Hello, friends! Hope you're all feeling extra horrific (in a good way) today! I also hope you enjoyed our last Pamela Voorhees Necessary Evil as much as I did writing it. This coming weekend has always been thought of as the unofficial start to summer. It's also the inspiration for today's Necessary Evil! Memorial Day has never received the "horror holiday" treatment, so I say we give the Day its due and combine it with an often neglected "terror from the deep" theme.
IDEA: A horror movie that takes place down the shore on Memorial Day weekend where a creature born from the sea is killing people. Let's call it From the Depths.
OUTLINE: Former Naval Officer John Pacheco works as a fisherman/salvager in a sleepy Rhode Island shore town. Money is a little tight as his most recent stretches out at sea haven't produced much bounty. Recently widowed, he feels that the town has forgotten him. At least his son, Nate, is returning home from college for the summer on Memorial Day weekend.
The Friday before Memorial Day, John returns from a fishing voyage more excited than usual. He has discovered a large piece of rock from the depths of the ocean. What's special about the rock is that there appears to be gold embedded on one side of it. Thinking his monetary problems may soon be over, John hauls the rock home and shows Nate. The two try to chip the gold off, but can't. They set out to find some strong power tools as well as someone to appraise their treasure.
Upon returning home with Margaret, a marine biologist friend of Nate's, they find the rock split open with a hollow inside. There are large, webbed tracks leading up to a smashed window. Margaret thinks they are playing a joke on her and storms out. John and Nate follow the tracks out the window and see that they lead to the beach and out to sea. Hoping that whatever hatched in their home returned to its ocean home, the two leave the beach.
The following morning, the chewed up body of a surfer washes ashore. Of course, the police think it is a shark attack. Margaret examines the body and thinks otherwise. She informs John and Nate. Despite the beach being closed until further notice, the trio set out on John's boat to search for any signs of what emerged from the rock. With the understanding that they are safe on land, the town commences its Memorial Day weekend festivities.
While out in the boat, John, Nate, and Margaret have no luck finding anything. Suddenly, screams are heard from the festivities on the shore. The trio speeds back to land to find the town in chaos. Bloodied bodies and panic-stricken patrons are found all over the street closest to the water. John rushes up to an elderly man whose legs are seemingly trapped underneath a car. He tries to pull him out, but the man feels stuck. John pulls harder, causing a wet snap sound that finally brings the old man toward him. Margaret screams upon seeing that the old man has been ripped in half below the waist. John falls to the ground with the old man's upper half on top of him. He looks up just as a scaly creature with gills leaps on the hood of the car, munching on the old man's legs. Once finished, it flings the legs at John, jumps off the car and runs off into the night.
With the creature out on the loose, John, Nate, Margaret, and the rest of the town take refuge in the local high school's gymnasium. People are scared and confused. Because he has military training, John takes it upon himself to plan an attack to take out the creature once and for all. Will he succeed and earn back the town's respect or is everyone as good as fish food?
WHY IT COULD WORK: I can't remember the last time there has been a true Creature from the Black Lagoon type of horror movie. The nostalgia factor could be very big here with Memorial at Shore. Throw in the festivities normally associated with a beach town Memorial Day weekend and you've got loads of fun potential to f*ck with!
CHARACTERS: We need a good and grizzled horror veteran to play John. I wonder if Tom Atkins is too old? How cool would it be if we got Kane Hodder?! Any up and coming young actor could take on the role of Nate. Nicholas Hoult sure would be pretty cool. We also need a cute actress to play Margaret. Someone who would look good in glasses like Alison Brie or Michelle Trachtenberg.
CONCLUSION: Horror and fun-in-the-sun seemed to go hand-in-hand back in the day. I say it's time we bring that magic back! Since it doesn’t seem like we’ll be getting that Creature from the Black Lagoon remake any time soon, let's make our own modernized version. If handled with the right amount of suspense, gore, and humor, a creature feature could be pretty damn enjoyable. Throw in the hoopla and holiday recognition of Memorial Day, and I think you've got a sweet recipe for success!
What say you? Does this idea of a Memorial Day sea monster float your boat? Or would you rather throw this one back? Cast me a line and fire them bullets below! And if you have any ideas that you think should be made into horror reality, let me know at mikecatalano@joblo.com.