Tag: Monster

Human Vapor | Monster Movie Perfection

July 19, 2026

As the first part of this post is a recommendation, like “I give Human Vapor two thumbs up!” I ought to try for a hook. Perhaps a description of the gory opening scene, a live broadcast where our journalist heroine Kyoko Kono watches her interviewee lifts in the air, smoke swirling into his nose and mouth, and explode. A sensational set piece punctuated by Kyoko splattered with blood, it was not, however, my introduction to the show. Once again, I’m honor-bound to acknowledge the algorithm. Scrolling on whichever one it was, I recognized the term “Human Vapor” as the title of an old Toho movie, and my curiosity about the prospect of its reimagining for Netflix was piqued by a neat-looking teaser trailer. Hazmat suits and journalists and the military in secret labs and boardrooms and underground mines, it was so much of what I love about Japanese monster movies. A dash of gooey body horror with the vapor transformation, and the only piece missing was the loud, brassy score doubtlessly inspired by the work of Akira Ifukube (the trailer was auto-playing on mute). Altogether, it looked like an exciting, rare new series, with surprising implications behind the scenes. … More Human Vapor | Monster Movie Perfection

No Frills, Just Gills | Orang Ikan (2024) Review

July 27, 2025

I’d been following Orang Ikan for a while now, from an early Bloody Disgusting preview through to its retitling for U.S. distribution as “Monster Island.” Bleh. I’ve spent a nontrivial amount of time – washing dishes, staring into oblivion – pondering over which title to go with for the inevitable review on this site. It’s important! Reason one: this is a monster movie, and therefore a throwback. After the golden age of the 1980s, the spirit carried on in the Sci-Fi Channel Originals of my youth. These made-for-TV movies were sort of a keep-away game: “How much of this monster movie can be about anything other than the monster?” Special effects are expensive, and the movies were not. For me, they were exercises in frustration. Some off-screen kills in the beginning, a whole lot of bullshit in the middle, and the monster appears at the very end. And yet, I can’t deny how acutely interesting something called “Dinocroc” was to my 11-year-old brain. The second reason is that “Monster Island” is unspecific and vaguely patronizing, not that I can properly pronounce “Orang Ikan.” Now, this is a movie set during World War II, so the legendary fishman might not be the only monster lurking in the jungle. … More No Frills, Just Gills | Orang Ikan (2024) Review

K-Pop Pick of the Day: “Jelly”

July 10, 2020

I have mixed feelings about “Monster.” I know — who asked me, right? Who am I? Well, how about Seulgi’s number one fan? That’s right. Now don’t you look silly. It’s got a certain earworm quality, and it is growing on me, maybe more like a parasite than what I’m used to. Even before you see the video, the cynic in me feels like they’re playing it safe for the new subunit, double-dipping into that “Psycho” bucket. And look, I love “Psycho,” but it’s a belter. “Monster” is far more low-key, as if “sexy” necessarily comes at the expense of “energy.” With a growing understanding of other groups, the label that most characterizes Red Velvet to me — in music and personality — is weird. These girls are some of the weirdest people I’ve ever beheld, with that conversation in Vietnam about crushing crickets to feed to the baby chicken ripped straight out of A Scanner Darkly*. Undoubtedly, that’s part of the charm, and that’s what’s reflected in the eclectic music. … More K-Pop Pick of the Day: “Jelly”