It’s a fun subgenre, though a tricky one to get right.
It’s hard to come up with an original new monster, harder still to make it legitimately frightening.
They’re all classics, and their influence continues to echo throughout the medium.
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The monster itself is also memorable, with its signature dreadlocks and oversized crab-like features.
On the other end of the spectrum isThe Host,a smarter kind of monster moviejam-packed with social commentary.
This masterpiece byJohn Carpentertells the story of an isolated Antarctic research team that discovers a shape-shifting alien organism.
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The creature assimilates and perfectly imitates its victims, making trust among the team impossible.
The Thingisa chilling exercise in paranoia and body horror, from the claustrophobic atmosphere to groundbreaking visuals.
The practical effects byRob Bottinremain among the most grotesque and terrifying ever put to screen.
Krasinksi andEmily Bluntturn in refreshingly believable performances, as does the youngNoah Jupe.
It sees Kong being captured and transported to New York City, where he is put on display.
They would inspire everything fromCreature from the Black LagoonandMothratoMight Joe YoungandJurassic Park.
Also of note is the score byMax Steiner.
It’s stirring and emotional, doing a lot of narrative heavy lifting.
The firstGodzillavery much drew from theKing Kongplaybook but added its own distinct elements.
In the process, it would spawn the entirekaijusubgenre.
While being pulp entertainment, it’s also an intriguing window into mid-20th century Japan.
The characters are also way more complex than one usually finds in this genre.
The viewer actually cares about them, making the kill scenes hit all the harder.
What they find is a living hella hive overrun with xenomorphs.
Aliensnot only builds upon the original but, in many viewers' eyes, surpasses it.
Particularly impressive are the creature designs.
This 15-foot-tall animatronic behemoth stands out as one of cinemas most memorable villains.
The final fight between the beast and Ripley in her loader is peak sci-fi cinema.
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2’Jurassic Park' (1993)
“Life finds a way.
Spielberg executes this idea fantastically, conjuring a sense of awe and wonder before unleashing sheer terror.
More than thirty years later, the dinosaurs still look awesome.
However, Ridley Scott’s slow-building tension, eerie atmosphere, andH.R.
Giger’s grimly genius xenomorph design elevateAliento mythic proportions.
This is simply the best-designed movie monster of all time, period.
It was radically ahead of its time, and scores of movies immediately began cribbing ideas from its look.
NEXT:The 10 Most Boring Blockbusters of the 21st Century, Ranked
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