Just in Time for Halloween... Right?

So, I thought long and hard about wanting to contribute something worthwhile to the internet. About creating something original and new that would stand out from the mass of film review and news sites out there. I spent a very long time contemplating this issue.

Then I got bored and made a countdown of the 20 best monster movies.

First, before I start counting down, I have a disclaimer: This is a list of only films I have seen. Chances are, if you think a movie is missing, it's because I haven't seen it (ex. Alien, The Thing, Predator). Reviewing movies I have yet to watch would take psychic abilities I do not possess. However, there are a few obvious exceptions. Movies I refuse to include in this list due to their supreme awfulness are:

I'll eat your children and lay eggs in them.

The Mummy (1999)

(For paying Brendan Fraser to act)

 The Mummy Returns

(For continuing to support Brendan Fraser's film Career)

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

(I hate Brendan Fraser)

He knows what he did. Now, this is not strictly which movies are best, but which exemplify the best that the monster movie genre has to offer, either by breaking new ground or by showing us just how good the classic formula can be in the right hands. And keep in mind that I love every single one of these movies to death, I just like some of them more than others in a sort of creepy, mutant, Animal Farm fashion.

So grab a pen and start making a list for your next movie marathon. Hit the jump to start the countdown.

He's climbin' up yo buildings!

20. King Kong (1933)

A classic that no self respecting monster movie enthusiast can dislike. While its plot may be scarce and its acting slightly sub-par, it set the tone for every the future of the giant monster genre, including his once-rival, Godzilla, which debuted two decades later. Oh, and a big monkey fights planes!

Synopsis: A film crew goes to a tropical island for an exotic location shoot and discovers a colossal giant gorilla who takes a shine to their female blonde star.

And after we asked so politely

 19. Night of the Living Dead (1968)

George A. Romero's first entry into his impossibly long series of zombie films and a movie that remains just as terrifying today. One of the first splatter-horror movies, it used blood and gore to terrify rather than masks and effects. And while I may not be a proponent of movie gore, Romero is a prime example of how it can be done well. Also, just look at that poster, it's hilarious! "THEY WON'T STAY DEAD!"

Synopsis: A group of people hide from bloodthirsty zombies in a farmhouse.

Help! I've fallen...

18. The Mummy (1932)

This movie could have run with the subtitle, "Boris Karloff stares at the camera for an hour and a half". It's fantastically creepy. Those Eyebrows... One of Karloff's most iconic roles and among the pantheon of Universal's classic monster flicks. Also, it does not suffer the presence of Brendan Fraser, which makes it soooooo much better.

Synopsis: A team of archeologists accidentally revives an ancient Egyptian priest, named Imhotep, who prowls Cairo seeking the reincarnation of the soul of his ancient lover.

Snatchin' yo bodies up!

17. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)

 Remakes are not often successful, but it seems that the monster movie genre is the one exception (2007's The Invasion aside). While the original is still better, '78's Invasion hits all the right notes and manages to put its own spin on things. While the original is more concerned with cold war paranoia, this twists the pod people to mirror modern society's obsession with our mental and physical health. And I think Donald Sutherland's mustache may just be one of Karloff's eyebrows.

Synopsis: In San Francisco, a group of people discover the human race is being replaced one by one, with clones devoid of emotion.

Such luscious lips

16. Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)

The classic monster movie formula: A group of scientists goes on an ill-advised expedition and ends up butting uglies with some half-man half-animal mashup. This movie doesn't do a whole lot to tamper or experiment with this formula, but damn if it doesn't do it justice. And the Gill Man is probably the most out there monster in classic monster movies, yet is still iconic to this day.

Synopsis: A scientific expedition traveling up the Amazon River encounter a dangerous humanoid amphibious fish creature.

Isn't she adorable?

15. Splice (2009)

What makes this movie good is how it reverently mimics the tone and tropes of classic mad scientist movies. What makes it amazing is how it ponders the controversial questions associated with human cloning while maintaining moral ambiguity on all sides. Even while the world falls apart around our protagonists, the film keeps us on their side, all the way up til the unthinkable happens. And then it happens again. And again. The monster's last line will haunt you for the rest of your life. It's that messed up.

Synopsis: Two rebellious scientists are told to halt groundbreaking work that has created medically useful animal hybrids. They decide to secretly continue their work, but this time splicing in human DNA.

