Tag: monsters

The low-budget sci-fi thriller “Monsters,” which opened Friday in New York and Los Angeles, is just the latest in the never-ending line of alien and monsters flicks that have been popular for decades. Directed by Gareth Edwards, the movie revolves around a news photographer and his boss’ daughter who must travel through an “infected zone” in Mexico filled with aliens to reach the U.S. border. Though the film concentrates more on the budding romance between the characters than the massive creepy crawlies, it does recall the classic creature features from the 1950s — a decade obsessed with alien encounters and fears of nuclear war.  What follows is a look back at some of the best of the genre from that decade. “The Day the Earth Stood Still” (1951) Science fiction always has been a perfect lens for authors and filmmakers ...

My colleague John Horn has been raving about “Monsters,” Gareth Edwards’ low-budget thriller about a young couple forced to travel through some very dangerous territory. Horn says Edwards tried to shoot his film, which opens in New York and Los Angeles on Friday, on the run, relying as much on improvisation as scripted dialogue.  That approach was informed by the frustration Edwards felt when he had to deal with difficult visual-effects departments on the British television productions “End Day” and “Perfect Disaster.” “I got so frustrated with the process,” Edwards told Horn. “I have 50 people around me who are supposed to make my life easier, and they’re really making it harder. There has to be an easier way. The whole point of the digital revolution is pointless if you still need so many people following you around.” With just a ...