For horror enthusiasts, the 1980s and early 1990s were a great time. Apart from a slew of fantastic horror films, certain popular TV shows rose to prominence. Monsters, a half-hour anthology television series that aired from 1988 to 1991, was one of them.
It included a variety of storylines, with a heavy emphasis on monsters of some type, as the title suggests. They looked into aliens, vampires, and demons, among other things. The pig people and spider-woman were two of the most creative designs. Fans enjoyed the authenticity on offer, which was one of the serial’s selling points in an era of realistic effects.
By today’s standards, Monsters undoubtedly appears cheap, but the entertainment value is undeniable. In this video, we’ve compiled some of the show’s creepiest episodes, which you should watch for some nostalgic memories of the Golden Age of Horror.
The Match Game – (Season 1 – Episode 18)
The episode opens with Paul and Jodie preparing a get-together with their friends Matthew and Beverly at a spooky Victorian house. The young people are drawn to the house’s eerie atmosphere, and they quickly begin a storytelling game in which one person begins to tell a story that the next person must finish.
However, things go horribly wrong when Matthew’s story brings the house’s deceased owner back to life. The story progresses to the owner’s untimely death, and Matthew believes that his hatred has remained.
When the owner arrives, Matthew tries desperately to stop him while the others flee for their lives. However, the monstrous dead man snaps his neck and pursues the others, who are now barricaded in a bedroom upstairs.
Beverly starts to blame Paul for everything and runs out of the room only to be crushed by the zombie. Paul and Jodie then use mirrors to scare him away, and Paul completes the story such that it sends the dead man back into the pond from where he rose!
This episode seems like a standard slasher flick with a group of teenagers getting stuck in a possessed mansion with some kind of undead zombie. It is probably one of the most gruesome episodes in the series, and the low-budget has been handled wisely by the makers. The cast is an interesting lot, including the likes of Ashley Laurence from Hellraiser and Michael Brandon alongside Tori Spelling.
We liked the reanimated corpse’s appearance, and the home appeared to be rather real and frightening. The climax is entertaining to see since the characters don’t simply slice off the zombie’s head; they figure out a means to defeat it. Overall, filmmaker Michael Brandon has done a fantastic job, and the eerie atmosphere will keep you entertained.
A Bond Of Silk – (Season 2 – Episode 3)
Nash and Portia are a newlywed couple on their honeymoon. They walk into a hotel’s basement honeymoon suite and are astonished to find no one else in the hotel and a massive spider web in their room.
When Nash becomes trapped in the massive web and the chamber is locked, the only way out is through an elevator that leads to the basement. The woman notices that her husband is becoming increasingly entangled in the web, and she recognises that it is the work of a genuine spider.
When the elevator arrives, it is accompanied by a giant spider that dives directly for Nash and kills him. Portia is a smart cookie, and she uses the elevator to get away from the spider.
She uses the pin in her hair and pushes the elevator button, and the spider is crushed as it tries to get to her. She does have a narrow escape, but there is a price to pay – the loss of her husband on the very first day of their honeymoon!
This story adds a new dimension to the old saying – if something is too good to be true, it probably is! The way the couple gets the room is almost miraculous, and the stupid decisions of Nash did bring about his death.
The special effects are nothing special, but the makers wisely keep the spider off-screen for much of the episode to add to the suspense. The spider’s stop-motion effects aren’t convincing, but they’ll suffice for a TV show.
We liked how they didn’t try to explain how the spider got there because short films are designed to rely on the audience’s imagination! A Bond of Silk is a delightfully entertaining short film that combines the thrills of a creature feature with the chills of a horror film.
Glim-Glim – (Season 1 – Episode 13)
If an alien appears on Earth in a horror sci-fi film, it almost always has nefarious motives! That is not the case with Glim-Glim, the alien that crash-landed on Earth from Venus in this episode. The alien carried a virus that killed everyone in the city except three people.
The sole survivors of the epidemic that ravaged the city are Mark’s daughter and a vengeful young man named Brian. The survivors, on the other hand, are unaware that the alien had no intention of killing anyone!
