Let us cut right to the chase...or right to the screaming as many of
the folks on this list would prefer! Not only am I married to a top home
haunter, I have been a big fan of horror movies (also called monster
movies) for years. In my experience, as a fan of the genre, here are my
top ten monsters of all time!
10. Kraken (1981)
From the 1981 Clash of the Titans, this is a creature that stirs the
imagination. Although the Kraken is a creature of myth, it is the film
version that everyone remembers. Who could forget the end scene of the
original Clash of the Titans where the Kraken comes for Andromeda? (What
he wanted her for is not clear to me. Did he plan to eat her? Invite
her to go for a swim?) At any rate, the Kraken was brought to life by
the stop-motion animation of Ray Harryhausen, a legend in horror and
fantasy movies. The image of Perseus turning the Kraken to stone is
classic and so is this multi-armed monster in this writer's opinion.
9. Creature From the Black Lagoon (all versions)
There have been many movies about terrifying sea creatures, but
Creature From the Black Lagoon is still the best. (Sorry, Jaws!)
Released in 1954, it features a monster-like gill-man discovered on an
expedition in the Amazon. Like many famous monsters of the silver
screen, the Creature spawned sequels. The original Creature of the Black
Lagoon movie is being remade for a 2011 release, according to the IMDB
Web site.
8. Mummy (Boris Karloff)
Boris Karloff makes his first appearance on our list! The Mummy,
directed by Karl Freund, is a 1932 horror film from Universal Studios.
It starred Karloff as a revived ancient Egyptian priest called Imhotep.
While the movie is not a drop-dead scare fest, it is a classic that is
in the collective memory of our society. When people think of mummies,
they invariably think of Karloff shuffling out of his sarcophagus in
bandages. The Mummy was semi-remade in The Mummy's Hand (1940) but it
was Karloff's version that began the Mummy movies.
7. Michael Myers (all versions)
Michael Myers is the one who started the slasher genre. He first
showed up in 1978's Halloween as a young boy who murders his older
sister, and then returns home years later to kill again. His fights with
Jamie Lee Curtis in the first two Halloween movies are perfect examples
of how scary movie chases should work. Although, I think Michael's
fights with Donald Pleasence (who played Dr. Loomis) are the best parts
of the Halloween films. The only negative aspects to the Halloween
movies to me are the continuity issues. For instance, Halloween III,
although not a bad movie, has nothing to do with the other installments.
Also, Halloween H20: 20 Years Later almost ignores established
continuity from earlier movies with no explanation.
6. Dracula (Bela Lugosi)
Bela Lugosi was a Hungarian actor, best known for playing Count
Dracula in the Broadway play and classic Universal Studios Dracula
films, too. The now classic Dracula that made Lugosi a star came out in
1931. Although the movie is a little slow and not as exciting as other
Universal classics, such as the Frankenstein films, Lugosi made the film
work. No matter how many vampire movies are made, too, this is the most
memorable. Ask anyone who is Dracula and they immediately think of
Bela's Dracula. His Dracula is an icon.
5. Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund)
Robert Englund is best known for playing serial killer Freddy Krueger
in the Nightmare on Elm Street film series. According to Wikipedia, he
received a Saturn Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for A
Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors in 1987 and A Nightmare on Elm
Street 4: The Dream Master in 1988. I am not surprised. He was
excellent as Freddy. The new Freddy cannot hold a candle, or dingy red
sweater, to Englund. He approached playing Freddy with a mixture of
horror and comedy. His witty banter with his victims is the stuff of
legend.
4. Wolfman (Lon Chaney Jr.)
"Even a man who is pure in heart and says his prayers by night, may
become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms and the autumn moon is bright."
When you talk about werewolves, there is none better than Lon
Chaney's Wolfman in the 1941 Universal Studios movie. From the iconic
makeup to the gypsy curse, it is Chaney's Wolfman that society knows
best, and with good reason - it is a darn good movie that stands the
test of time.
3. Frankenstein's Monster (Boris Karloff)
Do I really have to write that Boris Karloff's portrayal of the
Frankenstein Monster is a classic creature of the cinema? The crash of
thunder, the sizzling laboratory machines, the monster's hand
moving-these are the images we all have embedded in our minds. No
version of the Frankenstein Monster gets better than Karloff's version
from the classic 1931 horror film.
2. Leatherface (all versions)
Leatherface is the main killer in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
horror-film series. He wears masks made of his victims' skin (which is
where the name Leatherface comes from) and is the character from the
movie who normally carries a chainsaw. Not only is Leatherface one of
the first slasher-type villains but he is drop-dead scary! While I think
all versions of Leatherface are scary as heck, the best Leatherface
actors were Gunnar Hansen (from the first Texas Chainsaw Massacre) and
Bill Johnson (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2). I still think the scene in
Massacre 2 when Leatherface runs, chainsaw roaring, out of the darkened
radio station toward the lead female actor is horrifying.
1. Jason Voorhees (all versions)
Sure, Kane Hodder has played Jason more than any other actor, but I
can't pick one Jason that is better than another. Each actor who played
the undead slasher Jason Voorhees brought something new to the role.
Jason Voorhees is the killer from the Friday the 13th series. He first
appeared in Friday the 13th (1980); although, he was not the main
villain in the first movie. Jason is a great character because of the
iconic hockey mask, the creepy camp setting, and because you feel some
sympathy for him. He was a deformed child who was mocked by peers and
ignored by camp counselors. He also loves his mommy. (Watch the movies
and you will see what I mean.) Because he evokes sympathy in the
audience, he is a little like Frankenstein's Monster but definitely more
evil.
Agree with my choices? Disagree with me? Post a comment. And remember
to watch over your shoulder when walking in the woods at night. The
guys above may be stalking.
