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Monsters - Supernatural Creatures & Killer Animals

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The Mummy (1932).jpg
The Mummy (1932)

Directors: Karl Freund

Writers: Nina Wilcox Putnam & Richard Schayer (original story), John L. Balderston (screenplay)

Stars: Boris Karloff,  Zita Johann,  David Manners

Story: A living mummy stalks a beautiful woman that he believes is the reincarnation of his lover.

Other Films In Series: The Mummy's Hand (1940), The Mummy's Tomb (1942), The Mummy's Ghost (1944), The Mummy's Curse (1944), The Mummy (1999), The Mummy Returns (2001), The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008), The Mummy (2017)

1930s
King Kong (1933)

Directors: Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack

Writers: James Ashmore Creelman, Ruth Rose

Stars:  Fay Wray,  Robert Armstrong,  Bruce Cabot

Story:  A film crew goes to a tropical island for an exotic location shoot and discovers a colossal giant gorilla who takes a shine to their female blonde star.

Other Films In Series: Son of Kong (1933), King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962), King Kong Escapes (1967), King Kong (1976), King Kong Lives (1986), King Kong (2005), Kong: Skull Island (2017), Godzilla vs. Kong (2020), Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024)

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Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)

Directors:  Jack Arnold

Writers: Harry Essex, Arthur A. Ross

Stars:  Richard Carlson,  Julie Adams,  Richard Denning

Story: A strange prehistoric beast lurks in the depths of the Amazonian jungle. A group of scientists try to capture the animal and bring it back to civilization for study.

Other Films In Series: Revenge of the Creature (1955), The Creature Walks Among Us (1956)

Jack Arnold

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1950s
Them! (1954)

Directors: Gordon Douglas

Writers: Ted Sherdeman (screenplay), Russell S. Hughes (adaptation)

Stars: James Whitmore, Edmund Gwenn, Joan Weldon

Story: The earliest atomic tests in New Mexico cause common ants to mutate into giant man-eating monsters that threaten civilization.

Other Films In Series: None.

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Jaws (1975)

Directors: Steven Spielberg

Writers: Peter Benchley (novel), Carl Gottlieb (screenplay)

Stars: Roy Scheider,  Robert Shaw,  Richard Dreyfuss

Story: When a gigantic great white shark begins to menace the small island community of Amity, a police chief, a marine scientist and a grizzled fisherman set out to stop it.

Other Films In Series: Jaws 2 (1978), Jaws 3-D (1983), Jaws: The Revenge (1987) 

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1970s
Cujo (1983)

Directors: Lewis Teague

Writers: Stephen King (novel), Don Carlos Dunaway (screenplay)

Stars: Dee Wallace, Daniel Hugh Kelly, Danny Pintauro

Story:  Cujo, a friendly St. Bernard, contracts rabies and conducts a reign of terror on a small American town.

Other Films In Series: None.

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1980s
Pumpkinhead (1988)

Directors: Stan Winston

Writers: Ed Justin (poem), Mark Patrick Carducci (screenplay)

Stars: Lance Henriksen,  Jeff East,  John D'Aquino

Story:  After a tragic accident, a man conjures up a towering, vengeful demon called Pumpkinhead to destroy a group of unsuspecting teenagers.

Other Films In Series: Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings (1994), Pumpkinhead: Ashes to Ashes (2006), Pumpkinhead: Blood Feud (2007)

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Puppet Master (1989)

Directors: David Schmoeller

Writers: Charles Band, Kenneth J. Hall

Stars: Paul Le Mat,  William Hickey,  Irene Miracle

Story:  A group of psychics find themselves fighting for their lives against animated, murderous puppets.

Other Films In Series: Puppet Master II: His Unholy Creation (1991), Puppet Master III: Toulon's Revenge (1991), Puppet Master 4: The Demon (1993),Puppet Master 5: The Final Chapter (1994), Curse of the Puppet Master (1998), Retro Puppet Master (1999), Puppet Master: The Legacy (2003), Puppet Master vs Demonic Toys (2004), Puppet Master: Axis of Evil (2010), Puppet Master X: Axis Rising (2012), Puppet Master: Axis Termination (2016), Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich (2018), Blade: The Iron Cross (2020), Puppet Master: Doktor Death (2022)

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Tremors (1990)

Directors: Ron Underwood

Writers: S.S. Wilson, Brent Maddock

Stars: Kevin Bacon,  Fred Ward,  Finn Carter, Michael Gross

Story:  Natives of a small isolated town defend themselves against strange underground creatures which are killing them one by one.

