There are plenty of high-profile monster movies out there. Frankenstein, Dracula, King Kong, Godzilla, The Thing, Lake Placid, Jaws...they all apply. And they all bring something to the table, whether it's terrific, mind-bending practical effects or the all-important human element.
Then there are the lesser-known ones, which incidentally are often the most fun to discover. But, in the wide, wide pool of low to mid-budgeted monster movies, there's a lot of dreadful material. The following underseen monster flicks aren't high art, but there's a thing or two in each that makes it worthy of a rental on movie night. From genetically tampered-with dogs to Cannibal Humanoid Underground Dwellers, these are the monster films out there that are worthy of a rental, should the viewer be the type to enjoy them.
10 Half Human (1955)
Of all the creepy kaiju out there, Half Human's Abominable Snowman isn't exactly the scariest (he's more or less Toho's take on King Kong before they had a take on King Kong). But, as far as Ishirō Honda's impressive filmography goes, Half Human ranks towards the upper middle.
The American version, with John Carradine, is filled with as many regrettable changes as any of the Americanized Toho Godzilla films (e.g. Gojira and King Kong vs. Godzilla). But, if the viewer sticks with the Japanese version that can be found online via the Internet Archives, it's a nice little discovery that's a treat for fans of Honda's other kaiju work. Just don't go in expecting the originality seen on the director's best day.
9 The Creature Walks Among Us (1956)
The original Creature from the Black Lagoon is one of the scariest black and white horror movies ever made. Yet, someone could easily be forgiven for failing to realize it inspired not one but two sequels.
The first, Revenge of the Creature, was more or less a remake of the original that ended with him away from the lagoon (it also featured a very, very young Clint Eastwood). The Creature Walks Among Us goes in a wildly different direction than the first two, via having the human characters seek to domesticate the Gill-Man. It's bizarre stuff, but The Creature Walks Among Us is still every bit as worthy of watching as the (not) Sea World-set second film. Even still, the outlandish plotline makes it easy to see why there wasn't a Creature from the Black Lagoon 4.
8 Frankenstein Conquers the World (1965)
For those who can get onboard for the Japanese kaiju films of the 1950s, '60s, and '70s, Frankenstein Conquers the World is a delight. It fits in perfectly well with the Mothras and Godzillas of the world. Which makes sense because, like those two characters/projects, Frankenstein Conquers the World (AKA Frankenstein vs. Baragon) was the brainchild of Ishirō Honda.
Even with the remainder of the director's somewhat cheesy oeuvre taken into account, Frankenstein Conquers the World is some bizarre material. It's conceptualization of Frankenstein alone is enough to turn some people off. But for those who want a bizarre plot and a solid kaiju fight, it's a winner. The same goes for anyone who loved American actor Nick Adams in Invasion of Astro-Monster, because he leads this film as well.
7 Night of the Lepus (1972)
Like Zombeavers (which featured a cameo from comedian Bill Burr), Night of the Lepus is a cheesefest. But, unlike Zombeavers, Night of the Lepus doesn't seem to have the first clue as to its identity. And why should it, with cast members such as Rory Calhoun, Janet Leigh, and Star Trek's DeForest Kelley on the roster?
But it's very much a B-movie, and one of the trendsetting ones at that. There's nothing less scary than a rabbit, and the movie falls wildly short of making them so. But, in that lies its charm. Night of the Lepus doesn't work to any degree, it has no idea of that fact, and that's what makes it so darn enjoyable (well, in the right late night mindset). Mutated rabbits were never going to work, no matter what camera trickery the director and crew attempted. That is, they don't work towards building a fear factor. They do, however, help build up laughs.
6 C.H.U.D. (1984)
One of the 1980s best cult creature features, C.H.U.D. has a fanbase out there but for the most part it's been forgotten to time. Which is odd, because it's wildly inventive and even features an A-list cast, with Home Alone's Daniel Stern and John Heard leading the cast, just six years before they were playing very different roles in that Christmas classic.
