Favorite Monster Movies

I had to hop in my time machine and go back in time to my childhood and consider some of my favorites. When I was growing up, I lived in Massachusetts. There was a UHF station called Channel 56 WLVI. This small local TV station had a show every Saturday afternoon at 1:00 PM EST called “Creature Double Feature”.

I remember it well. Yes, I spent too much time planted in front of the TV when I probably should have been outside, but that is a story for another day.

So, here is how it went. My two brothers and I would come downstairs on Saturday morning in our pj’s. We would proceed to grab boxes of cereal, milk, and bowls. We would plant ourselves on the floor in front of the TV. The lineup started with cartoons as the first course and then “Creature Double Feature”.

This was my very first exposure to monster movies. It was 90% black and white movies from the 40’s, 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s. Everything from Godzilla to Frankenstein.

Some of my favorites were the ones where nature took a turn for the worse after exposure to nukes or chemicals, or at the hands of a mad scientist. Some of them included “World Without Ends”, “I Was a Teenage Werewolf” (I am pretty sure he became a wolf because of a radioactive serum), and “Beginning of the End”. And the list could go on and on.

As far as giant monsters go, I loved Gamara, one of Godzilla’s enemies/friends depending on which movie you watch. I enjoyed the way Gamara retracted in his head and legs into his shell and spun with sparks coming out of his leg holes as he flew through the sky. He also had cool tusks for a giant turtle, and he was a true master of destruction.

I almost completely forgot the movie “Fiend Without a Face”. Super freaky. Starts out with unexplained deaths around a nuclear air force base. The victims are found missing their brains and spinal columns. I do not want to spoil it for you, but that is where the fun just begins.