The Geek Address

There are two reasons why Creature from the Black Lagoon will go down in history as a brilliant horror film. First, it has a scary-ass monster: a hideous, amphibious reptile that shambles after its victims and squeezes the life from them with its webbed hands. The creature, which was designed by Millicent Patrick, is one of the most terrifying monsters to emerge from the classic Universal horror flicks. The second reason that Creature from the Black Lagoon deserves a mention in the annals of horror history is undisputedly the babelicious Julie Adams.

Deep in the Amazon jungle, a group of scientist uncover the fossilised arm of a mysterious creature. Little do they know that a descendent of the clawed beast lurks within the nearby lagoon. Naturally, the creature is upset by the arrival of loud-mouthed Americans. Before he can pack his bag and mutter something about neighbourhood going to hell, he falls madly in love with the devastatingly beautiful . 

Of course…the relationship was doomed from the beginning. Any daytime talk show host worth a dime could tell you that. If they’d been dating these days, the relationship would have ended up on Jerry Springer. “It started off so well, Jerry. He was kind, caring, sensitive…the three second attention span didn’t bother me in the beginning. That was before I knew he drank like a fish. I couldn’t believe it when I found strange scales lodged in his gills.”

Ben Chapman, the actor/stuntman who portrayed the creature, is a hit at conventions where he’s worshipped by middle-aged guys whose teenage fantasies no doubt involved skinny dipping with Julie Adams. Despite its age, the film still invites an impressive following. Why the longevity? It’s the same reason that Buffy the Vampire Slayer was such a popular and long-running program. Being a teenager (in the case of Buffy, at least) is quite literally hell. There are times when everyone feels like they’ve got scales and claws. It’s not easy getting a date when you have gills. Perhaps that’s the reason why Creature from the Black Lagoon is still popular. At some point, everyone has been misunderstood or felt a sense of alienation.

Creature from the Black Lagoon is one of the most memorable monster flicks you’ll ever see. Best of all, it’s completely dolphin safe…