Off all the emotions that we love to feel at the movies, the one that seems to be the most popular is fear.  That’s probably why Horror movies are always great communal experiences.  There’s nothing better than watching an audience react all at once to some unexpected jump scare, even when it comes in movies that aren’t meant to be scary.  It’s manipulative, yes, but when done right and put into the right moment, it can actually help to enrich the movie as a whole.  But this is also tricky as well, because as audience members grow up, they become harder to scare, especially when they’ve become so used to it.  While Horror attempts to scare us with the grotesque and the shocking, our reactions as an audience usually differs based on the tolerance level that we have towards such images.  What is particularly interesting about this is that depending on experiences in childhood, we react to horrifying images in movies differently.  This is usually because some of the things that were passed off to us a kid-friendly entertainment sometimes features some truly terrifying moments themselves.  It is surprising how many movies from our childhood have featured some dark and scary moments, whether it was in animation or in colorful live action fantasies.  Family entertainment has become more sanitized over the years, but in years past, filmmakers were not afraid to test their younger viewers with moments of terror.  One wishes that more filmmakers would take that kind of risk today, because it does show a degree of respect to young audiences that I think they would appreciate in the end.

For this article, I am choosing to highlight some of the most noteworthy examples of movies intended for young children that were not afraid to drift briefly into darkness.  In particular, I’ll be highlighting the moments that stood out in those movies and rank them based on their effectiveness and their noteriety.  Some of these moments are pretty legendary, and have been scaring young children for generations now, but others are some brief WTF moments of terror that stand out in otherwise cheerful movies.  Most importantly, what makes these scenes noteworthy is how they contrast against the brightness of the scenes around them.  What you won’t find on this list are family movies that already had a scary tone to them in the first place; so sorry, no Secret of NIMH (1982) or The Neverending Story (1987) on this list.  For these moments to stand out, they have to really come out of nowhere.  It’s moments like these that made us close our eyes in fright as kids, and at the same time, they also helped to enrich our experience and ingrain that love of being scared that we now carry over into our adulthood.  So, with that, here is my pick for the top scariest moments in family movies.

10.

CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG (1968) – THE CHILD CATCHER

This character makes it onto the list mostly because of the creep factor.  A secondary villain in this light-hearted musical, the Child Catcher is a surprisingly terrifying presence in an otherwise harmless movie.  The character is hired by the film’s main villain to kidnap the children of the fictional land of Vulgaria after their presence there has been made illegal.  While this is a dastardly deed to begin with, the creepiness comes more from how the Child Catcher seduces the children into his clutches; with candy and clownish dancing.  But, it’s clear to anyone of all ages that this is a dangerous character under the cheerful facade.  There’s something about the way he says “Come and get your lollipops” that just sends a shiver down your spine in the wrong way.  Pretty much, this is a prime cinematic example of the “stranger danger” scenario played out, and while the film never goes into that direction entirely, you can imagine a character like him being a possible representation of a pedophile or child killer in a more horrific story-line.  Indeed, there are other cinematic examples of characters like the Child Catcher in films like in Fritz Lang’s M (1931), but the fact that a character like this exists in a movie as sweet as Chitty Chitty Bang Bang just makes the idea of what he does all the more terrifying.  Ian Fleming (of James Bond fame) wrote the original book, but the creation of the Child Catcher actually goes to screenwriter Roald Dahl, who himself was known for creating stories for children with dark undertones.  Not surprisingly, the Child Catcher feels like a very natural creation from this notably dark  author.

9.

SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARVES (1937) – THE EVIL QUEEN’S TRANSFORMATION

No other filmmaker left his mark of family entertainment more than Walt Disney, and for the most part, many of his movies are easy-going fare for all audiences.  That being said, even he wasn’t afraid to take his film’s into dark places once in a while, which was especially true for some of his earlier work.  What is amazing about the darkest moments in Disney movies is just how vivid they are.  Walt Disney was not one to miss an opportunity, and when a story-line called for a terrifying or dark moment, he did what was best for the story.  This is something you see in many early Mickey Mouse shorts like The Haunted House (1931) or The Mad Doctor (1933), which featured some really macabre visuals that could chill audience members of all ages.  But, when his films became more sophisticated and complex, especially when his studio began working on features, Walt Disney still was not afraid to push a few buttons.  That’s clearly evident in his first feature Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.  The movie is a light-hearted musical romp, but what people remember most vividly is the terrifying, villainous Queen at it’s center.  Her character is chilling enough through most of the film, but it is this scene where she transforms herself into a crone that people remember as being truly terrifying, especially when they were kids.  Probably the most legendary scary moment in any family film, though not the most particularly frightening,  this vivid portrayal of dark villainy would go on to inspire many more moments like it, like with the Wicked Witch in The Wizard of Oz or countless other Disney villains since like Maleficent or Ursula.

