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Scariest movie monsters…

post #1 of 46
8/7/06 at 4:45am
Thread Starter 
Okay, first, this is (stupid as it sounds) not a “favorite monsters” list, since some great monster designs can be destroyed and watered down by a bad script or a bad director, but I’d like to center on the effectiveness and creativity of the monster itself, be it a classical, original or inspired creature…I’ll put both a classic and new one to start this (pointing their “best moment”, for personal reasons), but I would love to see some arguments for already picked creatures…here goes:

(Presence of spoilers should be pretty obvious in this sort of thread, btw)

Xenomorph (Alien Series, but the “Aliens” design is the best in my opinion)
Taking the original H.R. Giger creature and making it more fearsome seems like a difficult task, but by giving it strength in numbers and coupling it with stealthy moves and hive-like characteristics made these bastards the embodiment of space terror.
Best moment: Not the obvious reveal of their hive Queen, but rather that single Xenomorph emerging from the waters behind little Newt, a inhuman nightmare that we are forced too perceive in the eyes of a child.

Pyramid Head (Silent Hill)
Regardless of your feelings for the film (Good game adaptation, flawed narrative yet visually outstanding movie in my opinion), you have to admit that this bastard, despite its brief appearance, was scary as they come.
From its imposing scale and disturbing design (the huge knife helps) to the sheer relentless and brutality it brings upon the protagonists and audience, Pyramid Head showed how practical effects and men in suits can co-exist with CGI, and create a far better on-screen presence than something created in a computer software.
Best moment: Despite his earlier gift of a room littered with bugs, Pyramid Head proceeds to perform the best “people trapped in room v/s huge blades” scene since Robert Patrick did the same in his liquid metal glory…and tops himself before disappearing from the picture a few scenes later.
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post #2 of 46
8/7/06 at 5:02am
I have to disagree that Cameron improved the Alien design, actually. I found it far more frightening in the first film, seeing bits of it. The choreography and filming of the beast were so clever that you never get a clear idea of exactly what its shape is, or how it moves. Some people feel cheated by never getting a true reveal, but to me, the unknown is more terrifying than any rubber suit. At any rate, Aliens is really more about action than horror, and the re-imagining of the creatures was bent toward that purpose. Personally, I think the chest-burster scene in Alien is still one of the most disturbing things ever put on film, all due credit to John Hurt.

This discussion cannot go forward without mention of Jaws. For all the famous problems Bruce caused, his appearance in the "We're gonna need a bigger boat" scene is a full-on jump out of your seat moment.
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post #3 of 46
8/7/06 at 5:09am
My favorite is probably always going to be The Creature From The Black Lagoon. Besides the fact that it dominates my childhood creature feature memories more than probably any other screen monster, it truly is a masterpiece of it's time. The design is imaginative and vibrant. The costume is far more functional than anything of the time. It's the most realistic looking movie monster of the 50's and even today it holds up as a practical effect.
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post #4 of 46
8/7/06 at 5:10am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nigel St. Buggering
I have to disagree that Cameron improved the Alien design, actually. I found it far more frightening in the first film, seeing bits of it. The choreography and filming of the beast were so clever that you never get a clear idea of exactly what its shape is, or how it moves.
That's exactly why I prefer "Aliens" more, for not reharsing the same old thing and showing that "less is more" can sometimes be proved wrong...besides, everyone has some "Alien" movie that's a fovorite among the rest.
I still get the crap scared out of me by the ducts chase scene in that one, though.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nigel St. Buggering
This discussion cannot go forward without mention of Jaws. For all the famous problems Bruce caused, his appearance in the "We're gonna need a bigger boat" scene is a full-on jump out of your seat moment.
I was about to go all "annoying nerd" here and argue about Bruce not being a monster per se , but lets admit that bastard was as huge as he was scary...great pick, Nigel.
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post #5 of 46
8/7/06 at 5:13am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sacrilicious Supersucker
My favorite is probably always going to be The Creature From The Black Lagoon. The design is imaginative and vibrant. The costume is far more functional than anything of the time. It's the most realistic looking movie monster of the 50's and even today it holds up as a practical effect.
Another great pick...and one I wish would never see a remake or CGI abomination, because, as you said, it still holds up.
The mirror swimming scene brings a tear to my eye to this day, actually.
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post #6 of 46
8/7/06 at 5:15am
Zombies.

