Three years have passed since it was announced that James Wan’s company Atomic Monster and Jason Blum’s company Blumhouse Productions, which recently merged, would be making a feature film adaptation of Behaviour Interactive’s global multiplayer horror video game Dead by Daylight – and now, the project has finally found its director! Thordur Palsson, who created the Netflix serial killer thriller series The Valhalla Murders and made his feature directorial debut with the folk horror movie The Damned, will be taking the helm of Dead by Daylight.

What is Dead by Daylight?

Dead by Daylight is a multiplayer (4vs1) horror game where one player takes on the role of the savage Killer, and the other four players play as Survivors, trying to escape the Killer and avoid being caught, tortured and killed. Survivors play in third-person and have the advantage of better situational awareness. Since its launch in 2016, Dead by Daylight has reached over 50 million players worldwide, with two million players stepping into The Fog every day. The game features a vast universe where classic horror survives and thrives. Having welcomed iconic characters from TV, film, and gaming, it’s only fitting that the franchise expands to new horizons to tell its story.

James Wan, Jason Blum, and Behaviour Interactive’s Stephen Mulrooney are producing the Dead by Daylight film. Behaviour Interactive’s Remi Racine, Atomic Monster’s Michael Clear and Judson Scott, Blumhouse’s Ryan Turek, and Striker Entertainment’s Russell Binder serve as executive producers.

Thordur Palsson will be directing the film from a screenplay by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, who has previously worked with Wan on the Conjuring sequels and both of his Aquaman movies, and Alexandre Aja, who is best known for being the director of Haute Tension, The Hills Have Eyes (2006), Piranha 3D, and Crawl, among other films.  Aja isn’t directing Dead by Daylight because he’s busy making the shark thriller Under Paris 2 for Netflix.

What has Thordur Palsson said about Dead by Daylight?

Our friends at Bloody Disgusting report that Palsson’s involvement with the film was revealed at a celebration of the game’s 10th anniversary. Jason Blum announced, “Thordur is the filmmaker we trust to carry Dead by Daylight from the screen you play on to the big screen you watch in theatres.“

Palsson provided the following statement: “For me, the main thing is capturing the feeling of playing Dead by Daylight. The main thing is I want to capture the feeling of looking over your shoulder. I want to capture the dread, the tension, the fear of what’s waiting for you in The Fog.“

What do you think of Thordur Palsson being hired to direct Dead by Daylight? Are you looking forward to this film? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

The post Dead by Daylight movie from Atomic Monster and Blumhouse finds a director: Thordur Palsson appeared first on JoBlo.

Trilogies in the world of film are inherently flawed. Sometimes you get the law of diminishing returns with entries like The Godfather Part III or Creepshow 3. Other times you get movies that are great but divisive, such as Halloween III: Season of the Witch or Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth. Every once in a while, though, a trilogy comes along that wasn’t really intended to be a trilogy at all. No, I’m not talking about Romero’s Dead trilogy. I’m talking about John Carpenter’s Apocalypse Trilogy.

Never heard of it? What are the themes that tie these movies together? How do they reflect Carpenter’s feelings on Hollywood and humanity? And how do the films hold up both as a trilogy and as standalone pieces? Let’s talk about it.

The John Carpenter Apocalypse Trilogy consists of 1982’s The Thing, 1987’s Prince of Darkness, and 1994’s In the Mouth of Madness. On the surface, these movies have almost nothing in common. The only actor to appear in more than one of them is the late, great Peter Jason, who shows up in both Prince of Darkness and In the Mouth of Madness. As for the writers, Bill Lancaster wrote The Thing, while In the Mouth of Madness was penned by Michael De Luca. Prince of Darkness was written by “Martin Quatermass,” a pseudonym Carpenter used himself, much like the “John T. Chance” editor credit on Assault on Precinct 13.

The production companies were different. The editors were different. The cinematographers were different. Even the music, while partially composed by Carpenter, involved different collaborators across the films. So what makes these movies a trilogy, and who decided they were one?

Why These Three Movies Form a Trilogy

The second question is easier to answer. While the exact quote is difficult to track down today, Carpenter himself eventually referred to these films as his Apocalypse Trilogy. What’s interesting is that even among horror fans, these three classics aren’t always grouped together. That’s understandable. They share no characters, no plot continuity, and no obvious connective tissue. They’re not like the Creepshow films, which share a title but little else. They’re not like Romero’s Dead series, which follows humanity’s decline across multiple stories. Carpenter’s trilogy is something different entirely.

The connection isn’t narrative. It’s thematic.

The End of the World, Three Different Ways

The first movie follows a group of people thrust into a situation where they must stop what would almost certainly be the end of the world. The second movie follows a group of people thrust into a situation where they must stop what would almost certainly be the end of the world. The third movie changes things slightly. This time, only a handful of people are thrust into a situation where they must stop what would almost certainly be the end of the world.

Yes, that’s oversimplifying things. But if we’re going to argue that these films form a trilogy, it’s a useful starting point. The stronger connection comes from the themes running through all three films.

Body, Soul, and Mind

I’ve seen others describe the trilogy as body, soul, and mind. I can’t take credit for that interpretation, but it’s worth exploring because it fits surprisingly well.

The Thing — The Body

The Thing, with its all-time practical effects, is clearly the body-horror entry. While David Cronenberg is often considered the king of body horror, Carpenter and Bill Lancaster created something that rivals anything the Canadian master ever produced.

Twelve men are isolated in Antarctica with only each other, a handful of dogs, old books, and reruns on videotape to keep them company. They’re already going stir-crazy before an alien organism arrives. The body horror first manifests through the dogs. Had the creature achieved its goals, the same process would have spread to humanity.

What makes the horror so effective is that it quickly becomes existential. The characters aren’t just afraid of dying. They’re afraid of losing their identities. Their bodies may survive in some form, but what remains is a grotesque imitation of who they once were. The men can no longer trust what they see. Their friends become monsters. Human physiology itself becomes unreliable.

While paranoia is rightly viewed as the film’s central theme, the body horror is inseparable from that paranoia. Every transformation reminds the audience that the human body itself has become the enemy.

Prince of Darkness — The Soul

If The Thing is about the body, then Prince of Darkness is about the soul. Where the Antarctic researchers risk having their bodies consumed, the students, scientists, professors, and priests of Prince of Darkness risk losing something even deeper.

Once again, ordinary people are thrust into an impossible situation. Either they stop the threat or humanity suffers the consequences. Unlike the alien terror of The Thing, the evil here is rooted in religious imagery and existential fears many people grow up with. Whether you believe in those ideas or not, they’re familiar enough to feel deeply unsettling.

One of the most tragic elements of the film is the possibility that some of the possessed victims remain aware of what’s happening to them. One character catches a glimpse of their reflection and, despite the laughter on the surface, appears overwhelmed with sadness underneath. We know mirrors function as windows to another reality within the story, but we also glimpse the possibility that these people are trapped inside themselves, forced to watch their own corruption unfold.

Their bodies remain. Their souls no longer belong to them. Like The Thing, the stakes extend beyond the individual. The characters aren’t merely fighting for themselves. They’re fighting for everyone.

In the Mouth of Madness — The Mind

The final piece of the trilogy focuses on the mind. It’s right there in the title.

Madness takes several forms throughout In the Mouth of Madness. We see personal madness as John Trent struggles to distinguish dreams from reality. We see collective madness as entire communities and eventually society itself lose their grip on sanity.

