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The Science Fiction Horror and Fantasy Film Review

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Theme: Prehistoric Revival

This refers to remnants from Prehistory such as Dinosaurs or Cavemen being revived in the present day. There have been a number of works that depict the day-to-day lives of cavepeople, which are listed under Prehistory. What we concern ourselves with here are denizens of prehistory that are brought into the modern day.

The Prehistoric Revival genre began with The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953), which had a dinosaur unfrozen in the Arctic by an atomic blast (in so doing becoming the first Atomic Monster film). Although atomic energy was not always the explanation, other dinosaurs were resurrected or unfrozen to rampage amok again throughout this era. Most of these are Monster Movies.

Amidst these, there were also works with cavepeople being unthawed or else transported through time. Unlike revived dinosaur films, these were often about the caveperson’s confusion with the modern world or in more recent years the attempts to anthropologically study them. There are also a number of revived caveman works that play everything for comic silliness.

The revived dinosaur genre did not much exist beyond the 1960s, although it gained a new lease of life with Jurassic Park (1993), which revived dinosaurs with the genetic engineering of their leftover DNA.


100 Million BC (2008)

21 September 202121 September 2021

Rating: ★★

Time Portal to Prehistory/The Asylum Mockbuster

Director: Griff Furst
Actors: Michael Gross, Christopher Atkins, Greg Evigan, Phil Burke, …
Category: Science Fiction

The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953)

26 May 199928 June 2022

Rating: ★★½

Atomically-Revived Dinosaur

Director: Eugene Lourie
Actors: Paul Christian, Cecil Kellaway, Paula Raymond, Kenneth Tobey, …
Category: Science Fiction

Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012)

30 July 201218 November 2022

Rating: ★★★★

Magical Realism

Director: Benh Zeitlin
Actors: Quvenzhane Wallis, Dwight Henry, Levy Easterly, Lowell Landes, …
Category: Fantasy

Birdemic 2: The Resurrection (2013)

14 September 20133 February 2023

Rating: 0­

Bird Attacks

Director: James Nguyen
Actors: Alan Bagh, Whitney Moore, Stephen Gustavson, Rick Camp, …
Category: Horror

Cowboys vs. Dinosaurs (2015)

8 February 201625 January 2022

Rating: ★★½

Dinosaurs Revived in the Present Day

Director: Ari Novak
Actors: Rib Hillis, Eric Roberts, Vernon Wells, Casey Fitzgerald, …
Category: Science Fiction

The Crater Lake Monster (1977)

17 May 201728 June 2024

Rating: ★

Monster in the Lake

Director: William R. Stromberg
Category: Science Fiction

The Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)

5 January 200020 May 2020

Rating: ★★★★

Prehistoric Monster

Director: Jack Arnold
Actors: Richard Carlson, Julia Adams, Richard Denning, Nestor Paiva, …
Category: Science Fiction

The Creeping Flesh (1973)

9 December 200129 July 2024

Rating: ★★★

Evil Prehistoric Skeleton

Director: Freddie Francis
Actors: Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Lorna Heilbron, Kenneth J. Warren
Category: Horror

The Deadly Mantis (1957)

4 August 200024 June 2025

Rating: ★★

Giant Insect

Director: Nathan Juran
Actors: Craig Stevens, Alix Talton, William Hopper, Donald Randolph
Category: Science Fiction

Dinosaurus! (1960)

22 February 200531 December 2022

Rating: ★★½

Revived Dinosaurs and Caveman

Director: Irvin S. Yeaworth Jr
Actors: Ward Ramsey, Gregg Martell, Paul Lukather, Jack Younger
Category: Science Fiction

Dinoshark (2010)

4 December 20194 December 2019

Rating: ★★

Revived Prehistoric Killer Shark

Director: Kevin O'Neill
Actors: Eric Balfour, Roger Corman
Category: Science Fiction

Don’t Go Near the Park (1979)

5 May 200725 August 2020

Rating: ★

Flesh-Eating Immortals

Director: Lawrence D. Foldes
Actors: Tamara Taylor, Aldo Ray, Linnea Quigley, Meeno Peluce
Category: Horror

Eegah (1962)

4 May 200821 November 2022

Rating: ½

Classic Bad Movie/Caveman Amok

Director: Arch Hall Sr
Actors: Arch Hall Jr, Richard Kiel
Category: Science Fiction

Encino Man (1992)

30 January 20006 October 2020

Rating: 0­

Revived Caveman/Teen Comedy

Director: Les Mayfield
Actors: Brendan Fraser, Pauly Shore, Sean Astin, Megan Ward, …
Category: Science Fiction

The Giant Behemoth (1958)

18 January 20019 May 2021

Rating: ★★

Atomically Revived Dinosaur

Director: Eugene Lourie
Actors: Andre Morell, Gene Evans, Jack MacGowran
Category: Science Fiction

Godzilla (1954)

16 December 20018 May 2024

Rating: ★★★★

Giant Atomic Monster

Director: Ishiro Honda, Terry Morse
Actors: Raymond Burr, Takashi Shimura, Momoko Kochi, Akihiko Hirata, …
Category: Science Fiction