I don't know if there's any other type of creature or monster that doesn't creep me out as much as zombies.

Why? Because under the rotting flesh it's just a reflection of the worst part of ourselves.
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post #7 of 46
8/7/06 at 5:16am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vader
Zombies.

I don't know if there's any other type of creature or monster that doesn't creep me out as much as zombies.

Why? Because under the rotting flesh it's just a reflection of the worst part of ourselves.
I was about to ask "¿which kind of zombies?", but that last quote is pure Romero love, right?
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post #8 of 46
8/7/06 at 5:21am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vader
Zombies.

I don't know if there's any other type of creature or monster that doesn't creep me out as much as zombies.

Why? Because under the rotting flesh it's just a reflection of the worst part of ourselves.
So which zombies would you pick as the best examples? Myself, it's all about the original Night of the Living Dead. Sure, the effects were primitive, but there's something primally creepy about the way they were portrayed and filmed in that movie.
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post #9 of 46
8/7/06 at 5:40am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nigel St. Buggering
So which zombies would you pick as the best examples? Myself, it's all about the original Night of the Living Dead. Sure, the effects were primitive, but there's something primally creepy about the way they were portrayed and filmed in that movie.
Yep. Another example of the old, original vision holding up as the best. In NOTLD the zombies were meant to be nothing but frightening. They were humanity at it's worst. Souless and unreasoning. People as empty shells that could only kill and convert you, regardless of the relationship you had with them before they died. After that, they became caricatures of that horror. In Dawn, the zombies were sort of mockery, showing us as mindless consumers and featuring easy to laugh at zombies like Hare Krishna and clowns. In Day, they seemed sort of diminished. They weren't even the main villian, really. I don't want to get into my feelings on Land, since I've ranted on them on these boards enough. NOTLD definitely holds up as the most frightening zombies.
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post #10 of 46
8/7/06 at 5:45am
John Carpenter's version of The Thing. It could be anyone or anything, can get you at any time.

Same with Invasion of the Body Snatchers and the Pod People. The damn things get you while you sleep.

Basically anything from deep space. Except the Killer Klowns and Critters...
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post #11 of 46
8/7/06 at 5:46am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sacrilicious Supersucker
Souless and unreasoning.

Damn straight. That's the main reason why.

The Night, Dawn, and Day zombies are forever the best in my book.
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post #12 of 46
8/7/06 at 5:53am
Well, since the Xenomorphs have been mentioned, I figure it's only fair to give a nod to the Predator.
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post #13 of 46
8/7/06 at 6:07am
Quote:
Originally Posted by AlmightyShmun
Well, since the Xenomorphs have been mentioned, I figure it's only fair to give a nod to the Predator.
Is he really all that scary though? I mean sure he'll de-spine someone in a heartbeat, but he's not really that creepy. He's more a bad mofo than a scary monster. Ugly sucker though.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ryoken
Another great pick...and one I wish would never see a remake or CGI abomination, because, as you said, it still holds up.
The mirror swimming scene brings a tear to my eye to this day, actually.
Abe in Hellboy was a pretty cool twist on the creature from the black lagoon. Totally different as a monster, and not scary(or intended to be), but similar visually. The CGI they did with him was top notch too.

*edit-
Quote:
Originally Posted by Striding Cloud Django
John Carpenter's version of The Thing.
That was my first thought too.
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post #14 of 46
8/7/06 at 6:10am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Striding Cloud Django
Same with Invasion of the Body Snatchers and the Pod People. The damn things get you while you sleep.
Oh yeah. The 1978 version gave me nightmares as a kid. Still one of my favorite sci-fi/horror films.
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post #15 of 46
8/7/06 at 6:12am
Also, does possessed Regan count as a movie monster? The Exorcist still creeps the shit out of me to this day. Linda Blair was terrifying.
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post #16 of 46
8/7/06 at 6:32am
That white face they show you for a couple of frames, ugh....

I remember velociraptors being scary once.
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post #17 of 46
8/7/06 at 7:00am
Carpenter's The Thing is the scariest monster there is. It is so different than any other creature. The film tells very little about it, like the ice around it's ship being at least 100'000 years old or how it could infect the planet in few years. So it's all about the fear of the unknown. The creature has the same element that makes zombies terrifying: someone you think you know is something else.

