Last night, I caught the Jack Arnold 3D double feature at the Grand Illusion. Half of it was great.

I watched The Creature from the Black Lagoon when I was a kid, but I'd mostly forgotten it between then and now. What I didn't realize then was that it's actually a pretty great movie, as far as creature features go. And who'd have thought that the same elements of great 3D film-making also make for great cinematography? Or that underwater cinematography is the perfect venue for 3D technology? All of the underwater shots were remarkably, surprisingly vivid, and the fact that some actor in a full-body latex monster suit was doing all this non-CGI underwater work was impressive, too. There was real suspense, and only a couple of lines, about natives and protecting the girl, seemed horribly dated.

The second feature, It Came From Outer Space, is unfortunately a very generic 50's sci-fi flick. I was still impressed with Arnold's cinematography and storytelling skills. But the fusty Ray Bradbury story it's based on has not aged well in the tide of "monsters from the stars" movies in the time since.

I'm going out on a limb and suggesting that there are few experiences more enjoyable in Seattle this week than spending a cold, rainy night in a movie theater wearing a pair of cardboard glasses, holding a hot cup of tea, watching a movie about a gill man who, in the end, is maybe just misunderstood. Creature From the Black Lagoon plays at 7 pm until Thursday at the Grand Illusion. You should see it, and leave before It Came From Outer Space.