Monster Mash: The Greatest “Verses” Films in Horror

 

Monster Mash: The Greatest “Verses” Films in Horror

What’s better than a horror movie? Two horror movies! And what’s better than two horror movies? Two horror movies rolled into one! The monster mash, the peanut butter and jelly of horror movies, has been around for 80 years.  Used most effectively by Universal in the 40s and Toho in the 60s, the monster vs monster formula still has the potential to give fans what they want, mainly their favorite horror creations from various films and genres all under one roof.  What follows is a list of some of the greatest monster vs. monster films out there.

25) Monster Brawl (2011)- This is less a narrative story and more of a live action fighting game. With almost no plot, the film simply features fights between various monsters in WWE style bouts. The film will probably leave most horror fans scratching their heads but there are a few that would like this, mainly those fans of professional wrestling and fighting games. Several real-life wrestling performers appear (including Kevin Nash and Jimmy “Mouth of the South” Hart). Somehow, the makers of this film got Lance Henrikson to lend his gravelly voice, doling out occasional Mortal Kombat style commentary.

24) Dr. Jekyll y el Hombre Lobo (Dr Jekyll and the Wolfman) (1971) -The first of many Paul Naschy films to appear on this list, this is a pretty ingenious idea that I’m surprised Universal never thought of, as both Mr. Hyde and the Wolf Man involve the unleashing of our darker, bestial sides. Naschy plays both Mr. Hyde and the Wolf Man with veteran horror actor Jack Taylor as Dr. Jekyll. A solid film that fans of Spanish horror will enjoy.

23) The Creeps (1997)-If you were a Gen X fan of horror, Full Moon Pictures was the best thing going from the late 80s through the 90s. Their movies were usually low budget, but never looked like it, and as they were skipping the theatres and marketing straight to the video store, they usually had some creative ideas. A plot that is too convoluted to bother with involves a mad scientist trying to bring to life history’s greatest monsters; Dracula, the Frankenstein Monster, the Mummy and the Wolf Man. He succeeds, but the process goes awry and the monsters are created as 3 foot tall versions of themselves. The pack of pint sized terrors is led by Dracula, played by veteran genre actor Phil Fondacaro (Willow, Bordello of Blood, Troll, Dollman vs Demonic Toys (which appears later on this list) and about a million other things.

22) La Maldicion de la Bestia (Night of the Howling Beast) (1975)- Another Paul Naschy film with him as the Wolf Man. In this installment, his doomed protagonist finds himself in the Himalayas.  There is a circuitous plot involving a group of mountain witches and an army of bandits, but what lands the film on this list is the finale which features Naschy’s Wolf Man fighting the Abominable Snow Man (aka the Yeti).

21)-Destroy All Monsters (1968)- Most Godzilla films feature Godzilla vs other monsters. Often these monsters  are created just for that film, but occasionally other monsters are imported from other franchises. The Shōwa period of Godzilla films (i.e. the 60s and 70s) was a mixed bag with some movies that were serious, some farcical and all with a little camp. Destroy All Monsters is heavy on the camp, maybe too heavy, which prevents it from landing higher on the list, but for kaiju fans it is a must see, being a veritable who’s who of 50s and 60s Japanese monsters: Godzilla, King Ghidorah, Rodan, Mothra, Baragon, Manda, Varan and others.

20)- Assignment Terror (Los Monstruos del Terror) (1970)- Another Paul Naschy film with him as the Wolf Man. In this film, aliens (???) bring to life a werewolf, a mummy, Frankenstein’s monster and a vampire with a plan to use them to take over the world, because sure why not. The Wolf Man (who ,interestingly, is always the protagonist in both the Universal films and the Naschy films) has to fight the other monsters in turn in order to save humanity. This film is pretty weak compared to Naschy’s other films of the period, but you have to give credit to the ambitious story.

19)-House of Dracula (1945)- The penultimate monster mash for Universal, it was preceded by House of Frankenstein.  Lon Chaney Jr. reprises his role as the tortured Wolf Man and Glenn Strange returns as Frankenstein’s monster. John Carradine reprises his role as Dracula and thankfully gets more screen time than he did in House of Frankenstein. It also features Universal horror regular, Lionel Atwill.

