The Wasteland List: 1950s Giant Monster Movies
How often do you sit there thinking about what to watch? You might have an endless watchlist that keeps piling up (I certainly have one myself). Sometimes you are just in the mood for a type of film or a certain filmmaker or actor and want to take yourself into a deep dive. As someone who watches so many movies, I have people asking me for recommendations all the time. One of the best feelings as a cinephile is recommending a film and that person loves it. Take this wealth of cinematic knowledge and experience and enjoy some recommendations on me. Genre. Subgenre. Filmmaker. Actor. Composer. Writer. Genre. Story. Trope. Cliché. Any other cinematic elements or them. Here is The Wasteland List:
1950s Giant Monster Movies
The Thing from Another World (1951)
What is the most terrifying setting for a monster movie? An Antarctic research facility is so isolated that a large, hulking brute of an alien entity can certainly wreak havoc. That is true for the classic The Thing from Another World that pits a crew of humans against a terrifying and seemingly unstoppable force.
Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)
Your monster doesn’t have to be the size of a building to deliver the same size danger, right? On the tale end of the Universal Monster Movie series, Creature from the Black Lagoon delivers one of film’s most iconic monsters in the “Gill Man”. A pitch perfect setting in the rainforest and a great design makes this one a delightful thrill ride for sure.
Godzilla (1954)
What is the ultimate kaiju film? Godzilla is a towering achievement of filmmaking that shows the impressive vision of Ishiro Honda and one of the greatest themes from legendary composer Akira Ifukube. A perfect balance of destruction through vast practical effects and rich themes about atomic threats, Godzilla is the grandest monster movie of the decade and beyond.
Them! (1954)
How scary can ants be? Well…when they are as big as they are in Gordon Douglas’ seminal B-monster movie Them!, you have plenty to be afraid of. Cool practical ants mixed with a strong cast including James Whitmore and Edmund Gwenn; you have some serious Americana paranoia to enjoy.
Godzilla Raids Again (1955)
Can Toho recapture the magic of the greatest kaiju film of all time? Godzilla Raids Again brings back the most iconic kaiju of all while delivering a new threat in Anguirus (the second monster of the Godzilla franchise). The giant monster mayhem continues and expands this beloved franchise with a satisfying sequel.
Forbidden Planet (1956)
Not all monsters have to manifest in physical form, do they? Forbidden Planet is a classic science fiction film with Robby the Robot and a fascinating alien world. But when Leslie Nielsen and Walter Pidgeon must contend with a giant monster from the mind, that makes this genre-bending flick a special one.
Rodan (1956)
Godzilla isn’t the only giant Japanese creature that ran amuck in the 1950s, was he? Rodan follows in the same vein as Godzilla as Honda recreates his monster thrills. A lean 75 minutes is enough to build mystery, commentate on the world, and deliver some thrilling practical monster effects.
Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (1958)
Who says your monster must have different color skin, sharp teeth, or other monstrous features? Attack of the 50 Foot Woman takes the approach that a giant scantily clad woman could be just as much of a monster as anything else. There just might be some gender politics injected in there as well as you question who the real monstrous figures might be.
The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958)
Not exactly what you might expect here, right? The 7th Voyage of Sinbad is more fantasy than creature feature but that does not stop it from featuring a wide range of giant creatures that Kerwin Mathews’ Sinbad must contend with. The cyclops, giant vultures, and more fill out this adventure fantasy with its own helping of miraculous practical effects (from the creature king himself Ray Harryhausen).
The Blob (1958)
What is the most classic monster flick full of Americana? The Blob captures small town American life so perfectly just so that it can uproot it with one of film’s most famous monsters. Steve McQueen and a small town must contend with an ever-growing mass that just won’t let up as it builds up a death count and destruction for a reasonable 86 minutes.
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