#Creature feature movies professional#
While very different movies, both execute a professional job of conveying dread through atmosphere and eye catching camera work. Known for Fede Alvarez’s Evil Dead (2013), it was an interesting experience to think back and identify the parallels in cinematography of each film. It was only after my viewing that I learned of cinematographer Aaron Morton’s involvement as well. THE MAN WHO KILLED HITLER AND THEN THE BIGFOOT Will Assassinate Your Expectations Its examples like this, found throughout the film, that put on display director Scott Walker’s eye for atmospheric horror. The first real good look we get comes via a very cool shot, a slow camera pan to a distant window. We are only given glimpses of the lizard like monsters of The Tank early on, a staple move found in creature features. The spooky banger of a track blends in flawlessly with the shots of the abandoned cottage and gloomy grey Pacific coastline. Dropped mid-film to foreshadow the slimy beasts’ appearance is a home fixer-upper montage featuring the song “California Shake” by Margo Guryan. This mysterious world event provides a solid grounding for the fictional monsters to exist. For those nonvested in ancient ground shakes, the estimated 9.2 magnitude earthquake is only known to us now due to tsunami records in Japan and dead trees in the “ghost forests” of Oregon. Mentioned offhandedly is the actual Cascadia earthquake of 1700, used as the event that unleashed the salamander-like star beasts of the film. The smaller plot details and editing choices interwoven into The Tank provide a welcome touch to the monster flick. Thriving on its gloomy Pacific Northwest setting, The Tank makes hay with its use of environment, some nifty camera work, and some good ol’ fashioned practical monsters.
#Creature feature movies movie#
While the script may leave viewers wishing there was more meat on the bone to chew, other elements of the movie step up their game to make up for it. Some of the bigger reveals and dialogue come off a bit clunky at times, even though Buchanan and Whelan deliver compelling performances. The overall plot is fairly simple, though it does dip its toes into a more compelling storyline involving Ben‘s family history. The Tank supplies relatively typical monster movie fare for horror fans.
Amidst secrets of his mother’s past, including the mysterious deaths of his father and sister, Ben and Jules fight to protect their daughter and leave the coastline before it’s too late. Not long after, a monstrous lizard-like creature begins to terrorize the family. Jules investigates a dead eel-like creature found in the tank, determining it may be the larvae of an undiscovered species. The family travels to the acreage and are astounded with its beautiful views of the Pacific coastline, almost making up for the dilapidated condition of the cottage.Īfter Ben re-engages a large underground water tank near the house, the good feelings quickly turn to pure fear. “ The Tank makes hay with its use of environment, some nifty camera work, and some good ol’ fashioned practical monsters.”īen questions why he never knew of the property, though he’s not surprised as his mother struggled with mental illness for most of his life. The real estate comes as a welcome surprise for the financially struggling couple and their young daughter, as they attempt to save money for Jules to complete veterinary school.
Well, the little things in addition to slimy earthquake-born lizards, who also seem to do pretty well for themselves.Īfter the passing of his mother, Ben (Matt Whelan) and his wife Jules (Luciane Buchanan) learn he has inherited a previously unknown property along the Pacific coast. Its the little things that thrive in Scott Walker’s creature feature the The Tank.
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