Also the sailors in John Carpenter's "The Fog" gave me nightmares when I saw it as a child.
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post #18 of 46
8/7/06 at 12:16pm
I'd probably also go with Romero's original batch of zombies (maybe zombies were always meant to be filmed in B&W), but since that has been mentioned:

There was a scene in the original Nightmare on Elm Street where Freddy is walking down a tunnel or alley and his arms stretch out impossibly long, he scrapes his blades along the wall (and I think he chuckles). Don't know if it would scare me now but something about that scene back then burned itself into my brain for years. The idea of it still gives me the willies.
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post #19 of 46
8/7/06 at 1:12pm
I think the alien, mainly because it hides in dark places and not only kills you but rapes you first. That's harsh.
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post #20 of 46
8/7/06 at 1:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Striding Cloud Django
Basically anything from deep space. Except the Killer Klowns
Hey now! Those things rocked as monsters. Not scary, but not crap either.





Nice and nasty.


I was coming in here to mention Giger's Alien and Carpenter's Thing. I also have a soft spot in my heart for the vampires in Hooper's SALEM'S LOT. Pale skin, luminous eyes, fangs, inhuman hissing, and the fact there's a community of them (not to mention The Master). Simple, and very effective.
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post #21 of 46
8/7/06 at 3:02pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Charlie Brigden
I think the alien, mainly because it hides in dark places and not only kills you but rapes you first. That's harsh.
Are you kidding or do I seriously need to rewatch this film?
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post #22 of 46
8/7/06 at 3:05pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ServantOfDagon
Are you kidding or do I seriously need to rewatch this film?
Alien attacks John Hurt, forcibly impregnates him, bursts out of his chest, he dies. A twofer or rape and murder.

Most twisted lifecycle ever.
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post #23 of 46
8/7/06 at 3:07pm
I suspected you meant that. I somehow thought a full-grown xenomorph rape scene had passed me by.
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post #24 of 46
8/7/06 at 3:10pm
I had the worst nightmares of my life about Xenomorphs, after only seeing a commercial for the third film on TV. Most movie monsters, like Romero's zombies, there gets tro be a point in the series where they give them sympathy.

I have never once felt anything but terror towards Xenomorphs.
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post #25 of 46
8/7/06 at 3:40pm
I think a good ingredient for an ultimately scary monster is the inability to reason with it. Forces of Nature as it were: Zombies, xenomorphs, giant shark, etc.

You can carry a conversation with a vampire and possibly convince him to turn you instead of eat you... loses some of the bite (hee hee).

The paranoia-driven "enemy from within" approach to The Thing & Snatchers is also truly effective. A big reason why these type of movies flourished during McMarthy era.

Monsters that specifically target kids have an additional fear-factor: you also have the fear of not being believed by your elders.

Underwater monsters have the advantage of hitting you from all directions and being the masters of their realm. Humans in H2O are basically "fish outta water" in this circumstance. I still get the creeps while swimming at the beach & that Williams' Jaws theme pops into my head. Course, sharks truly exist and have been known to eat a person or 2...
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post #26 of 46
8/7/06 at 3:44pm
I not much of a fan of horror movies, but for me the Thing is tops. It seems to take everything that makes all the rest of these movies (Body Snatchers, Alien, Jaws, even Terminator) scary and roll them seamlessly into one. The concept also allows for ever more disgusting and surprising creature moments throughout the film, which are fantastically realized with practical effects, and possibly the most truly alien looking designs ever in a movie. More than the design, though, the character of the creature is terrifying in the way it can shift so quickly from the methodical patience that the infiltration/imitation plan requires to such a primal, animalistic mode when exposed or threatened. Add to that the more abstract fear that come with the realization that it could destroy all life on earth relatively simply and the fact that it is basically impossible to kill with absolute certainty (since a single drop of blood could hypothetically recreate it), and you've got one seriously scary movie.
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post #27 of 46
8/7/06 at 3:48pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ServantOfDagon
I suspected you meant that. I somehow thought a full-grown xenomorph rape scene had passed me by.
Also when the Alien kills Veronica Cartwright, there's long slow shot of his spiney tale rising up between her legs as she whimpers.

Also when Ian Holm attacks Sigourney he shoves a porno mag into her mouth.

