"BITE ME!" Alisa Kwitney And Meg Ripley Discuss Fang And Claw Classics With Macabre Daily! (RANT)

“Nature Run Amok” films have been around for decades. Most people think it began with “JAWS” in 1975, but this sub-genre has been ripping, clawing, and biting moviegoers for ages. Charlton Heston battled the “Marabunta,” millions upon millions of unstoppable army ants that destroy everything in their wake, in 1954’s “The Naked Jungle.” That same year saw giant killer ants ruin James Whitmore’s day, along with his torso, in “THEM!” Hitchcock terrorized us with “The Birds” in 63, and in 66, Hammer Horror and Amicus Pictures legend, Freddie Francis, brought us “The Deadly Bees.” What “JAWS” did was set a powder keg off, for what was already a reliable source for frights, year after year. After Spielberg created the blockbuster in 75, all bets were off. Every studio looked to nature for the next big scare. Bears, boars, bats, oh my! Dogs, cats, rats, worms, roaches, and locusts all had their shot at the title. Most are pretty bad in an adorably horrible way, but some break through to greatness, or at least a healthy respect for their unique take on the sub-genre.

We asked authors Alisa Kwitney (“HOWL”) and Meg Ripley (“Necrology”) to join Macabre Daily contributor Sean O’Connor to talk about some of the hits and misses in this beloved fang and claw canon. Our guests managed to uncover some fun, fascinating facts along the way, ruin the term “Shark Week”, and have a blast digging into both the best and worst these films have to offer. We hope you enjoy this discussion as much as we did.

You can purchase Alisa’s comics and novels at alisakwitney.com and follow her on Instagram.

You can purchase Meg’s novels at mripley.com and follow her on Instagram.

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