Turner Classic Movies ran The Giant Claw the other day and since I didn't have a copy I recorded one. I watched it this morning. I hadn't seen it in a while. Jeff Morrow is a radar science guy who's flying a plane on a test. He spots something flying but no one believes him. Planes start to go missing so there must be some sort of threat be out there. We, the audience, don't actually see anything for a while. And that's a good thing. Once we do get to see the made in Mexico puppet, we are sad. But no matter how bad the puppet is the military can't defeat the flying monster. Everyone dies. Just kidding, Jeff figures out a way to kill the beast. It's short 75 minute length is the best thing about it, right after pretty Mara Corday. The science gobbledy gook is pretty funny too. Not a movie worth buying but one worth seeing. Just for the badness.
Abberation is a low budget small monster movie that's much better. Some lizard like critters are attacking people in a snowbound cabin. It's a good average monster movie with some vicious but only fairly made monsters. They aren't totally convincing but the rest of the movie is pretty well made and has a good score. It was shot in New Zealand but the location looks like northern Minnesota. Director Tim Boxell is from this area and years ago I used to correspond with him. This was back in the late 70's when he was an underground cartoonist. He did art in many comics under the name Grisly, then he moved to Hollywood to be an animation director. This is one of his few films. There are only a few people in the movie, there are way more monsters. They keep reproducing and evolving to meet what ever threat is thrown at them. The main female lead is well played by Pamela Gidley, who also played Teresa Banks in Twin Peaks and was the biker chick in Highway to Hell. I'd recommend the latter, unfortunately it's hard to find. It's the only Chad Lowe movie I'd knowingly watch again. And I'd watch Abberation again. It's fun enough for occasional viewing.