18)- The Robot vs. The Aztec Mummy (1958)- If you are unfamiliar with Mexican horror, the first thing you need to know is that it never followed the “rules” of American horror, and nowhere was this more evident than in the Aztec Mummy trilogy. These films feel like something a group of kids came up with while hopped up on too much candy and soda. The final film in the saga features the ever-vengeful Aztec mummy fighting a mad scientist and his very atompunk looking robot man. Pure fun.

17) Alien vs. Predator (2004)- A film that sort of gave fans what they wanted while also leaving them wistfully hoping for more. The premise for this started in the 1989 Dark Horse comic and in typical Hollywood fashion, they rejected the source material in favor of something else. Ever since the ending of Predator 2, which showed an Alien skull mounted as a trophy in a Predator ship, fans had hoped for this match up. Alien vs. Predator has good looking Aliens and good looking Predators, but it lacked the punch of the better volumes of either franchise. Pretty much mandatory viewing for fans of both franchises but most other horror fans can skip it.

16) Dollman vs Demonic Toys (1993)- A crossover between three different Full Moon films; Dollman (a futuristic cop shrunk to the size of a GI Joe and played by Tim Thomerson; Demonic Toys, toys powered by infernal spirits; and Bad Channels a story about reality warping aliens. The film wouldn’t make a top 10 list of Full Moon features, but is notable for the comic book like attempt to bring so many properties together.

15) House of Frankenstein (1944)- This film is the direct sequel to Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman (which appears later on the list) and features Lon Chaney again as the Wolf Man. This movie is the first of 3 times that Glenn Stange would play Frankenstein’s Monster. John Carradine is a rather dapper Dracula, who unfortunately gets very little screen time. The best part though is the addition of Boris Karloff as the antagonist of the story. A truly fun film for fans of Universal monsters.

14) Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (2009)- This is the third film in the Underworld franchise and the only one that doesn’t star Kate Beckinsale. What sets it apart from its leather clad brethren is its setting, taking place entirely in the Middle Ages. The film attempts to tell the franchises backstory about how the centuries old war between werewolves and vampires began. Strong performances from everyone involved and some really nice black armour for the vampire knights. Even though its best viewed after seeing Underworld, it’s totally watchable as a stand-alone film.

13) Godzilla vs. Mothra (1992)- In case you’re not hip to the lingo, about every 15 years, the Godzilla franchise reboots itself and a new “era” of films begin, with only the original 1954 film remaining in cannon. The second era, the “Heisei” era, ran through the 80s and 90s and is notable for creating a single cohesive story that loosely connects all of the films together.  This film features a match up between Big G and Mothra and is essentially a reboot of the Showa period film featuring the same match up. It is a technically better made film than its predecessor and even introduces a new monster, Batra, a sinister version of Mothra. As good as it is, it’s still a remake and you always get bonus points for being first, which is why I put it just slightly behind the original.

12) Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1964)- A true Godzilla battle royal featuring Godzilla’s most dangerous foe, the three headed dragon King Ghidorah.  But we also get Rodan and Mothra who team up with Godzilla to beat the evil dragon. A fun film, it takes itself more seriously than Destroy All Monsters and this really helps the story. A truly entertaining film and a must see for kaiju fans.

11) Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964)- Mothra is one of the most interesting and bizarre kaiju to come out of the genre. Not only is she largely a benevolent creature but she is usually accompanied by her two twin fairies that sort of speak for her. Mothra had previously appeared in her own 1961 film. As it was a huge success, it was only natural that she team up with Godzilla. Mothra movies are always a little weird and this helps elevate the match up above most of the other Godzilla movies.

10) Werewolf vs The Vampire Woman (La Noche de Walpurgis) (1970)- The final Paul Naschy film to appear on this list, it is maybe his best film, and definitely the best of his werewolf movies. In this installment, the doomed lycanthrope must go against a vampiric queen of the undead.  The film is a real masterpiece of 70s horror featuring beautiful women, spooky ambiances, morbid visuals and Naschy at the top of his game. Worth seeing even if you are totally unfamiliar with the franchise or Spanish horror. It’s just a great looking, creepy film.

