the end, this movie crushed many a child's dreams in the 50's, 60's and 70's (it often ran on horror host cinemas) of seeing an onscreen creature. At least it crushed mine. Co produced by legends Roger Corman and Samuel Z. Arkoff.
Forbidden Planet (1956)
The very same movie mentioned in the opening song to The Rocky Horror Picture Show, unlike The Beast with 1,000,000 Eyes, Forbidden Planet is a great, great movie. While unseen monsters in some movies don't show up because of budget, this movie, filled with a solid story, good acting, ground-breaking special effects AND Robbie the Robot, has an invisible monster done the right way. When the viewer finally sees it in all its electric glory, it's very satisfying.
The Tingler (1959)
"Look at that Tingler, Dave, it's an ugly and dangerous thing." Dr. Chapin, played by the inimitable Vincent Price, isolates the source of fear, a bug-like creature called the Tingler that lives in our spines. This William Castle gem almost didn't make this list because even though it takes almost an hour before you even see a shadow of The Tingler behind a medical curtain, once it shows up you get a few solid views of the creature. Great stuff.
Thanks to the awesome GIF blog Rhett Hammersmith's Haus of Horror. He has some of the greatest drive-in horror movie cheese GIFs on the planet!
Thanks to the awesome GIF blog Rhett Hammersmith's Haus of Horror. He has some of the greatest drive-in horror movie cheese GIFs on the planet!
via GIPHY
