Famous Monsters, Thrillers and Creatures

Our fixation with abnormal, different, freaky and presumably scary creatures has kept monsters alive in our minds for hundreds of years. They are the captivating quality incorporated within a movie that has that extra something-something that keeps us intrigued and hanging on the edge of our seats just to see what they will do next.

In many instances they are the reason that we sleep with one eye open or refuse to put a book down as their character keeps us enthralled with their next move in the profound story line. The unique capabilities of monsters are the very reason man has gone past his limitations in an effort to understand the not so understandable beast that dwells within the soul of the monster.

He is indeed a powerful force and a mystery to mankind, and our need for the monsters very existence keeps the imagination open to the possibilities that creatures of the night just might really walk, fly, crawl and swim among us.

Definition of Monster: Typically found roaming around in dark places, but they can also be found under your bed, in your closet, and most definitely in your head. They are known to lurk, creep, and lie in wait. At their very best they are preparing to scare anyone that may cross their path.

Real or imagined their body parts are abnormal to say the least. They generally have contorted body parts that are frightening to look at, and their freaky deformities can entail bad skin that may look like multi-colored polka dots, slimy or extremely dry skin that fall's off when touched and large hairy extremities that often involve the eyes, arms or nose.

The word monster derives from the Latin word "monstrum", which literally means omen. Monsters are often portrayed in movies and life in general as a character that is morally wrong, uncaring, evil, sadistic, larger than humans and very likely hungry for anything it can sink it's teeth into, including you.

Some monsters have actually become famous over time through sightings, feature presentations, a reputation for their fear factor capabilities, simple folk-lore and also from their eerie way of scaring people through specific unique tactics akin to their own personal character.

Large ape-like figures from King Kong to Sasquatch have appeared in everything from movies to documentaries showing humans making a feeble attempt to track down these creatures and catch their image by way of photography or other imaging devices. Most attempts have failed, but beauties like the Loch-Ness monster have actually been caught on film.

We continue to be fascinated by the creators of these monsters, characters, and creatures as proven by our love of watching them in movies and dressing like them on the creepiest day in October. We also ultimately enjoy reading about them in books, and seeking knowledge of their existence in real life with photography and other forms of capturing their image. And while most of us are skeptical of their existence, many people really believe that monsters do actually live and breathe among us in their various forms.

Below is a list of some of the most popular monsters that have been around for hundreds of years as well as the relatively new ones that keep us just as intrigued or even more so then the likes of the many creatures created in folk-lore history.

Movie Icons of Horror Throughout History: Lon Chaney, Lon Chaney Jr., Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Boris Karloff-Black Sabbath 2001, Bela Lugosi, Vincent Price, Michael Ripper, Jason, Michael Myers, Freddy Kruger, Dracula, and Frankenstein.

Monster and Creature Movies: Boogeyman 2005 with Barry Watson, Twilight 2009 with Kristen Stewart, The Ghoul 1933 with Boris Karloff, Tom Savini's Night of the Living Dead 1990, Frankenstein 1931 Universal Pictures, Humanoids From the Deep 1980 with Doug McClure, Godzilla 1998 with Matthew Broderick, Creature From the Black Lagoon original 1954 with Julie Adams and the new release is projected for 2011 with Director: Breck Eisner, Loch Ness Terror 2007 with Brian Krauss, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor with Brendan Fraser, Bram Stoker's Dracula 1992 with Winona Ryder, Van Helsing 2004 with Hugh jackmen, Halloween 1978 with Jamie Lee Curtis and 2007 with Director Rob Zombie.

Famous Monsters and Creatures

The Boogieman: This is the legendary fictional creature that just about everyone fears. His looks aren't really known, but he continues to scare the bajeebers out of us none the less. This monster can most often be found under beds and in closets. His appearance and intentions change from household to household and the imagination of the person seeing him.

Ghoulie Bagger: A type of fictional ghoulish-ghost who dons a dark hooded cape and carries around a burlap sack used for picking up naughty children. He hauls them away to the Creepsylvania burial grounds where they are never seen again. This type of monster gained popularity with the children of Pennsylvania who were deathly afraid of his very existence. He later spanned out and became known to children everywhere. Also has been known to rob graves as needed.

Frankenstein: An extremely large creature-like man depicted with a stitched up face and bolted neck was invented by a scientist named Victor in 1818. The original novel was written by by the British author Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. The hideous character is stronger and more powerful than a normal man, and he becomes violent after his gentle loving nature is continually snubbed by the town's people. According to the encyclopedia the original storyline has inspired numerous films, television programs, video games and derivative works, and Frankenstein remains one of the most recognized icons in horror fiction.

Humanoids: The encyclopedia states that this is a hybrid term that refers to fossils considered close to human but not strictly human, including species now classified as Homo such as the Neanderthals. The 1980 science fiction horror flick "Humanoids from the Deep" brought these monsters to life and scared us all to death with their grotesque image. The fishing village of Noyo is literally taken over by the Humanoids. These fishy creatures literally terrorize rape and impregnate the females of the small village. This movie was a must see for teenage boys everywhere and remains a cult favorite.