Don't even ask how it eats

14. The Fly (1986)

David Cronenberg + Jeff Goldblum + a rediculous camp-fest from the 50's = a perfect recipe for a monster movie. The quintessential example of how monster movie remakes improve upon the original, whose bulgy eyes didn't even make this list. Disgusting yet tragic and quirky yet universal, The Fly is a dissection of the classic transformation story through human eyes. On another note, I don't think Goldblum has ever been in a movie where his character wasn't "brilliant but eccentric".

Synopsis: A brilliant but eccentric scientist begins to transform into a giant man/fly hybrid after one of his experiments goes horribly wrong.

"Do my lips match my nails?"

13. The Wolf Man (1941)

Screw Joe Johnston and the monster movie sequel rule, '41's Wolf Man is the only one, as far as I'm concerned. This is the ultimate story of man vs. fate. For example, this movie is awesome despite having one of the worst posters I have ever seen. I mean, come on, this movie has some of the best makeup of any of Universal's monster movies and you make him look like a hairy transvestite. One thing that most people don't realize is that almost all they know about werewolves comes not from folktales, but from this film.

Synopsis: A practical man returns to his homeland, is attacked by a creature of folklore, and infected with a horrific disease his disciplined mind tells him can not possibly exist.

Superpower STD's, they exist

12. Thirst (Bakjwl) (2009)

Modern vampires are either excessively violent serial killers or sexually ambiguous pre-teen heartthrobs. This recent Korean film by Oldboy director, Park Chan-wook, managed to maintain classical vampire tropes while dissecting them through the eye of modern medicine. It is a wildly twisted movie that delves into the physical, psychological, and religious ramifications of vampirism. It also contains one of the most uncomfortable sex scenes I have ever witnessed.

Synopsis: Through a failed medical experiment, a priest is stricken with vampirism and is forced to abandon his ascetic ways.

Suck it, Roland Emmerich

11. Godzilla (Gojira) (1954)

Don't get me wrong, I love the Godzilla series and all its badly dubbed campiness but they're not quality cinema. They're dudes in bad rubber suits body slamming each other. The original, however, is an often poignant allegory for nuclear power made just a few years after Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It follows not only the titular fire-breathing dinosaur, but also the devastation that he leaves in his wake. And please no one mention Raymond Burr, who was inserted afterwards by the good ol' U.S. of A. for the stateside release. See also: remake rule exception.

Synopsis: American nuclear weapons testing results in the creation of a seemingly unstoppable, dinosaur-like beast.

"Run, or they'll convince us!"

10. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)

A telling sign of the paranoia of the times. Interestingly, though, unlike other red scare allegories, such as The Crucible, the threat in Invasion is real. What makes it even more interesting is that there is seemingly nothing even evil about these pod people. Yes, it means the end of your way of life, but the beginning of a different one. One of the most multifaceted and interesting examinations of the cold war put on film. Also, people said the term "pod people" with a straight face, and they get props for that.

Synopsis: A small-town doctor learns that the population of his community is being replaced by emotionless alien duplicates.

"Seriously, what's going on?"

9. Dracula (1931)

Quick trivia: Did you know that while filming Dracula, Bela Lugosi was not fluent in English. Did that stop him? No. To hell with understanding what he was saying, he learned all his lines phonetically. Seriously. He's that bad ass. This is a beautifully chilling movie with possibly the greatest villain of all time, or at least the best villainous line delivery, which is difficult when you're basically speaking gibberish. This is the film that set in motion the slew of vampire movies that continue into this day, although greatly depreciated. Bela Lugosi beats Robert Pattinson any day.

Synopsis: The ancient vampire Count Dracula arrives in England and begins to prey upon the virtuous young Mina.

"Twas beauty killed the beast"

8. King Kong (2005)

Say what you will about Peter Jackson's 2005 remake but I think it's an exciting and beautifully poignant movie. It takes a classic story and expands upon it. We really get to know these characters, and even Kong (as well we should with a three hour run time). And, unlike the original, when the ape dies, we feel truly heartbroken. Then Jack Black delivers one of the cheesiest lines ever conceived.

