I'll hit my favorites from the group I call...."What the frak is that!?!"
These are baddies that we never really get to know much about, just that they don't like you and will somehow render you dead.
The Thing 1982
First watch this movie, it rocks!
The anagonist here is an alien. We all get that, but we never know why it does what it does or what it really is. I'm totally fine with that, since it looks so awesome when it manifests. That is one of the best parts. You are never really sure where it is or what it is. All you know is when it shows up it is really strange, drippy, bitey and mad. All traits of a good "What the frak is that!?!?" type monster.
Silent Hill 2 (or the horrible movie with a cameo from my man crush, Silent Hill 2006)
The Pyramid Head monster was a great antagonist. It looked damn weird, was killy and stalky. The first time I remember seeing it in Silent Hill 2 it was giving another weird monster (that was a strange set of a torso and four legs) a good rogering. He stalks the game and always leaves when that pesky siren sounds. A silent, strange, giant blade wielding giant with a metal....well pyramid thing for a head is a very iconic image in a game full of weird images. He out classes the twitchy nurses from the game, and they bring some good creep to the table. This guy was also in the movie about the game, a real stinker of a film. However, this guy shows up, pulls the clothes off some lady, then pulls her skin off and tosses the bloody epidermis-less victim aside. This provided a cool visual and gave Pyramid Head some much needed screen time. The look,movements, motivation, weapon and no real idea what this guy is; makes for another wonderful "What the frak is that!?!"
Lost 2004-2010
The smoke monster sadly if you watch the series you figure out what it is. However, for five seasons it was a mysterious big bad that tormented the island natives and the survivors of Oceanic 815.
This thing was just a pillar or cloud of black smoke. Why? It would randomly show up and torment and kill. There was no real motivation to it's actions. It also made a fantastic set of noises. There was a quasi-Godzilla roar, the crushing jungle noises when it wanted to do that and the very awesome metallic chirps and clicks (An analyzer in the hematology department at work makes the same noise. I was very excited the first time I heard it and it makes me smirk when I hear it now.). Every time this thing showed up it would be followed by the viewers wondering what the hell was going on and what that thing was. For over five seasons it was like that, and then sadly they explain what this thing is. I am in the camp of why do that? A strange monster that terrorizes doesn't always need an complete explanation or reveal. Still for the majority of the series it left me with a great,"What the frak is that!?!" monster.
Creepshow 1982
The story "The Crate" was one of the bits in this anthology movie. The beastie in it gave me the chills for years and years. Now granted, I saw this when I was 7 or 8 and was way way too young and had a reason to be freaked the hell out by this guy.
What we basically have is a chained and locked crate beneath some stairs. It is covered with a warning to not open.....so people open it, duh! Inside are these eyes and then a clawed furry arm that grabs. Then it procedes to eat whatever it has grabbed. Yeah it was crazy fear inducing as a child. You were not sure what the hell it was, why anyone would keep this thing and how it stayed alive locked away for years. All this made for a wonderful monster, the eyes, claws, blood, eating of people, the old crate and the why of it all. By the end of the story we get to see the face of this beast which is more of super fanged maw albino ape than anything else. The majority of the story makes for a great "What the frak is that!?!". I they had just not shown the monster it would probably be a bit scarier even today.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
These were either brief cameos or were just didn't have enough of the stuff needed to fill my ideal.
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| The, "What'll come out no more!?" monster from Big Trouble in Little China |
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| The monster from Cloverfield. |
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| This thing from Poltergeist, freaked me out as a kid |
Alien parasite is Slither? Hmmm how did it not make your list. Not complex enough?
ReplyDeleteThe crate monster was soooo not scary and yes I too watched it as a kid. You must have been a sissy growing up or something. Granted the yellow eyes glaring at you through the box would make one think there was some insanely freaky thing in there, but once revealed was mearly a psychotic looking ape. Now the how and why on a creature like that could lend itself to be on the "what the frak is that" list but there have to be better choices.
Smoke Monster on Lost was awesome until you realized what it really was and then it was kind of a let down.
Alien parasite thing in Prometheus? The how and why is still up for debate and should be on the "what the frak is that" list, just sayin.
Be patient, Slither just might make another list.....
ReplyDeleteThe Crate was scary to an child, don't be daft!
Prometheus was just pre-pre-pre-Alien. Duh! I know what that is.