New Discussion: What are Your Top 5 Favorite Movie Monsters
And this isn't even the scariest version of THE THING!!
Well I think it’s that time again for a new discussion. I realize that this site is lacking in the classic Universal and Hammer horror films. I grew up on all those classic flicks but haven’t reviewed any (yet). It’s not an oversight but a matter of time; I’m trying to stay a little more current and modern with my reviews. (But if you love the films of the 1950′s-70′s, definitely check out my friend GoreGirl’s website. She has some killer reviews of the films we all grew up on. I’m always on her site!!). Let me tell you; if there was a station on my cable service that played all the old classic DRACULA, FRANKENSTEIN, DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE, etc… well I’d be an extremely happy man. I bring these classics up because I’m thinking there’s gonna be a lot of the old classic monsters brought up in this discussion. But of course I’m gonna list my top 5 favorite movie monsters (in no particular order):
1. The creature from THE THING (1982): This is just one of the most unique, frightening, and badass creatures ever put up on film!! I’d have loved to have taken a look inside f/x guru Rob Bottin’s mind when he was coming up with this creature. For anyone who’s ever seen THE THING, which is I’m guessing all of you, you know exactly what I’m talking about. Watching the various transformations this amazing creature goes through is simply stunning. It’s one of my favorite flicks of all times.
A very creative design makes this one stand out!!
2. The creature from CLOVERFIELD (2008): I was really surprised with how much I enjoyed this flick. When I heard it did the old “shaky camera” bit I was rolling my eyes like a mutha fucker!! But it really works here. And the creature is extremely effective!! Why? I call it the “Jaws Treatment”; we get teased with seeing bits and pieces of the creature the entire film (just like in the film JAWS) until the very end. And wow; when we finally see it it blew me away. It was so original and scary looking!! When the hell are we getting a sequel?
This hideous lump wrecks some serious havoc!!
3. Belial from the BASKET CASE films 1982, 1990, 1992): If any creature embodies the transition from the classic films of the 60′s & 70′s and the modern era, it’s Belial … that hideous, deformed, psychotic lump of flesh. And I love how Belial was 100% puppet operated (in the 1st one at least). It adds a really cool dimension to the film and makes you question whether you should be laughing or screaming.
4. The werewolves from DOG SOLDIERS (2002): Very simple; the monsters here are some of the best looking & designed werewolves I’ve seen. They are strong, fast, smart, and fucking ferocious looking! This is a phenomenal flick all around.
THAT is one ferocious looking werewolf!!
5. The bat-like creatures from THE DESCENT (2005): You all knew I couldn’t leave these badass creatures off my list!! These creatures are AWESOME!! They were designed keeping evolution in mind: What would creatures look like who evolved miles under the earth, away from the light of the sun? Well Neil Marshall showed us (AND scared the shit out of us at the same time). What I really liked is that these creatures aren’t motivated by anything other than their survival instincts. They don’t kill for pleasure or sport; they kill to eat.
I dare ya to watch this film and not jump outta your seat!!
So tell me your favorite movie monsters and tell me what you think about my choices.
Stay Bloody!!!
Comments
24 Responses to “New Discussion: What are Your Top 5 Favorite Movie Monsters”Trackbacks
Check out what others are saying...-
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by A M Esmonde, OklahomaWard.com. OklahomaWard.com said: via @Anythinghorror Your Top 5 Favorite Movie Monsters! http://ow.ly/2bgmn #horror #thriller #CRAWL [...]
1. Silent Hill- Knowing that not only the cinder children but the moving corpses were real people in costume & you add those fucking creepy nurses, gotta say this is one of my all time top creature flicks.
2.The Howling- The makeup that Robert Picardo went through, the transformation of his character & the werewolf hand that reverts back to human form after being chopped off just blew me away.
3. Cloverfield- This movie fucking broke me. @paxIndigo & I saw it in theaters & we were just silent & torn afterward. The monster is just so…perfect, exactly what you think something coming out of the deep would look like.
4.Gremlins- Say what you want about the humorous approach, the puppetry is just brilliant
.