8.

CORALINE (2009) – “OTHER MOTHER’S” DEN

In a time when it’s become increasingly difficult to make children’s entertainment chilling and dark, the Laika studios have helped lead the way, creating refreshing new scares for younger audiences to enjoy.  They pulled that off particularly well with their first feature film Coraline.  The movie is more grim in tone than the average modern animated movie, but it’s darkest moments don’t come until the final stretch.  Before then, the movie is charmingly surreal and delightfully comic, albeit with a tinge of the macabre always present.  However, what makes this movie most notable is the primary antagonist that goes by the name “Other Mother.”  Other Mother creates a fantasy world for the main hero, Coraline, that is the embodiment of all her dreams.  But over time, Coraline learns the dark side of this dream and soon realizes that Other Mother is actually a child-eating monster named the Beldam.  Created by author Neil Gaiman, and directed by Henry Selick, Coraline is a superbly dark fairy tale that’s not afraid to be terrifying, but is also smart enough to know when to bring on the scares.  It’s not exploitative, and in fact it uses it’s scares sparingly, helping to make their impact all the more effective.  The final confrontation in the Beldam’s den is particularly chilling and makes perfect use of it’s atmosphere.  I particularly love the spider-like motif of the character, and her sultry, devilish way of speaking (provided by Teri Hatcher of all people).  Other stop motion animated films lend themselves well to the bizarre and the frightening (Nightmare Before Christmas for example) but Coraline managed to go even further, helping to create a scene that can bring out terror in any audience member, young or old.

7.

PEE WEE’S BIG ADVENTURE (1984) – LARGE MARGE

Now you would think that a Gothic filmmaker like Tim Burton’s first feature would be as dark and macabre as some of his later work.  But in reality, Pee Wee’s Big Adventure is a fun, quirky comedy; albeit still firmly in the realm of the bizarre.  For the most part, the movie is colorful and harmless.  That is until we get to this scene.  During Pee Wee’s travels, he gets lost in the woods in the middle of the night and has to resort to hitchhiking to get where he needs to go.  He is picked up by Large Marge, a deeply disturbed lady trucker, who recounts to Pee Wee her story of the worst traffic accident that she has ever seen.  Told like a campfire ghost story, Large Marge spares none of the gruesome details, and shows in what is probably the film’s most hilariously frightening and out-of-nowhere moment what the truckers corpse looked like when it was pulled from the wreck.  In that moment, Large Marge’s face transforms into a bizarre mess of hellish proportions, and then returns back to normal like nothing had happened.  In this moment, we see the kind of storytelling that Tim Burton would become notable for years later.  Here he manages to distill terror and shock into something funny, without sanitizing it at the same time.  This is something that he would take to more extremes in his next film, Beetlejuice (1988).  The Large Marge scene however still stands out today due to it’s unexpected nature and it’s hilarious payoff.  The fact that it comes out of nowhere is what makes the fright feel all the more rewarding, especially when it’s played off of Paul Reuben’s innocently naive Pee Wee Herman to hilarious effect.  Remember, tell them Large Marge sent ya.

6.

ALL DOGS GO TO HEAVEN (1989) – CHARLIE’S DREAM

Animation director Don Bluth got his start working for Disney Animation during the transition period following Walt Disney’s passing in the late 60’s.  During that time, Bluth became increasingly frustrated by the aimless direction of the company, which was increasingly relying on soft, harmless fare that he felt restricted the possibilities of the medium.  He felt that animation should not be afraid to explore some darker themes, and as a result, he left Disney Animation to start his own studio in order to make this ideal come true.  And indeed, many of the earlier films made by the Bluth Studio were much darker and more mature than anything else that was coming out at the time.  Films like The Secret of NIMH (1982) and The Land Before Time (1988) pushed the boundaries of animation into darker realms, and it earned Bluth the notoriety of being a respected filmmaker who took chances.  But perhaps the scariest moment in any of his movies comes from one of the least likely places.  It happens in All Dogs Go to Heaven, which is itself primarily an animated comedy.  It does deal with death in a direct way, but mostly played for laughs.  However, when the main character Charlie cheats death only to fall back into his bad habits, he soon has a dream that brings out his subconscious fears.  What follows is a surprisingly vivid portrayal of Hell, complete with demons, fire and brimstone, and the fear of no escape.  In this scene, Don Bluth best represents his ideal of animation being unafraid to go into dark places.  Sadly, most of his later films like RockaDoodle (1991) and Anastasia (1997) would play it more safe, but All Dogs Go to Heaven’s most notorious scene still has the power to frighten, and it shows that it helps to be a little dark sometimes.

5.

