Christopher Carton - The Ultimate Book of Movie Monsters

THE ULTIMATE BOOK OF

MOVIE MONSTERS

I want to dedicate this book to my family and friends. Thank you all for your excitement and support. It means the world to me .

For my mother, Patricia, and my father Dave, for being massive horror fans and passing on your love of all things terrifying and spooky to me and my brothers. I promise were (mostly) well adjusted. I love you so much .

For my brothers, Graham and David, for watching all of these disgusting, hilarious and terrifying movies with me throughout the years, and always warning me when the scariest parts were coming. You two are Groovy, and I love you both .

For Dawn, my partner in crime, fellow horror lover and my best friend in the whole world. Your love and encouragement helped motivate me to keep writing and pursuing my dreams. You are the kindest, most loving wife and mother in the world, and anyone who crosses your path is all the better for it. Im the luckiest man alive to get to spend my days with you. I love you so much .

For Aurora, Bram and Fia, my own little monsters. You light up my days. You are funny, intelligent, kind and loving, and every day with you is pure joy. I love you all more than anything in the world, and you make me proud every single day. I hope this book doesnt traumatise you!

CHRISTOPHER CARTON

First published in Great Britain in 2022 by

Pen and Sword WHITE OWL

An imprint of

Pen & Sword Books Ltd

Yorkshire - Philadelphia

Copyright Christopher Carton, 2022

ISBN 978 1 39909 682 9

ePUB ISBN 978 1 39909 683 6

The right of Christopher Carton to be identified as Author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

Movie images credited to Movie Stills Database

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the Publisher in writing.

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Fear has been an integral part of cinema for over a century. Filmmakers have sought to thrill us in a myriad of ways in that time. They create stories which deal with real-world problems and force us to face our mortality. They bring us action-packed and adrenaline-fueled spectacle and place our favourite characters in jeopardy for our entertainment. They tackle societal issues and traumatic events of the past with respect and harrowing realism. But one of the most common and effective ways in which directors and writers tap into our psyches and raise hairs on the back of our necks, is by placing us face to face with monsters.

Some of the most recognisable forces in the industry have been the creatures conjured up from the darkest and most imaginative places in the minds of filmmakers. From towering behemoths to shuffling corpses to otherworldly abominations, the monsters of cinema have burrowed their way into the hearts and souls of movie-goers around the world.

Destructive, terrifying, deadly and craving for bloodshed and mayhem, these beasts have wreaked havoc globally and always seem to come back for more. But some are protectors, using their power or magic to defend us, to oppose the beasts that try to scare us. And some are misunderstood; only monsters in the eyes of those who dont comprehend them. Some are simply mischievous, prancing ghouls who serve to make these stories eerie and abnormal.

There are thousands of monsters in all sizes and forms that have shaped the landscape of film across every genre, from disaster movies to fantasy adventures, gory body-horror pictures and heartfelt family dramas. The following are some of the most iconic, unique, inventive and terrifying creatures to ever grace a screen. Monster is a relative term, but that being said, some of the creatures to come might have you sleeping with your head under the covers and all the lights on.

Vampire by Edvard Munch

A shadow looms above you as you follow the same shortcut youve used every single day. Your footsteps echo through the alleyway as you quicken your pace, certain your mind is playing tricks. A flutter of wings. Birds looking for scraps You pull your collar tight and speed up again, praying no one sees you looking anxious and silly. The hairs on your neck stand up. A presence You can feel the eyes piercing the back of your skull, yet now you are frozen. Locked in place by a paralysing fear that has chilled your bones and makes you feel as though your blood runs cold. But its not cold its pumping warm tonight, and its flowing from your neck and into the dead, waiting lips of the cursed the living undead. Your pulse slows with each drop the pearly fangs drain from your supple neck, and slowly you drift into the ether. Will your life cease? Will you awaken to find you have become one with the cursed, destined to live a tormented life of unending thirst? And if those are your choices, which would be worse?

Vampire

Common Strengths	:	Shape-shifting, sharp fangs to satiate the thirst for blood, psychological manipulation, immortality.
Common Weaknesses	:	Sunlight, garlic, holy water, piercing of the heart, decapitation.

With their history steeped in the gothic literature of the nineteenth century, the dreaded vampire treads a fine line between paralysing fear and morbid intrigue. Since the publication of John William Polidoris The Vampyre in 1819, vampires have sunk their teeth into horror-fiction in a massive way, becoming staple monsters in the genre. By virtue of this, the fanged fiends would inevitably make their presence known on a cinematic scale.

THE COUNT

Dracula

Created by	:	Bram Stoker
Appearances	:	Countless incarnations of the Dracula story, Hollywood mash-ups such as Van Helsing and Monster Squad .

Bram Stokers horror masterpiece, Dracula , truly brought the characteristics of the modern vampire into the mainstream. The callous Count was a cold and unfeeling character, treating main protagonist Jonathan Harker with an eerie and mostly unspoken passive-aggressive slight, feigning interest while also holding the solicitor to ransom with his clever word play and dominant demeanour.

The physical traits we all now see as synonymous with blood-sucking beasts were prevalent in the novel, such as his deathly weakness to sunlight, his insatiable thirst for human blood and his ability to shape-shift at will. Likewise, Count Dracula utilised his cunning and charm, as well as his resident seductive concubines, to bend his victims to his will and influence their very souls. Because of the uneasy and palpable terror in Stokers novel, the appeal of his story wasnt long being adapted for film.