Godzilla vs Megaguirus (2000)

8 September 20113 December 2020

Rating: ★★

Japanese Monster Bash

Director: Masaaki Yezuka
Actors: Misato Tanaka, Shosuke Tanihara, Masato Ibu, Yuriko Hoshi
Category: Science Fiction

Gorath (1962)

21 June 201730 January 2024

Rating: ★★½

Rogue Planet on a Collision Course with Earth

Director: Ishiro Honda
Actors: Ryo Ikebe, Akira Kubo, Yumi Shirakawa, Ken Uehara, …
Category: Science Fiction

Gorgo (1961)

13 December 201226 April 2023

Rating: ★★★½

Revived Dinosaur

Director: Eugene Lourie
Actors: Bill Travers, William Sylvester, Martin Benson, Maurice Kaufmann, …
Category: Science Fiction

Horror Express (1972)

27 February 200314 January 2025

Rating: ★★★

Body-Hopping Alien Aboard a Train

Director: Eugenio Martin
Actors: Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Telly Savalas, Julio Pena, …
Category: Horror, Science Fiction

Ice Sharks (2016)

17 February 201713 December 2024

Rating: ★★½

Killer Sharks Attack Polar Base

Director: Emile Edwin Smith
Category: Science Fiction

Iceman (1984)

27 April 20037 September 2022

Rating: ★★★½

Revived Caveman

Director: Fred Schepisi
Actors: Timothy Hutton, John Lone, Lindsay Crouse, James Tolkan, …
Category: Science Fiction

Jurassic Shark (2012)

18 January 202418 January 2024

Rating: ★

Prehistoric Killer Shark

Director: Brett Kelly
Actors: Emanuelle Carriere, Angela Parent, Duncan Milloy, Kyle Martellacci, …
Category: Horror, Science Fiction

Malibu Shark Attack (2009)

3 December 201419 March 2025

Rating: ★★

Killer Shark Film

Director: David Lister
Actors: Peta Wilson, Chelan Simmons, Mungo McKay
Category: Horror

The Meg (2018)

18 January 20192 September 2023

Rating: ★★★

Giant Prehistoric Killer Shark

Director: Jon Turteltaub
Actors: Jason Statham, Li Bingbing, Rainn Wilson, Winston Chao, …
Category: Science Fiction

Mega Shark vs. Crocosaurus (2010)

16 January 201515 January 2020

Rating: ★½

Giant Monsters

Director: Christopher Douglas-Olen Ray
Actors: Gary Stretch, Jaleel White, Sarah Lieving, Robert Picardo, …
Category: Science Fiction

Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus (2009)

5 May 20115 June 2025

Rating: ★

Giant Monsters

Director: Jake Perez
Actors: Deborah Gibson, Sean Lawlor, Lorenzo Lamas, Jonathan Nation
Category: Science Fiction

Mega Shark vs Kolossus (2015)

25 February 202025 June 2021

Rating: ★★★

Giant Monsters

Director: Christopher Douglas-Olen Ray
Actors: Illeana Douglas, Amy Rider, Ed Derutier, Tara Price, …
Category: Science Fiction

Megalodon Rising (2021)

4 August 202230 May 2025

Rating: ★★

Giant Prehistoric Shark

Director: Brian Nowak
Actors: Tom Sizemore, Wynter Eddins, O’Shay O’Neal, Freda Yifan Jing, …
Category: Science Fiction

The Monster of Piedras Blancas (1959)

13 May 201330 December 2019

Rating: ★★

Prehistoric Monster

Director: Irvin Berwick
Actors: Les Tremayne, Forrest Lewis, Don Sullivan
Category: Horror

Monster on the Campus (1958)

9 March 200326 May 2023

Rating: ★★

Scientist Reverts to a Caveman

Director: Jack Arnold
Actors: Arthur Franz, Whit Bissell, Troy Donahue, Joanna Moore, …
Category: Science Fiction

The Monster That Challenged the World (1957)

2 April 200230 August 2024

Rating: ★★

Giant Mollusc Amok

Director: Arnold Laven
Actors: Tim Holt, Hans Conreid, Audrey Dalton, Gordon Jones
Category: Science Fiction

New Alcatraz (2002)

21 September 20106 October 2019

Rating: ★★

Future Prison/Giant Snake Amok

Director: Phillip Roth
Actors: Dean Cain, Craig Wasson, Elizabeth Lackey, Mark Sheppard, …
Category: Science Fiction

Night at the Museum 2 (2009)

24 May 200910 August 2023

Rating: ★★

Museum Exhibits Come to Life

Director: Shawn Levy
Actors: Ben Stiller, Amy Adams, Owen Wilson, Hank Azaria, …
Category: Fantasy

Night at the Museum (2006)

11 February 200710 October 2024

Rating: ★★

Museum Exhibits Come to Life

Director: Shawn Levy
Actors: Ben Stiller, Robin Williams, Carla Gugino, Dick Van Dyke, …
Category: Fantasy

Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (2014)

24 January 201510 August 2023

Rating: ★

Museum Exhibits Come to Life

Director: Shawn Levy
Actors: Ben Stiller, Robin Williams, Owen Wilson, Steve Coogan, …
Category: Fantasy

