Giant Monster

History

• Lost World (1925)
• King Kong (1933)
• Godzilla (1954)
• Tremors (1990)
• Cloverfield (2008)

What are they?

• A sub-genre of horror.
• Fictional creatures.
• Threat to the city or explorers.
• Out of time or place.

Narrative Structure

• The movie almost always serves as a cautionary tale.
• Disbelieved character gives warning.
• Love interest.
• Viewer sympathy for the creature.
• New technology defeats monster.

King Kong (1933)

• Tampering with nature.
• First mate warns the expedition.
• Kong falls for Anne Darrow.
• Sympathy for the captured Kong.
• Planes shoot down the monster.

Why do we have them?

• Take our fears and enlarge them.
• Make them a threat to all.
• Defeat them.

1950s - Fear of Science

• Godzilla - A-bomb
• Them! - Nuclear power
• War of the Worlds - Space race
• Less sympathetic creatures.
• More malevolent (inherently evil).

Techniques

Miniatures

Stop motion

Costuming

Projection

Camerawork

CGI