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5 Other Monsters from Steve Alten’s ‘Meg’ Novels That We’d Love to See on Screen

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Livyatan

The Meg chomped its way into theaters this past weekend and has, for the most part, exceeded box office expectations. While this is no guarantee of a franchise at this point, nor any guarantee that the movie will actually break even, it’s significantly more than had been projected. The promise that this could go on and that we could see further movies has never been more real. And for the millions of Meg fans around the world, that’s incredibly exciting. After all, this one project has taken over twenty years to finally make its way to the big screen. Meg had been optioned as a motion picture before the novel had even been released and since then, author Steve Alten has continued to build a series that now consists of six novels with a seventh on the way.

And as those books have gone on, they’ve gotten absolutely insane. For fans of the books, now that the movie is coming out, it’s almost surreal to remember a time when this was just about an enormous shark. Because everything after that has become the aquatic Jurassic Park. There are dozens of other creatures that have been introduced throughout the series. If the franchise is lucky enough to continue, there are so many creatures other than the Megalodon itself that would not only appeal to longtime fans, but leave audiences with their collective jaw on the floor as well.

Because there are so many of them, we have to narrow it down a bit. If anything, though, that should be the thing that convinces you to at least give these over-the-top prehistoric sharksploitation books a glance, because the titans we’ll be looking at in this list are truly the tip of the iceberg.


Kronosaurus

Kronosaurus

Going into the second Meg novel, The Trench, I distinctly remember being thrown for a loop because I’d expected the sequel to play out much like the Jaws series—basically saying, “here’s a shark in a situation that’s mostly the same, but slightly different.” As ridiculous and explosive as that first book had been, The Trench really set the tone for what the Meg franchise would become by adding more prehistoric deep-sea creatures to the mix; in this case, the Kronosaurus.

This animal was a giant prehistoric reptile from the late Cretaceous period that was a close cousin of the Mosasaurus made famous by the two recent Jurassic World movies. It’s hard not to smile with giddy, childlike glee imagining the prospect of those two creatures getting to share the screen at some point in time.


Livyatan

Livyatan

Leviathan has become a catch-all term in the world of aquatic horror, even to the point of literally being the title of a deep-sea horror movie. It’s often been associated with a general sea monster, the term originally coined to describe a great sea serpent in the Hebrew Bible. The name was eventually, scientifically given to an ancestor of the modern day sperm whale. Leviathan Melvillei, or Livyatan, was a species of massive whale. Reaching up to fifty-seven feet, Livyatan was one of the largest predators that ever existed.

Having a massive predatory whale to contend with could be undeniably entertaining on the big screen. Livyatan is also one of the recent additions to the Meg canon, making its debut appearance in 2016’s Meg: Nightstalkers.


Titanoboa

Titanoboa

Another recent addition to the Meg canon, making its way into Meg: Generations, Titanoboa still feels like it’s been a long time coming. While not as widely known as the Megalodon, this ancient, massive snake has still been included in its share of Discovery Channel specials and SyFy Original movies. Whether it makes it into a Meg sequel or a Jurassic World sequel, Titanoboa would be a perfect creature to finally be able to see on the big screen.

This one would also provide an interesting middle ground given that, while it spent quite a bit of time in the water, this was not a fully aquatic animal. It would provide an extra layer of suspense to the Meg movies if they continued on, giving characters something to be afraid of on land as well in the water.


The Loch Ness Monster

After Meg, Steve Alten wrote another book titled The Loch, which took the same basic template and applied it to the enduring myth of the Loch Ness Monster. The Loch reimagines the creature not as a long-lost plesiosaur as many have speculated it to be over time, but as a large and ferocious amphibious creature. As Meg became a series, the two crossed over, with the creature from The Loch making its way into Meg: Hell’s Aquarium.

The Loch also had a sequel of its own, titled Vostok, which even began to introduce an extraterrestrial side to the ever-expanding Meg mythology, a move that seemed to divide fans, but proved no more or less ridiculous than anything that had come before it. In general, Nessie needs more movie representation, especially on the big screen. It would be fantastic if this iconic monster could make it into a future Meg sequel, especially if it set up a potential Loch movie.


Tyrannosaurus Rex

T Rex

Okay, T-Rex might never have been a central creature in the Meg mythos, but it was a part of the most iconic moment in any of the novels. The original book opens with a prehistoric introduction depicting a T-Rex hunting by the water, only to be snatched up by a hungry Meg. It’s a prologue that perfectly set up the tone of Meg while clearly establishing what a serious predator the Meg was by having it take down everyone’s favorite Cretaceous badass.