FANTASIA (1940) – NIGHT ON BALD MOUNTAIN

We now turn from a subconscious Hell to a literal Hell on Earth, brought to life by Disney Animation in it’s early heyday.  Fantasia was created as a blending of two artistic mediums, animation and classical music.  The result gave us many beautifully drawn renditions of orchestral masterpieces.  While many were easy listening like Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Sweet and Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony, Disney made the peculiar decision to craft a sequence of the film around Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky Gothic orchestral piece Night on Bald Mountain; a notoriously dark sounding piece of music.  Disney pulled no stops with it’s rendition of the composition, and the result is one of the most vivid pieces of Gothic and macabre animation ever created.  The segment is littered with ghosts, goblins, ghouls, and at the center of it all is one of Disney’s best remembered villainous entities; the demon god, Chernabog.  Pretty much a representation of the Devil in the segment, Chernabog is a striking creation, showing off some of the best character animation that Disney was churning out at this time.  Much of the segment’s resonance comes from the moments that he’s on screen, and he remains a terrifying presence.  The segment is foreboding, without ever being truly terrifying, but it’s still remarkable to see an animated movie portray evil in such a vivid way.  In the end, it provided a perfect match for Mussorgsky’s dark music and it represents another example of early Disney animation taking some chances by going into grim and unyielding places.

4.

THE BRAVE LITTLE TOASTER (1983) – THE NIGHTMARE

One thing is pretty clear.  The Brave Little Toaster is one weird little movie.  Charming, and also a little brilliant, but very very weird.  On the surface, the movie is a very colorful and humorous musical about household appliances setting out into the open world in hopes of finding their old owner, a little boy that they refer to as “Master.”  Sounds like a trial run for the story line of Toy Story, which wouldn’t be far off; future Toy Story scribe Joe Ranft also worked on this story as well.  But what this movie also has is a large number of surprisingly dark moments throughout.  The main characters in this movie go through some very harrowing moments of peril, and in some cases end up becoming brutally maimed in the process, including electrocution and being crushed by giant gears.  But perhaps the movie’s darkest moment comes in this particular dream sequence, which is unbelievably frightening and creepy, even when re-watching it as an adult.  The titular toaster dreams of good times spent with the “Master,” until he starts to catch fire and looses his friend in the smoke.  But the nightmare hits it’s zenith when the horrifying Fireman arrives in the form of a demonic clown.  Why is it always clowns?  I remember this moment really messing me up as a kid, and even watching it as an adult, I still get that unsettling feeling when I see that clown appear.  It’s like something out of the darkest recesses Stephen King’s imagination.  This movie is still an excellent animated flick that deserves a second look and the fact that it doesn’t shy away from some really dark moments works very well in it’s favor.  Just keep in mind that there are some moments in the movie that will almost certainly scare your little kids.

3.

WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT? (1988) – JUDGE DOOM REVEALED

Who Framed Roger Rabbit? has become a beloved comedy classic over time and it’s largely due to it’s mature story-line and themes, which contrasts perfectly with the wilder cartoonish segments in the movie.  But, at it’s center is also a memorably dark villain named Judge Doom (brilliantly played by Christopher Lloyd).  While Doom is depicted with brooding menace for most of the movie, the true nature of the character comes out during the final confrontation between him and the movie’s hero, Eddie Valiant (a remarkable Bob Hoskins).  Thought to have been crushed to death by a runaway steamroller, it is suddenly revealed that the notorious toon-hater is actually a toon himself.  And not only that, but the same maniacal toon that murdered Eddie’s brother.  This revelation is especially frightening when we see the blood red cartoon eyes appear on Christopher Lloyd’s face, making Doom more monster than man; and it looks terrifying.  This scene has all the terror of a scary monster movie, without feeling like it’s out of place in this mash-up of cartoon lunacy and film noir mystery.  I give the filmmakers and Mr. Lloyd a lot of credit for pulling off that revelation perfectly.  Handled differently, I don’t think the moment would have had the same kind of power that it does.  The high pitched screaming by the character especially heightens the terrifying quotient of this scene even more.  And, appropriately enough, Doom’s death is played out in gruesome detail, as he is literally melted away by the same chemical “Dip” that he was going to wipe out the city of Toontown with.  It’s a fittingly grim ending for a character that managed to creep us out right to the bitter end.  Even today, this scene still manages to be creepy, and that’s all because of how well executed the scary aspects are.

2.

WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY (1971) – THE WONKA FACTORY TUNNEL

The best scares in movies, even in the ones that aren’t supposed to be scary, are the moments that come completely out of nowhere.  Usually it is by design, and then other times it comes from strange artistic choices.  Case in point, this truly WTF moment from this classic musical based on Roald Dahl’s children’s novel, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  As part of Willy Wonka’s (a perfect Gene Wilder performance) tour of his factory, the characters take a boat ride on a river of chocolate.  Things go gently at first, until they reach the tunnel, and that’s where all the really messed up stuff happens.  The characters are never in any real danger, but they are bombarded by images on the walls of the tunnel displaying some really frightening and grotesque stuff.  Willy Wonka may be the only G-Rated movie in existence to show a real chicken’s head being chopped off by a cleaver.  But that’s not the only creepy part of this scene, because as the boat ride continues, Wonka himself seems to be slipping into madness when he starts singing, and then reciting macabre poetry and then finally screaming hysterically.  It’s at that point where you start to wonder if Willy Wonka is really a harmless candy maker or something far more sinister.  The whole scene is one of the best trippy moments ever put on film, and it’s only made better by Wilder’s incredibly unhinged performance.  According to the actors who filmed the scene, Wilder’s performance was so convincing that they actually believed he had really lost his mind.  Roald Dahl was very notable for injecting dark elements into stories meant for kids, and while most of Willy Wonka seems like a sanitized version of his novel, this scene definitely feels true to the author’s own style.  And it’s an excellent example of how to make a dark turn in a light-hearted story work to a film’s advantage.  Yes, the danger must be growing.

1.

PINOCCHIO (1940) – THE DONKEYS OF PLEASURE ISLAND

Of course the scariest moment ever in a family-friendly movie had to have come from the imaginations of the Disney animators.  Pinocchio may very well be the darkest single movie in the entire Disney canon, and it is largely because of scenes like this.  Truth be told, the original book by Carlo Collodi was far more violent than Disney’s film, but give Disney credit for going absolutely as far as they could go.  The movie itself starts off much lighter in tone, as the innocent and naive Pinocchio experiences the larger world for the first time, but the second half of the film takes a considerably dark turn, especially when Pinocchio finds himself on Pleasure Island.  The island seems like a fun place to be at first, but pretty soon the awful truth is revealed.  As all of the boys on the island indulge themselves in their bad behavior, they literally make Jackasses of themselves, and are rounded up by the villainous Coachman who intends to sell the transformed “donkeys” to circuses and mines all over the world.  This is horrifying to begin with, but the revelation hits it’s apex in this specific moment, where Pinocchio witnesses his friend Lampwick transforming before his very eyes.  The scene is played out in horrifying fashion.  The moment when Lampwick’s hands turn into donkey hoves is just as disturbing as anything you’ll see in a horror movie.  And his final cries for his mother just brings an extra level of despair to the moment that leaves a chill in the spine of every viewer.  Another horrifying aspect about the scene is the helplessness of the characters.  Pinocchio is powerless to stop this from happening and he’s only saved by making a run for it.  No such salvation exists for the other boys.  This scene is the best example ever of how to implement  a terrifying moment into a family friendly movie, and it has rightly received that distinction among many animation fans for many years.

So, why do we still accept horrifying moments in movies and shows that are meant to entertain younger audiences.  You would think that many filmmakers would rather not alienate their audience too much, and indeed there are many filmmakers who do take that into consideration.  I think that scenes like this exist because they help kids understand at a young age the importance of a happy ending.  Before you can appreciate the light, you need to go through a lot of darkness, and that’s what these moments are meant to do.  We need frightening monsters and moments of terror in our fairy tale adventures in order to see why it was all worth it in the end.  It’s an essential way of teaching young kids the value of happiness and the differences between right and wrong.  Even still, scary moments can be entertaining in themselves, and what I’ve found is that the darker the moment, and the bigger the contrast it has with the rest of the movie, the more likely it will be appreciated by audiences for years to come.  I hope that more filmmakers in family entertainment take those same kinds of chances and not be afraid to go a little dark sometimes.  Sometimes you have to walk that thin tightrope, but the end result could become all the more satisfying.  And indeed, some of those dark moments in movies from our childhood become our favorite movie moments as adults.  Those classic dark moments in Disney animation are still celebrated today, and the Willy Wonka tunnel scene still resonates with audiences.  And in this bewitching time of year, audiences of all ages are in the mood for a good scare, and these moments show that they can be found in even the unlikeliest of places.

