Since it’s October, and Zombieland just released in theaters (haven’t seen it yet, but really want to), I decided to go through my top ten movie monsters. I’ve also included some favorite movies for each monster. I’m counting down this time, because that always adds to the suspense.
10) Gill-Man
This guy doesn’t really scare me all that much, but I’m including him because of his appearance in The Monster Squad, which is a fantastic movie.
Favorite examples: Creature from the Black Lagoon, Revenge of the
Creature, The Creature Walks Among Us
9) Giant Ape
If people would quit bringing enormous, powerful apes back from the darkest jungles, giant ape shenanigans would pretty much dry up altogether. Think about that the next time you want to bring back a massive gorilla on your next trip abroad.
Favorite examples: King Kong, Mighty Joe Young, Konga, The Son of Kong
8) Oversized, Often Radioactive Things
The fear of atomic doom in the 40s and 50s led to some great giant-things-running-amok movies, including the Japanese kaiju films.
Favorite examples: Godzilla, Rodan, Gamera, Mothra, Them!, Attack of the 50 Foot Woman
7) Various Sea Beasts
The ocean is already pretty scary on account of its vastness and tempestuousness. Then there are the sometimes-vicious sea beasts we know about, like sharks and giant squids. And dolphins. I know everyone loves them because they are cute and friendly, but they are too cunning — I smell a trap. Then, of course, there are all the creatures we don’t know about yet, like Abyss aliens. That’s why I pass on swimming in the ocean.
Favorite examples: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, The Abyss (bonus: they’re also aliens), The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, Jaws, Behemoth, The Sea Monster (also an Oversized, Radioactive Thing), It Came from Beneath the Sea
6) Aliens
I’m thinking more about alien invasion movies on this one, rather than movies set in space. But I’m including Alien and Aliens because they are awesome movies and the aliens are fierce (although I tend to be more of a Predator man, myself).
Favorite examples: Alien, Aliens, Predator, 20 Million Miles to Earth, Kronos, Signs, V, Fire in the Sky, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The War of the Worlds, Starship Troopers, Independence Day
5) Frankenstein-type Monster
Sure, they’re reanimated corpses that possess preternatural strength, but I find them to be the least cool of the “major” movie monsters. I think I could take one.
Favorite examples: Frankenstein, The Bride of Frankenstein, The Curse of Frankenstein, Young Frankenstein, Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein, Frankenstein Unbound, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein
4) Mummy
For centuries, philosophers and other great thinkers have pondered and debated this question: why are mummies not as cool as zombies? They’re similar, after all. I’m no Kant, but I think it’s because there’s no danger of mummification spreading like there is with zombification. It’s usually just the one mummy you’ve got to deal with.
Favorite examples: The Mummy (1932), The Mummy (1999), The Mummy (1959), Bubba Ho-Tep, The Mummy’s Hand, The Mummy Returns, Abbott & Costello Meet The Mummy
3) Werewolf
I didn’t realize how many great werewolf movies there were until I started working on this post. I mean, Teen Wolf alone puts werewolves in the top 5.
Favorite examples: An American Werewolf in London, Teen Wolf, Silver Bullet, The Howling, Ginger Snaps, Wolf, The Wolf Man, The Curse of the Werewolf, Dog Soldiers
2) Vampire
Like many people, I’m getting a little tired of the current vampire craze sweeping the nation. Especially in light of the fact that those things in Twilight are totally not vampires. But vampires are undeniably cool — they live forever, they can sometimes fly, they have superhuman strength and speed, they’re popular with the ladies, and they often have sweet accents.
Favorite examples: Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Interview with the Vampire, Salem’s Lot, From Dusk Till Dawn, Blade, The Lost Boys, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, True Blood, Underworld, Fright Night, Dracula, Nosferatu
1) Zombie
Zombies, to me, are the ultimate movie monster. Some of it has to do with how awesomely, gratuitously gory zombie movies can be. But I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that while the idea of fighting against a world-ravaging plague of flesh-eating zombies can be a little scary, it’s pretty cool at the same time.
I’m not saying that I wouldn’t be a little sad about the destruction of life as we know it; I’m just saying that when the inevitable zombie apocalypse comes, you could do worse than having me on your team. If video games are any indication (and we all know they are), I’m a zombie-killing machine.
Favorite examples: Night of the Living Dead, The Return of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, Shaun of the Dead, Zombie, Re-Animator, Planet Terror, Lifeforce (also features space vampires!), Dead Snow, Dead Alive, The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies, I Was a Zombie for the FBI