Piranha (2010)

28 August 201026 June 2021

Rating: ★★★

Killer Fish

Director: Alexandre Aja
Actors: Elisabeth Shue, Jerry O'Connell, Steve R. McQueen, Jessica Szohr, …
Category: Horror

Poseidon Rex (2013)

20 August 201511 June 2024

Rating: ★★

Revived Dinosaur

Director: Mark L. Lester
Actors: Brian Krause, Berne Velazquez, Candice Nunes, Philip Coc, …
Category: Science Fiction

Pterodactyl (2005)

8 March 200817 November 2020

Rating: ★★½

Dinosaurs Amok

Director: Mark L. Lester
Actors: Cameron Daddo, Coolio, Amy Sloan, Mircea Monroe, …
Category: Science Fiction

Raiders of the Lost Shark (2015)

31 July 201521 February 2025

Rating: 0­

Flying Killer Shark

Director: Scott Patrick
Actors: Candice Lidstone, Catherine Mary Clark, Jessica Huether, Lawrence Evenchick, …
Category: Horror

Rawhead Rex (1986)

4 May 20001 October 2019

Rating: ★

Clive Barker Adaptation/Prehistoric Monster Revived

Director: George Pavlou
Actors: David Dukes, Kelly Piper, Heinrich von Schellendorf, Ronan Wilmot, …
Category: Horror

Reptilicus (1961)

29 July 20023 April 2023

Rating: 0­

Revived Dinosaur Amok

Director: Sidney Pink
Actors: Carl Ottosen, Ann Smyrner
Category: Science Fiction

Savage (1995)

17 February 20036 March 2025

Rating: ½

Alien-Altered Neanderthal Superman

Director: Avi Nesher
Actors: Olivier Gruner, Jennifer Grant, Kristin Minter, Kario Salem, …
Category: Science Fiction

Schlock (1973)

7 December 20127 March 2025

Rating: ★★★

Missing Link Comedy/Genre Parody

Director: John Landis
Actors: John Landis, Eliza Garrett
Category: Science Fiction

Shark Attack 3: Megalodon (2002)

18 January 202418 January 2024

Rating: ★

Giant Prehistoric Shark

Director: David Worth
Actors: John Barrowman, Jennifer McShane, Ryan Cutrona
Category: Horror

Sharkansas Women’s Prison Massacre (2016)

23 May 20165 December 2024

Rating: ★★

Gonzo Killer Shark Film

Director: Jim Wynorski
Actors: Traci Lords, Dominique Swain, Christine Nguyen, John Callahan, …
Category: Horror

Snow Shark: Ancient Snow Beast (2011)

12 November 201814 March 2024

Rating: 0­

Snowbound Killer Sharks

Director: Sam Qualiana
Actors: Sam Qualiana, Michael O’Hear, Andrew Elias, Andrew J. Taylor, …
Category: Horror

The Thaw (2009)

24 July 20114 April 2023

Rating: ★★½

Prehistoric Flesh-Eating Insects

Director: Mark A. Lewis
Actors: Val Kilmer, Martha MacIsaac, Aaron Ashmore, Viv Leacock
Category: Science Fiction

Tremors: A Cold Day in Hell (2018)

2 November 20186 November 2020

Rating: ★★★

Monster Movie

Director: Don Michael Paul
Actors: Michael Gross, Jamie Kennedy, Tanya Van Graan, Jamie Lee Money, …
Category: Science Fiction, Horror

Trog (1970)

18 January 200520 April 2021

Rating: ★

Revived Caveman

Director: Freddie Francis
Actors: Joan Crawford, Michael Gough, Joe Cornelius, David Griffin, …
Category: Science Fiction

The X Files (1998)

29 March 199913 June 2025

Rating: ★★

The X Files Film Spinoff/Alien Invasion Conspiracy

Director: Rob Bowman
Actors: David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Martin Landau, John Neville, …
Category: Science Fiction

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Contact Moria

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Theme Essays

  • Films About Atlantis
  • Werewolf Films
  • Virtual Reality
  • Imprisonment Thrillers
  • Films Depicting NASA and the Space Program
  • Human Bloodsports and Death Games
  • Animals Attack Films
  • Films About Plague and Pandemic
  • Disaster Movies
  • Steampunk Films
  • Documentaries
  • Films About Halloween
  • Films About Prophecy
  • Magicians and Sorcerers
  • Secret Societies
  • Real-Life People in Fiction
  • Techno-Thrillers
  • Twins in Fantastic Cinema
  • Asylums
  • Possession Films
  • Films About Imaginary and Magical Lands
  • Religion in Fantastic Cinema
  • Romantic Comedies
  • Film Noir
  • Spy Films
  • Jekyll and Hyde Films
  • Films That Make Dubious Claims to Being True Stories
  • Coming of Age Stories in Fantastic Cinema
  • Films About Cryogenics and Suspended Animation
  • Alternate History Films
  • Disturbed Psychology as Portrayed on Film
  • Law Enforcement in Fantastic Cinema
  • Weird Westerns
∧

Copyright Richard Scheib 1999-2025

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