It’s funny how our tastes in movies are sometimes dictated by whatever mood we are in.  Sometimes we gravitate towards thoughtful, provocative and classy pictures, and then other times we just like to see shit blow up in a loud action flick.  The latter of the two is probably the kind of movie that draws more people in, and that’s not necessarily a negative.  Action movies offer a great deal of entertainment value, and sometimes what appears on the surface to be dumb action fun can actually have an intellectual undercurrent to it.  That’s probably why a lot of smart filmmakers out there dabble every now and then in a larger than life action flicks.  Hell, even subversive filmmaker David Lynch had made a loud sci-fi action film called Dune (1984), and many of his fans didn’t see it as a sell-out for him.  I think the reason why action films are such an attractive avenue for film-making is because they offer more opportunities to let the imagination go.  And indeed, this has become true for a whole generation of filmmakers that were weened on B-Movie flicks from yesteryear.  Once a sub-class of filmmaking that was looked down upon by critics and studio execs in Hollywood’s early years has now become mainstream, with big idea filmmakers like Steven Spielberg, James Cameron, Peter Jackson, and yes even Michael Bay leading the way.  Nowadays big money rules the action genre, and more and more ambitious filmmakers are getting their chance to take these concepts they learned from all of those cheap and campy B-Movies of the 50’s and 60’s, and bring them to their full potential.  And the most common of those B-Movie inspirations that seems to have left an impact on the big screen in recent years is the presence of giant, larger than life monsters wrecking havoc on modern civilization.

A staple of 50’s sci-fi, Giant Monsters have become some of the most beloved cinematic creations in movie history.  Whether created by science, or through magic, or are visitors from another planet, we always seem to love watching these creatures wreck havoc on society.  But, what is it about them that has let them to leave such an impact?  I think it’s due to the overwhelming threat that each of them poses and how humanity is able to deal with it.  Some of these creatures are based off of animals that we are all familiar with in real life, and also ones we know how to deal with if they threaten us.  When that same creature is many times it’s normal size, then the stakes are raised, and humanity’s best laid plans are not quite as effective.  It’s the point where human beings become vulnerable to creatures that are beyond their comprehension that we find most interesting in these movies, and the more creative the creature, the more we are entertained by all the chaos they create.  True, nowadays we have CGI technology to help bring these massive creatures to life, but in the early days, you either had to use puppetry or stop-motion, or a combination of both to bring these iconic creatures to life, or just trick photography.  And if you were making monster movies in Japan, more than likely you would be using a actor in a rubber suit.  But, even with those crude techniques, we saw many unique and varied monsters come to life; anything from giant ants; to giant lizards; to even giant people. What follows is a list that I put together of what I think represents the most iconic of these modern movie monsters, based on the creativity of their design, their impact on the movie, and how well they left an impression on audiences.

10.

THE “CLOVERFIELD” CREATURE from CLOVERFIELD (2008)

This J.J. Abrams produced, Matt Reeves directed movie about a monster attacking New York City could not have been more mysterious when it was due to premiere in early 2008.  The first trailer for the movie didn’t even have a title listed, and when it was revealed to the public that the movie was going to be called Cloverfield, I’m sure that it left people even more confused.  All we knew going in was that something big was wrecking havoc in the middle of NYC and it very well could have been anything.  Thankfully, when the monster was fully revealed nearly half-way through the film, it was actually worth all of the teasing.  The design of the creature is like nothing we’ve ever seen before; sort of a mix of a giant spider with what looked like the enormous appendages of a crippled  horse.  And boy was it big too.  At least over 200 feet in height.  This was truly a monster that not only looked terrifying, but felt like it was indestructible; as if nothing could stand in it’s path of destruction.  The movie also chose to wisely to hold off on showing the creature until it would have the best impact, successfully pulled off with the narrow viewing of a hand-held camera.  Had the monster not worked in Cloverfield, I’m sure the found footage gimmick would have failed, so thankfully for the filmmakers, they created a beast that definitely stood out.

9.

GAMERA from THE “GAMERA” SERIES (1965-80)

Japanese cinema in the 50’s and 60’s emulated a lot of the same formulas that were popular in the west, and that included many of the B-Movies that were imported overseas.  Not to be outdone, Japanese filmmakers sought to make action movies of their own, and that included taking concepts known in their culture, namely the idea of Kaiju monsters, and bringing them to realm of Sci-fi.  Kaiju literally means “giant monster” in Japanese, so it could be a good term to use for any monster on this list, and indeed it was the Japanese “Kaiju” films that popularized the concept to an international audience.  Many popular monsters came out of this era in film, but one of the standouts was definitely the giant Snapping Turtle known as Gamera.  Unlike many of the other Kaiju monsters, Gamera was not malicious in nature, and indeed, in some of his later films he acted more like a savior to mankind than a threat.  That’s not to say that he wasn’t ferocious.  He had a lot of signature moves, like his fiery spinning attacks, which helped to make him a favorite to audiences worldwide and certainly among on the Japanese culture’s marquee names, along with another on this list.  Because of monsters like Gamera, the Kaiju concept has lived on and left a lasting impact that while still distinctly Japanese in origin, nevertheless has influenced filmmakers all over the world.

8.

