There’s nothing quite like a movie monster.
No, we are not talking about Liz Hurley, Catherine Zeta Jones or Rosie O’Donnell, we are talking about hideous creatures that thrive on the weak and the unholy scent of death. Again, we are not talking about Liz Hurley, Catherine Zeta Jones or Rosie O’Donnell.
Anyway, a good movie monster can add real bite (literally) to even the most mundane films.
They can shock, terrify and even inspire highly-profitable marketing spin-offs. We just can’t get enough of them. But why? Is it because we are so sick of being at the top of the food chain? Are we really that bored? Or is just because we take great pleasure in watching a predator outwit its prey?
Truth is, how the hell should we know? Who do you think I am, David frigging Attenborough?
Anyway, in our latest excuse to write some random list, we have decided to expose the monsters with a little more bite. The creatures which really make the feature. And no we are not talking horror icons like Dracula, Freddie, Jason or Michael Myers, or just beastly humans like Hannibal. We are talking horrible, slavering beasts with a taste for human flesh.
And no, we are still not talking about Liz Hurley, Catherine Zeta Jones or Rosie O’Donnell.
Enjoy!
20. Sarlacc
Movie: Star Wars : The Return of the Jedi
A giant anus in the desert which eats you and you are digested for 1,000 years. Now that’s pretty scary.
19. Giant Claw
Sorriest-looking thing on two wings ? but who cares?
18. Worms
Movie: Deep Rising
Pretty disgusting worms from a little gem of a horror movie.
17. Stripe
Movie: Gremlins
Best Mohican we’ve ever seen.
16. Pinhead
Movies: Hellraiser series
Don’t ever play with nail guns.
15. The Thing
Movie: The Thing
Don’t fancy yours much.
14. Gamera
Movies: Daikaij? Gamera and a few others
A giant, flying turtle that was launched in Japan as a rival to Godzilla during the 60s. Among some of his other names is ‘Friend To All Children’. We think he should keep quiet about that one.
13. The Marshmallow Man
Movie: Ghostbusters
He’s so sweet.
12. Crawlers
Movie: The Descent
Stopped us from going pot-holing again.
11. Werewolf
Movie: An American Werewolf In London
Americans?! You come over here, shag our women, take our jobs and turn into man-eating wolves.
10. Pale Man
Movie: Pan’s Labyrinth
Really quite horrible.
9. Skeletons
Movie: Jason and the Argonauts
Scared the hell out of us when we were kids.
8. Shelob
Movie: Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King
Imagine finding that in your bath.
7. Tyrannosaurus Rex
Movies: Jurassic Park series
True story – a friend of ours’ mum after watching Jurassic Park asked: ‘Dinosaurs: They are extinct, aren’t they?’ Guess the T-Rex really did push new boundaries.
6. Fly
Movie: The Fly
Pesky flies.
5. Gwoemul
Movie: The Host
Tadpoles have never been so scary.
4. Shark
Movie: Jaws
OK, the award should really go to the cello, but still?
3. King Kong
Movies: King Kong in its various guises
The Peter Jackson remake was good ? but the 1933 original is better.
2. Godzilla
Movies: Too many to mention
A legend.
1. Xenomorph
Movies: Alien series
Scares the hell out of us.
Karla says
I had a crush on Godzilla when I was a little girl, lol
Tim says
eh, no.
jimmy rollins says
your list sucks. i’ve seen better monsters…well, somewhere.
katie says
Very nice list. You must be a die hard fan of horror flicks.. aren’t you?
Ogre says
And what about Cloverfield’s monster? :(
Steve says
What?! No Cloverfield monster? No Predator? What about classic monsters like Wolfman, Frankenstein, the Mummy, Creature from the Black Lagoon? Your list sucks, your website sucks, and most importantly YOU SUCK.
Gerald says
Uhm… Cloverfield? I’m really surprised it didn’t make this list.
Beth says
I loved The Host! Right up until the very ending where I guess their effects budget crapped out? The last few minutes (of action, anyway) looked really bad.
What really scared me as a kid were the graboids from Tremors. Only the knowledge that they could not penetrate our cement foundation allowed me to sleep at night. My 11 year old mentioned the same problem just last week. He was also deeply traumatized by the toilet-monster in Look Who’s Talking, Too. I had to actually pay him to go in the potty for weeks when he was being toilet trained, and he still has to open the door before flushing. Just in case.
Jackoffjillianscott says
Colverfield blows get over it and I’m glad the original godzilla is on the list he was funny and kicked ass, and xenomorphs first woohoo..
Horror says
Cloverfield wasn’t that good. Maybe after a sequel or 2, but the stupid mystery making around it was what killed it. The Cloverfield monster had as much personality as an earthquake. It was just a thing that turned up, no origin, no character, nothing to fear or pity, just something that rolled around breaking things. The bugs were scarier.
Sarlac and Marshmallow Man are poor additions. One is a hole in the floor and the other is a big teddy bear. Tremors should be up there, Predator, Dracula, the Arachnids from Starship Troopers were cool for their violence alone.
Some good inclusions though, The Host taddy thing and Brundlefly especially.
Mistry says
Liz Hurley and Catherine Zeta Jones were movie monsters? I’m confused.