But the main appeal isn't the crumbling city storyline or the impressive cast roster, it's the Cannibal Humanoid Underground Dwellers, and they don't disappoint. With sewage covering their entire person, sharp little teeth, and blaring yellow eyes, they're the last sort one would want to encounter on a cold and rainy night. Unfortunately, since they know the sewage system like no other, they can easily follow a lone pedestrian...from below.
5 Razorback (1984)
Razorback is Australia's take on Jaws and, frankly, it's better than the majority of the United States' attempts to replicate the success of Steve Spielberg's film. For one, the titular beast looks fantastic, and its used sparingly enough (not unlike Jaws) that the impact of actually seeing the thing is never diminished.
The plot is as one might expect. The Australian outback is being terrorized by a creature whose identity no one knows. In time, it's revealed to be a massive wild boar. Now, it's up to the grieving Jake Cullen (effectively a merger of all three men aboard the Orca in Jaws), whose grandson was eaten by a similar boar, to take the thing down and exact his revenge.
4 DeepStar Six (1989)
Friday the 13th director Sean S. Cunningham tried to do the same thing again (capitalize on success, but do it well) yet failed. This even though DeepStar Six came before Leviathan or The Abyss (which was Cunningham's intention from the jump).
On one hand, DeepStar Six is not a good movie. But, on the other, it's a far sight better than Leviathan, which was even more content to copy story beats that better films (specifically Alien) had done to perfection. Even still, there's plenty that holds the fun but awkwardly-paced DeepStar back, though it is populated with some familiar faces e.g. RoboCop's Miguel Ferrer and Elya Baskin of Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy. At the time, it received some criticism for its crab monster antagonist, but to be fair that too looks better than the monster seen in the higher-budgeted Leviathan.
3 Man's Best Friend (1993)
While not particularly scary, Man's Best Friend is still a more interesting take on the killer dog subgenre than the rabid pup plotline of Cujo. It's also well-cast, with Ally Sheedy carrying the film successfully as a kind-hearted reporter who, apparently, is very slow to figure out something's not right with her dog.
And there is something not quite right with Max, the dog who can pee acid onto a fire hydrant until it melts (and knows how to bite through a break line). Before long, Lance Henriksen's Dr. Jarret swoops in to both deal with his creation and save his own rep. Man's Best Friend isn't perfect, but there's a lightness to it that's appealing, especially when that lightness is juxtaposed with fairly intense attack scenes from the titular best friend.
2 Creature (1998)
While Creature (an adaptation of Jaws author Peter Benchley's White Shark) is technically a two-part miniseries, it plays as a film. And it's a film with a plot very different from Benchley's Jaws (with the sole exception of there being a shark).
Specifically, the movie follows a mad scientist-created walking shark monster as it picks off members of a military base, then moves on to the island that surrounds it. Craig T. Nelson portrays Dr. Simon Chase, a scientist who's devoted his life to sharks (and realizes they're dealing with no regular shark) while Sex and the City's Kim Cattrall portrays Amanda Macy, a fellow doctor and ex-wife to Dr. Chase. The duo make for great leads, but the film's real appeal is the titular creature.
1 Bats (1999)
One of the late 1990s' better creature features, Bats boasts both impressive practical effects (given the modest budget) and an even better cast. Lou Diamond Phillips excels in the lead role of, as it goes with creature feature, a sheriff in a small town. But then there's Starship Troopers' Dina Meyer providing backup in the requisite good doctor role while Bob Gunton excels, of course, in the bad doctor role.
Like with many movies of its type, Bats was far from critically appreciated. But, it's a creature feature that knows what its audience wants (well-orchestrated pacing, cardboard characters convincingly brought to life, and pracitcal effects) and delivers it. If one can get on its cheesy but fun wavelength, it's a worthy 91 minutes.