THE WINGED KAIJU from PACIFIC RIM (2013)

Speaking of filmmakers influenced by Japanese “Kaiju” movies, director Guillermo del Toro put his own spin on the genre when he created his critically-acclaimed action thriller, Pacific Rim.  He went so far as to name the alien creatures in his movie simply Kaiju, clearly stating the overall Japanese influence in his film.  The movie’s plot is pretty straightforward; it’s nothing more than giant monsters fighting giant robots called Jaegers.  But what makes the movie so memorable is just how well that concept is executed.  Many of the numerable fight scenes in the movie features Kaiju monsters that would easily find their way on to this list, most of which were designed by del Toro himself.  But if I were to single out just one, it would be the Winged Kaiju that’s featured in the movie’s most extended and memorable action sequence.  We see the creature attacking the city of Hong Kong and searching high and low for it’s target; specifically the character played by actor Charlie Day.  Once it finally encounters the memorable Jaeger robot named Gipsy Danger, we get what is probably the film’s most pleasing showdown, and it’s a fight that brings out the full potential of del Toro’s imaginative concepts.  This particular Kaiju gets the nod for being the right kind of foe in the best part of the movie, bringing Gipsy Danger to the absolute brink of it’s power, taking the machine even into the outer limits of space.  Luckily they thought to give Gipsy a sword for just such an occasion, which also gives this memorable creature an even more memorable sendoff.

7.

THE KRAKEN from PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN’S CHEST (2006)

Though a popular staple in many fantastical cinematic adventures, such as Disney’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954) or the cult classic Clash of the Titans (1981), the monster known as the Kraken has been present in literature all the way back to ancient Norse mythology.  Essentially a giant squid that is large enough to destroy a ship with it’s mighty tentacles, The Kraken represents a very different kind of monster; one that represents people’s fears of the unknown and what lies deep down in the abyss of the mighty ocean.  Naturally, this makes the Kraken a perfect adversary in stories of Pirate lore as well, and indeed that is how the creature became a part of Disney’s grand scale Pirates of the Caribbean series.  Featured prominently in the second film of the franchise, Dead Man’s Chest (2006), the Kraken is summoned by the film’s villain Davy Jones to destroy any sailing ships they come across, so that Jones can collect the souls that the creature destroys.  What makes this version of the creature so memorable is the absolute ferocity of it’s destruction.  When the Kraken has it first appearance in the film, it is a truly brutal scene, showing that the creature is a force to be reckoned with and perhaps the deadliest predator in the entire ocean.  When it uses it’s two largest tentacles to smash a ship apart, the full scale of the creature becomes apparent, and it was smart on the filmmakers part to not reveal too much of the creature.  By doing so, they left it up to our imaginations to determine what the true scale of this monster was.  Much like the fabled creature that it’s based on, this Kraken is a mighty force that will definitely stick in one’s mind, and probably one of the best things to come out of the Pirates franchise.

6.

THE GREAT WHITE SHARK from JAWS (1975)

Probably the most realistic monster on this list, the shark from Jaws is no less a monumental movie monster in cinematic history.  This beast was the brainchild of famed novelist Peter Benchley, who conceived the idea of a creature from our familiar natural world but with an unnatural ferocity that makes him far more threatening than any other average shark in the ocean.  The shark in this movie is larger and more keen on eating humans than any other of it’s kind, and that’s what makes him so memorable in this story.  Sharks are of course a creature to be feared to begin with, but after this film made it to theaters, there was actually a sharp decrease in oceanside vacationing across the country, because people thought that sharks like the one in Jaws were lying in wait just about everywhere.  This shows the magnitude of just how well Spielberg’s adaptation of Benchley’s novel was.  The shark in question was a mechanical puppet that gave the film’s crew many nightmares during production, which actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise.  Because the shark barely worked on set, Spielberg shot around those moments by taking the camera underwater and showing us the world from the shark’s point of view.  By doing this, Spielberg actually heightened the impact once we finally see the full body shark, and it also gave us the unsettling tension of watching what it’s like to see a shark stalking it’s prey from it’s own perspective.  Altogether, it makes this Great White Shark a truly menacing and fear-inducing monster.  He may not be one of the largest creatures on this list, nor one of the most other-worldly, but there is no doubt that he’s still one of the most frightening creatures that has ever been brought to the big screen.

5.

