Movie Nights: Week in review 5.10-5.16
This week we dove into some crocodilian creature features!
Alligator (1980)
Alligator was fun but it was more like an action/horror movie than anything else. Kind of gave Predator 2 mixed with Twister vibes. It starts off with a bang which was fun its always great to start with an attack. The story is essentially a girl gets a baby alligator, her father flushes it down the toilet where it survives in the sewers by eating genetically altered rats that allow him to grow to a massive size. Twelve years later our story is set in 1980 when this now adult and giant alligator goes on a rampage through the streets of Chicago. There is a subplot of the main cop having issues because his past partners have died and he blames himself. He has a love interest by the end, these are the most boring. parts of the film. The effects for the Alligator were pretty cool, considering the time it looks pretty solid! Bryan Cranston actually worked in the Special Effects Department for this film as a production assistant. There are some pretty gory scenes that we enjoyed, one where the Alligator bites off a guys legs, and eats a man whole. The ending has a lot of extreme and unnecessary explosions in true 80s fashion and we love it. This movie was decent, worth a watch if you’re looking for an older action/creature feature.
Photo Credit IMDB
Crawl (2019)
Crawl is such a fantastic creature feature! The back story is a little whiny (family drama) but it works. It makes you care just the right amount for the characters. Essentially a swimmer heads to check on her father during a hurricane and they find themselves being hunted by alligators in their crawl space. The CGI is amazing, and the alligators are incredibly realistic looking. Directed by Alexandre Aja and produced by Sam Raimi, this killer creature feature was Quinten Tarantino’s favorite 2019 release. It’s shot very well, smartly written and is entertaining throughout. The sets are insanely impressive, they built 7 huge tanks to flood for the film. The gas station, the house, the whole block they are on is actually in a giant water tank that cycled through about 5 million liters of water a day while filming those scenes. The film is carried well by Kaya Scodelario who trained with professional swimmers in Serbia (including an Olympic athlete) to prepare for this role. Highly recommend if looking for a fun human survival story with a higher caliber visual effects.
Photo Credit IMDB
Black Water (2007)
Black Water is an Australian survival horror film based on a true story about a crocodile who terrorizes a group of friends in Australia. The film used very little CGI, the crocodile was real and practical effects were used whenever possible which is always great. This one has great suspense and tension, the part where the boat tips in the beginning is genuinely startling. Filming in a real Australian swamp and using only REAL crocodiles really adds a layer of gritty reality to this film. The whole vibe is very realistic and every croc shot is so menacing. The characters seem like very average people making them relatable and believable. We didn’t love the ending but overall it was an entertaining and suspenseful ride. Would definitely recommend it if you enjoy man vs. nature movies.
Photo Credit IMDB
Croc (2022)
Croc is pretty ridiculous, unless you enjoy watching bad movies I’d pass on this one. There are so many other killer crocodile/alligator movies that would be better in pretty much every way. The acting is pretty sub par, the writing is silly and feels like a low budget adult film. The CGI is atrocious for 2022 and just feels like a joke. The plot is weak at best and just fell apart. The acting is fine, nothing worth noting, I’m sure they did the best with what they had to work with but it wasn’t much. Pretty bloody but so fake it's not that cool, not a total waste of time if you don’t mind watching cringey movies but we wouldn’t suggest it.
Photo Credit IMDB
Rogue (2007)
Rogue is another crocodile movie out of Australia, the film was inspired by the true story of a giant male crocodile that attacked boats in the late 1970s, nicknamed “Sweatheart”. This is a really fun one because of the group that it centers around, a lively tourist group on a guided boat ride through Australian waters. The group heads towards a flare to help when their boat is attacked by a vicious crocodile. This movie is soaked in suspense and anxiety, well written and well acted. The river tour shots are absolutely stunning. You would never guess the crocodile only has about 5 minutes of screen time because you’re on the edge of your seat the whole time. This is a more dramatic and serious toned crocodile movie if that’s the vibe you’re looking for.
Photo Credit IMDB
Lake Placid (1999)
Lake Placid is a classic crocodile movie, it’s got a fun story, a good cast and a cool creature. Essentially there is a giant saltwater crocodile (30ft) that has been making attacks in a fictional town of Black Lake in Maine. A ragtag team is assembled to take care of it and chaos ensues. The animatronic crocodile (which still holds up) was created by Stan Winston who always kills it. This movie is more like a horror/action/comedy and it is a great ride. The group in the movie is stacked with interesting characters. Although we kinda hated the main female Kelly (Bridget Fonda) the rest of the cast and characters were pretty funny with Brendan Gleeson, Oliver Platt and Betty White! Worth a watch if you are in the mood for a crocodilian movie with a touch of humor.
Photo Credit IMDB
Kill of the week goes to the guy getting ripped apart by a pack of alligators
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