Monster movies have been around for almost as long as movies themselves. Over the years, many iconic monsters have been created that continue to be crowd-pleasers. Vampires, werewolves, Pennywise, and The Blob are all hugely recognizable monsters that have endured through decades of movie-going audiences, leaving their mark and scaring the public with every new release.
But what happens when the monster in a movie doesn't land? Whether it's due to poor creature design, bad special effects, or just an ineffective monster, there are hundreds of terrible movie monsters to choose from. Here's a look at some of the worst horror movie monsters that left audiences doubled up with laughter instead of quaking with fear.
Farting Mud Zombies – Spookies
Spookies was already a strange disaster of a movie before the farting mud zombies made their appearance. The film was directed by three separate people, with no real plot running through it. Rather, it felt more like a collection of scenes loosely grouped together in the same setting. The film features a random collection of monsters versus a random collection of people in an old house. Some monsters actually look great, for example, the Spider-Lady; meanwhile, others are farting mud monsters.
In the scene, two of the hapless people trapped in the house are in the basement trying to find a way out, among other things, when suddenly the zombies burst through the earthen floor to attack, accompanied by what can only be described as comically loud flatulence. The scene runs around two minutes long, and it is in no way scary as the perpetually farting mud men lunge relentlessly at their potential victims.
Trolls – Troll 2
Technically not even trolls but goblins, the monsters in the virtually budget-less Troll 2 are less than frightening. The plot revolves around a family arriving in the town of Nilbog (which is Goblin spelled backward), where the inhabitants are plant-eating goblins. In order to sustain themselves, the goblin inhabitants are transforming any humans in the vicinity into plants.
Already ridiculous and completely unrelated to the first Troll, Troll 2 is most famous for being laughable at best. The subject of the documentary Best Worst Movie and the film that bought the world the famous scene featuring the most incredible delivery of dialogue in cinematic history, Troll 2 and its goblins are best left in Nilbog.
The Brain – The Brain
In 1988's The Brain, the plot is simple. A "Doctor" running a self-help/religion-based show is actually working alongside an alien he calls The Brain to brainwash and control the human race. The only thing that can save the planet is a plucky teenager and his girlfriend who's along for the ride. Of course, they have to go up against The Brain itself, and it is underwhelming.
At times, the facial sculpt of the monster isn't actually that bad. The problems come when it is in motion. When The Brain evolves and grows, it becomes a giant shambling rubber suit. Occasionally the performer's feet are visible, and shots of the monster being attacked aren't shown often due to the visible caving in of the suit.
Darkseekers – I Am Legend
Loosely based on Richard Matheson's novel of the same name, I Am Legend tells the story of a world looking to cure cancer with a genetically engineered measles virus. Of course, this does not go as planned, and in fact causes a plague whereby anyone who contracts the disease becomes a mutant cannibal. These monsters are known as Darkseekers, due to them only coming out after nightfall. In theory, it's a scary concept and the content of the film itself is well done and features an excellent performance from Will Smith. However, the reveal of the Darkseekers leaves a lot to be desired.
The Darkseekers are just CGI people, and the CGI is not well done. Slightly elongated with yellowish skin and visible veins, the mutants are hardly mutated and do not instill much fear. Their appearance actually diminishes the impact of the film and is incredibly distracting when they appear onscreen at the same time as Smith.
The Blood Freak – Blood Freak
Blood Freak features the tagline "Dracula on Drugs!" and that is definitely the case. Vietnam veteran Herschell helps a young religious girl get back home and falls victim to the girl's sister, who pressures him into smoking a joint. Herschell immediately becomes addicted to marijuana. From there, he gets a job at a turkey farm where scientists are performing experiments on the birds and want him to try the meat to ensure it's still safe. To get him to do this, they bribe him with more marijuana. After he eats the meat he promptly passes out, and they presume him dead. When Herschell wakes up, he has the head of a turkey and now craves the blood of other drug addicts.
A bird-headed vampire man is not scary; it is hilarious. Herschell runs around town, draining the blood of pot smokers until he is ultimately killed by the girl he helped at the beginning. After he is killed, he wakes up in the woods. It was all a dream and the film ends with Herschell going to rehab. A cautionary tale about the perils of drug use ended up being a hilarious un-scary tale about Big Bird's rogue cousin.