How to Make a Monster (2001)

Directed by George Huang [Other horror films: N/A]

So this is one of those films that’s oddly special to me. How to Make a Monster isn’t that good of a film, but I’ve seen it quite a few times, and I definitely enjoy it. It’s partly the story, partly the performances, and partly the fun. No matter where it’s derived from, I really enjoy this one.

A remake-in-name-only of a pretty decent 1958 film, this film follows a bunch of video game designers being killed off by a monster they were hired to create for a game. That’s partly where the title, How to Make a Monster, plays into the film, and with some low-budget special effects and a rather shoddy looking game, it’s as campy and perhaps horrible as you might think.

The story is a bit janky, but you know what? I don’t care. I never did. The only real issue I have with the film is the conclusion, and that’s just because I don’t like Clea DuVall’s character arc. Even though I don’t care for it, though, it also plays well into the title of the film, and shows how damaging the capitalist system can be on humanity (technically, the movie is talking about greed, but as greed is what capitalism is based on, it works out).

There’s a lot of performances here that I love. I’m a big fan of Clea DuVall – in films like Ten Inch Hero and But I’m a Cheerleader, she’s a lot of fun – and I think it started with this movie. She’s such a sweet and kind character here, and though I don’t like where her story went, she’s just great. You have Karim Prince (“The name is Sol. As in Solomon. As in the King That Is Wise”), who plays a fantastically fun and arrogant character. And then there’s Tyler Mane (Sabretooth from X-Men), who is literally Hardcore and quite quotable (“Scary is as scary does”).

Those were always the three that impressed me most, but that’s not to say that the others didn’t #BringIt, as the yooths say (My Cousin Vinny reference FTW). Jason Marsden got a few emotional scenes into the mix, Steven Culp (who appeared in The West Wing a handful of times) had some strong scenes, Colleen Camp (Clue) got destroyed at the end, and for some nudity, we have Julie Strain, playing herself.

While there is some blood and gore here, most of it is either downplayed or implied. There are some dismembered limbs and a decapitated head, but it’s definitely not a gory film. The monster, based off the video game the characters were designing, does look pretty cool, especially when it comes to life and adds pieces of the people it kills (my favorite touches are the metal jaws, the viking helmet, and the Baoding balls it has in it’s eye sockets).

I’ve always dug this. I saw it when I was quite young (if I had to guess, between 9 and 11 years old), and it’s always entertained me, which is all you can ask of a movie. Sure, it’s not necessarily a good movie, but at the same time, it’s definitely above average, and I’m glad to own this one on DVD.

7.5/10