What makes a good movie monster? Aside from it being scary, evil, and strangely lovable, one of the most important features a movie monster must have is for it to be very hard to kill. And we mean permanently kill, because otherwise it would be hard to bring it back for a sequel, right? Since the invention of cinema we have seen a number of great memorable on-screen monsters who have managed to survive through all sorts of troubling times. Even those who have died can often be rest assured that at some point they’ll likely feature in a reboot or re-imagining in order to scare another generation of movie-goers. Some have proven to be harder to kill than others, constantly returning to fuel the nightmares of new generations – much like the examples below.
Michael Myers
Halloween is one of the longest-running horror franchises ever. Michael Myers found his way to the silver screen for the first time in 1978, and he stayed in the spotlight ever since. Over the years, he was the featured villain in nine of the ten movies in the series (Halloween III: Season of the Witch, released in 1982, had nothing to do with the prolific serial killer), several novels, comic books, and even a video slot machine released this October for mobile casinos to celebrate the series’ 40th anniversary. Next year’s Halloween movie will reunite the seemingly un-killable monster with Jamie Lee Curtis once again much like the 20th-anniversary movie, Halloween: H20, did the same back in 1998.
When it comes to masked killers, Michael Myers is hard to match.
Pinhead
Pinhead is one of the most controversial characters in the history of horror movies. Originally a human, he was transformed into the terrifying iconic Cenobite by creatures from another dimension after solving a puzzle box known as the Lament Configuration. He is the leader of the Cenobites, a creature of few words, but when he speaks, he shows surprising eloquence and articulateness, speaking of the eternal pleasure of carnal pain.
Pinhead first appeared in “The Hellbound Heart”, a novella released by horror mastermind Clive Barker in 1986, which served as a basis for the first Hellraiser movie released in 1987. Since then, he has appeared in several Hellraiser movies (with a new one due in 2018), along with several novels and comic books.
Frankenstein’s Monster
Histories most famous nameless monster, created by a scientist exploring the boundaries of life and death, has been repeatedly interpreted by filmmakers and novelists. Author Mary Shelley depicted Frankenstein’s monster as hideous but sensitive and emotional, trying to fit into society but having to face being rejected and ultimate banishment, leaving him vengeful against his creator.
This famous Hollywood monster has appeared in more than 50 films over the years, some more serious, others grotesque, and some hilarious. Throughout his various incarnations on film, the creature’s appearance has ranged from Robert De Niro’s scar-covered body to Rory Kinnear’s interpretation of the creature. A version that could almost pass as human, and one who even chooses a name to go by – John Clare, after the English poet.
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