5.The Mummy- The original with Boris Karloff. One of the first classics I got to see & I just adored the story & his approach to the character.
I’ve never thought of SILENT HILL as a monster flick, but I can totally see where you’re coming from 3amFright!! I remember those goddamn creepy ass nurses!! I went back and forth between the werewolves from THE HOWLING & DOG SOLDIERS … SOLDIERS just edged out THE HOWLING!! And I love your inclusion of GREMLINS!! That’s a great flick. And for pure cheesy entertainment, I really love GREMLINS 2: THE NEXT BATCH!!
This is quite difficult, but well… here are my choices:
1. “Belial” from Basket Case. That shitty little monster scared the crap out of me when kid. I will never forget the scene where his brother sews him back to him.
2. “The elephant man”. I know it is not a monster, but it really had an impact on me when I saw the movie.
3. “Pinhead” from Hellraiser
4. The monster from Cloverfield. It is not scary (I consider it more like a Scy Fi monster), but is worth mentioning.
5. Alien monsters. They are very cool. I have a small statue of one of them.
5.
I’m with ya all the way about Belial Alejandro!! That little lump scared the piss out of me when I was 13 years old LOL
The Elephant Man may not be a traditional monster movie, but its one effective “creature”!!
Pinhead … Aliens … great choices!!
I’ll have to take some time once and just get a bunch of old horror movies to watch! I’ve seen the really old ones, but none of the ones that are frequently talked about on this site! But anyway, my list:
5. Alien- I don’t know what the feeling is about this movie, but it was one of the first “horror” movies I ever saw as a kid. And it was also the first time I had a nightmare because of a movie. Enough said.
4. Nosferatu-This old movie is a little slow by today’s standards, but if that guy came at me, I’d run away (unlike the modern interpretations of vampires that keep them looking normal)!
3. creatures from the descent-I agree with this one. They are evolutionized instincts and I wouldn’t want to meet one!
2. the wolfman (both lon chaney and the remake with benicio del toro)-both are great movies and the makeup is superb! And they are scary, unlike those stupid twilight werewolves that you almost want to domesticate and make your pet!
1. the creature from cloverfield-this one ranks highest for me because it is a wholly original thing. And I certainly didn’t expect it to look like that! I expected a more “normal” looking creature. Scared the crap out of me when you do see it!
Great list Katie!! I’m glad to see so many of us choosing the creature from CLOVERFIELD; that’s a truly scary and effective creature!! I’m surprised no one has mentioned the creature from HOST yet. I actually pretty much hated everything about that movie, but it did have a pretty kick ass creature!!
As far as the “older” creatures go, I totally agree with ya on NOSFERATU …. definitely one of (if not the) scariest version of DRACULA around!!
A L I E N – Giger’s designs ONLY.
Carp’s THE THING – Bottin was a genius.
Belial – I’m a rabid Henenlotter fan, and actually have a Belial tattoo in the works.
The Pale Man – I love Pan’s Lab and this is creatue actor Doug Jones’ best work.
last one’s a three-way-draw between my childhood faves: King Kong, Gojira & The Blob
By the way, anyone who counts MARTYRS amongst their fave movies is a friend of mine. Take a look at my blog:
unflinchingeye.blogspot.com
Don’t get me started on MARTYRS Aylmer!!! I think its the best genre flick of the last 10-15 years!!
I gotta see that Belial tat when its finished; I’m working on one right now too (not of Belial though). The Pale Man was one amazing looking creature … they captured both a beautiful and horrifying design in that creature!!
I love your website!! I like the picture on your banner … INSIDE is another of my favorite flicks.
I love Pan’s Labyrinth! That monster just missed my list. I’m a big fan of Guillerom del Toro and Doug Jones! That’s a great pick Alymer!
I was really surprised by a lot of horror fans snubbing PAN’S LABYRINTH just because it wasn’t a horror flick!! No one enjoys horror more than me, but COME ON … PAN’s is an amazing movie all around. The story, acting, creatures, soundtrack, and atmosphere!! Dell Toro simply kicks ass …. he even made the best entry in the BLADE franchise!!