What’s especially fascinating is that the film leaves open the possibility that everything we’re seeing is simply one man’s descent into insanity. That’s probably not Carpenter’s intended reading, but it’s still there.

The mind differs from the body and soul because it’s ultimately a battle fought alone. The men in The Thing can physically fight back. The survivors in Prince of Darkness can unite against evil. The mind offers no such comfort. Reality becomes subjective. Truth becomes unreliable. The horror never relents because it exists entirely inside the one place nobody else can reach.

Science, Faith, and Reality

There’s another way to interpret the trilogy. Rather than body, soul, and mind, you can view the films through the lenses of science, faith, and reality.

The Thing and Science

For all its horror, The Thing remains deeply rooted in science. The researchers realize they can’t trust prepared food because contamination is possible. Blair calculates how quickly the organism could infect the entire planet. MacReady eventually develops the blood test that exposes the creature. Even though the alien technology is vastly superior to humanity’s, it can still be understood through logic and scientific reasoning.

MacReady’s famous hot-wire blood test sounds simple, but the reasoning behind it is sound. Likewise, his conclusion that the creature struggles with heat becomes the foundation of their resistance. The victory is costly, but it is achieved through science.

Prince of Darkness and Faith

Prince of Darkness occupies the middle ground. Science plays a major role. Researchers analyze the mysterious liquid. Computers interact with it. Data is gathered and studied. But ultimately, the film places its faith elsewhere.

Donald Pleasence’s priest and Victor Wong’s professor engage in some of the best science-versus-faith conversations Carpenter ever put on screen. The answers never come entirely from one side or the other. Catherine’s sacrifice requires faith. The survivors require faith. Humanity’s resistance requires faith. Not necessarily faith in a particular religion, but faith in people, purpose, and the willingness to sacrifice for something larger than oneself.

In the Mouth of Madness and Reality

Finally, we arrive at reality itself. In the Mouth of Madness may be the greatest H.P. Lovecraft adaptation that isn’t actually based on a Lovecraft story.

Science offers no answers. Traditional faith offers no protection. Instead, the film confronts a terrifying question: What if reality itself is negotiable?

John Trent spends the film slowly realizing that his understanding of the world means absolutely nothing. Reality bends around him. Events occur outside his control. Entire truths are rewritten without warning. Whether it’s discovering the book has already been published or noticing the strange blue imagery repeatedly inserted into his journey, Trent slowly learns that reality belongs to someone or something else. And there’s nothing he can do about it.

What the Trilogy Says About John Carpenter

Before discussing why these are great movies individually, it’s worth looking at another thread connecting all three films. John Carpenter himself. More specifically, the endings. None of these films end happily. Yet each ending represents a different stage in Carpenter’s outlook on humanity, Hollywood, and the possibility of victory.

Three Endings, Three Versions of Doom

The Thing

The ending of The Thing has sparked debate for decades. MacReady and Childs sit in the freezing darkness after destroying the station. The creature appears defeated, but uncertainty remains. Is one of them infected?

Many fans believe Childs is The Thing. Others argue MacReady secretly tested him. Personally, I don’t buy either interpretation. I think neither man is infected. They’re simply doomed. The victory is real, but so is the cost. Humanity survives. The heroes do not.

Prince of Darkness

A few box-office disappointments and increasing frustration later, Carpenter gave us Prince of Darkness. This ending is even more ambiguous.

Throughout the film, characters experience recurring dream broadcasts that resemble grainy VHS footage. They may be warnings. They may be visions of the future. They may even represent a shared form of madness. When Catherine sacrifices herself to prevent the Anti-God’s arrival, she saves humanity but condemns herself to an unimaginable fate.

Unlike The Thing, there are survivors. Dennis Dun escapes. Victor Wong survives. Donald Pleasence survives. Brian survives. But certainty does not. Brian’s final dream suggests Catherine may still be trying to return. The film concludes with him reaching toward the mirror, leaving audiences to wonder whether the nightmare is truly over.

In the Mouth of Madness

By the time we reach In the Mouth of Madness, Carpenter’s outlook seems considerably darker. The story is framed as a flashback told by John Trent from inside a psychiatric institution. Initially, this setup suggests the possibility of a heroic sacrifice. Instead, we discover something far more terrifying. Trent never had control. Humanity never had control. The apocalypse isn’t prevented. It happens. The world effectively ends, and the film concludes with Trent watching the story of his own downfall unfold on a movie screen while laughing through tears.

It’s one of the bleakest endings in horror history. And it feels like Carpenter finally throwing up his hands and saying, “Fine. You win.”

Why the Apocalypse Trilogy Still Works Today

The trilogy is only loosely connected, but that’s exactly why it works. As standalone films, each entry ranks among Carpenter’s finest work.

The Thing remains one of the greatest horror films ever made, delivering unmatched practical effects, body horror, and paranoia. Prince of Darkness offers a deeply unsettling blend of science fiction, religion, and cosmic dread. It also features Alice Cooper as a possessed homeless man who weaponizes a bicycle frame, which certainly doesn’t hurt. In the Mouth of Madness stands as one of the finest Lovecraftian films ever made. Ironically, we may have Memoirs of an Invisible Man to thank for that. Carpenter’s difficult experience making that film eventually led to a strong working relationship with Sam Neill, whose performance as John Trent became one of the defining elements of In the Mouth of Madness.

These movies never dominated the box office. Even Prince of Darkness, which performed better than many remember, wasn’t a blockbuster. What they did accomplish was something far more lasting. They captured uncertainty, dread, and what it means to be human when confronted with forces that cannot be understood.

Final Thoughts

There is enormous pressure attached to making a trilogy. Very few reach the heights of The Lord of the Rings. Even fewer maintain consistent quality across all three installments. Some series stumble with their final chapters. Others never find their footing at all. The Apocalypse Trilogy succeeds because it doesn’t operate like a traditional trilogy. It isn’t connected by continuity, recurring characters, or even by a shared universe. Instead, it’s connected by ideas. Body, soul, and mind. Science, faith, and reality. Hope, uncertainty, and defeat.

Together, these films chart humanity’s struggle against extinction while simultaneously reflecting John Carpenter’s evolving view of the world around him. That makes them one of the most fascinating trilogies in horror history.

Each film stands entirely on its own as a masterpiece. Together, they become something even rarer: a trilogy united not by story, but by philosophy.

Give them another look through those lenses and decide for yourself where they stand among horror’s greatest trilogies. My guess? You won’t find another one quite like them.

The post Why John Carpenter’s Apocalypse Trilogy Is One of Horror’s Greatest Achievements appeared first on JoBlo.

Louis Leterrier has directed the action films The Transporter, Transporter 2, Unleashed, and Fast X, the action comedies The Brothers Grimsby and The Takedown, the mystery thriller Now You See Me, the fantasy adventure Clash of the Titans, and the comic book adaptation The Incredible Hulk (not to mention the TV shows The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance and Lupin), and over the decades his films have racked up $2 billion at the box office. His latest project sees him venturing into the sci-fi horror realm to direct and produce the film The Last House (formerly titled 11817), which is set to receive an August 7th release through the Netflix streaming service. With that date creeping up on us, a trailer for the film has dropped online and can be seen in the embed above.

What is The Last House about?