9) Underworld (2003)- Werewolves had been fighting vampires on screen for almost 60 years by the time this film came out, but no other film has done it as well, before or since. Underworld tells the story of Selene, a soldier in the vampire army whose sole reason for existence is to hunt down and kill their furry enemies. Her un-life gets more complicated when she falls in love with a mortal who is at the center of a werewolf plot to destroy the vampires. A super stylish film and Kate Beckinsale is smoking hot decked out in latex and leather. A must see for fans of the old White Wolf role playing games.

8) Mad Monster Party? (1967)- Not really a horror movie as much as a fun homage to horror movies. Mad Monster Party? was brought to us by Rankin and Bass, the masters of animation that gave us the classic Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer as well as the 1977 version of The Hobbit and the 80s dark fantasy The Last Unicorn. The film features a who’s who gathering of monsters with practically every western horror icon appearing. It also features the voice of Boris Karloff as the mad scientist organizing the affair. Mandatory viewing for Halloween, and fun whether you’re 8 or 48.

7) Van Helsing (2004)- Following the success of the first two Brendan Fraser Mummy films, this was Universal’s next attempt to revitalize its monster franchises since it closed up shop in the 1950s. Hugh Jackman plays the titular Van Helsing who teams up with Kate Beckinsale (fresh off the success of Underworld) to fight Dracula, his Brides, the Wolf Man, Frankenstein’s Monster and even the Hunchback of Notre Dame. A very stylish movie that is well made with high production values that refuses to take itself too seriously. The late 90s/ early 00s was a bit of a low point for horror but this film has aged better than most of its counterparts of that era.

     One question remains: Stephen Sommers made both the 1999 Mummy and Van Helsing and both films were successful. Why did we never get Van Helsing vs The Mummy?

6) King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)-OK, first off ,this film looks like crap compared to some of the other Godzilla films of the same era. Godzilla’s design has changed many times, sometimes making Big G look scarier, sometimes sillier. This design is about middle of the road but it seems like a Ray Harryhausen sculpt compared to the Kong design, which makes you wonder if the film makers ever even saw a picture of an actual gorilla.  So how could I have it placed so high? Because its King Kong verses Godzilla!!! This is the kind of film that fanboys and fangirls grow up dreaming about! This isn’t the typical Godzilla crossover with multiple Toho properties meeting under one roof. This was 2 monsters from 2 different film companies from opposite sides of the planet! This was like putting Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan on the same tag team! Or having the Avengers fight the Justice Leage!

    The film is pure camp, but for lovers of kaiju, it doesn’t get any more fun than Kong vs. Godzilla.

5) Freddy vs. Jason (2003)- What King Kong vs. Godzilla was to kaiju fans, Freddy vs. Jason was to slasher fans. Freddy and Jason were the kings of 80s slasher films (Freddy had 5 films in the 80s while Jason had 8, compared to Michael who only had 3 in the decade and Leatherface who only had the 1).

    By the 21^st century, both franchises had long since passed their primes but this film gave fans something to get excited about with a new film that actually offered something creative without simply relying on nostalgia to carry the story. The most amazing thing about the film is how faithful it is to both characters. You never get the feeling that either character has been plucked out of its home franchise and dropped into unfamiliar lands. The story feels natural and the characters are just as you remembered them. A great achievement in the annals of slasher film history.

4) Waxwork (1988)-Of the many great horror films of the video store era, this is one of the best because of its fun, its creativity and its high production values. The story surrounds a nefarious wax museum run by a sinister curator (David Warner). A preppy college student (Zach Galligan) starts nosing around after his sort of girlfriend goes missing after visiting the museum. What he discovers is that the museum is playing home to real life monsters whose spirits are stored in the displays.

    And what a list of monsters it is: Dracula, a werewolf, a mummy, the Marquis de Sade, not to mention appearances from Frankenstein’s creature, zombies, and various murders, monsters and more. There are also appearances by Miles O’Keefe and John Rhys-Davies. A very entertaining film with good looking special effects and some memorable monsters.

3) The Monster Squad (1987)- The plot is simple, Dracula is trying to bring about the end of the world with the help of the Wolf Man, the Mummy and the Gill Man. All that stands in his way are a group of kids aided by Frankenstein’s monster.