Tremors were cool monsters. The puppets from puppetmaster. Killer clowns from outer space. Are a few missing from this discussion;)
The Graboids DEFINITELY crossed my mind when I was making out my list. I know a lot of people weren’t fans of the TREMORS sequels, but I enjoyed how the Graboids “evolved” in each sequel and got more “deadly.” Its a pretty damn fun series!!
Haha! I LOVED Tremors! The Graboids were cool. Like Beetlejuice sandworms on steroids
5. The Kraken from “Clash of The Titans” 1981- a non horror flick, horror creature
4. The Sharks from “Deep Blue Sea” 1999 – What Speilberg would have made Jaws if he had the technology back in ’75
3. The Creature from “Frankenstein” (1994) – just creepy
2. T-Rex – “Jurassic Park” (1993) – a badass monster
1. The Cenobites -” Hellraiser” (1987) – We’ll tear your soul apart…….and they did!
Nice list Bill!! I just watched the CLASH OF THE TITANS remake 2 nights ago …. holy fuck what horrible flick!!! I don’t know if you saw it but instead of Perseus being tested (like in the original), the idea in the remake is that there’s a full blown war between humans and the gods. REALLY??? Even my 5 year old observed the stupidity of this plot: “Wouldn’t the gods,” my 5 year old asked, “be able to kill the humans pretty easily? They’re gods right?” LOL Looks like I may have someone to carry on anythinghorror.com after I’m gone!!! LOL
I forgot about Frankenstein’s Monster from the 1994 flick…. I liked that movie despite it’s flaws; and I agree that the monster was pretty damn freaking looking!!
I knew I should have bet money that you’d list The Cenobites on your list!!!
I’m a little late on this list but I have to mention that for me it is ( was) The PREDATOR from the original 87 film.
I saw the film as a kid at a friends house. I had to cross some woods to get home and I was scared shit less!
Better late than never Adam!!! I can’t believe that in that entire discussion no one brought up PREDATOR. That alien is still effective today!! Nice pick!!
Again, great topic here man and by no means a quick one to answer. BTW: my list, though numbered, in no way honors one monster above another. As these are my top monsters I cannot simply put one on the other due tot he number of movies I’ve seen over the years.
1) Dren- Splice. My favorite monster so far this decade. Not so much that she was frightening in an offensive way like the others on my list, but more for what she represented. Her design is also one of the most imaginative and creative that I’ve seen in a film (or tv or game) in quite some time. Every scene she was in I was in awe of what i was watching.
2) Facehugger from the Alien series. As a child they scared the hell out of me
and I recently saw a statue of one and it still got to me.
3) The Pale Man- Pan’s Labyrinth. There was something gross and unsettling about this character. I’ve never been sure if its that he can only see from eyeballs in his hands or Doug Jones’ unique ability to convey so much with a simple twitch.
4) Velociraptor- Jurassic Park. The Raptors were cunning, intelligent, and expert killers. Their method of hunting in packs and singling out their prey made them much more of a threat than the T-Rex (who is just blind and lumbering). As a fourth grader this put them in ranks with any nightmare Freddy could dream up.
5) The Wolfman (Lon Cheney, Benicio Del Toro, Jon Gries) My first monster. I’ve never been able to describe why I love Wolfman as much as I do.
Dren is a good choice … like you say; she’s not offensive, but she’s incredibly effective!!
Haha… Dren was a little creepy
Awesome to see you have Dog Soldiers in here. Loved that flick! Werewolves and Scots! Just fuckin’ cherry!
I also liked The Thing. I thought the new version sucked balls. I said it once and I’ll say it again. I’ll take the crappy animatronics from the ’82 version over the totally not scary CGI of the 2011 version anyday. The only one on the new version that was a bit creepy was when the two heads melded together and the creature schlepped around with, like, club feet.
Obviously, I think Xenomorphs are pretty badass. They don’t have the “holy-shit-that’s-frickin’-gross” factor that the basketcase Belial did, but, they’re so…pretty.
That black tar stuff from Creepshow 2 , i think the story was called the raft
Hell yeah … I love that story from CREEPSHOW 2!! Easily the best in that flick.