Monster of the Day #3141

Updated on December 4, 2020 By Ken Begg 31 Comments

Yesterday I was talking about mainstream comical movies of the 80s that had monsters in them as a minor feature. That includes My Science Project, a Ghostbuster-ish, largely forgotten flick about a (of course) high school student who makes a not exactly perfected time machine. At one point, it brings a T-Rex to his school. I found this fun behind the scenes shot of the model. Man, I love practical props.

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  • Gamera977

    ‘When you’re done with the hair dryer human I’m ready for my pedicure.’

    That is a really nice looking prop, don’t think I’ve seen this movie. It’s one that I confuse with the previous MotD movie and another third twisted science movie that came out about the same time.

  • I adore this flick. Fun story with an entertaining performance by Dennis Hopper. The bit with “Godfunkinzilla” is entirely too short for my tastes, but a definite highlight. Look for My Science Project – Vince Latello: My Ears Are Ringing Like The Gong Show on YouTube to see it, though it is late in the movie and is probably a spoiler of a sort. Or if you’re more willing, it does come to Blu Ray on the 8th. I just bought my copy as I’m writing this.

  • zombiewhacker

    Mechanical effects crewman Michael Lantieri later won an Oscar for his work on Jurassic Park.

    Just thought I’d toss that in.

  • zombiewhacker

    Both today’s film and yesterday’s featured cameos by veteran movie villain Michael Berryman. Has he ever been featured as a MOTD? He’s
    certainly qualified for the title a few times.

  • Gamera977

    Oh and BTW BIG THANKS to Eric Hinkle – my copies of the complete Jules de Grandin stories came in over the last few days. I’m thinking of putting them away and buying but not yet downloading the Okami HD game The Rev. recommended as Christmas presents for myself from myself. (it’s the only way to get stuff I want- I think everyone here knows HOW that is).

  • Rock Baker

    I think I might have this one in my Beta collection. May be time to dig it out…

  • Not even slightly relevant, but I spent the evening watching “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” which the kids (16 and 18 are ‘kids’ right?) have determined is by far the most libertarian Rankin-Bass special in history.

    “You are obviously a non-conformist and a rebel!”

    – Burgomeister Meisterburger

    Also his toy ban is way more rational and believable than the real-life bullshit we’ve put up with from our politicians this year.

    I’m so proud of my boys political acumen *and* holiday spirit.

  • Also, I do vaguely remember this one turning up on cable from time ti time in the late 80s, although not nearly as often as the aforementioned ‘Weird Science’, which also had the advantage of featuring the always great Michael Berryman in a notable cameo.

  • Eric Hinkle

    Let us know if you enjoy the De Grandin stories when you read them. I’m pretty sure you will, though.

    And thank you, too.

  • Eric Hinkle

    Your boys definitely sound smarter than most of the ‘adults’ I’ve been dealing with online and IRL for the past few months. Wishing an early Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to both them and you.

  • And to you and yours!

    We’ve done our best to keep some space for critical thinking in their otherwise Star Wars and Lego obsessed brains. Fingers crossed!

  • Having read a couple, I think you might be in for a treat.

  • Marsden

    It looks like a T rex around the head and body but the front arms are too big, like an Allosaurus’s.

    You don’t watch Land of the Lost over and over without learning some things about dinosaurs.

  • zombiewhacker

    Nice catch. The only thing I learned from LOTL is that T-Rexes are grumpy and all other biped predators are named Alice.

  • Ken_Begg

    You can try William Hope Hogson next if you haven’t given him a spin. He also has a set of very nice hardcover editions, although I think they are out of print and you’d have to keep an eye out on eBay or whatever for them.

  • Ken_Begg

    Speaking of toys, I just bought a box set of three figures of the Brigidier, Captain Yates and Sergeant Benton. Neat! (GJ rightly chastised me for supporting the BBC with my purchases, but I feel like I’m rubbing in their face the fact that merch featuring classic Who characters is making huge bank while particularly the new stuff just won’t sell at all.)

  • Ghost Pirates was pretty good, as was The Voice in the Night. The House on the Borderlands, however, keeps kicking my butt, and that has me hesitate on Hogson.

  • I think flat out not supporting Doctor Who sends the message “No one likes the show” while picking up the classic stuff shows interest, just not in the crap that’s being shoveled now.

  • Gamera977

    I did read ‘The Night Land’ a couple of years ago as I recounted on Ken’s use of ‘Matango’ as MotD and several people told me it was probably the hardest to read of Hodgson’s work. Still I enjoyed it and need to look up more of his work. Thanks!!!

  • It’s a really good fantasy story – once you get past the excruciating style.

  • Eric Hinkle

    That series is also available in a five-volume paperback collection from Nightshade Press. It’s for sale on both Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Great, great stuff.

  • Eric Hinkle

    If you’re interested, James Stoddard has retold the story as ‘The Night Land, A Story Retold’. It’s a reworking of the original, keeping the themes and plot as intact as possible while trying to make it a little more, well, readable by most people. I have a copy and I love it.

    Really needed to IMHO. When even H.P. Lovecraft says your story’s style is ‘off-putting and needlessly archaic’…

  • Eric Hinkle

    Hopefully it doesn’t give them the idea that they need to push the new disliked material harder than ever to teach the fans better.

  • The Night Land also kicked my tail….

  • The Night Land also kicked my tail….

  • Ken_Begg

    The more they make that they can’t sell of that slop the more money they lose, so I don’t have a problem with it. CBS lost it’s shirt because they couldn’t get Amazon or Netflix to buy the foreign rights to their new Star Trek shows. Disney has ruined Star Wars and the shelves are full of dust-covered toys (not of Luke and the gang, though, that stuff sells). And the BBC has made their most reliable cash cow udderly–sorry–radioactive. Anyway, toys aside, I strongly suggest you get Classic Who on Blu Ray why you can, because I’m sure we’re not too far off from stuff like Talons of Weng-Chiang going down the Song of the South memory hole.

  • Ken_Begg

    Hey, not everyone can have the clean, effortless prose of Lovecraft.

  • Ken_Begg

    Yes, I have a few volumes of that. I love really nice books. I can’t wait for that Silver John set, which I ordered like two years ago.

  • Gamera977

    John C. Wright has a book of tales based on ‘The Night Land’ as well but I haven’t read it yet. Wright’s stuff is top notch so I really need to get on that too.

  • Eric Hinkle

    I hope you enjoy Silver John. Every time I get the money together to order it, something else comes up. Ah well I have the short stories and most of the novels already.

  • Ken_Begg

    Yes, it is an investment, that’s for sure. I have the John Thunstone volume, though, and it’s very nice.