Top 20 Horror Movie Monsters Part 1 (20-11)

by Edward Zarnawski
(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA)

20. Godzilla (Godzilla). The big, bad, reptilian monstrosity from Japan is a monster movie staple. No not the remake with Ferris Bueller. The original goliath that destroys the streets of Japan.

19. Gustave The Crocadile (Primevil). An insatiable serial killer from the bush of Burundi. The killer croc is still at large, and is still hungry!

18. Splinter Creature (Splinter). In the style of The Thing comes an impressive modern monster. Gruesome, fast and dangerous, the Splinter Creature is an unknown organism that feeds on then consumes its prey thus becoming a larger and more awesome killer.

17. Birds (The Birds). Tension and nature collide in this classic thriller from director Alfred Hitchcock. The real eeriness of the film comes from the fact that there is no real reason given to the attack. The fact that something as seemingly harmless as these birds could, if they wanted to, devour us with ease.

16. The Aliens (Independence Day). Savage, Mind-controlling invaders with technology that is way more sophisticated than ours is scary. Throw in a global attack that wipes out cities and kills millions. That is horrific.

15. The Killer (Split Second). A non-human serial killer that hunts and taunts his prey with sadistic pleasure. The brief glimpses of the monster are so effective. This is one of the reasons that I had to sleep with the lights on until I was ten (okay twelve).

14. Mbwun (The Relic). A giant Amazonian creature that devours humans. Once he is brought unwillingly to the states on a cargo ship full of artifacts the killings begin. This hideous beast is brutal and will make anyone stay away from museums.

13. King Kong (King Kong). The enormous beast from Skull Island is one of the first true 'monsters' of cinema. His awesome stature and ferocious nature were his undoing. But he will always be best known for his spectacular ascension of the Empire State Building with helpless heroin Ann Darrow in hand.

12. Rancor (The Return Of The Jedi). Now I know that I am going to get a few people who say that he doesn't belong on a list of horror movie monsters. It's true 'Jedi' is not a horror movie, however this one of the greatest monsters ever created. The giant, lumbering, drool-covered, baddie almost ended the life of Luke way before he got a chance to bring balance to the force. That being said this is a very scary scene.

11. Burrowers (The Burrowers). Dragging people kicking and screaming from their prairie homes, The Burrowers are believed to be a tribe of American Indian savages. What they really are is much more terrifying! We find out that they are in fact a brood of ground dwelling monsters. They paralyze their victims then burry them and let them ripen before eating them!