This summer, B to Z ignores the beach and invites you to take a dive into still waters populated by strange creatures!

Swamp Thing proves that superhero films and other Marvel and DC Comics adaptations have not always been blockbusters with worldwide success. When geek culture was not yet mainstream but rather countercultural, many of these films were often not very successful B-movies (Superman and the Mole Men, Spider-Man Strikes Back...). Swamp Thing, inspired by DC Comics from the 1970s, is a kind of blemish on Wes Craven's filmography. After the radical shocks that shook the horror genre with The Last House on the Left and The Hills Have Eyes, Wes Craven tried to establish a foothold in mainstream cinema with a blend of science fiction and action. Despite Craven's efforts, the creature around which the entire film revolves dashed all hopes due to its unsuccessful appearance. Nevertheless, the kitschy and eccentric film became a cult classic. Wes Craven would soon after recover and become a true Master of Horror with A Nightmare on Elm Street!

The Japanese still waters in Yasha-gaike (Demon Pond) by Masa-hiro Shi-noda, a director associated with the Japanese New Wave, are more inviting. Shinoda, who started as an assistant to Ozu, directed some flamboyant crime films in the 1960s (such as Pale Flower). Here, he ventures into the fantasy genre with an adaptation of one of Japan's great fantasy writers, Kyoka Izumi. Inspired by traditional Japanese kabuki theater, this results in a sophisticated film... not comparable to the American pop culture of Swamp Thing!