The Last House has a screenplay by Matthew Robinson (The Invention of Lying). Greta Lee (Past Lives, Tron: Ares) and Wagner Moura (The Secret Agent) star in this thriller about what happens when inexplicable forces trap a family of four inside their house indefinitely. As both modern luxuries and life or death essentials begin to run out, the family must learn how to be resourceful to survive and outsmart who – or what – is keeping them trapped…

Gabriel Barbosa (May December), Emma Ho (Star Trek: Strange New Worlds), Noah Alexander Sosnowski (Section 8), and Riley Chung (Sunrise) round out the main cast.

Leterrier produced the film alongside Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping, Kori Adelson, and Oly Obst, with Thomas Benski, Cecile Gaget, Lars Sylvest, Thorsten Schumacher, and Damian Anderson serving as executive producers.

Survival consultant Megan Hine worked with the filmmakers to “strategize innovative and believable ways this family could persevere through such a dire predicament.”

What has been said about The Last House?

Greta Lee told Tudum, “Growing up, my favorite things to watch and read were survivalist stories with a twist. So I was immediately drawn to this story. I love the questions this movie asks about our world and how we choose to live in it. And I was excited about the possibility of asking these questions in a new and entertaining way.“

Wagner Moura added, “I think people are going to recognize themselves in this film. Everybody is a parent or son or daughter. We have dysfunctional families or happy families … It goes beyond culture. It’s an animal instinct we all have within ourselves — for protection, love, humor, and conflict, too.“

Production designer Kevin Jenkins was tasked with building a home that would “evolve and age alongside the human characters. As their isolation stretches on for years, all the household items — from the kitchen appliances to the kids’ scooters — have to deteriorate, too.” Leterrier added that he shot the first half of movie on 35mm film because “I grew up with Steven Spielberg movies. The Amblin movies where the houses were shot on location. There was that texture that just made it feel quite relatable. That was the idea.“

Are you interested in The Last House? Take a look at the trailer, then let us know by leaving a comment below.

The post The Last House trailer: Louis Leterrier sci-fi horror film is coming to Netflix in August appeared first on JoBlo.

Cody

“The Showa era” is the first continuity in the Godzilla franchise, encompassing the fifteen films released from Godzilla (1954) to Terror of MechaGodzilla (1975). The term comes from Japan’s Showa period, the reign of Emperor Hirohito, which lasted from 1926 to 1989. Since every Godzilla film released between 1954 and 1975 was produced during the Showa period, they’re referred to as “the Showa-era Godzilla movies,” and we have ranked every one of them here!

Ranking these films isn’t easy because they vary in style and ambition. Some are classic cinema, others are pure popcorn entertainment, and a few are strange curiosities. So this ranking considered several factors:

• Overall entertainment value
• Story quality and pacing
• Monster action and spectacle
• Visual effects and filmmaking craftsmanship
• Historical importance to the franchise
• Rewatch value

Quick Ranking List

• 15. All Monsters Attack (1969)
• 14. Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973)
• 13. Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972)
• 12. Son of Godzilla (1967)
• 11. Godzilla vs. Hedorah (1971)
• 10. Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975)
• 9. Ebirah, Horror of the Deep (1966)
• 8. Godzilla Raids Again (1955)
• 7. Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla (1974)
• 6. Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1964)
• 5. Invasion of Astro-Monster (1965)
• 4. Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964)
• 3. Destroy All Monsters (1968)
• 2. King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)
• 1. Godzilla (1954)

#15. ALL MONSTERS ATTACK (1969)

• Director: Ishirō Honda
• Main Monsters: Godzilla, Minya, Gabara
• Release Order: 10th of 15 Showa-era Godzilla films
• Alternate Title: Godzilla’s Revenge
• Why It’s Ranked Here: Despite being a charming introduction to Godzilla for younger viewers, the heavy reliance on stock footage and simplistic story make it one of the least essential Showa-era entries.

Coming down from the large scale monster mash highs of Destroy All Monsters, director Ishirō Honda delivered a follow-up that is very small, cheap, and odd. All Monsters Attack, which also goes by the title Godzilla’s Revenge even though there is nothing dark or vengeful about it, is a uniquely strange children’s movie, the most direct appeal to the youngsters in the audience the series ever made. The lead character is Ichirô Miki, a bullied grade schooler who daydreams of visiting the monsters of Monster Island and befriending Godzilla’s son Minya, who is his height, speaks to him in a dopey voice, and happens to have a monstrous bully with the same name as Ichirô’s bully, Gabara. Both of the kids eventually stand up for themselves, then the final moment conveys the questionable idea that it’s okay to be a little punk sometimes, just as long as you’re not a wimp.

The interactions between Minya and Ichirô and the scenes involving Gabara are basically the only new monster footage that was shot for All Monsters Attack. The 70 minute running time is padded out with moments of the kids watching from a distance as Godzilla deals with multiple threats, and these Godzilla scenes are stock footage from the series’ other island-based entries.

The fact that this movie even exists is kind of confounding, and the amount of stock footage really drags it down. That said, it is a good film for the intended audience. This would be an excellent installment to show to a kid who has an interest in watching Godzilla movies. Adults might not get so much out of it, but as long as some children out there are being entertained and learning to love Godzilla by watching it, there’s nothing wrong with that.

#14. GODZILLA VS. MEGALON (1973)

• Director: Jun Fukuda
• Main Monsters: Godzilla, Megalon, Gigan, Jet Jaguar
• Release Order: 13th of 15 Showa-era Godzilla films
• Why It’s Ranked Here: Fun monster action and the novelty of Jet Jaguar help, but the rushed production and bargain-basement presentation place it near the bottom of the ranking.

The set-up: test detonations of nuclear bombs have been wreaking havoc on the kingdom of Seatopia, which was swallowed by the sea after being struck by an earthquake millions of years ago. The Seatopians are ready to retaliate and wage war on the surface world, and to do so they steal an inventor’s flying robot so it can guide the monster Megalon, who the Seatopians worship as a god, to the cities they want to see destroyed.

The robot Jet Jaguar, a character that was created by a Japanese grade schooler who had sent in a sketch of the robot as a submission in a contest Toho Studios was holding, is the entire reason this movie was made. If it seems like Godzilla was dropped in as an afterthought, that’s because he was! Director Jun Fukuda was developing this as Jet Jaguar vs. Megalon, then it became a Godzilla sequel when producers began to worry that Jet Jaguar wasn’t cool enough to carry his own movie. (They were right.) That’s also when another monster, the returning villain Gigan, was added into the story. Another good move, because Megalon is a doofus.

Godzilla was on a bad streak when Megalon hit theatres. The last few movies hadn’t been particularly well regarded, and this haphazardly slapped together, cheap, rushed production didn’t break the bad run.

#13. GODZILLA VS. GIGAN (1972)

• Director: Jun Fukuda
• Main Monsters: Godzilla, Anguirus, Gigan, King Ghidorah
• Release Order: 12th of 15 Showa-era Godzilla films
• Why It’s Ranked Here: Gigan’s debut and some memorable battles elevate the film, but extensive stock footage and sluggish pacing prevent it from reaching the upper tier.