It was actually studying corpses in order to find a treatment for the terrible disease, and it even built a force barrier to keep the rest of the planet safe. While the survivors want to kill the alien, the little girl befriends it and tries to be a bridge for the language barrier.
She helps the extraterrestrial explain his real intentions, but ultimately, it doesn’t quite work out. Mark and Brian see Glim-Gilm interacting with the little daughter and mistake it for an attack. They end up shooting it dead, only to realize that it had no bad intentions ever!
Peter Stein, the cinematographer for popular horror films like Pet Semetary and Friday the 13th Part 2, directed this episode. Despite the fact that it accidently murdered a few individuals with a virus it carried with it, the alien thing here was charming.
The small child calls it Glim-Glim, and he had no intention of killing anyone. His unusual appearance and high-pitched voice, on the other hand, did not appear friendly. Glim-Glim has the appearance of a massive green pear with four tentacle arms and four eyes.
The script is intelligent, and some good acting adds more value to the narrative. The emotional element and the moral dilemma in the story are fascinating and it is no surprise that this is one of the highest-rated episodes of the Monsters TV series.
Holly’s House – (Season 1 – Episode 2)
Katherine is a cast member of a popular children’s programme in which she is in charge of a life-size doll. She is primarily the voiceover artist and also controls the puppet’s movements. She adores her job, but she is thinking about starting a family with her partner. Holly, the animatronic doll, is the show’s star.
When the doll comes to life, things take a terrifying turn. Katherine’s choice to leave the serial has made Holly unhappy. When she murders Katherine’s partner by stabbing him numerous times, she reveals her dark side. During the filming of an episode, everyone discovers the corpse, and Katherine goes berserk with rage.
She smashes the doll into pieces, and the next scene shows her in a hospital, recovering from her trauma. Whether she was the one behind the entire thing is vaguely concluded.
This is an amazing short by Theodore Gershunny, who manages to put together an engrossing story with a fast-paced narrative. The clever script leaves you in a doubt whether it’s a paranormal case or just a psychological one displayed by Katherine.
Marilyn Jones is brilliant as the troubled puppeteer Kathy, and others like Perry Lang, Neil Smith, and Pamela Dean Kelly are pretty impressive in their respective roles. The doll had a horrific appearance, and the fear factor was high throughout the programme. There are echoes of Chucky from Child’s Play, but this is a whole separate plot.
The twist, if you can call it that, could have been fleshed out a little more: was Katherine the maniac, or was the doll demonic? It remains, however, a terrifying but fantastic episode, and if you’re afraid of scary dolls, this one will give you nightmares.
Pool Sharks – (Season – Episode 9)
The title is perfect because that is exactly what the protagonists are doing — a pool battle with a lot on the line! Gabe walks in on Natasha and Lester playing pool, and the deal is that if Lester wins, he will get a kiss from Natasha. Lester, on the other hand, would have to compensate her if he loses.
Gabe takes over the game, and it’s evident that he’s attracted to Natasha, and the attraction is mutual. The game goes on, and more truths about Gabe and Natasha are exposed as time goes on. It turns out that she is a vampire who preys on men, and she has previously killed Gabe’s brother.
Gabe wants revenge for his dead brother, but he must play for his own life, which is the ultimate price to pay! He finally manages to win the game, and when Natasha tries to tempt him, he reveals that the pool stick is a concealed weapon and jams it in her heart. As the dying vampire bleeds on the pool table, we learn that this was precisely Gabe’s plan all along!
The cast does a fabulous job with a smart storyline that moves at a brisk pace. It gives the conventional vampire story a nice spin, and it is regarded as one of the best plots of Monsters. The battle of wits and wills escalates as the main players do an excellent job of portraying it on film. The performances of Tom Mason as the pool hustler and Rebecca Kyler Downs as the seductive vampire are outstanding.
Although there isn’t much of a twist in the plot, the presentation is simply baffling. The quick language is fascinating, and once Natasha and Gabe’s ulterior motivations are revealed, it all comes down to a predictable yet exciting climax.
