10 Movie Monsters that Terrified Me as a Kid
I watched a lot of scary movies when I was a kid. I've always loved the adrenaline rush of being scared. My kids are the same way, so it's fun to watch "family friendly" horror movies with them. Is it bad that I am entertained watching my kids get freaked out watching these kinds of movies?
I was having a conversation with a friend recently about monsters, characters, and creatures in movies that really, genuinely scared us as kids. From that conversation this top 10 list was born. Read over it and let me know what movie monsters terrified you as a kid!
Demons from The Gate - 1987
The demons from this movie are the stuff that my little kid nightmares were made of. I loved watching this movie when I was growing up; I saw it multiple times in the dollar theater with my grandpa. It was also cool that the demons were created with the magic of claymation.
Fat Woman Monster and Big Ben from House - 1986
If you haven't seen this movie, you've got to watch it! This was one of my all time favorite horror movies growing up and there were two monsters in it that creeped me the the f*#& out! There was the crazy-looking fat blob lady chasing after the little kid and the horrific undead Vietnam vet that came back for revenge.
Gremlins from Gremlins - 1984
Yes, loved the movie Gremlins, but when they went from cute and cuddly to evil and gnarly they were scary, and it was kind of terrifying to watch them multiply when they got wet. I know this movie is considered a family horror film, but there were nights when I feared I would be attacked by these little monsters.
Pennywise the Clown from IT - 1990
Tim Curry as Pennywise the Clown is the most terrifying clown ever put onto celluloid. Then when he busted out the razor sharp teeth... it was game over, man! The clown was definitely a lot scarier than the big alien spider revealed at the end of the story.
Clown from Poltergeist - 1982
I absolutely hated that damn clown! I still hate it! That scene where it stares at and attacks the kid in his bedroom is scary as hell! Especially when the kid is dragged under the bed. That scene was directed so well, and the effect it had on me will last a life time.
Regan from The Exorcist - 1973
Yep, I watched the Exorcist when I was a kid. I was probably 10 years old when I first saw it. I don't know where parents were when I watched this movie, but seeing this little girl being possessed by the Devil kind of messed me up for a long time.
Vampires from Salem's Lot - 1979
These were the first really terrifying vampires that I saw as a kid. Before this movie the only exposure I had to vampires was in Dracula. These vampires were a lot scarier than that! The way they looked, moved, and mocked the audience was awesomely scary.
Isaac from Children of the Corn - 1984
This kid was insane! The fact that he got all of the kids in the town he lived in to rise up and kill their parents is hideously chilling. Then there's the way the kid looked, and that high pitched voice of his just made my skin crawl.
Gmork from Never Ending Story - 1984
The look in this wolf's eyes scared the living shit out of me. Especially after Atreyu reveals who his is to him after the long hunt. For an animatronic creature, this thing had some pretty intense expressions. It may not look like much now, but when I was a kid it freaked me out.
Zelda from Pet Semetary - 1989
What the hell was this all about! I lost so much sleep over this character it was ridiculous. For months, as soon as the light turned, I would just stare at the dark corner of my room waiting for Zelda to come running out of it yelling at me...