Worried that Yoshimitsu Banno had made a brand-tarnishing disappointment with Godzilla vs. Hedorah, franchise producer Tomoyuki Tanaka brought Ebirah, Horror of the Deep and Son of Godzilla director Jun Fukuda back into the fold to deliver a more traditional sequel with the often-used “Godzilla must defend Earth from monsters controlled by evil aliens” plot. This time, cockroach aliens from Nebula Space Hunter-M set King Ghidorah and Gigan loose on Tokyo. The two monsters cause as much destruction as possible while military forces try their best to fight them off and, of course, man-made weapons have little effect on the monsters. The only hope lies in Godzilla and Anguirus, who finally arrive to confront them in a lengthy climactic battle.

A lot of this feels very familiar, and for good reason, as the monster scenes feature a lot of stock footage. At least there’s some awesome new monster battle footage. The movie improves greatly once King Ghidorah and Gigan are set loose, but the long build-up to that happening can feel like a bit of a slog, despite the quirkiness of the characters (including a struggling comic book artist and his tough-talking, karate-skilled girlfriend).

The new monster Gigan is a cybernetically enhanced creature with hooks for hands and a buzzsaw in its torso. One cool touch during the final battle is the fact that the monsters draw blood from each other, something which doesn’t happen very often in these movies. Specifically, Gigan bloodies his opponents with the use of his metallic appendages. So the movie ends up being enjoyable in the long run, but a lot of it is rough to sit through.

#12. SON OF GODZILLA (1967)

• Director: Jun Fukuda
• Main Monsters: Godzilla, Minya, Kumonga, Kamacuras
• Release Order: 8th of 15 Showa-era Godzilla films
• Why It’s Ranked Here: A lighthearted and surprisingly charming family adventure, though its child-focused approach limits its appeal for some viewers.

Another small scale entry in the franchise from Ebirah director Jun Fukuda, with the action taking place on a sparsely populated island for the second movie in a row. As the title promises, this one introduces us to Godzilla’s son, a creature you can call Minira or Minilla (as in Mini-Gojira or Mini-Godzilla), or even Minya. The series had been getting increasingly child-friendly as it went along, and the fact that Son of Godzilla is particularly aimed at the children in the audience shows through in the redesign of the Goji suit for this entry, as the King of the Monsters has been given a very cartoony look. The kid-friendly approach is also evident in the tone, as this movie almost comes off like a sitcom episode.

The story finds Godzilla crossing the ocean to find the source of radio-disrupting brain waves: Sollgel Island, where a research team is preparing to test their weather machine by freezing the swelteringly hot island, which is inhabited by massive mantises, an evil spider, and a mysterious native girl. Also on the island is a huge egg, which is the source of those disruptive emissions. They were telepathic cries the incubating monster was sending out to his dad, Godzilla.

Son of Godzilla is very much a typical B-movie sort of monster flick, along the lines of something like Attack of the Crab Monsters, but with a dash of Gilligan’s Island. The most entertaining scenes are when Godzilla and Minya go off into the wilderness for some father/son bonding time, which involves practicing roars and atomic breath-blasting.

#11. GODZILLA VS. HEDORAH (1971)

• Director: Yoshimitsu Banno
• Main Monsters: Godzilla, Hedorah
• Release Order: 11th of 15 Showa-era Godzilla films
• Alternate Title: Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster
• Why It’s Ranked Here: One of the franchise’s boldest and most distinctive films, but its experimental style remains highly divisive.

With Godzilla vs. Hedorah (a.k.a. Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster), director Yoshimitsu Banno delivered one of the most divisive entries in the Showa era of the franchise. Even the musical score for this one is divisive, with Riichirô Manabe replacing Akira Ifukube, the composer who created the most iconic music in the Godzilla series, and making some very memorable use of a slide trombone.

In figuring out the way to approach his Godzilla movie, Banno drew inspiration from the anti-nuclear statement of the original film and decided to focus on another issue the world was dealing with (and still is), pollution. He was heavily influenced by the then-modern hippie culture (he had been deeply moved by Woodstock), which is why there are hippie characters and a night club performance of the theme song “Return! The Sun” against a backdrop of psychedelic imagery. He had also noticed that manga was becoming popular with the kids in Japan, which accounts for the brief animated interludes he added into the movie.

As Godzilla takes on a monster that is the living, mutating embodiment of pollution, Banno reminds us of the death and destruction that comes along with these monster clashes. The film is unique, odd, and the darkest movie in the series since the first. Allegedly, when series producer Tomoyuki Tanaka first saw the finished film, he told Banno that he had ruined Godzilla. But if you want action, this one definitely delivers it, as the final battle goes on for almost 30 minutes! This is also the film where Godzilla uses his atomic breath to propel himself through the air and chase down his flying opponent.

#10. TERROR OF MECHAGODZILLA (1975)

• Director: Ishirō Honda
• Main Monsters: Godzilla, MechaGodzilla, Titanosaurus
• Release Order: 15th of 15 Showa-era Godzilla films
• Why It’s Ranked Here: A solid and entertaining finale to the Showa era that benefits from strong monster action, even if it falls short of the series’ greatest achievements.

Following the success of Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla, Toho was eager to get another Godzilla movie into production – and rather than hire one of their in-house screenwriters for the project, they held a contest, asking their audience to send in ideas. Screenwriting student Yukiko Takayama sent in a pitch, and actually got hired to expand her ideas into a screenplay! Director Ishirō Honda returned to the helm for this one, which turned out to be the last Godzilla movie for a decade. This was the end of the Showa era, and it was also the last full feature film Honda made as the primary credited director.

The aliens from the previous film, the Simians, are still scheming to take over the planet, and this time they take control of an amphibian dinosaur called Titanosaurus so it can team up with the rebuilt MechaGodzilla and attack Japan. Of course, Godzilla isn’t just going to stand by and let that happen.

This movie isn’t the greatest, but it’s entertaining. The audience didn’t show up for it, though. Terror of MechaGodzilla was the least attended Godzilla movie of the entire series up to that point, a fact that probably has less to do with the quality of the film than it did with the economic situation in Japan at the time (they had been hit hard by the oil crisis of 1973). So Godzilla went on hiatus, with the final shot of him wading back into the sea assuring fans that he could return someday.

#9. EBIRAH, HORROR OF THE DEEP (1966)

• Director: Jun Fukuda
• Main Monsters: Godzilla, Ebirah
• Release Order: 7th of 15 Showa-era Godzilla films
• Alternate Title: Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster
• Why It’s Ranked Here: Smaller in scale than most Godzilla films, but an enjoyable island adventure that deserves more appreciation than it usually receives.

Directed by Jun Fukuda, Ebirah, Horror of the Deep (a.k.a. Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster) is widely regarded as one of the weakest entries in the series, but it’s not a bad movie, it’s just not the type of Godzilla adventure that viewers had become accustomed to. The movies had been getting bigger and bigger, and then there’s this one, which is set on a small island. Some of the oddness is due to the fact that Godzilla was a last minute replacement for King Kong. The original version of the script was written for a King Kong movie that was meant to be a co-production between Toho and the American Rankin/Bass Productions. Kong was entirely written out of this one, but the Toho-Rankin/Bass Kong project did come to fruition the following year with a completely different story. It was released under the title King Kong Escapes.

The wreck of a stolen yacht strands a group of people on Devil’s Island, which happens to be home to the militaristic terrorist organization Red Bamboo, with a giant lobster-monster called Ebirah patrolling the water. Luckily, Godzilla also happens to be taking a lengthy nap on the island – so our heroes wake him up with a bolt of lightning and set him loose on the villains.

