Underrated Movie Monsters

Everyone knows Godzilla, Freddy Kruger, and Frankenstein (pretty much all of the Universal monsters, really). Their appearances makes them very distinct and iconic.

What are some underrated movie monsters that you know of or are surprised aren't more popular?

I'm unsure about how popular it is, but the Golem from the French film, Le Golem is pretty cool and distinctive. The Simpsons actually had a Treehouse of Horror episode that parodied the movie and took the golem's likeness.

Everyone knows the main five Universal monsters: Dracula, Frankenstein, Wolfman, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, and the Mummy, but I feel like the Phantom of the Opera is very unknown compared to them; strange since his story is tragic and has inspired many films or have been remade. I know that the phantom isn't really that unknown compared to most of the ones that will be posted, though.

The thing that most people seem to remember about Phantasm is The Tall Man and the silver spheres, but the dwarves deserve more attention than they get. The scene where our heroes unmask one and realize it's someone they knew, crushed down to size has always been pretty creepy.

There's those dudes with the gas masks in the sequels as well, but they didn't do very much. In fact I think the only reason I remember them at all is by virtue of the fact that they wear gas masks and this scene:

I always thought the Golem was cool as well. Though I must mention that you forgot the Invisible Man, if you consider him a Universal Monster(I sorta do...even if he's just an invisible guy). I love that movie.

I think Reg-man's chainsaw duel was the highlight of Phantasm II. That and the cool new golden sphere. Though I think the dwarves lost something when you saw their faces under the hoods in the sequels. The mixed blessings of a ramped-up budget for you.

I've got to mention the undead guys from Tombs of the Blind Dead. The idea is somewhat cooler than the execution, but they're still nasty and creepy.

Jekyll/Hyde. Not a single well-done remake to my knowledge.

Were there any movies at all after the 40s?

Pumpkin Head, I'm always surprised that people don't know about this one. I always thought he was genuinely scary.

Raw Head Rex, really good B-movie about a God-monster rampaging through Ireland. He looks like this in the movie.◊ He looks like this in the original book, I assume.◊

People hate it because it wasn't faithful to the book, even though it's still a pretty good, solid movie.

edited 22nd Mar '12 5:00:21 PM by NULLcHiLD27

I think the most unfortunate part of Jekyll/Hyde is that movies always portray him/them in an overused and incorrect way. In the story, from what I hear, Jekyll is old, but he's not weak and crippled, while Hyde is actually just a younger and evil man, not a beast. Additionally, Jekyll always had Hyde "in him". The potion Jekyll made didn't give Hyde to him, it unlocked him. But, every universal movie monster is basically an incorrect version of the corresponding monster.

I feel like Pumpkinhead is a dead horse trope, unfortunately.

Really? The Jekyll/Hyde film I saw (not all the way through mind you) had him more like a regular guy, but Hyde was kinda like an "animal" acting on his impulses.

"Dead Horse Trope"?

Well, I guess dead horse would be the wrong trope to associate with. I don't think you could honestly get scared from Pumpkinhead, or any interpretation. That Pumpkinhead you posted isn't really what I had in mind, I didn't realize that was a link, and thought you were talking about the monster in general. I was thinking of the more Headless Horseman type.

I totally agree about Pumpkinhead. In the original film, he's totally creepy and menacing. Blood Wings kind of sucked and the monster's different backstory seemed to diminish the threat for me, but I remember being surprised at how much I enjoyed the other two sequels(especially considering they were made for Syfy).

edited 23rd Mar '12 6:05:53 PM by Prowler

The creature from Andrej Zulawski's Possession. The thing gets laid!

The Predator. Just because there have been legions of crappy movies starring that character, does not take away the sheer coolness of the underlying concept. A being evolved to make hunting the most dangerous game, the human race, an act of the utmost ease.

I'm a fan of the moorwen from Outlander. I thought it had a great design with the bio-luminescence, as well as a somewhat sympathetic background humans destroyed its planet with an orbital bombardment so that they could make it into a colony. Really underrated film in general.

Oh yeah, I caught part of that on Sy-Fy a few months ago. That creature was pretty cool.

Outlander is just underrated in general.

The "Rorsach Inkplot Test -ghostmass" in the remake of House On Haunted Hill.

The Demon in the Paranormal Activity series. It is practically never seen, except as shadows, which indicate that it has long hair (maybe). It lets out roars, manipulates the environment, possesses people, and has Memetic Molester moments. Nasty little bugger!

The Blair Witch. You don't even have to see her and she'll fuck your shit up.

Ahem. Candyman, Candyman, Candyman, Candyman, Candyman. Okay, I said that name five times in front of mirror. Oh, here he comes, right out of the mirror now! Wow, he's a seriously big guy and Scary Black Man with an Evil Sounds Deep voice, and...what's this? Hey, he's missing a hand and he's got a hook in place of it! What kind of movie monster is this? Oh, Crap!! He's opened his coat, and he's actually a skeleton wreathed in the thousands of bees that killed him when he Was Once a Man! He's attacking me now and AAAAAUUGGGGHHH - *!

edited 22nd Apr '12 5:20:16 AM by TiggersAreGreat

The Rhedosaur; it seems like he only comes up when people talk about Godzilla's origins.

Would the Graboid from Tremors count?

Oh, yes. I love those movies.

How about the one from The Host?

Hellboy II and the Mist had a veritable cornucopia of awesome monsters.

The Incredible Melting Man.

Kothoga◊ from The Relic.