“Monster of Piedras Blancas” (1959) – Pretty B&W Cinematography, Ugly Story
This is another one of those flicks I watched in my youth, 10,000 years ago, that frightened me. Watching it now, I am struck by the loveliness of some of the black and white film cinematography but bored by the dull goings on and the lumbering, costumed monster.
I now remember what creeped me out all those years ago and it has to do with the beast's predilection to behead his victims. Never pleasant in any era. So, we have a giant sea monster that walks on two legs and apparently lives in a cave near a lighthouse. The lighthouse keeper feeds the beast, thus keeping it at bay from sampling the culinary delights of Humankind. Well, that effort falls short somewhere along the line and we have a rash of mysterious deaths in the area.
The ending of this thing is a doozy. I think a young Steven Spielberg must have taken some inspiration from the proceedings. When presented with an opportunity to kill the monster before it does in the cornered lighthouse keeper, the posse armed with rifles, refuses to take a shot at the creature until it has succeeding in capturing its prey. Brings to mind some of the latter day scenes from "Jurassic Park" where the dinosaurs are somehow more cunning and noble than their human counterparts and are able to admirably fend off puny Man. A digression, yes.
Still, it is a fun Saturday afternoon/evening horror viewing.
This is another one of those flicks I watched in my youth, 10,000 years ago, that frightened me. Watching it now, I am struck by the loveliness of some of the black and white film cinematography but bored by the dull goings on and the lumbering, costumed monster.
I now remember what creeped me out all those years ago and it has to do with the beast’s predilection to behead his victims. Never pleasant in any era. So, we have a giant sea monster that walks on two legs and apparently lives in a cave near a lighthouse. The lighthouse keeper feeds the beast, thus keeping it at bay from sampling the culinary delights of Humankind. Well, that effort falls short somewhere along the line and we have a rash of mysterious deaths in the area.
The ending of this thing is a doozy. I think a young Steven Spielberg must have taken some inspiration from the proceedings. When presented with an opportunity to kill the monster before it does in the cornered lighthouse keeper, the posse armed with rifles, refuses to take a shot at the creature until it has succeeding in capturing its prey. Brings to mind some of the latter day scenes from “Jurassic Park” where the dinosaurs are somehow more cunning and noble than their human counterparts and are able to admirably fend off puny Man. A digression, yes.
Still, it is a fun Saturday afternoon/evening horror viewing.
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