    The film’s strength is its total commitment to being fun. The kids are likable if occasionally unbelievable and Dracula is thoroughly evil. Duncan Regehr’s portrayal is very memorable, making his Dracula a little bit like a Bond villain. The monster effects all look beautiful, especially the Wolf Man which has a design echoing Hammer’s Curse of the Werewolf. As a bonus, this movie is totally appropriate for kids. Definitely needs to be on your Halloween watch list if you are looking for something without sex and (too much) gore.

2) Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman (1943)- This is the granddaddy of verses films and really the film that created the blueprint for monster vs. monster movies. The only reason its not #1 on the list is because the final film just has so much to offer.

In this film, Lawrence Talbot (dead after the events of The Wolf Man) is brought back to life and is actually pretty depressed about it. While most of us might be stoked at a second chance, all Larry can see is an eternity dealing with the curse of lycanthropy. He learns about Dr. Frankenstein’s work and reasons that, if Frankenstein can bring life to the dead, perhaps he can bring death to the seemingly unkillable Larry (makes sense if you think about it). He soon finds himself coming face to face with the Monster (played by Bela Lugosi this time (Chaney himself had played the Monster in the previous Frankenstein film).

Beyond this being the first time that we ever got to see horror icons face off on the screen, the movie also has other merits. Lawrence Talbot is a kind of Goth prototype (or at least Emo). He’s very depressed and suicidal and has no goal beyond escaping his own miserable existence. While the follow up films, House of Frankenstein and House of Dracula, are campier and played for fun, this film is more serious.

1) Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)- The greatest monster mash of all time! By the mid 40s, Universal horror was on the decline in popularity and its not difficult to understand why. After the real world horrors of WW2, audiences just weren’t in the mood for anything morbid. Horror in general took a back seat to science fiction through most of the 50s.

But the Universals Monsters had enough left in the tank for one last hoorah and it was brought to us by the most successful comic act of their time. Abbott and Costello had grown to monumental popularity during the War (when people needed a laugh more than ever), and they would be the vehicle to give the Universal Monsters a memorable send off.

The combination of humor and horror proved to be potent and popular, spawning several more Abbott and Costello creature features. For fans of monsters, this is like revisiting a beloved childhood memory. Lon Chaney Jr. revised his role as the Wolf Man, Glenn Strange returned for his 3^rd appearance as Frankenstein’s Monster and ,best of all, Bela Lugosi took on the Dracula mantle for the first time since his 1931 portrayal. The only way this film could possibly have been any better was if Karloff had been involved somehow, but him playing the Monster was simply out of the question as he was in his 60s by this point and the role was very taxing for even a young man.

Of every movie on this list, Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein is the absolutely must see  film and (I think) a mandatory part of any October line up.

                So Hollywood, its time for some more monster vs. monster films! Michael vs. Leatherface, or Gremlins vs. Critters, or Species vs. Aliens, or Chucky vs. Annabelle or…..

Renfield

 

Renfield

2023

Director- Chris McKay

Cast- Nicholas Hoult, Awkwafina, Nicolas Cage, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Ben Schwartz, Adrian Martinez, Brandon Scott Jones, Jenna Kanell,

            This film follows, as the name implies, the exploits of Dracula’s long-suffering minion, Renfield. But make no mistake, this is not a serious horror movie. Its tongue is planted firmly in its cheek from beginning to end.

            Without spoiling anything, the plot can be summed up thusly; Renfield (Nicholas Hoult), while carrying out his master’s orders, runs afoul of a mafia family. That same family is being hounded by a cop (Awkwafina) who wants justice and revenge for the death of her father. She and Renfield have to work together to deal with their mutual problem in spectacularly gory fashion.

            Long time fans of Dracula films will appreciate several tips of the hat to the genre such as Renfiled referencing how often his master dies and then has to be brought back. I particularly liked a few scenes from the original 1931 Dracula with Nic Cage’s face digitally replacing Bela Lugosi. But don’t worry. These scenes are done purely for laughs and aren’t meant to be a serious attempt at replacing Lugosi.

