#monster of piedras blancas

[thecreaturecodex]

Diplovertebron

Publicity still from The Monster of Piedras Blancas

[By the late 1950s, the Hays Production Code was weakening, and many movies not made by the big studios were released without code approval. This eventually lead to the MPAA and the movie rating system by the mid 1960s, but in the meantime, you had all manner of indie films experimenting with what they could get away with. Which is the major claim to fame of The Monster of Piedras Blancas. This is a Creature from the Black Lagoon ripoff featuring multiple decapitations and the female lead skinny dipping (although no nudity is actually caught on camera) while the monster sniffs her underwear. Pretty intense stuff for 1959! It’s those decapitations that are why I have my version slotted in at such a high CR. I wanted to have it at least have a chance to perform its signature move.

Incidentally, the name Diplovertebron is a real scientific name, for a very incomplete and possibly dubious genus of early tetrapod. The real animal was maybe half a meter long, not even remotely humanoid, and couldn’t pull the head off of even a single skinny-dipper. I can only imagine some screenwriter paging through a paleontology textbook until he spotted a name he thought sounded cool.]

Diplovertebron CR 11 NE Monstrous Humanoid This creature is humanoid, with a fleshy nose with barbels drooping over a fanged maw. It has ridges of armor plating along its back and arms. Its hands are oversized claws.

A diplovertebron is an aquatic humanoid with a protective carapace and lethal claws. They can smell blood at great distances, and may travel from afar in order to scavenge or prey upon whatever has spilled it. They require water in order to survive, but twin snorkel-like appendages grow from its head, allowing it to smell the air even while it is submerged. Once it finds prey, it attacks with stealth, hoping to make a kill quickly. They are noted for tearing the heads from their victims, as they seek fatty meals and humanoid brains are an excellent repast.

Diplovertebrons are family creatures, living in kin groups and assisting each other at hunting when possible. A lone diplovertebron is an unhappy one, and they may try to “make” a family by kidnapping people instead of killing them. A diplovertebron can speak Aquan, albeit without much articulation, and some of them find life in sahuagin colonies or among other evil aquatic intelligent creatures. They have very long lifespans, and may survive between 300 and 400 years if not slain by violence.

Diplovertebron CR 11 XP 12,800 NE Medium monstrous humanoid (aquatic) Init +7; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, keen scent, Perception +16 Defense AC 24, touch 14, flat-footed 20 (+3 Dex, +1 dodge, +10 natural) hp 147 (14d10+70) Fort +11, Ref +12, Will +12 Defensive Abilities fortification (50%) Offense Speed 20 ft., swim 60 ft. Melee 2 claws +19 (1d8+7/19-20 plus vorpal critical), bite +19 (1d6+5) Special Attacks powerful blows (claws), sneak attack +2d6 Statistics Str 21, Dex 16, Con 20, Int 7, Wis 17, Cha 12 Base Atk +14; CMB +19; CMD 33 Feats Blind-fight, Dodge, Great Fortitude, Improved Critical (claw), Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Stealthy, Skills Climb +11, Escape Artist +8, Perception +16, Stealth +15, Survival +16, Swim +19; Racial Modifiers +8 Perception, +4 Stealth, +8 Survival Languages Aquan SQ water dependency Ecology Environment temperate aquatic and coastal Organization solitary, pair or family (3-6) Treasure incidental Special Abilities Keen Scent (Ex) A diplovertebron can detect creatures by scent in a 180 foot radius, and can smell freshly spilled blood up to a mile, in either air or water. Vorpal Critical (Ex) If a diplovertebron rolls a natural 20 on a claw attack and confirms the critical hit, the creature struck must succeed a DC 22 Fortitude save or be decapitated. This kills most living creatures instantly. This does not function if the target creature doesn’t have a head. The save DC is Strength based.

#diplovertebron #monster of piedras blancas #b movies #gore tw #it came from the silver screen

[atomic-chronoscaph]

The Monster of Piedras Blancas (1959)

#the monster of piedras blancas #50s horror #b-movies #jeanne carmen #50s sci-fi #pete dunn #irvin berwick #diplovertebron #50s movies #1950s #1959

[gameraboy2]

The Monster of Piedras Blancas (1959)

#The Monster of Piedras Blancas #1959 #1950s #vintage #horror #film #movie

[weirdlookindog]

Pete Dunn in The Monster of Piedras Blancas (1959)

#the monster of piedras blancas #pete dunn #1950s movies #horror

[chernobog13]

"Mom, wake up! You forgot to make my lunch for school!"