SMAUG from THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG (2013)

Author J.R.R. Tolkein created some of the most imaginative creatures in his Middle Earth novels, as well as some of the most terrifying monsters as well.  When Peter Jackson took upon the adaptations of Tolkein’s work, he sought to use all the best film-making and visual effects tools to bring those same creatures to life.  While there are many monsters that stood out in the Lord of the Rings trilogy that would deserve a place on this list, like the Balrog from The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) or the Mumakils from The Return of the King (2003), the most remarkable creature from Middle Earth that has made it to the big screen is actually from The Hobbit trilogy.  That honor goes to Smaug the Dragon; a truly immense creature that dwarfs all others in these Tolkein universe.   Smaug truly does represent the culmination of everything that Peter Jackson’s production team has learned to date and you can see that fully in how well they made the creature feel both authentic and other-worldly all at the same time.  The way that Smaug moves around in the golden vaults of the Lonely Mountain is animated with such beauty and it displays the fully weight and size of the creature.  Also, Smaug is the only creature on this list that can speak; with the voice of Benedict Cumberbatch.  So, not only is Smaug an imposing force physically, but he also has human-like intelligence, which makes him an even more deadly foe.   Truthfully, it was a risky thing to give the character a voice, considering that no such ability was established with any of the other creatures in the Rings and Hobbit movies, but doing so stayed true to Tolkein’s novels and the final result managed to work in the end.

4.

THE STAY PUFT MARSHMALLOW MAN from GHOSTBUSTERS (1984)

Probably the strangest of of the creatures on this list, the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man is also one of the most imaginative.  The living manifestation of Sumerian god Gozer’s destructive Traveler monster, it takes the form of whatever it’s victim chooses.  Since the Ghostbusters themselves were left to chose the Traveler’s form, they tried to consciously avoid making that choice.  Unfortunately, ghostbuster Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd) thought up something that he thought would be harmless when he should have thought of nothing, and low and behold, the Traveler arrived in the form of cuddly corporate icon, Mr. Stay Puft.  The Stay Puft Marshmallow Man really does represent the movie in a nutshell; being altogether hilariously silly and horrifically terrifying at the same time.  Though he may look adorable, make no mistake, he is out to destroy you.  He appears briefly in the film, but still manages to tear up a good portion of Mid-town Manhattan in the meantime.  He even destroys a church, which really gets the Ghostbusters steammed.  What I love best about this particular monster is just how well executed it is.  If you look at the idea on face value in the original script, this should have been the most ridiculous idea for a climax ever in an action comedy, and yet Mr. Stay Puft perfectly fits within the irreverant nature of the whole film.  When he shows up at the end of the movie, it’s a perfect punchline to the whole adventure that the Ghostbusters have been on.  Not only that, but the creature has also become an iconic element of the film, becoming just as popular as some of the main characters.  We may not remember every little detail of the movie itself, but we remember a monster like Stay Puft, which is what all the best monsters do.

3.

THE TYRANNOSAURUS REX from JURASSIC PARK (1993)

Like in the shark in Jaws, another Spielberg production, the tyrannosaurus is a real life monster from our own naturalistic history; albeit transplanted from a different time and place.  When put into contact with human beings in this movie, the dinosaur does what all great movie monsters do and that’s to become a larger than life threat that cannot be controlled.  Brought back to life through genetic cloning, the T-Rex in the movie is certainly the film’s most iconic creature.  Spielberg cleverly used a variety of techniques to help bring this monster to life, using both animatronic puppetry as well as breakthrough CGI animation.  The end result is a truly spectacular creation that really makes you believe that dinosaurs have come back to life.  Amazingly, those CGI-animated scenes still hold up after 20 years.  But it’s not just the gadgetry behind it’s creation that makes the T-Rex such an iconic monster; it’s also the way he’s used in the film.  The scene where he first makes his escape is one of the most tension filled scenes in movie history.  I’m sure that a lot of people remember every moment of that particular scene, from the the iconic ripple in the water to the moment when the T-Rex eats the man sitting on the toilet.  The T-Rex in Jurassic Park represents a perfect example of taking a wild animal out of it’s element and letting it run wild.  A lot of credit is due to the sound effects team, who gave the T-Rex a truly memorable and terrifying roar.  Though the T-Rex may not be the ultimate foe for the heroes in the movie, and in fact he saves the day by attacking the villainous Raptors, he is still the standout part of the film and one of cinemas greatest giant monsters.

2.

KONG from KING KONG (1932 ORIGINAL AND 2005 REMAKE)

Essentially cinemas first iconic giant movie monster, Kong made an impact not just in the visual effects world when he first debuted in 1932, but also on all film-making in general.  For the first time ever on screen, we saw a visual effect actually give a performance in a movie, and in some cases show more personality than his live action human co-stars.  Everything about the original has become legendary today; his first appearance out of the jungles of Skull Island, his fights with the menacing dinosaurs that also call the island home, and also his unforgettable trek to the top of the Empire State Building.  Kong is without a doubt a groundbreaking character, and justifiably has earned his spot among the greatest movie monsters of all time.  Not surprisingly he has influenced many of the other movie monsters that have come since, like the Japanese Kaiju’s and the creatures that inhabited many of those classic B-Movies of yesteryear.  But, what is most surprising is that unlike many of the other monsters on this list, Kong is not inherently malicious.  In fact, he’s pretty docile for the most part and only attacks humans when provoked; much like how wild animals are in real life.  This was something that was explored more fully in Peter Jackson’s 2005 remake, where Kong actually acted as a protector to his human companion Ann Darrow (Naomi Watts), who in turn grows more sympathetic towards the monster as the film goes on, and slowly begins to see the humanity underneath Kong’s rough exterior.  That’s not to say that Kong isn’t a push-over either.  His fight with a group of blood-thirsty dinosaurs in the remake is particularly brutal and shows just how mighty the giant ape is.  Brought to life by motion-capture from actor Andy Serkis, Peter Jackson’s Kong brings out a lot of the extra personality that was hinted at in the original and does an excellent job of updating the mighty monster to the modern age, while still being respectful to what was there before.