Other Films In Series: Tremors 2: Aftershocks (1996), Tremors 3: Back to Perfection (2001), Tremors 4: The Legend Begins (2004), Tremors 5: Bloodlines (2015), Tremors: A Cold Day in Hell (2018), Tremors: Shrieker Island (2020)

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1990s
Nightbreed (1990)

Directors: Clive Barker

Writers: Clive Barker

Stars: Craig Sheffer,  David Cronenberg,  Anne Bobby

Story: A troubled young man is drawn to a mythical place called Midian where a variety of monsters are hiding from humanity.

Other Films In Series: Nightbreed: The Cabal Cut

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Anaconda (1997)

Directors: Luis Llosa

Writers: Hans Bauer, Jim Cash

Stars: Jon Voight, Jennifer Lopez, Eric Stoltz

Story: A "National Geographic" film crew is taken hostage by an insane hunter, who takes them along on his quest to capture the world's largest - and deadliest - snake.

Other Films In Series: Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid (2004), Anaconda 3: Offspring (2008), Anacondas: Trail of Blood (2009), Lake Placid vs. Anaconda (2015)

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Mimic (1997)

Directors: Guillermo del Toro

Writers: Donald A. Wollheim (original short story), Matthew Robbins (screenplay)

Stars: Mira Sorvino, Jeremy Northam, Alexander Goodwin

Story: Three years ago, entomologist Dr. Susan Tyler genetically created an insect to kill cockroaches carrying a virulent disease. Now, the insects are out to destroy their only predator, mankind.

Other Films In Series: Mimic 2 (2001), Mimic: Sentinel (2003)

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Wishmaster (1997)

Directors: Robert Kurtzman

Writers: Peter Atkins

Stars: Tammy Lauren,  Andrew Divoff,  Robert Englund

Story: A demonic djinn attempts to grant its owner three wishes, which will allow him to summon his brethren to earth.

Other Films In Series: Wishmaster 2: Evil Never Dies (1999), Wishmaster 3: Beyond The Gates Of Hell (2001), Wishmaster: The Prophecy Fulfilled (2002)

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Deep Rising (1998)

Directors: Stephen Sommers

Writers: Stephen Sommers

Stars: Treat Williams, Famke Janssen, Anthony Heald

Story: A group of heavily armed hijackers board a luxury ocean liner in the South Pacific Ocean to loot it, only to do battle with a series of large-sized, tentacled, man-eating sea creatures who have taken over the ship first.

Other Films In Series: None.

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Lake Placid (1999)

Directors: Steve Miner

Writers: David E. Kelley

Stars: Bridget Fonda, Bill Pullman, Oliver Platt, Betty White

Story: Three people attempt to stop a gigantic crocodile, who is terrorizing residents in Black Lake, Maine.

Other Films In Series: Lake Placid 2 (2007), Lake Placid 3 (2010), Lake Placid: The Final Chapter (2012), Lake Placid vs. Anaconda (2015), Lake Placid: Legacy (2018)

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Jeepers Creepers (2001)

Directors: Victor Salva

Writers: Victor Salva

Stars: Gina Philips, Justin Long, Jonathan Breck

Story: A brother and sister driving home through isolated countryside for spring break encounter a flesh-eating creature which is on the last day of its ritualistic eating spree.

Other Films In Series: Jeepers Creepers II (2003), Jeepers Creepers III (2017), Jeepers Creepers: Reborn (2022)

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2000s
Boogeyman (2005)

Directors: Stephen Kay

Writers: Eric Kripke

Stars: Barry Watson, Emily Deschanel, Lucy Lawless

Story: A young man tries to deal with the childhood terror that has affected his life.

Other Films In Series: Boogeyman 2 (2007), Boogeyman 3 (2008)

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The Host (2006)

Directors: Joon-ho Bong

Writers: Joon-ho Bong, Won-jun Ha

Stars: Kang-ho Song, Hee-Bong Byun, Hae-il Park

Story: A monster emerges from Seoul's Han River and focuses its attention on attacking people. One victim's loving family does what it can to rescue her from its clutches.

Other Films In Series: None.

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Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)

Directors: Guillermo del Toro

Writers: Guillermo del Toro

Stars: Ivana Baquero,  Ariadna Gil,  Sergi López

Story: In the falangist Spain of 1944, the bookish young stepdaughter of a sadistic army officer escapes into an eerie but captivating fantasy world.

