#1 – Xenomorphs
ALIEN: COVENANT may have let down a lot of fans, but the sheer horror of what the alien Xenomorphs represent was well executed. From their eye-less faces to their acid blood and snapping jaws, the alien beasts are the definition of horror and monsters.
#2 – Godzilla
Gareth Edwards has already rebooted Godzilla and he will soon do battle with King Kong, but the long legacy of the giant dinosaur has transcended being just a Japanese man-in-suit series to something intrinsic to the fabric of cinema history. Godzilla can be friend or foe but is always terrifying and awe-inspiring.
#3 – King Kong
KONG: SKULL ISLAND did a damn fine job of making Kong a viable monster to root for, but make no mistake that he is still a monster. While I enjoyed Peter Jackson’s KING KONG, it humanized the primate so much that you lost a sense of what the creature represented. Now, with the newly rebooted version, Kong is once again a massive monster and a force to be reckoned with.
#4 – The Fly
David Cronenberg’s remake of the classic Vincent Price horror film took the terror to a new level. While the sequel was nowhere near as good, the iconic devolution of Jeff Goldblum’s character from scientist to Brundlefly remains one of the big screens most horrific transformations.
#5 – The Thing
John Carpenter’s film remains one of the scariest movies of all time and has one of the most frightening monsters because it can take on the form of anyone before mutating into a body horror spectacle. The 2011 remake of the film retained the visual horror but didn’t have quite the same feel as the classic original. I would love to see this creature haunt the big screen again.
#6 – Dracula
Vampires have always been popular on the big screen but Dracula himself has become diluted over the years. Despite amazing turns by Bela Lugosi, Christopher Lee, and Gary Oldman, recent years have not been kind to the Count. NOSFERATU remains the most terrifying version of the tale, so why not make a new Dracula where the vampire is fighting Count Orlok versus humans. That would be a cool take.
#7 – Frankenstein’s Monster
The large, shambling visage of the Monster has been iconic since Boris Karloff first donned the make-up, but recent films have failed to grasp the pathos of the character and the Mad Doctor. The recent VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN gave the film a much needed sense of humor but there is a need to go back and really show that the Monster is just a man whereas the scientist is the real villain.
#8 – The Wolfman
While Joe Johnston’s remake didn’t quite kickstart the classic franchise again, it is about damn time we got a nice, traditional werewolf film. Movies like TWILIGHT and UNDERWORLD have tried to reinvent the mythology, but there is no need. There have been tons of werewolf films that mine the psychological horror of transforming against your will into a beast, but the Dark Universe version should retain the Larry Talbot story and make him the hero of their connected films.
#9 – The Blob
Remade once before (as well as spoof films like THE STUFF), THE BLOB is absolutely terrifying. Sure, a gelatinous mass that moves slowly doesn’t sound that scary, but when it literally eats you alive you would be running for your life. I am shocked we haven’t seen a remake of this yet, but I hope it happens soon.
#10 – The Creature from the Black Lagoon
One of the characters who has appeared least on the big screen since the heydey of the Universal Monsters, The Creature is ripe for a remake. Similar to Swamp Thing and other monsters that dwell in the shadows, The Creature has been adapted into countless stories on series like The X-Files and as a supporting character in films, but the frightening amphibian/lizard being is ready to pounce on the big screen once again. Check out the image above as what it could look like in an updated outing.