1.

GODZILLA from THE “GODZILLA, KING OF THE MONSTERS” SERIES (1954-PRESENT)

We’ve seen many iconic monsters in the movies over the years; from giant turtles, to giant apes, to even a marshmallow man.  But if there is one that has managed to become the mightiest of them all, it would be Godzilla, the King of Monsters.  Godzilla is without a doubt the most iconic of the Japanese Kaiju monsters, and has enjoyed a long running shelf life in movie theaters that has been going on for 60 years strong.  Starting off with his debut in the 1954 Japanese classic Gojira, Godzilla has gone on to international fame and notoriety.  Even people who have never seen a single movie in the franchise can recognize the spiky tailed creature just by looking at him, showing how strong his cultural impact has been.  He’s appeared in over 20 films to date and has clashed with many other monsters, almost always coming out as the victor.  Hell, he even has gone up against two other monsters on this list in various films; King Kong and Gamera, and even they were no match for the mighty Godzilla.  He earns the top spot on this list mainly because no other monster has had the same kind of over-arching legacy that he has had.  Found in all sorts of different media, from movies to television, and even in animation, Godzilla is without a doubt a cinematic icon.  Although he’s still a firmly Japanese cinematic property, he has managed to become popular enough to get the Hollywood treatment twice; first in the disastrous 1998 Roland Emmerich misfire, and again in the better but still flawed 2014 film.  The good thing about the latter production is that it did right by the monster himself, and when he was allowed to show off his best talents, it was done spectacularly well.  Thankfully, Godzilla’s legacy is still going strong and will continue to cement his reputation as the undisputed King of all Monsters.

So, there is my list for the greatest Giant Monsters in movie history.  Though there are many more noteworthy creatures that could have made the list, these I thought best represented the best of the concept on the big screen.  When you want a memorable display of destruction captured in a movie, you’ve got to have a worthy foe capable of causing the biggest amount of mayhem. And certainly, the bigger the foe, the greater the odds are against our heroes, which helps to make the tension in these action movies all the more exciting.  Sometimes it’s good enough when the mighty beasts are just forces of nature, like the Great White Shark or a T-Rex, but it’s sometimes even more unforgettable when the monster comes from the unknown like Mr. Stay Puft or the ferocious Kaijus.  Even more dangerous is a malicious monster with an intelligent mind, like Smaug.  Overall, these are the creatures that leave an impact on us when we watch a great action movie, and it shows all the many creative ways that filmmakers can make the extraordinary happen.  In the end, that’s what makes it alright to appreciate an over-the-top action thriller, because our imaginations really hit their highest points whenever we dream up the most trying of adversaries.  Not only that, but it’s also just a lot of fun to see big monsters having fun destroying things.  That’s cinema for you.

This summer, The Lone Ranger and After Earth came into theaters amid a lot of bad buzz and with bloated budgets.  The failures of these films are noteworthy, but not surprising.  They follow a long line of “Passion Projects” that have come out of Hollywood every now and then.  What makes a movie a “Passion Project” is when a filmmaker puts too much personal investment into a film project that other people, or a studio, doesn’t believe will be a commercial success; but because of the clout that that filmmaker has, the project still moves forward regardless of the risk and the expense. This has often led to disastrous results.  Last week, I highlighted one such example of a film driven by unchecked egos: Heaven’s Gate.  The Lone Ranger  and After Earth do fit the mold of “Passion Projects” that have failed, albeit for different reasons; one was the misguided attempt by producers who felt they could transform any old property into a money-making juggernaut and the other was a movie star trying to elevate his not-ready-for-the-spotlight son into becoming a blockbuster star in the wrong kind of movie.

Apart from the making of a good movie, the most important thing in the film industry is being able to sell your production to a wide audience.  A movie can be made and undone on the effectiveness of its marketing, regardless of the quality of the film itself.  The greatest outcome of a good marketing campaign is when great works of art can come out of it.  Movie posters have become popular collectors items over the years, and in some rare cases, can become more famous than the film itself.