The climax features plenty of damage and explosions, but it is on a much smaller scale than we’re used to seeing in a Godzilla movie, and this installment in the series is kind of jarring to come across when watching your way through the series. Despite the location and smaller story, the filmmakers did make a strong effort to keep the movie interesting and satisfying, throwing multiple combatants at Godzilla once he finally gets out of his cave bed. (Ebirah! Terrorists! A giant condor! Mothra cameo!)

#8. GODZILLA RAIDS AGAIN (1955)

• Director: Motoyoshi Oda
• Main Monsters: Godzilla, Anguirus
• Release Order: 2nd of 15 Showa-era Godzilla films
• Why It’s Ranked Here: The first monster-versus-monster Godzilla movie remains historically important and entertaining despite not matching the emotional impact of its predecessor.

The second film in the franchise give Godzilla his first monstrous opponent. His enemy in this one is a creature left over from a prehistoric era: a spiky-shelled dinosaur-like creature called Anguirus. And while the first movie focused on the horror and the human consequences of the destruction Godzilla wreaked upon Tokyo, here director Motoyoshi Oda has the monsters do battle in an Osaka that has been emptied of civilians, making it, essentially, simply a ring for Godzilla and Anguirus to do battle within. There are no human lives at stake beyond anonymous soldiers and some escaped prisoners. This movie is all about the spectacle of watching two monsters clash. The most emotion on display during the battle sequence comes from the owner of a fishing company as he watches his business go up in flames.

The lead characters are former fighter pilots Tsukioka and Kobayashi, who now work as spotter pilots for the Kaiyo Fishing Company. We get a glimpse into their personal lives – Tsukioka is engaged to marry his boss’s daughter Hidemi, who also works at the fishing company and whom Kobayashi secretly has a crush on. But even more than on them personally, we see how the presence and destructive activities of Godzilla have an effect on the Kaiyo Fishing Company throughout the film.

The most impressive thing about Godzilla Raids Again is the fact that it was such a rushed production, it reached theatres less than six months after the premiere of the original Gojira. Oda was known as a man who could get a movie made quickly (he was pumping out up to seven movies a year for Toho), and he delivered a good Godzilla movie on an insane schedule, even if the particular brand of magic that Gojira had, its scope and its emotional effectiveness, were not recaptured.

#7. GODZILLA VS. MECHAGODZILLA (1974)

• Director: Jun Fukuda
• Main Monsters: Godzilla, MechaGodzilla, King Caesar, Anguirus
• Release Order: 14th of 15 Showa-era Godzilla films
• Why It’s Ranked Here: A welcome return to form that delivers strong action, memorable villains, and one of the franchise’s most iconic monster debuts.

Godzilla celebrates his twentieth anniversary by fighting… himself? The Mecha doppelganger introduced in this film quickly became one of Godzilla’s most popular enemies, and it first shows up as a Godzilla impostor that goes rampaging through Japan – until the real deal shows up to challenge it.

After so many lackluster installments in a row, Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla is a welcome return to form for the series and one of the best entries we got from returning director Jun Fukuda. The story is familiar, as there’s a prophecy element like we saw in Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster and the bad guys controlling MechaGodzilla are another bunch of aliens (ape-like creatures in human disguise this time), but this isn’t another cheapie that’s filled with stock footage. Toho made sure this anniversary movie was done right and packed it with (surprisingly bloody) action.

That action is a great capper to a film that harkens back to the franchise’s glory days and is as spectacular as the occasion demanded. Watch out for that MechaGodzilla vs. Anguirus battle, though. That’s one a heartbreaker, made all the sadder by the fact that this is the last time Anguirus is seen in this era of the series. He wouldn’t appear in another Godzilla movie until thirty years later, by which time there had already been a couple of reboots. This is the end of this iteration of Anguirus, and I’ve always felt bad for the guy.

#6. GHIDORAH, THE THREE-HEADED MONSTER (1964)

• Director: Ishirō Honda
• Main Monsters: Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra, King Ghidorah
• Release Order: 5th of 15 Showa-era Godzilla films
• Why It’s Ranked Here: The film that transformed Godzilla into a hero and introduced King Ghidorah, even if its tone occasionally swings from serious to silly.

Released just eight months after Mothra vs. Godzilla, Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster expanded the scope of the franchise. Up to this point, the kaiju threats in Toho’s movies had been earthbound horrors; legendary and/or ancient creatures usually awakened by nuclear bomb detonations. This one gives us a threat from outer space… and Godzilla evolves from villain to hero to handle it!

We had seen several clashes between giant monsters before, but this film presents for the first time the idea of giant monsters teaming up with each other to face a stronger opponent. The only hope Earth has at defeating the world-destroying King Ghidorah is if Godzilla, Rodan (a monster that was introduced in its own solo film – directed by Ishirō Honda, of course – in 1956), and Mothra join forces against it. It’s Mothra who convinces Godzilla and Rodan to come to the world’s aid.

For most of its running time, the movie has a dark and serious tone. The storyline is intriguing and convoluted, involving alien mind-control and a “prophetess from Venus,” and it adds a strange new level of science fiction and the supernatural to the series. Once the monster team-up comes together, it starts appealing directly to the children in the audience and moments get exceptionally silly. King Ghidorah is going to destroy our planet, he should be the thing of nightmares, but instead he’s making Godzilla hop around because he has zapped him in the butt. Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster is a bit scattered, but still an entertaining film.

#5. INVASION OF ASTRO-MONSTER (1965)

• Director: Ishirō Honda
• Main Monsters: Godzilla, Rodan, King Ghidorah
• Release Order: 6th of 15 Showa-era Godzilla films
• Alternate Title: Godzilla vs. Monster Zero
• Why It’s Ranked Here: A fast-paced and highly entertaining science fiction adventure that perfects many of the ideas introduced in its predecessor.

With Ishirō Honda back at the helm and American producer Henry G. Saperstein pulling some strings behind the scenes, the movie launches right into the story and introduces lead characters up front so as not to test the patience of the American audience. In the not-to-distant future, the World Space Agency sends astronauts (including American Nick Adams) to investigate Planet X, a dark planet that has recently been discovered to be orbiting Jupiter. They find that the planet is technologically, architecturally, and mentally advanced (their spaceships run on brain waves), but it’s being ravaged by King Ghidorah – and the shady, emotionless residents want Godzilla and Rodan to be transported to their planet for a rematch with the three-headed monster.

Of course, this is all building up to the people of Planet X threatening to launch a full-scale invasion of Earth. Good thing we have some giant monsters on our side, and they’re now presented in a way to make them heroes to the youngsters in the audience. Invasion of Astro-Monster (a.k.a. Godzilla vs. Monster Zero) is the entry that’s best remembered for the moment where Godzilla does a silly little victory dance after he and Rodan force Ghidorah to retreat from one of their battles. Honda objected to that moment of goofiness, but was overruled.

The suggestions Saperstein made helped the film in its pacing and international appeal, and the result is a highly entertaining sci-fi adventure. It’s very much in the same vein as its predecessor Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster, but even better.

#4. MOTHRA VS. GODZILLA (1964)

• Director: Ishirō Honda
• Main Monsters: Godzilla, Mothra
• Release Order: 4th of 15 Showa-era Godzilla films
• Why It’s Ranked Here: One of the strongest combinations of monster action, social commentary, and spectacle in the entire series.

