Creature from the Black Lagoon

One of the most influential of all the Universal horror pics (its progeny are legion, from Jaws to Alien), Jack Arnold's pristine looking 1954 creature feature about a scientific mission to observe and capture a "living amphibious missing link" stars B-movie stalwart Richard Carlson as the brainiac with a conscience and the lovely Julie Adams as the woman who attracts not only his interest but the creature's as well. Worth watching at the very least for the initial Creature/Adams water encounter which viewers will quickly recognize as the inspiration for the opening scene in Jaws. As usual, Universal has done an excellent job with the bonus material, including a wonderful documentary featuring Adams and the men who originally played the creatures! A strong optional purchase. (R. Pitman)