Hi there!
Since it’s Halloween I thought it would be fun to share a few of my favourite 80s monster movies that inspired Demon Spore.
Alien (1979)
I was so terrified by this film the first time that I actually stopped watching it after 30 mins! But when I finally was brave enough to sit through I just was completely absorbed into that world of absolute terror. I just love how every moment of the film you never know what to expect as you’re learning bit by bit what this creature is, how it evolves through its lifecycle, its defence systems, its strengths and weaknesses… I also like that it’s a bunch of completely unarmed nobodies trapped inside a single space and totally unequipped to deal with this deadly unknown organism.
The Fly (1986)
One of the greatest body horror films ever made, I still squirm whenever I remember the scene in the bathroom where now-useless bits of his body are coming off like nails and teeth. I also think it’s cool that the science experiment is actually about teleportation - no one was trying to create a monster! It’s just a total accident that a fly got in there.
The Thing (1982)
Absolutely zero surprise this is on the list, it’s by far the film that impacted me the most in terms of atmosphere, creature design and premise. The way the creature is desperate to survive at all costs makes it feel so real. It will morph, transform, imitate, detach parts of itself to escape - you never know what it will do next. What also makes this film so amazing is the paranoia of the characters - not only do they not know what the hell they are dealing with, they also don’t know who to trust.
Predator (1987)
It’s a testament to the quality of this movie that no matter how many sequels, prequels and spin-offs there have been, none of them even come close to the original. I love how simple and focussed this film is - it’s just a bunch of mercenaries trying to get out of a jungle while being hunted by a deadly enemy. It’s also unique in the sense that it’s not some weird monstrous creature that’s after them, it’s just a humanoid enemy, although one that hunts for fun and has the most sophisticated technology in existence.
The Blob (1988)
Ok I’m slightly cheating here because I only got round to watching this movie once I’d already started working on Demon Spore. But the amount of similarities are insane - it starts small and gradually grows to a bigger and bigger menace, it spreads organically sliding through the small gaps, it has no agenda - it just wants to consume, heck they even use fire extinguishers to freeze the creature! It’s not quite as polished as the other films on this list but it has some great moments and some of the close up creature effects are incredibly well done.
Game update
Recently the big focus has been on getting a version of the game together for the indie showcase at SXSW Sydney. Lot’s of positive feedback from those who played, people were really getting into the strategic side of choosing the best route on the map to avoid the creature. A lot of people said it reminded them of a board game, but one where you had to fight for your life between moves! The new stealth mechanics also really came together with people having more time to plan their first move, distract enemies and choose the right moment to attack.
We’re currently busy working on a full tutorial for the game that introduces the story of the game and the mechanics in a really clear way as well as adding bunch more experimental weapons to the game - more on that soon!
Ok it’s back to tentacle slicing for me, until the next time!
Ed
The Dino Boss