The film is full of rape.
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post #28 of 46
8/7/06 at 3:51pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by DARKMITE8
I think a good ingredient for an ultimately scary monster is the inability to reason with it. Forces of Nature as it were: Zombies, xenomorphs, giant shark, etc.
This is why I disagree with Shmun on the Predator. They're awesome killing machines, but they have specific rules of engagement. Which makes them sort of honorable. I would never have nightmares about a Predator hunting me when I was a kid, because I wasn't a Special Forces Commando. I always feared the monsters that would kill anything, including kids.
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post #29 of 46
8/7/06 at 3:55pm
It's that violent sexuality of HR Giger's design that makes them so dark and terrifying to me. Romero's zombies have always been a threat, but no more a threat than the communication breakdown of the human survivors.
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post #30 of 46
8/7/06 at 4:57pm
Pennywise still scares the crap out of me. Made for TV movies count?
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post #31 of 46
8/7/06 at 5:16pm
Now, this might not be a horror movie, but i checked the new Pirates movie out the other night and i gotta say that i found Davey Jones and his croneys to be some of the scariest and most expertly realised movie monsters I've seen in ages.. In fact, i think this is probly the first time i'd actually side with graphics in the old "CG vs. Practical Effects" argument...
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post #32 of 46
8/7/06 at 6:15pm
Considering it was TV, they did pretty good with these guys:



The way they floated and moved without making any sound was a nice touch straight out of nightmareville.
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post #33 of 46
8/7/06 at 7:20pm
Reapers. Despite being in a hardcore action film, they accomplished a deed I've long thought impossible: They made vampires scary again. Hell, even while they're dead, the fuckers creep me out.
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post #34 of 46
8/7/06 at 10:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Striding Cloud Django
John Carpenter's version of The Thing. It could be anyone or anything, can get you at any time.

You know, I just re-watched that movie for the first time since I was a kid...and I have to admit that it still scared me a bit. I was really surprised how well that movie has held up and was genuinely shocked at the fact that certain scenes still creeped me the hell out. My daughter is getting to the age where she is VERY interested in horror films, so its really fun to introduce her to the movies that scared me at her age. This was one.
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post #35 of 46
8/7/06 at 10:38pm
The Blob, particularly the one from the remake, scared the shit out of me as a kid. I still get a little creeped out by it to this day. I think it's just the whole "It's unstoppable and keeps getting bigger" thing. Sort of like inevitable death.
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post #36 of 46
8/7/06 at 10:41pm
Me too. Also, one of my greatest fears is being sucked down the plughole of a sink face first.
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post #37 of 46
8/7/06 at 10:42pm
Gremlins... those fuckers haunted my dreams as a child. Sure, it looks fun as shit to hang out with them when everyone is having a good time, but when the ice cream runs out and the booze is dry that's when it's time to run for your life.
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post #38 of 46
8/7/06 at 10:42pm
That's a really specific fear, Charlie.
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post #39 of 46
8/7/06 at 10:44pm
It's what you get for being exposed to Cream at such a young age.
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post #40 of 46
8/7/06 at 10:45pm
It's right next to being trapped in a microwave while Frances Lee McCain is about to turn it on, and being buried in the sand by Leslie Nielsen.
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post #41 of 46
8/7/06 at 11:04pm
Oh great. Now it's the fucking iBlob.

You son of a bitch.
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post #42 of 46
8/7/06 at 11:10pm
That would make a great sequel.

"Hey, an iPod! I'll just pick this u-BLLLLLAAAAAARRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHHEEEECCCCCCHHHHHHHHH !"
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post #43 of 46
8/8/06 at 12:52am
Seriously, snakes. Whenever snakes showed up in a movie, that did it for me. "Anaconda" gave me sleepless nights, and there's another snake-related film coming this summer that's sure to fuck with me.
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post #44 of 46
8/8/06 at 1:22am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Andrew Clarke
Also when the Alien kills Veronica Cartwright, there's long slow shot of his spiney tale rising up between her legs as she whimpers.

Also when Ian Holm attacks Sigourney he shoves a porno mag into her mouth.

The film is full of rape.
Actually those legs are Harry Dean Stanton's. Cartwright had white pants and cowboy boots on throughout the film. It's the single biggest technical gaff in the film.

And Shell...don't show your girl The Thing. My parent's did that to me as a kid and that's why I'm so fucked up today...
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post #45 of 46
8/11/06 at 9:09pm
I got to go with Bill Cosby in Ghost Dad, that haunted me for a fortnight.
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post #46 of 46
8/13/06 at 8:32am
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