Bug House – (Season 3, Episode 3)
When Ellen visits her pregnant sister May, she discovers that she lives in a house in the middle of nowhere. Ellen’s boyfriend Peter appears to be weird, and nothing about the house feels right. When she expresses her concerns to May, she is told that she has always been after the things she has, and that she should stay away from her lover.
Ellen accepts, claiming that Peter is not her type, but she is soon persuaded by Peter. The sibling rivalry gets the better of her, and she sleeps with Peter just to get even. However, May finds out and warns her to run away from the house while there is still time.
She goes on to stab herself in the stomach, and Peter rushes in to go ahead with the birthing process even though May will not survive. Ellen is horrified to see that the offspring is a giant bug, and Peter changes to take the form of a humanoid insect.
She faints from the shock. The last scene sent shivers down our spine as we saw Ellen pregnant and being cared for by Peter just like May was! It seems like it is too late for her to escape from the nightmarish house!
The episode’s unsettling tone is heightened by the sibling rivalry and sexual tension. The filmmaker, Kenny Myers, appears to know his way around the storey, and the house’s stifling environment can be quite unsettling at points. Karen Sillas and Juliette Kurth give excellent performances as the sisters.
Robert Kerbeck steals the show as the creepy boyfriend with a dark secret behind his identity. There is an emotional side to the tale, but the shock value is much higher. The gruesome ending is a hard-hitting punch, and this is certainly among the scariest episodes in the series.
The Offering – (Season 2, Episode 18)
The episode’s unsettling tone is heightened by the sibling rivalry and sexual tension. The filmmaker, Kenny Myers, appears to know his way around the story, and the house’s stifling environment can be quite unsettling at points. Karen Sillas and Juliette Kurth give excellent performances as the sisters. and he informs Dr. Hubbard about his visions.
Naturally, the doctor doesn’t believe such absurd thoughts, and he attributes it to possible hallucinations that Lewis might be experiencing following the head trauma.
To save her on his own, Lewis allows himself to be exposed to some kind of radioactive radiation as he comes face-to-face with monstrous slimy bug. It is his ultimate offering for his mother!
The Offering hits you with an intriguing story that has been presented with expertise by the director Ernest Farino. The writing is smart, and the creepy element is prevalent throughout the movie. The concept is unique, and for some, this subject matter might be distasteful.
In terms of acting, Robert Krantz is fantastic as the protagonist, while Orson Bean is excellent as the supporting character. The special effects aren’t awful, and the monster that injects slugs into humans looks really revolting!
We were let down by the climax, and seeing Lewis ingest a radioactive isotope was a bit ridiculous. While we think this is a fantastic story, we believe such a sensitive issue should have been addressed more sensitively.
Leavings – (Season 3, Episode 17)
Officer Parkhurst and Officer Mancini are two beat cops who see some weird happenings in the city. They come across a homeless man who is devoid of arms and take him to the Inspector. They claim to have seen persons with bodily parts missing in the past, but there was no evidence of surgery.
All of these victims lost their appendagesa few days ago, and now it appears that something has stolen them away. The officers even found somebody how was assembled out of some mismatched body parts, and it is all too strange for their comfort.
When they bring the issue to the Inspector, he promises them to show the reality behind such incidents. As it turns out, the Inspector is behind the mutilations and is a part of a project that is creating jumbled monstrous humanoids made of the body parts.
He even made one of them into a cop because they would be loyal andnot have an attitude problem like the two officers! We see a grotesque, mismatched beast shooting the two officers in the end, as maniacal laughter makes for a creepy background!
This is one hell of an enjoyable ride as the engrossing story soon takes over the viewer. It is a great attempt by the director, John Tillinger, who has brought about a pulpy sensibility to the weird premise.
The cinematography plays with darkness and shadows, and Steven Ross has done a great job with the visuals. We really enjoyed the melancholy jazz score, which seems to go in perfectly with the story.
We were shocked by the big surprise at the conclusion, and we enjoyed the horrific climax. Clifton James, Tony Shalhoub, and John Christopher Jones, Overall, this is a must-see episode solely because of the inventive narrative and shocking conclusion.