Godzilla: This king of fictional monsters comes to us with atomic breath and the strength of several Sherman tanks. He wreaks havoc on the city of Tokyo, and according to legend, the ginormous reptile lives in the sea that comes directly from the ocean for the purpose of feeding on mankind.

This Japanese science fiction masterpiece was created in 1954, but remains a cult classic today to a wide range of audiences that enjoys a good creep show put on by an angry reptile on a mission to annihilate anything that crosses its path. Godzilla has been known to be a walking contradiction as he has saved the residents of Tokyo by fighting King Kong and the giant flying turtle Gamera.

The Creature from the Black Lagoon: This fictional monster was created in 1954 by Jack Arnold and is considered a classic. The movie centers on a scientific expedition that involves traveling up the Amazon River into an excavated area. The team encounters a dangerous humanoid amphibious-fish creature also known as the "Gill Man" with an eye for females. The captured creature fights and slaughters the male members of the group and kidnaps the only female of the group. The monster is eventually shot several times, which causes him to sink into the black waters of the Lagoon forever.

Loch Ness Monster: The first sightings of this horrendous creature date back to 1871 and the witnesses claim that the unusual water creature upturned a boat. And even though sightings of the Loch Ness monster continue to present day, 1933 was a busy year for Nessie, as seventeen reports were logged at various times throughout that year. Most of the eye witnesses claim that this 20-foot to 30-foot water dwelling creature has humps, a long neck, and an extremely large body. Actual film footage of the beast exists to this day, and most place Loch Ness in Urquhart Bay or opposite the castle and foyers within the Scottish Highlands.

Count Dracula: How scary can a castle dweller be? I guess that depends on if he has fangs instead of incisors growing inside of his mouth. Dracula is also known to have bad taste in clothing, preferring a dark cheesy cape with a high collar over traditional suits, and he has a very short fuse when anyone tries to interfere with his plans. The oddly polite vampire finds pleasure in passing on his curse to other's while dining on their necks.

Dracula fears holy objects, takes on the form of a bat, enjoys the company of women, and instantly rejuvenates after ingesting blood. Dracula's fictional character is the brain storm that was created by Bram Stoker in 1897, who had researched European folklore and stories of vampires for several years. The main character has had some serious staying power as the storyline has inspired countless vampire novels, movies, TV shows, comic books, and Count Chocula cereal.

The Mummy: This tightly wrapped preserved monster came to us donning strange white bandage-type garb in the 1890's after a team of British archaeologists happen upon the untouched tomb of Princess Ananka, and accidentally returned the body of the High Priestess back to life. A curse plagues the group as a punishment for having woken up the mighty guard of the grave who was buried with the priest. The story was made into a movie in 1959 and has had many followings from The Mummy with Brendan Fraser and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, released in 2008.

King Kong: The over-sized monster gorilla is recognized worldwide and is one of the most famous movie icons in history. Neither man nor beast, King Kong possesses great physical strength, some human-like intelligence, but is mostly gorilla-like with a somewhat humanoid appearance. Not only is King Kong fictional, so is his various hometowns of Skull Island, Faroe Island, and Mondo Island.

The original 1933 works places him on Skull Island where he was simply known as Kong. He has been dubbed a mindless monster that possesses the ability to become stronger by drawing power from electric energy. He has fought Godzilla, had a cartoon series, fathered a son, and survived a fall from the sky that required coronary surgery.

Zombies: A lower form of the undead, these monsters often hang in packs, and are seen in heavily fogged areas that usually contain a burial grounds of sorts. These reanimated horrible creatures usually only come out at night even though they never sleep and they are considered by most to be fictional.

Werewolves: Little Red Riding Hood feared one and so maybe should we. These beastly monsters can shift into human form and back to beast after a day's rest. Simply known as lycanthropy or therianthropy, it is the transformation of a human being into a wolf. They quite often possess a unibrow, hairy palms, protruding teeth, pointed ears, and have an appetite for eating humans. Werewolves aka shape-shifters have actually been documented as being non-fictional monsters or characters.

Just like the witch hunts that occurred in the 1600's, werewolf hunts took place as well in the same time frame. According to Dr. James Dunlop, in France alone there were more than 30,000 recorded cases of people who claimed or appeared to be werewolves between the years of 1520 and 1630. Possible causes include hypertrichosis, a genetic disorder linked to the X-chromosome that can cause people to grow very thick hair over their faces and bodies.

Top Halloween Costumes for 2008-2009: Halloween is the best time to show off your favorite monster or creature and CNBC has compiled a list of the top costumes that definitely included creepy and scary creatures. The poll of 8,167 consumers was conducted from September 2-9, 2008 and included: Ghouls, dark angels, ghosts, vampires and witches. According to Halloween 31 the 2009 line of costumes include: Killer clowns, Michael Myers, skulls, zombies, and vampires.