In 1961’s Mothra, director Ishirō Honda took audiences to Infant Island, home to small fairies that communicate through song and a giant creature called Mothra. Three years later, Honda and Toho decided to have Godzilla and Mothra share the screen in a story of a clash not just between two giant creatures, but also between nature and human greed. Unscrupulous businessmen stick a Mothra egg in an amusement park called the Shizunoura Happy Center and try to force the twin fairies, the Shobijin of Infant Island, into a stage show.

Since Mothra is meant to be a beautiful, benevolent, kaiju goddess in her fully-grown form, the still-villainous Godzilla was given a more evil appearance in this film, complete with sharp, pointed claws that drive home the fact that he’s the bad monster in this situation). The opening stretch before Godzilla shows up can be a bit tiresome with the repetitious “give up the egg”/”you can’t have the egg” scenes, but once the big G enters the picture, the film becomes a nonstop action thrill ride.

The scenes with the military attempting to fight off Godzilla were the best yet, and though you may think a giant moth would be outmatched going against Goji, Mothra proves to be quite capable against him. Then Godzilla himself proves to be outmatched when faced with Mothra’s twin larvae, which is kind of a letdown, but it works well enough. Mothra vs. Godzilla is a whole lot of fun and earns a spot high in the ranking of the series.

#3. DESTROY ALL MONSTERS (1968)

• Director: Ishirō Honda
• Main Monsters: Godzilla, King Ghidorah, Rodan, Anguirus, Mothra, and more
• Release Order: 9th of 15 Showa-era Godzilla films
• Why It’s Ranked Here: A massive monster mash that successfully delivers on the promise of an all-star Godzilla event movie.

Toho had gone smaller with Ebirah, Horror of the Deep and Son of Godzilla, and while those entries had been cheaper to make, they had also seen a dip in audience attendance. It was possible that the series could be coming to an end – but if Godzilla was going to go out, Toho was going to make sure he went out in a big way. After a two film absence, director Ishirō Honda was brought back to take the helm and help craft the story for an epic monster mash that’s set in the future (1999!) and features a record number of creatures from the Toho stable. The line-up includes: Godzilla, Rodan, Anguirus, Mothra in larval stage, Gorosaurus (from King Kong Escapes), Minira/Minilla/Minya (who is no larger than he was in Son of Godzilla, despite this presumably being thirty years later), Kumonga/Spiga, Baragon (from Frankenstein Conquers the World), Manda (from Atragon), Varan the Unbelievable, and King Ghidorah. Ebirah and Maguma, a giant walrus creature from the 1962 sci-fi feature Gorath, were written into early drafts of the script, but they ultimately didn’t make the cut.

For twenty years, all of Earth’s monsters have been living in peace on an island called Monsterland. That peace comes to an end when aliens from the planet Kilaak set the monsters loose and send them to wreak havoc in cities around the globe. The story is perfectly simplistic, resulting in a spectacular sci-fi adventure that’s filled with action. There are monsters galore, scenes set all over the world, an incredible sequence in Tokyo, travel back and forth between the Earth and the moon, and interplanetary threats.

Destroy All Monsters is a welcome return to the large scale type of Godzilla film after its two low-key predecessors. It could have been a grand finale – but thankfully, this film’s success just paved the way for more sequels.

#2. KING KONG VS. GODZILLA (1962)

• Director: Ishirō Honda
• Main Monsters: King Kong, Godzilla
• Release Order: 3rd of 15 Showa-era Godzilla films
• Why It’s Ranked Here: One of the most purely entertaining films in the franchise, balancing monster spectacle, satire, and crowd-pleasing fun.

Original Gojira director Ishirō Honda came back for the third entry in the franchise, a movie that started life as a King Kong vs. Frankenstein idea. This time, Honda set aside the horror he brought to the first film and delivered something that is a blast to watch every step of the way. Godzilla dukes it out with his famous fellow monster King Kong, who first reached the screen 21 years before Godzilla did, in a goofball crossover that’s presented in full color.

King Kong is the focus of the main plot, while Godzilla lurks around in a subplot before the two finally come together in the last third of the film… and this monster clash is as silly as it can be when it gets the chance. The filmmakers were very self-aware about the appeal of these monster fights; the characters share the interest in seeing the outcome that the audience has. Characters wonder which of the two is stronger, the title “King Kong versus Godzilla” is spoken aloud, and bets are made on which monster will be the victor. Kong and Godzilla cause a lot of destruction in Japan, but the consequences are not dwelt upon. It’s just spectacle, destruction as eye candy.

There is a bit of social commentary in the mix, as King Kong vs. Godzilla satirizes television and marketing between the monster moments, but the focus is making every moment as fun as possible. This was made to mark Toho’s 30th anniversary, and it truly does feel like a celebration. The result is a highly entertaining film, and one of the most purely fun entries in the entire Godzilla franchise.

#1. GODZILLA (1954)

• Director: Ishirō Honda
• Main Monsters: Godzilla
• Release Order: 1st of 15 Showa-era Godzilla films
• Original Japanese Title: Gojira
• Why It’s Ranked Here: A landmark monster movie whose anti-nuclear themes, emotional power, and technical achievements remain unmatched in the franchise.

More than seventy years after its release, the original Gojira (not the American edit, Godzilla, King of the Monsters, although that’s entertaining as well) is still effectively disturbing and horrific. Producer Tomoyuki Tanaka had the initial idea for the iconic character that would become known as Gojira / Godzilla. Gazing out the window at the ocean below while on a flight from Indonesia back to Japan in 1954, Tanaka began to wonder what sort of secrets – what sort of creatures – the sea could hold. What could be lurking beneath the surface? The filmmakers took a concept that could’ve just been the makings of an average B-level creature feature and made a truly a great film, one of the all-time best monster movies. Sure, it’s about a creature rising from the sea and wreaking havoc, but there’s a weight to it because the story – crafted by Takeo Murata and Shigeru Kayama, then expertly brought to the screen by director Ishirō Honda – tied in to the horrors the Japanese people had just recently endured because of nuclear weapons.

Godzilla is a prehistoric creature that has been awakened and irradiated by nuclear bomb test detonations, and when he reduces Tokyo to a sea of flames, you can’t help but think of what had just happened in Japan a decade earlier. This is not merely destruction spectacle eye candy. This is pure horror. Everything that makes Godzilla the memorable classic that it is are on display during the Tokyo destruction sequence: the back-breaking work the performers in the Godzilla suit put into making the monster move across the screen; the special effects work of Eiji Tsuburaya in the mixture of suitmation and puppetry as Godzilla smashes into the 1/25 scale miniature replica of Tokyo, which was built with meticulous detail; composer Akira Ifukube’s score, which moves the action forward and amplifies the intensity, and, of course, Honda’s direction. For the human element at the heart of it all, surrounded by death and destruction, we get the story of a love triangle and a tragic hero.

To varying degrees of success, Gojira has been sequelized, rebooted, spun off from, adapted for animated television, etc. many times over during the decades since. While some great things have followed it, the original film still stands tall among the pack.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is the Best Showa-Era Godzilla Movie?

Godzilla (1954) remains the best Showa-era entry. Its combination of horror, social commentary, groundbreaking special effects, and emotional storytelling has never been surpassed.

What Is the Worst Showa-Era Godzilla Movie?

All Monsters Attack (1969) ranks last due to its extensive use of stock footage and limited scope, although it remains an effective children’s film.

What Is the Most Underrated Showa-Era Godzilla Movie?