Doug says
How about Medusa, or the Kraken from Clash of the Titans.
Rogue says
No critters!?
No graboids?!?
No arachnids?! (starship troopers)
Television Spy says
That’s all sorts of wrong lol.
The real (alt) ending of the Descent is creepy and disturbing..(spoiler: it was all a dream, the girl is left still stuck in the cave scared and incapacitated but the camera zooms out and shows that a few of those creepers are amassing on her position to eat her alive)
Josh says
@Horror
So are you willing to make the argument that the Dinosaurs in Jurassic Park or the Shark in Jaws show more character development that the monster in Cloverfield?
Hell, Gwoemul just looks like a japanese equivalent to Cloverfield in the sense of just a crazy creature running amok ensuing chaos where it goes.
The skeletons from Jason and the Argonauts are just pawns for the slaughter even.
The list obviously isn’t about monsters the audience is supposed to make a connection with, otherwise only King Kong and Godzilla would be deserving on this list as it stands.
This list was poorly put together since, is it about scary monsters or memorable ones?
godzilla isn’t scary, but Gwoemul isn’t memorable.
Though I will agree that some of your suggestions would be better suited for the list, The Cloverfield monster is a memorable movie horror icon and just as deserving on the list, whether you liked the movie or not.
amanda says
how about the ‘kracken’ from the Pirates of the Caribbean 2? that thing was YUKKY !!! it really really really grossed me out !!! so much that ive only watched the movie a couple of times .. yukk yukkkk !!!!!!!!!!
Andelle says
Horror, the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man is effing terrifying. He belongs here.
boosh says
wheres the predator? and the graboids? good call with deep rising though, classic film.
Nobodyelse says
Godzilla is and always will be King of the Monsters!
Cloverfield sucked.
David says
The Predator!?!
Bored says
So the things in The Descent are called Crawlers? Huh. That movie freaked me out, especially the trick double ending where it was just a dream and she’s still in the cave. I won’t be Spelunking for a while.
John_Lordly says
I just think i should say cloverfield sucks ass really bad. i wasted 8 dollars to see that i walked out and hour into the movie
Nick says
What movie is the giant claw from?
Jaffo says
Cloverfield kicked ass and The Host FUCKING SUCKED. That was the dumbest thing I have wasted time and money on in a theater in probably my entire life. STUPID. POINTLESS. RIDICULOUS. These are justa few of the terms that come to mind when I think of The Host. Fuck The Host. It is a PILE OF SHIT…
Kimbo says
To Jaffo – YOU are a piece of shit, but I don’t go on about it.
Anyway, I think that this was an alright list. Personally, I don’t think much of King Kong. He’s alright, but Godzilla kicked his ass in Godzilla Vs. King Kong. But anyway, my list would go like this:
20) Viperwolf (Avatar)
19) Basilisk (Harry Potter)
18) Arachnids (Starship Troopers)
17) Rancor (Star Wars)
16) Predator (everyone already knows)
15) Gremlins (Gremlins) (I know that you may think that the Gremlins are not worthy of this list, but I personally like them.)
14) Thanator (Avatar)
13) Sarlacc (Star Wars)
12) King Kong (King Kong)
11) Dinocroc (Dinocroc)
10) Gamera (12 movies, latest starring in the 2006 film Gamera the Great)
9) Gigan (Godzilla Vs. Gigan)
8) Xenomorph (you know)
7) Clover (Cloverfield)(It may look retarded, but I do like Clover.)
6) Graboid (Tremors)
5) Biollante (Godzilla Vs. Biollante)
4) Gwoemul (The Host) (Have it Jaffo you useless fuck nugget. Yeah, I’d rather piss a cactus out of my dick than listen to your drivvel you worthless, retarded no-nob bastard. Oh yeah, you have got a knob, but unfortunatly it is placed on your head.)
3) Giant Claw (The Giant Claw) (I recently learnt that it is actually called La Carcagne)
2) Mothra (Mothra) (Shut up with the comments saying that Mothra is a pussy. She’s braver than Jaffo. well, that’s not saying much, but I still like her.)
1) Godzilla (28 movies – not counting the 1998 American remake, that raped Godzilla’s name with its own monster, who is officially called Zilla.)
As you may have guessed, I am obsessed with Godzilla, mostly because he pwns. Oh, and by the way, sorry if I offended you in any way Jaffo, but I hope that I have made my point. ;)
MotherfuckerKane says
Everyone’s gay but me.
Si Sharp says
You say that but yet I’ve been cupping your balls for an hour now and you’ve not moved an inch.
Aurora says
The Mummy vs The Wolf Man! In glorious stop motion! http://youtu.be/kf_Ux0sb2LQ
skywatcher says
That’s froom “The Giant Claw.” It’s woorth nooting that the entire movie was filmed witht special effects, so no one in the movie had ever seen the monster. The monster was added by a Mexican special effects team as they coold do it mch cheaper. The actors saw the mnster bird for the first time when they attended the premier. ne f them reprtedly gave p the mvie bsiness on the spot.
FeltedChicken says
Fun list! Thanks! I like how you included the monster from The Host instead of Cloverfield… The Host is my favorite monster movie & probably my favorite movie of all time!!
-Chrissy M.