Matchup 11 – Mothra vs. Gwoemul
The case for Mothra: Oh, Mothra, my winged queen. She only wants the best for the world and the people who worship her. In her 1961 premiere film, aptly named Mothra, she is not attacking humankind to bring about their destruction, but rather to save two young women stolen from their homes for the amusement of others. Essentially, Mothra is an anti-colonial and anti-capitalist creature who simply wants justice. What other monster on this list can claim such intentions? (Mary Beth McAndrews)
The case for Gwoemul: Look, I’m going to be brave and say it: Gwoemul innocent. They were just minding their (probably tadpole) business in the Han River. They can’t be blamed for the mutating pollutants. That’s on us (Man! The real monster!). As seen in The Host (2006) Gwoemul’s actions may be cruel, but they’re just acting on pure, albeit viciously mutated instinct. It’s not their fault that they’re so good at killing! Maybe humanity should have thought about the potential for creating apex predators before dumping all that formaldehyde in the river. Some people are all thumbs. Gwoemul is all flailing, slimy amphibian appendages; some decorative, others horribly, distressingly efficient. Nothing that swims should also be allowed to run that fast. And yet, there they go: galloping furiously along the riverbank in search of delicious prey to savor, in peace, in the seclusion of the sewers. Honestly Gwoemul, you’re working with what you’ve got. Which, from the segmented jaw to the prehensile tail, is a lot. Good for you. (Meg Shields)
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#OnePerfectMonster Round 1:
MOTHRA vs. GWOEMUL
Vote below. Read about the matchups here: https://t.co/luzLQqhxhb
— One Perfect Shot (@OnePerfectShot) March 1, 2021
Matchup 12 – Graboid vs. Tarantula!
The case for the Graboid: These monsters are flesh-hungry, blood-thirsty carnivores who will eat just about anything in their path, (bonus points if it’s alive). They are relentless. They are much, much faster than humans. Oh, and you usually can’t see them. Known for their chilling appearance in Tremors (1990), a film about small-town Nevadans forced to fight the wrath of these slithering underground beasts, the Graboids’ invisibility gives other monsters a run for their money. I mean, at this point, I’d kind of rather just see the things – heinous slimy bodies and Demogorgon-style four-pronged mouths and all. Monsters that linger under your feet at all times, silent and stealthy, ready to attack? They put even Godzilla to shame if you ask me. (Aurora Amidon)
The case for Tarantula!: Here’s a little fun fact about me. I used to be scared of spiders. Then, I saw Tarantula! (1955). Now, that fear is a full-blown phobia of epic proportions. Tarantula! follows a giant spider that escapes from an experimental laboratory in Arizona and wreaks havoc on any and everybody in its path. The monster in question is pretty much what it sounds like: it’s a big and not-so-friendly spider containing masses of venomous juice and protected by a rock-hard exoskeleton. I think Tarantula deserves recognition, if not for its feeding on many peoples’ worst fears, then for the fact that this 1950’s flick uses entirely footage of insects, not props or puppets. (Aurora Amidon)
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#OnePerfectMonster Round 1:
GRABOID vs. TARANTULA!
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— One Perfect Shot (@OnePerfectShot) March 1, 2021
Matchup 13 – The Kraken vs. King Ghidorah
The case for The Kraken: While later versions of these classic myths jazzed things up with character changes and CG effects, 1981’s Clash of the Titans relied on an altogether different kind of god to deliver its own visuals. The great Ray Harryhausen crafted and animated numerous beasts for the film, and the mighty Kraken sits atop them all. The film was my first exposure to the man’s genius — my sister and I even proceeded to make 3-D paper models of the various monsters and creatures — and the imagery has remained with me ever since. The giant reptilian beast rises to claim human sacrifices, and while it works seemingly at the whim of the people there’s such power in its presence that it dwarves them all both in size and effect. The Kraken is a beautiful creation reminding us that entire worlds beyond our knowledge live and breathe beneath the sea. (Rob Hunter)
The case for King Ghidorah: Move over King Kong, King Ghidorah is Godzilla’s true arch-nemesis. This three-headed intergalactic dragon was introduced in Ghidorah, The Three-Headed Monster (1964). Born from a meteor, this is one of the few kaiju that couldn’t just be defeated by Godzilla. Instead, he has to call back-up from Mothra and Rodan. So, in monster-to-monster combat, no single creature in this bracket would stand a chance against such a beast. I mean, Ghidorah was given the title of “king” for a reason. (Mary Beth McAndrews)
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#OnePerfectMonster Round 1:
THE KRAKEN vs. KING GHIDORAH
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— One Perfect Shot (@OnePerfectShot) March 1, 2021
Matchup 14 – Q the Winged Serpent vs. The Mist Behemoth