Ebirah, Horror of the Deep (1966) is the most underrated. While often dismissed as a minor entry, it offers a fun island-adventure atmosphere unlike any other Godzilla film.

How Many Showa-Era Godzilla Movies Are There?

There are fifteen Godzilla films in the Showa era, released between 1954 and 1975.

Which Showa Godzilla Movies Are Essential Viewing?

If you’re new to the franchise, start with:

• Godzilla (1954)
• King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)
• Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964)
• Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1964)
• Destroy All Monsters (1968)

What Are the Showa-Era Godzilla Movies in Release Order?

The Showa era consists of fifteen Godzilla films released between 1954 and 1975. In order of release, they are:

1. Godzilla (1954)
2. Godzilla Raids Again (1955)
3. King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)
4. Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964)
5. Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1964)
6. Invasion of Astro-Monster (1965) (also known as Godzilla vs. Monster Zero)
7. Ebirah, Horror of the Deep (1966) (also known as Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster)
8. Son of Godzilla (1967)
9. Destroy All Monsters (1968)
10. All Monsters Attack (1969) (also known as Godzilla’s Revenge)
11. Godzilla vs. Hedorah (1971) (also known as Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster)
12. Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972)
13. Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973)
14. Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla (1974)
15. Terror of MechaGodzilla (1975)

Although several other Toho productions from the same period feature Godzilla or take place in the broader kaiju universe, including the television series Zone Fighter (1973), the fifteen films above are generally recognized as the complete Showa-era Godzilla film series. For viewers who want to experience Godzilla’s evolution from terrifying nuclear allegory to globe-trotting monster hero, watching these films in release order provides the clearest picture of how the franchise developed over its first two decades.

Which Showa Godzilla Movie Has the Best Monster Fights?

Destroy All Monsters and Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla contain some of the era’s strongest monster battles, but Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster deserves special recognition for introducing the concept of multiple monsters teaming up against a common enemy.

Which Showa Godzilla Movie Introduced King Ghidorah?

Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1964) introduced King Ghidorah, who would go on to become Godzilla’s greatest recurring rival.

Which Showa Godzilla Movie Introduced MechaGodzilla?

Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla (1974) introduced MechaGodzilla, the robotic duplicate that quickly became one of the franchise’s most popular villains.

What Was the Final Showa-Era Godzilla Movie?

Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975) was the final film of the Showa era before the series went on a nine-year hiatus and returned with The Return of Godzilla (1984).

Is Zone Fighter Part of the Showa-Era Godzilla Series?

Yes and no. Zone Fighter was a live-action television series produced by Toho and broadcast in 1973, during the Showa era of the Godzilla franchise. Although it is not one of the fifteen Showa-era Godzilla films, it shares continuity with the movies and features appearances by Godzilla, King Ghidorah, Gigan, and other Toho monsters. Godzilla even teams up with the hero Zone Fighter in several episodes. Because it was a television series rather than a theatrical feature film, Zone Fighter is generally considered a companion piece to the Showa era rather than an official entry in the film series itself.

Final Thoughts

The Showa era contains everything from serious nuclear allegory to outrageous alien invasion adventures and all-star monster brawls. Not every installment is a classic, but together they established the mythology, characters, and tone that turned Godzilla into one of the most iconic creatures in cinema history. More than seventy years later, the original films continue to influence every era of the franchise that followed.

The post All 15 Showa Era Godzilla Movies Ranked Worst to Best appeared first on JoBlo.

Before becoming one of the most influential filmmakers in history, Steven Spielberg directed episodes of Night Gallery, Columbo, Marcus Welby, M.D., The Psychiatrist, The Name of the Game, and several television movies including Duel, Something Evil, and Savage. These early television projects helped Spielberg develop the suspense, visual storytelling, emotional depth, and filmmaking techniques that later defined classics like Jaws, E.T., Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jurassic Park, and Schindler’s List.

• Spielberg’s first major directing assignment was the Night Gallery segment “Eyes” starring Joan Crawford.
• Columbo: Murder by the Book is widely considered his television breakthrough.
• Duel remains one of the greatest TV movies ever made.
• Many Spielberg trademarks first appeared during his television years, including ordinary people confronting extraordinary situations.
• His television work served as a training ground before his theatrical breakthrough with The Sugarland Express and Jaws.

This ranking considers historical significance, influence on Spielberg’s later films, critical reputation, technical achievement, and overall importance to his development as a filmmaker.

11. Marcus Welby, M.D. — “The Daredevil Gesture” (1970)

Release Year: 1970
Series: Marcus Welby, M.D.
Genre: Medical Drama
Why It Matters: Helped Spielberg develop emotional storytelling and character-driven drama.

After Night Gallery, and taking an entire year off just to write, Spielberg moved into more traditional television with Marcus Welby, M.D., directing the episode “The Daredevil Gesture.” This is not the kind of credit people bring up when they talk about Spielberg. Nobody says, “Ah yes, the true beginning of Jurassic Park is Marcus Welby.” But these assignments mattered. They taught him discipline. They taught him speed. They taught him how to deal with actors, emotion, structure, and dramatic storytelling.

Spielberg would later become known for spectacle, but spectacle only works if the people inside it matter.

The episode deals with teenagers and how our protagonist deals with bullying and an unstable home life, both of which Spielberg could relate to. A medical drama forces a director to deal with suffering and healing. Young Spielberg needed that. He needed to learn that cinema is not just movement. It is empathy.

10. Night Gallery — “Make Me Laugh” (1971)

Release Year: 1971
Series: Night Gallery
Genre: Horror / Fantasy
Why It Matters: An early showcase for Spielberg’s growing confidence as a visual storyteller.

Spielberg returned to Night Gallery for “Make Me Laugh,” another Rod Serling story. This one is about a failing comedian who desperately wants the power to make people laugh.

Again, the theme feels strangely Spielbergian. A performer wants to connect with an audience. He wants magic. Spielberg uses the episode to experiment. That experimental hunger becomes one of the defining features of Spielberg’s career. He never stops treating filmmaking like a problem to solve.

“Make Me Laugh” shows Spielberg playing with rhythm and tension. That is what makes these episodes beautiful. They’re not masterpieces, they’re practice swings.

9. Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law — “Eulogy for a Wide Receiver” (1971)

Release Year: 1971
Series: Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law
Genre: Legal Drama
Why It Matters: Spielberg gained increased creative control and experience with institutional drama.

By this time Spielberg had a little more power and weight to throw around at the studio. He initially turned down the job due to not liking the script. But the studio wanted the hot young talent, so they allowed a rewrite and gave him more creative control.

This is another legal-drama assignment that could easily disappear into the fog of forgotten television. But in the larger Spielberg story, it matters because it places him inside institutions: law, authority, public judgment, and moral conflict.

Like many classic television episodes, it has become difficult to find today.

8. The Psychiatrist — “The Private World of Martin Dalton” (1971)

Release Year: 1971
Series: The Psychiatrist
Genre: Psychological Drama
Why It Matters: Introduced themes involving lonely and misunderstood children.

This episode matters because it brushes against one of Spielberg’s deepest lifelong subjects: The lonely child.

A troubled young boy retreats into fantasy, and suddenly you can feel the early shape of a theme that would follow Spielberg for decades. Spielberg understands childhood not as cuteness but as intensity. Childhood in his films is enormous. Children are frightened, ignored, misunderstood, or left alone with impossible feelings. But they also carry wonder. They carry belief. They carry the ability to see what adults have forgotten how to see.