Synopsis: An overly ambitious movie producer coerces his cast and ship crew to travel to mysterious Skull Island, where they encounter Kong, a giant ape who is immediately smitten with leading lady, Ann Darrow.

Also, there were 2 Saurons

7. 28 Days Later (2002)

Romero Set the tone for future zombie flicks. Boyle turned that on its head. Using a hyper-real style, Boyle made the zombie apocalypse seem all but possible. These people aren't dead but infected. And as if zombies weren't already terrifying enough, he saw fit to make a film about rabid, sprinting zombies. Holy shit. But, like all great zombie films, he knew that the drama is found in the living not the dead.

Synopsis: Four weeks after a mysterious, incurable virus spreads throughout the UK, a handful of survivors try to find sanctuary.

Really all about a stripper

6. The Invisible Man (1933)

It's an effects movie, yeah, I admit it, but a compelling one. Detailing Doctor Griffin's descent into madness as he obsessively tries to make himself visible again, this is the ultimate cautionary tale. Not because of the dangers of the science involved, but because of the man himself. The best part about it is that you can even have an argument over whether or not this is even a monster movie.

Synopsis: A scientist finds a way of becoming invisible, but in doing so, he becomes murderously insane.

Now with a sexy 'stache

5. Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)

The first third or so of this film is one of the most beautifully creepy things I have ever seen, Gary Oldman's boob hair aside. And the rest of it is amazing in a different way. Coppola takes the source material to new levels of surrealism and Oldman gives an entirely new spin on a timeless character. I love this movie more for the visuals than for its convoluted plot, but it is a wonderful tale all the same. Now will someone out there please explain to me why Keanu Reeves is in this?

Synopsis: The vampire comes to England to seduce a visitor's fiancée and inflict havoc in the foreign land.

Crack for children

4. Jurassic Park (1993)

This masterpiece would be higher on the list if its status as a monster movie were more solid. Yes, dinosaurs are basically monsters, and yes, the movie follows the basic monster movie formula. But at its heart, this Spielberg gem is an adventure movie, not a monster movie. In any case, though, this is a fantastic story about working together to survive as well as a cautionary tale and it includes my favorite John Williams Score to boot. Also, Sam Jackson says, "Hold on to your butts".

Synopsis: During a preview tour, a theme park suffers a major power breakdown that allows its cloned dinosaur exhibits to run amok.

Cause giant tadpoles are gross

3. The Host (Gwoemul) (2006)

What can I say? Korea makes a good monster flick. And this is the giant monster movie at its best. It uses the rampage of a huge mutant beast as the impetus for a story about three generations of family brought together by disaster. The result is quirky, intelligent, and one of the most surprisingly emotional monster movies I have ever seen. It also happens to star the same lead from Thirst, Kang-ho Song, who delivers an intriguing and layered performance.

Synopsis: A monster emerges from Seoul's Han River and focuses its attention on attacking people. One victim's loving family does what it can to rescue her from its clutches.

You know you're hearing the song

2. Jaws (1975)

Spielberg does it again. Or technically before. Whatever. And, interestingly, unlike Jurassic Park, its monster movie status is never questioned, despite the actual existence of sharks. But hell, after seeing Jaws, I'll take the dinosaurs. Riding on the most iconic film score of all time (another Williams), Spielberg gives us a film about three men on a boat trying to kill a huge shark that's killing off tourists. If that's not a monster movie, then I don't know what is.

Synopsis: When a gigantic great white shark begins to menace the small island community of Amity, a police chief, a marine scientist and grizzled fisherman set out to stop it.

And now, ladies and gentlemen, the winner, and proud recipient of a brand new car, is...





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1. Frankenstein (1931)

This is one of my all time favorite movies and it is this movie that is the reason I got into film. I honestly can't find anything wrong with it. It has everything I love in a monster movie. Karloff, a lovable but dangerous monster, a mad scientist, moral ambiguity. And on top of that, it has what I love in any type of film, a thought provoking story about a man who just doesn't belong, no matter what. It's intelligent, dark, frightening, and beautiful. Karloff lends a sort of brute naivete to the monster and James Whale creates one of the most tragically poetic films I have ever seen. If you haven't seen it, watch it. If you don't own it, buy it. If you have a copy, another wouldn't hurt, just in case.

So, that's about it. Let me know what you think of my choices. And please work to see all of the above films as soon as possible.