The case for Q the Winged Serpent: Is she winged? Yes. Is she a serpent? Shut up. The Aztec god Quetzalcoatl has taken up residence in the Chrysler Building. And while she waits for her eggs to hatch she’s going to devour as many sunbathers and stock market schmucks as she pleases. Wouldn’t be the first time a monster was mistaken for a god. Q benefits from director Larry Cohen’s career-spanning talent for teasing pathos and humanity out of B-Movie beasts. Q is ancient and out of place; her stuttering stop-motion (designed by Randall William Cook and David Allen) a heart-beat of a bygone cinematic era and a mythic past at odds with the sweaty grit of Cohen’s New York City. Screw your bipedal pretenders to the throne, the idea of a massive, winged lizard swooping through skyscrapers, neck craned and beak bloodied from picking off pedestrians is enough to lose your head over. Oh, what? Too soon? (Meg Shields)
The case for The Behemoth: The Mist’s Behemoth might very well take the title of Stephen King’s most terrifying monster – and that’s with fierce competition (killer clown Pennywise and murderous car Christine, we haven’t forgotten about you). The Behemoth is a giant, tentacle-clad, six-leg wielding beast. But the scariest part of the Behemoth is that it hides in a giant cloud of mist so you don’t really know when it’s creeping up on you. And there’s only one thing that’s scarier than a monster that has a gruesome and menacing appearance: it’s a monster that lurks imminently in the shadows; a monster that you don’t know is going to pounce until it does. (Aurora Amidon)
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#OnePerfectMonster Round 1:
Q THE WINGED SERPENT vs. THE MIST BEHEMOTH
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— One Perfect Shot (@OnePerfectShot) March 1, 2021
Matchup 15 – Megalodon vs. Gorgo
The case for Megalodon: The terror we endured watching The Meg was pretty much worth it just to hear Jason Statham say: “it’s the Megalodon.” The Meg is a giant prehistoric shark thought to be extinct that comes back to terrorize everyone in its wake. And when we say giant, we mean twenty-five meters giant. It’s strong, it’s fast, and it’s hungry – basically everything you don’t want in a shark. The Meg is like Jaws but on steroids. If that doesn’t convince you that it’s one of the most insane and impressive monsters out there, then I don’t know what will. (Aurora Amidon)
The case for Gorgo: Gorgo is a wannabe Godzilla. Don’t hold that against him. Producers Frank and Maurice King wanted in on the Suitmation mayhem perfected in Japan and wrangled three production companies across three countries to get it done. Their little beastie is another man in a suit, but they pumped their dollars into his rubber armor, and whatever was leftover went into supplying Gorgo with a massive miniaturized cityscape to thrash. The creature is easily captured in the film, but Gorgo’s greatest weapon is his mom. It’s a bit of a bait and switch, but that’s all part of Gorgo’s plan. “Oh, you think you can mess with me? Nah, make peace with your god cuz mom’s punching your dance card.” She rages through London, taking out those iconic monuments first. All Big Ben postcards are immediately made invalid. (Brad Gullickson)
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#OnePerfectMonster Round 1:
MEGALODON vs. GORGO
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— One Perfect Shot (@OnePerfectShot) March 1, 2021
Matchup 16 – Cloverfield vs. The Black Scorpion
The case for Cloverfield: New York City getting destroyed by a monster: tired. New York City getting destroyed by a baby monster captured via handheld camera: wired. Cloverfield (2007) made a monster to be remembered, particularly as it was the first one to be captured via found footage. But, importantly, this monster is merely a baby. In the film, it had just been born and its confusion about where it has awoken manifests in utter chaos: it topples skyscrapers as if they’re made of building blocks and rips off the head of Lady Liberty herself. Not to mention it sheds human-sized parasites whose bites cause their victims to explode. The monster as a newborn is about 300 feet tall, and that’s just when it’s walking on fours. Just imagine a full-grown, bipedal creature covered in nasty parasites. It would put any other mega monster to shame. (Mary Beth McAndrews)
The case for The Black Scorpion: On the surface, The Black Scorpion looks like the perfect fodder for Mystery Science Theater 3000. The giant googly-eyed prehistoric scorpions lumber through the frame while the actors do their damndest to shake and shiver with feverish fear. Upon inspection, however, The Black Scorpion is a cinematic Ark of the Covenant. Hidden within is glorious movie history. Willis O’Brien, King Kong’s stop-motion daddy, oversaw The Black Scorpion‘s animation effects, and rumor has it that the miniatures used during Kong’s lost spider pit sequence reside within this film’s titular terrors. There’s some debate about that, as O’Brien was famous for ditching his old models, but whatever the case, the hands that steered King Kong also steered The Black Scorpion. (Brad Gullickson)
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#OnePerfectMonster Round 1:
CLOVERFIELD vs. THE BLACK SCORPION
Vote below. Read about the matchups here: https://t.co/luzLQqhxhb
— One Perfect Shot (@OnePerfectShot) March 1, 2021
Voting on the first round is open until Sunday, March 7.
Related Topics: Brackets, One Perfect Monster