Many fans of the books were disappointed that this striking moment didn’t make it into the movie, but that could easily be remedied if another sequel were to happen. It’s possible, though, that this didn’t make it into the finished film for the sake of not wanting to look like they were taking a dig at the ever-popular Jurassic franchise. The moment even matches up pretty closely with the finale of Jurassic World, in which the sea-dwelling Mosasaur takes down the Indominus RexBut even still, it’s a scene that’s so essential to the Meg series that it would have to be included at some point.

Books

‘In Search of Darkness’ Book Review: A Must-Have for ’80s Horror Fans

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In 2019, the documentary of 80s horror In Search of Darkness became an instant hit with horror fans. Now, a beautiful coffee table style companion book is available and is a must-own for all fans of one of horror’s greatest eras. The book is a walk down the horror aisle of the best mom and pop video store in the heyday of VHS, featuring full color photos, poster art, insightful essays and more. More than just a nostalgic throwback, In Search of Darkness is the kind of book I wish I’d had back in my years as a burgeoning horror fan but is also satisfying for the film fanatic I have become in the years since.

The format is beautifully and simply laid out, with at least a dozen (usually more) movies from each year of the decade presented in order of release accompanied by informative and insightful essays by the authors Heather Wixson and Patrick Bromley. Both authors have been mainstays of film journalism, specializing in horror, for many years. Wixson began her career in 2007 with Dread Central and has spent the past ten years as the Managing Editor of Daily Dead, from which she recently retired to focus on books and other projects. She has devoted the past several years to interviewing and writing books about the Make-up and Special Effects wizards that have brought so much to film over the years, specifically the horror genre.

Bromley is a film journalist and critic whose work can be found all over the place including right here on Bloody Disgusting. He recently provided the commentary for the Vinegar Syndrome release of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 and is known as something of a Tobe Hooper expert. He is also the founder and editor of F this Movie!, an eclectic film website, and host of its accompanying podcast. So, to be clear, the authors know their stuff.

Wixson and Bromley divide writing duties roughly in half and though each has a distinctive voice, their writing styles dovetail beautifully into a cohesive whole. Each author plays to their strengths. Being familiar with both their work I didn’t even have to look at the bylines to know that Heather covered Christine and Terror in the Aisles and Patrick took on The Funhouse and Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers. Wixson’s passion for make-up effects is clear and comes through in many of her contributions. In general, Wixson takes on the “big” titles, the movies that defined the decade the most, and Bromley covers what the more cynical among us might call schlock, but he would likely call pure cinematic bliss. There are exceptions and surprises, of course, as there should be (Patrick covers The Shining for example). Each essay dives into the history behind the film, the major players involved, the reception, and legacy with often surprising aspects drawn from interviews with the filmmakers from various sources and insights from the authors.

For all their in-depth explorations of each film, in general the authors keep their critics’ hats safely stowed, keeping in mind that every entry on the book has its fans. In fact, they may well have sold me on finally hitting play on some of the schlockier offerings of the decade like Evilspeak, Nightbeast, and Blood Diner. Hell, I may even give The Beast Within a spin for shits and giggles. The point is that this book is a celebration through and through. The authors are honest about the critical receptions of the films, which were often unkind, and sometimes let their own opinions shine through, but recognize how beloved even the schlockiest films can become given time and availability. And that is an ongoing theme of In Search of Darkness. What may have been dismissed in its day often becomes revered as the years pass. Variations on the phrase “the years have been kind to…” referring to various maligned projects like The Thing, Halloween III: Season of the Witch, The Blob and many, many others, can be found throughout the book for good reason.

Each chapter of the book also includes a rundown of the top horror movies at the box office for the year as well as the top movies of all genres for context. The final page for each year highlights some of the major news and pop culture events including the top songs, albums, and television shows. There is a large central section that pays tribute to the talent involved with the greatest horror films of the 80s including directors, actors, effects artists, and more. This section includes brief biographies of John Carpenter, Wes Craven, Stephen King, Tom Savini, Barbara Crampton, Robert Englund, and many others presented in a dynamic and engaging fashion.

One of the beauties of the book is that it covers so much ground. Sure, you’ll find Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Hellraiser, and the Halloween sequels in it, but you’ll also find deeper cuts like The Changeling, The Being, and Tetsuo: The Iron Man. I was happy to find the same love given to Frank Henenlotter and Larry Cohen as to George A. Romero and David Cronenberg. In other words, In Search of Darkness is extraordinarily eclectic, highlighting the diversity that truly defined what is often viewed as a homogenous decade. The authors make the case that the 80s was horror’s greatest decade, and with what they lay out throughout this book, it’s tough to argue against that. I even came across a film or two I hadn’t even heard of before, which has become increasingly rare as the years go by.

At just shy of $85, the cover price may give some horror hounds pause, but believe me, it’s worth every penny. This is a beautiful volume that every fan of 80s horror will want on their shelf or prominently displayed on their coffee table. Filled with favorite titles, hundreds of full color photos, insightful and informative writing, this is simply a must own.

You can order your copy now.

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