Other Films In Series: None.

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The Mist (2007)

Directors: Frank Darabont

Writers: Frank Darabont (screenplay), Stephen King (novel)

Stars: Thomas Jane, Marcia Gay Harden, Laurie Holden

Story: A freak storm unleashes a species of bloodthirsty creatures on a small town, where a small band of citizens hole up in a supermarket and fight for their lives.

Other Films In Series: None.

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Cloverfield (2008)

Directors: Matt Reeves

Writers: Drew Goddard

Stars: Mike Vogel, Jessica Lucas, Lizzy Caplan

Story: A group of friends venture deep into the streets of New York on a rescue mission during a rampaging monster attack.

Other Films In Series: 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016), The Cloverfield Paradox (2018)

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The Ruins (2008)

Directors: Carter Smith

Writers: Scott B. Smith

Stars: Shawn Ashmore, Jena Malone, Jonathan Tucker

Story: A group of friends on holiday in Mexico find their vacation take a turn for the worse, when they and a fellow tourist embark on a remote archaeological dig in a jungle, where something evil lives among the ruins.

Other Films In Series: None.

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Splinter (2008)

Directors: Toby Wilkins

Writers: Ian Shorr, Kai Barry

Stars: Shea Whigham,  Jill Wagner,  Paulo Costanzo

Story: Trapped in an isolated gas station by a voracious Splinter parasite that transforms its still living victims into deadly hosts, a young couple and an escaped convict must find a way to work together to survive this primal terror.

Other Films In Series: None.

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Trollhunter (2010)

Directors: André Øvredal 

Writers: André Øvredal

Stars: Otto Jespersen, Robert Stoltenberg, Knut Nærum

Story: A group of students investigates a series of mysterious bear killings, but learns that there are much more dangerous things going on. They start to follow a mysterious hunter, learning that he is actually a troll hunter.

Other Films In Series: None.

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2010s
The Cabin in the Woods (2012)

Directors: Drew Goddard

Writers: Joss Whedon, Drew Goddard

Stars: Kristen Connolly,  Chris Hemsworth,  Anna Hutchison

Story: Five friends go for a break at a remote cabin in the woods, where they get more than they bargained for. Together, they must discover the truth behind the cabin in the woods.

Other Films In Series: None.

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The Babadook (2014)

Directors: Jennifer Kent

Writers: Jennifer Kent

Stars: Essie Davis,  Noah Wiseman,  Daniel Henshall

Story: A single mother, plagued by the violent death of her husband, battles with her son's fear of a monster lurking in the house, but soon discovers a sinister presence all around her. 

Other Films In Series: None.

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Clown (2014)

Directors: Jon Watts

Writers: Christopher Ford, Jon Watts

Stars: Andy Powers,  Laura Allen,  Peter Stormare

Story: A loving father finds a clown suit for his son's birthday party, only to realize that it is not a suit at all.

Other Films In Series: None.

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It Follows (2015)

Directors: David Robert Mitchell

Writers: David Robert Mitchell

Stars: Maika Monroe,  Keir Gilchrist,  Olivia Luccardi

Story: A young woman is followed by an unknown supernatural force after a sexual encounter.

Other Films In Series: None.

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The Monster Project (2017)

Directors: Victor Mathieu

Writers: Corbin Billings, Shariya Lynn

Stars: Toby Hemingway, Justin Bruening, Murielle Zuker

Story: A recovering drug addict takes a job with a documentary crew who plans to interview three subjects who claim to be real life monsters.

Other Films In Series: None.

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It (2017)

Directors: Andy Muschietti

Writers: Stephen King (novel), Chase Palmer, Cary Joji Fukunaga & Gary Dauberman (screenplay)

Stars: Bill Skarsgård, Jaeden Lieberher, Finn Wolfhard

Story: In the summer of 1989, a group of bullied kids band together to destroy a shapeshifting monster, which disguises itself as a clown and preys on the children of Derry, their small Maine town.

Other Films In Series: It (1990), It: Chapter Two (2019)

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A Quiet Place (2018)

Directors: John Krasinski

Writers: Bryan Woods, Scott Beck, John Krasinski

Stars: Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Millicent Simmonds

Story: In a post-apocalyptic world, a family is forced to live in silence while hiding from monsters with ultra-sensitive hearing.

Other Films In Series: A Quiet Place: Part II (2021), A Quiet Place: Day One (2024)

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