            The gore is so bloody that it crosses beyond horrifying and slips into slapstick. It’s an entertaining combination of horror, comedy, action and satire. The highlight though is Nic Cage. You really get the impression that the director let him off his leash and Cage really chews up the scenery. He plays Dracula as an exaggerated super villain with great comic effect.

            If you are expecting a serious film, or an in-depth examination of Dracula’s famous supporting character, this isn’t the film you’re looking for. But if you want 90 minutes of solid entertainment, that’s also a bit of a love letter to the genre, then check Renfield out.

Hellhole

 

Hellhole

1985

Director- Pierre De Moro

Cast- Judy Landers, Ray Sharkley, Mary Woronov, Edy Williams, Robert Z-Dar, Natalie Main, Lamya Derval

            Susan (Judy Landers) finds herself caught up in a convoluted plot of a criminal trying to find some incriminating documents. She walks in on her mother being strangled by a killer (Ray Sharkley) that looks like he walked out of a leather bar. She runs but the killer catches her and pushes her off of a building.

            However, rather than dying, she survives but with amnesia. She doesn’t remember who she is or what happened to her. She is sent to an asylum for women in the hopes that she can recover her memory. Her would be killer infiltrates disguised as an orderly in the hopes of interrogating her about the missing papers.

            If this isn’t bad enough, the asylum is being run by an amoral mad scientist (Mary Woronov from Chopping Mall, Night of the Comet, Death Race 2000, and Silent Night Bloody Night). Any patient who acts up is snatched up by the doctor’s goon squad and whisked away to Hellhole, a building where the mad doctor conducts her psychiatric experiments. Most patients never return and those that do are the worse for wear.

            Hellhole gives little to no thought toward realism.  Judy Landers wears a sexily cut dress as her patient attire. The medical staff seems largely oblivious. Anyone who has ever worked in either a hospital or an inpatient mental health facility will laugh at the ridiculous over the top sexiness. Hot girls get into naked shower fights, hot girls have topless mud baths, and more hot girls get their hands on drugs and have sex with the staff. The sexiness is led by exploitation star, and former wife of Russ Meyers, Edy Williams. Edy makes for a great early 80s sexbomb with her big, bleached blonde hair.

            Besides the sex, the sleaze is laid on pretty thick, thanks mostly to Ray Sharkley as Silk, the killer who stalks Susan through the film. He is a truly deplorable character who abuses or insults just about everyone in the film. He’s so sleazy that he’s often more caricature than character, but that’s the charm of the film.

            Despite all the obvious tongue in cheek fun, the film does manage to conjure up some feeling of menace, especially within Hellhole itself. Patients, driven mad by the doctor’s drugs, are reduced to feral creatures. Added to this is the doctor’s goon squad led by Robert Z’Dar (best known as the Maniac Cop). He has a real intimidating physical presence that seems even more intimidating when he shares the screen with Judy Lander’s delicate beauty.

            Of course, Judy Landers is the main attraction.  She has the unconscious charisma that just makes you want to watch her. She always had a bit of a good girl image which contrasts sharply with the film’s overt sleaziness.

Judy and her sister Audrey were mainstays of late 70s /early 80s pop culture. One or both of them made an appearance in just about every show worth watching. Judy herself showed up in Vegas, Buck Rogers, Knight Rider, The A-Team, Alf, Night Court, and CHiPs. Audrey had a regular role on Dallas and also appeared on Battlestar Galactica, Happy Days, Police Woman, The Dukes of Hazard, Hotel, Crazy Like a Fox and MacGyver, Both sisters made appearances on Charlies’ Angels, Love Boat, BJ and the Bear, and Fantasy Island.

If you were a TV show in the 80s and the Landers sisters didn’t make an appearance, you have to question your significance as a TV show. Judy also did several movies including Stewardess School and Dr. Alien.

Hellhole is a crazy mishmash of genres. It has a heavy dose of the women in prison genre, even though they aren’t actually in a prison. Added to this is a doctor making mental  zombies, a lot of over the top sexuality, a little bit of Giallo, and some kind of organized crime angle thrown in for good measure. Don’t watch this if you are wanting a thought provoking mystery or a careful study of human nature. On the other hand, if you’re wanting to check your brain at the door with some cartoonish characters and a hefty dose of TnA, then Hellhole might do the trick.