American scientists discover what may be the missing link in the Amazon: a primitive, amphibious creature they dub the Gill-Man. On a mission to bring back the beast for study, the monster easily does in the humans, and of course, kidnaps the lone woman of the party. For years I’ve heard what a classic horror series the Creature movies are, but was surprised when I finally watched them. Instead of shock and awe, I felt pity and sadness for the victimized creature. Unknown men invade his lair, trying to capture him through increasing violence and destruction. The scientists thoughtlessly toss cigarettes in his lagoon home. They poison his food and water. They tease him with their sexy bathing suits. I was glad when Gilly finally stood up to those jerks! These are low-budget affairs, but the lush underwater scenes look beautiful on special edition DVD. The creature costume itself is a fascinating work of art, much more elegant than scary. The bombastic Creature Theme, played anytime the Gill-Man makes an appearance, quickly becomes comical from overuse. Since watching these movies I can’t help but punctuate my boring daily activities with a dramatic “dun dun DUN!”

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