The Waiting Game – (Season 3, Episode 10)
Everyone has died as a result of a horrible nuclear explosion, and four survivors are racing to safety in their shelters. They are the military officers that fired the rockets that brought the world to an end.
They communicate with one other by walkie-talkie and keep in touch as they try to devise a survival strategy. They are, however, entirely oblivious that a power far ancient than radioactivity is resurrecting the dead.
The chilly, radioactive wasteland has now been overrun with nasty monsters that will represent a serious threat to the survivors. Someone they know eventually appears and pretends to be one of the survivors. As they let her in, she turns out to be a vampire, and after a brief fight, it is all over for them!
Post-apocalyptic dramas are always good content for horror stories, and the fluid storytelling by director Bruno Spandello adds a nice touch to this episode. We thrived in the claustrophobic tension and doomsday kind of ambiance.
The clever use of split-screen works nicely for the narrative, and the likes of Doug McKeon, Stephen Burleigh, Leo Garcia, and Carrington Garland have been impressive as the survivors.
The dark ending that it delivers is almost on the lines of what we expected, and it offers intelligent insight into how vampires would be the only ones benefitting from a nuclear holocaust! Clearly, this is one of the superior episodes of the show.
The Hole – (Season 3, Episode 6)
The story is premised during the Vietnam War and starts off with two US marines and their South Vietnamese guide trapped in the confusing underground tunnels laid out by the Vietcong guerrillas.
Sergeant Kenner, Corporal Torres, and the guide attempted to blow their way into the insurgents’ underground base, but they are now trapped. They hear from a wounded VC soldier that the tunnels were dug through an old burial area, and the dead have returned for vengeance.
The soldier, however, dies before he can say anything else. The survivors begin to fear as the dead begin to pick them off one by one, until the last survivor believes he has made it out of the ground. We see skeleton hands dragging him back as he climbs out of the nightmare tunnels.
This is a great example of the wonders that can be accomplished with the simplest of storytelling. The premise is nothing complicated, but the unnerving narrative will spook even hardcore horror fans. The claustrophobic tone of the plot is going to test the viewer, and the visuals of the chaotic environment will send your heartbeat racing faster. The low budget of the series doesn’t show on this episode, and the makeup effects are impressive.
We loved the look of the skeletal zombies, while the grim ending was perfect for the plot. We strongly recommend this particular episode if you want to enjoy a spooky twenty minutes!
Far Below – (Season 2, Episode 19)
Dr. Vernon Rathmore is in charge of the New York subway system. They appear to spend a lot of money on the maintenance crew, which is led by Dr. Vernon. Alex Kritz is a tense suit who has been appointed to look into the excessive maintenance fees.
He soon discovers that the group is concealing a horrible secret: they are dealing with a horde of mutant creatures in the tunnel. These creatures have a taste for human flesh and are frequently confined to the tunnels since strong light causes them to become ill.
Vernon claims that they need to keep it a secret so that people don’t abandon the subway and cause traffic congestion. Alex does not seem to agree and wants the armies brought in to eliminate the creatures. His arrogance, however, turns to pleas when Dr. Vernon reveals that he won’t be leaving the place alive.
We learn that Dr. Vernon is actually maintaining these creatures and has even fathered a child with one of them. The show ends with the mutant that is seemingly Dr. Vernon’s wife proceeding to eat Alex alive!
This is quite a decent episode in the series, and the creepy atmosphere is breathtaking. Michael McDowell directed it, and it is a unique creature feature with mutants living in the subway tunnels. The eeriness is built up from the beginning, and we watch it all culminate in a twisted conclusion.
We enjoy how this episode taps into our concerns and fascinations with the unknown. As children, didn’t we all let our imaginations run wild, wondering what lurked in the tunnels’ darkness?
There is some violence and gore in the form of a severed limb, but nothing too graphic. The sets are well-built, and the eerie cinematography adds to the mystery. The lethal albino mutants had a great look, and their bizarre nature made for a great monster show.