Beasts, monsters, and ghouls have been depicted in countless cult movies. But what is a cult movie? A cult movie can be defined as a film that has acquired a cult following. More often than not, cult movies perform very poorly in theatres and upon release but develop their followings afterwards. Horror films are most likely to fall into the cult film genre, particularly “creature feature” movies.
In this article, we will explore creature feature horror films, discussing four amazing historic beasts that have been featured in them, time and time again:
Megalodon Sharks
2.6 million years ago, the megalodon shark went extinct. Fossils have been found of the shark, which has led scientists and researchers to conclude that the megalodon was the world’s largest shark, and one of history’s largest fish. It’s actually possible to purchase their teeth. This giant shark has been featured in countless films, including most recently The Black Demon, a film directed by the director of Rambo: Last Blood. Rumours that this shark still lurks deep in the ocean abound online forums and cryptid chat rooms. With over 80% of the world’s oceans still undiscovered, some still have hope that they are still out there.
Werewolves
Werewolves are classic B-movie beasts, depicted in countless cult films. One of the earliest werewolf legends is Greek in origin. The legend tells that a man angered the god Zeus, who punished him by turning him into a wolf. There are variants on this legend in many European countries and cultures. In particular, France has many werewolf myths. One of France’s most famous werewolves was the Beast of Gevaudan. During the 1950s and ‘60s, lots of films were produced depicting werewolves, and they continue to be produced until today.
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Vampires
Vampires aren’t technically beasts, but they are still creatures depicted in lots of horror movies. The vampire legend’s origins are unknown, though many believe it was tyrannical ruler Vlad the Impaler’s taste for human blood that inspired them. The vampire legend spread throughout Europe, inspiring author Bram Stoker, who wrote Dracula. Vampire movies are still regularly produced. Some of the world’s most popular cult films are vampire movies, like Fright Night for example. Vampire literature is also extremely popular. Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot was adapted into a made-for-TV movie, which has its own dedicated cult following.
Mermaids
Mermaids are a type of beast that originate in Celtic lore. Unusually, mermaids are typically depicted as being friendly, kind creatures, that only care about spreading love and making peace. In actuality, mermaids are violent, brutal killers. In Celtic lore, it was believed that mermaids would kidnap and devour people alive if they came close enough to the mermaid’s lake. Fairies, another creature from Celtic lore, are also often regarded as being kind, peaceful creatures, who in reality, were actually considered to be violent killers, that kidnapped people and took them into their underground cave systems, where they would stay as prisoners. Both of these creatures have been featured time and time again in cult movies, and mainstream cinema.
If you are a fan of cult cinema, then you will likely already be familiar with the beasts that have been mentioned in this article. All of these beasts have their own intriguing origin stories, which are well worth looking into.