7. Savage (1973)

Release Year: 1973
Format: Television Movie
Genre: Political Thriller
Why It Matters: Allowed Spielberg to explore media, politics, and institutional power.

Spielberg’s final television movie before his theatrical feature debut with The Sugarland Express was Savage, starring Martin Landau as a television journalist investigating a political scandal.

This is one of the least remembered projects in Spielberg’s career. Even Spielberg reportedly wasn’t fond of it. But it still matters. It shows him creating tension without fantasy, monsters, aliens, or supernatural threats. The themes of journalism, power, scandal, and truth would later appear in films such as The Post.

6. Something Evil (1972)

Release Year: 1972
Format: Television Movie
Genre: Horror
Why It Matters: Feels like an early blueprint for ideas later explored in Poltergeist.

After Duel, Spielberg directed Something Evil, a television horror movie about a family moving into a Pennsylvania farmhouse occupied by a demonic force. This one is often forgotten, but it is fascinating.

A family moves into a haunted house. That is Poltergeist energy before Poltergeist. The film is not as strong as Duel, but you can see Spielberg’s eye developing. He is interested in atmosphere. He is interested in children in peril. He is interested in unseen forces hiding inside ordinary American life.

5. The Name of the Game — “L.A. 2017” (1971)

Release Year: 1971
Series: The Name of the Game
Genre: Science Fiction
Why It Matters: Spielberg’s first major science-fiction world-building exercise.

Here’s one of the strangest early Spielberg credits: “L.A. 2017.”

This one is wild. It presents a futuristic nightmare where environmental collapse forces people underground. It is darker, colder, and stranger than many people associate with Spielberg. Yet that darkness would remain throughout his career.

You can see traces of Minority Report, A.I., and other future projects beginning to emerge here.

4. Night Gallery — “Eyes” (1969)

Release Year: 1969
Series: Night Gallery
Genre: Horror
Why It Matters: Spielberg’s first major professional directing assignment.

Imagine being in your early twenties and suddenly your job is to direct Joan Crawford. Not some random actress. Joan freakin’ Crawford. Classic Hollywood royalty.

The legendary actress was hesitant to work with such an inexperienced director. Somehow Spielberg won her over. Crawford would later insist the crew treat him with respect and reportedly predicted he would become one of the biggest directors in the world.

“Eyes” tells the story of a wealthy blind woman who undergoes an operation that allows her to see briefly before a citywide blackout. Even here, Spielberg is already experimenting with camera movement, light, shadow, and emotional point of view. He is trying to make television feel bigger than television.

3. The Psychiatrist — “Par for the Course” (1971)

Release Year: 1971
Series: The Psychiatrist
Genre: Drama
Why It Matters: Spielberg later called it his best television work.

This episode deals with a golf champion confronting cancer and mortality. Look closely and you can see another Spielberg theme emerging: Ordinary people facing forces larger than themselves.

Before he made audiences afraid of sharks, dinosaurs, and extraterrestrials, he was learning how to photograph fear in a hospital room and in a human face. The power of the close-up goes a long way here.

Spielberg later referred to this as his best television work. Many who have seen it in recent years continue to praise it as one of the hidden gems of his early career.

2. Columbo — “Murder by the Book” (1971)

Release Year: 1971
Series: Columbo
Genre: Mystery
Why It Matters: Spielberg’s television breakthrough.

Here’s one of the big ones: Spielberg directed the first regular episode of Columbo.

Suddenly, the young director starts looking like a major filmmaker. The episode is stylish, confident, clever, and beautifully controlled.

What makes it fascinating is that Spielberg does not direct it like anonymous television. He gives it shape, atmosphere, and visual intelligence. You can feel him thinking in images.

Peter Falk reportedly needed convincing before agreeing to work with the young director, but after seeing Spielberg’s earlier work he became a believer. The result remains one of the most celebrated episodes in the history of Columbo.

1. Duel (1971)

Release Year: 1971
Format: Television Movie
Genre: Thriller
Why It Matters: The project that launched Spielberg’s career and paved the road to Jaws.

This is where everything changes. Duel is one of the greatest television movies ever made.

A man driving through the California desert is terrorized by a massive truck. That is the premise. A man, a car, a truck, a road, and fear. But Spielberg transforms that simplicity into pure cinema.

The truck becomes a monster. Not the driver; the truck itself.

It is impossible not to see the connection between Duel and Jaws. Both feature ordinary protagonists facing relentless predators. Both rely on suspense, anticipation, and the fear of what may be coming next.

Duel was such a success that it eventually received an international theatrical release. The student had become a filmmaker, and Hollywood noticed.

Steven Spielberg’s Television Career Timeline

• 1969 — Night Gallery: “Eyes”
• 1970 — Marcus Welby, M.D.: “The Daredevil Gesture”
• 1971 — Night Gallery: “Make Me Laugh”
• 1971 — The Name of the Game: “L.A. 2017”
• 1971 — The Psychiatrist: “The Private World of Martin Dalton”
• 1971 — The Psychiatrist: “Par for the Course”
• 1971 — Columbo: “Murder by the Book”
• 1971 — Duel
• 1971 — Owen Marshall: “Eulogy for a Wide Receiver”
• 1972 — Something Evil
• 1973 — Savage
• 1974 — The Sugarland Express
• 1975 — Jaws

What Television Gave Spielberg

The beautiful thing about Spielberg’s television career is that it reminds us television is not a lesser art form. It’s where artists learn to move fast. It is where they learn discipline, and where they learn to survive.

Horror. Mystery. Science fiction. Medicine. Law. Politics. Childhood. Monsters. Suspense. It was all there. Watching early Spielberg is like watching lightning learn where to strike. Before Steven Spielberg became the filmmaker who changed Hollywood, television gave him a place to practice. Assignment by assignment, problem by problem, episode by episode.

Then came The Sugarland Express. Then came Jaws. Then came the rest of film history.

FAQ

What was Steven Spielberg’s first directing job?

Spielberg’s first major professional directing assignment was the Night Gallery segment “Eyes” in 1969.

What was Steven Spielberg’s best television movie?

Most critics and historians consider Duel (1971) to be Spielberg’s greatest television production.

Did Steven Spielberg direct Columbo?

Yes. Spielberg directed the acclaimed episode “Murder by the Book,” one of the most celebrated episodes in the series.

Which Spielberg TV project most influenced Jaws?

Duel is often considered a direct precursor to Jaws because both stories feature an ordinary man hunted by an almost mythical predator.

What was Spielberg’s final television movie before becoming a theatrical filmmaker?

Savage (1973) was Spielberg’s last television movie before his theatrical breakthrough with The Sugarland Express.

How many television episodes did Steven Spielberg direct before Jaws?

Before directing Jaws in 1975, Spielberg directed multiple television episodes across several series, along with television movies including Duel, Something Evil, and Savage.

Final Thoughts

Steven Spielberg’s television career may be overshadowed by the success of Jaws, E.T., Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Jurassic Park, but these early television projects reveal the foundations of his filmmaking style. From the suspense of Duel to the visual experimentation of Night Gallery and the storytelling precision of Columbo, Spielberg’s television work remains essential viewing for anyone interested in the evolution of one of cinema’s greatest directors.

The post Steven Spielberg’s Early TV Career: Every Show and TV Movie Before Jaws Ranked appeared first on JoBlo.