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Creature Feature Movies: 25 B-Movie Monster Classics
Giant ants, a gill-man in a lagoon and a blob that keeps growing: the creature feature was the drive-in's favorite dish. Here are 25 monster-movie classics and the best of B horror.
A creature feature is a film built around a monster: a giant insect, a mutated animal, something from space or from the deep. The genre's golden age came in the 1950s, when atomic anxiety, drive-in theaters and teenage audiences met cheap special effects. Many of these films were B pictures, and many are now cult favorites. For background, see what a B-movie is.
The 1950s atomic monsters
- The Thing from Another World (1951): an alien thawed out at an Arctic base.
- The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953): a dinosaur awakened by an atomic test.
- Them! (1954): giant ants in the New Mexico desert; one of the best of the cycle.
- Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954): Universal's gill-man, originally shown in 3-D.
- Godzilla (1954): Japan's original, darker than its sequels.
- It Came from Beneath the Sea (1955): a giant octopus attacks San Francisco.
- Tarantula (1955): an experiment gone very wrong.
- Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956): the monster looks just like your neighbor.
- The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957): the house cat becomes the monster.
- Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (1958): the title says it all.
- The Blob (1958): teenagers versus a growing goo.
- The Fly (1958): a teleportation experiment with a famous twist.
Late 1950s and 1960s drive-in fare
- House on Haunted Hill (1959): William Castle's gimmick-filled haunted house.
- The Tingler (1959): another Castle film, famous for buzzing theater seats.
- The Little Shop of Horrors (1960): a Roger Corman comedy with a hungry plant.
- Night of the Living Dead (1968): the zombie film reinvented on a low budget, and in the public domain.
1970s and beyond: the creature feature continues
- Night of the Lepus (1972): giant killer rabbits; beloved for the wrong reasons.
- Piranha (1978): a cheap, funny follow-on to the big shark movie.
- Alligator (1980): sewer monster in the city.
- The Evil Dead (1981): low-budget demons, high-energy camera work.
- The Thing (1982): a big-budget remake of the 1951 film, now a classic.
- C.H.U.D. (1984): underground dwellers in New York.
- Critters (1986): furry alien invaders in a small town.
- Tremors (1990): giant underground worms; a modern creature feature loved by fans.
- Slither (2006): an affectionate throwback to the drive-in era.
What makes a good B horror movie
| Ingredient | Why it works |
|---|---|
| A simple hook | Giant ants, killer rabbits, a blob: you know the film from its title |
| Speed | Short running times, quick pace, no wasted scenes |
| Invention | Tiny budgets forced clever tricks and practical effects |
| Sincerity | The best play it straight, which makes them fun even when the effects wobble |
| A message | Many 1950s monsters stand for atomic fear or Cold War paranoia |
"B-rated" versus rated
People often say "B-rated movies", but there was never an official B rating. "B" referred to a film's budget and its place on a double bill, not to a rating from a board. Today it simply means a low-budget genre film.
For more horror with a following, see cult horror movies. For lovably terrible films, see so bad it's good movies.
Questions
What is a creature feature?
A film centred on a monster, from giant animals to aliens and mutants. The 1950s are seen as the genre's golden age.
Why were there so many monster movies in the 1950s?
Atomic-age fears, the drive-in boom, teenage audiences and cheap production all encouraged them.
What is the best B horror movie?
Them! (1954), The Blob (1958) and Night of the Living Dead (1968) are among the most admired.
Is there an official B rating for movies?
No. "B" referred to budget and billing in the studio era, not to any rating system.