#The Monster of Piedras Blancas #monster #totally NOT a Creature From The Black Lagoon rip-off

[atomic-raunch]

Famous Monsters of Filmland Shock Award winner, Monster of the Piedras Blancas

#monster of the piedras blancas #famous monsters of filmland #famous monters #monster kid #monster movies #vintage horror #horror posters

[doraemonmon]

#The Monster of Piedras Blancas

[thevideodungeon]

The Monster of Piedras Blancas (1959)

That very rare breed of monster movie that's better before the monster shows up. It's well made and acted, and very good pacing for a 50s monster movie—not exactly a strong point for the genre. The early portion of the film really does a lot in building up suspense around the creature—in the first real glimpse we get of it it's literally carrying a bloody severed head—but when we get to the full reveal, it's almost laughably bad. And a lot of 50s movie monsters are bad, but this one is notably bad, and the quality of the rest of the film makes it look even worse by comparison.

6/10

#monster movies #6/10 #1950s #horror #horror movies #1950s horror #50s horror #the monster of piedras blancas #50s movies

[josephdanielfiedler]

#monster illustration #monster art #quatermass #invasion of the saucer men #house on haunted hill #monster of piedras blanca #henry hull #brian donlevy

[screamscenepodcast]

All the way from the carboniferous period, it's THE MONSTER OF PIEDRAS BLANCAS (1959)!

Directed by Irvin Berwick, this flick is made up of Universal Pictures' laid off staff and disgruntled workers on a CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON template.

Context setting 00:00; Synopsis 12:56; Discussion 29:48; Ranking 43:34

#podcast #horror #classic horror #the monster of piedras blancas #creature from the black lagoon #universal pictures #mole people #this island earth #metaluna mutant #irvin berwick #haile chace #jack kevan #les tremayne #forrest lewis #john harmon #pete dunn #jeanne carmen #don sullivan #philip lathrop #george gittens #vanwick productions #diplovertebron #gill-man #piedras blancas #low budget uncanny valley

[quasar1967]

The Monster Of Piedras Blancas (1959)

HE PREYS ON HUMAN FLESH!

An old lighthouse keeper who lives with his daughter secretly keeps a prehistoric fish-man by feeding it scraps and fish. One day he misses the feeding and all hell breaks loose.

#the monster of piedras blancas #50s horror #50s sci fi #50s monster movies #science fiction movie posters #horror movie posters

[jedivoodoochile]

THE MONSTER OF PIEDRAS BLANCAS (1959)

Did You Know…….?

The feet and lower torso of the Monster suit were were recycled from the "Metaluna Mutant" in This Island Earth (1955), with the claws being recycled from the creatures in The Mole People (1956).

#the monster of piedras blancas

[schlock-luster-video]

Remembering cult film icon who played the monster in The Monster of Piedras Blancas, Pete Dunn on the anniversary of his death.

R.I.P. (1922 - 1990)

#rest in peace #pete dunn #actor #r.i.p. #the monster of piedras blancas #cimarron city #the poseidon adventure #invaders from mars #never steal anything #fort vengeance #horror movies #horror sci fi #horror #horror film #monster movies #movie art #art #drawing #movie history #pop art #modern art #pop surrealism #cult movies #portrait #cult film

[halloweenhundreds]

The Monster of Piedras Blancas is a notable pic from indie horror history put together by disgruntled Universal artists but not much to rave about. Love a fish monster though.

#halloween hundred #halloween hundreds #halloween #horror movies #halloween movie #horror film #horror #monster movies #monsters #classic horror #indie horror #the monster of piedras blancas

[weirdlookindog]

Pete Dunn in The Monster of Piedras Blancas (1959)

#the monster of piedras blancas #pete dunn #1950s movies #horror

[chernobog13]

Centerfold poster of The Monster of Piedras Blancas (1959) from The Monster Times #18 (December 31, 1972).

For a brief time in me youth when I had my own bedroom, this was the talisman that kept my little brothers out: they were terrified of this picture. And it was certainly scarier than the actual film, which was a weekday monster movie staple back in New York in those days.

Unfortunately, the picture worked too well. My brothers started having nightmares (or so they claimed, the little fakers!) and me sainted mum tore down the poster down. My comics, toys, books and models were again no longer safe from my brothers' grubby little paws.

Which is why practically none of those things survived to my adulthood.

#The Monster of Piedras Blancas #The Monster Times #monster