Tarman

First appearance: Return of the Living Dead (1985)

A couple of boobs working at a medical supply company accidentally break open a military issue container containing one of the corpses from the military experiment that was the inspiration for George A. Romero's Night of the Living Dead. Based on a true story.

This is probably my favorite zombie movie, although when I first saw it I hated it. I was firmly in the shambling, flesh eating zombie camp at the time. I thought it was really dumb that these zombies could talk and only wanted to eat brains. Over the years it grew on me. I think it's because of the how well the combination of horror and comedy work. I'd say this and American Werewolf in London are the best examples of horror comedies. The scares work and the laughs work and neither gets in the way of the other.
It's also interesting to note that the whole pop-culture "zombies say 'Brrraaaiiinnnsss'" thing is directly inspired by this movie. Up until RotLD zombies were mute, shambling corpses.

Tobonga

First appearance: From Hell It Came (1957)

Nuclear radiation turns a prince who was executed when he was wrongly accused of murder and buried in a hollow tree stump into a revenge seeking walking tree known as a Tobonga. The Tobonga goes on a rampage killing everyone who gets in his way including the guy who actually committed the murder. Can anyone get close enough to drive the knife protruding from the monsters chest all the way through the monster's heart thus killing it?

I don't think there's enough monsters nowadays that are the result of radiation and revenge.

Robert, the tire

First appearance: Rubber (2010)

Seriously, this is a movie about a sentient, telekinetic, tire who also happens to be a serial killer.

why? no reason.

Predator

First appearance: Predator (1987)

A group of mercenaries head to the jungles of Costa Verde to find out what happened to a presidential cabinet minister. Or so they thought! After wiping out a guerrilla camp it is revealed they were actually there just to kill a bunch of guerrillas. On their way back to the extraction point they get attacked by an invisible alien hunter who likes to skin its prey and collects skulls. Also it sees heat. Will this plucky band of mercenaries make it to the helicopter or will they just end up as more trophies on the wall of this predator's home?

For some reason, "fans" of this franchise insist on calling this species Yautja. This makes no sense to me. Who calls these things Yautja? what language is that supposed to be? It's not the Predator's language that seems to be just a series of clicks and whistles. Like the Alien in Alien, if humans are encountering these things wouldn't we just call them aliens or if we're clever predators? maybe even hunters? Fan stuff like that annoys me deeply for some reason. Predators are called Predators. Aliens are called Aliens not xenomorphs. One guy in one movie used that word to sound smart. Xenomorph means alien-form or alien-body. The marines have encountered other aliens in their missions as you can tell from their story about the Arcturans. 

Also Michael Myers should be called the Boogeyman not the shape. Through that whole series everyone calls him the boogeyman. Even his doctor. 

So remember these things are call Predators, dummy.

Also at one point the Predator was going to be played by Jean Claude Van Damme.

That would have been pretty cool, eh?

Anyway on to the trailer:

Golden Sphere

First appearance: Phantasm II

What you saw happen at the end of Phantasm is not what actually happened.

What really happened is the Tall Man and his minions attacked Reggie and Mike at Reggie's house. In order to save themselves Reggie was forced to blow up his house, now infested with midgets. 

The pair meet up with a psychic girl who has a crush on Mike because she's been dreaming about him for years. The trio travel across a slowly emptying America in order to confront the tall man and put an end to all his grave-robbing-midget-building shenanigans before he can kill the world.

The studio demanded the recasting of the role of Mike. One of the people who auditioned for the role was Brad Pitt, he didn't get it.

Paul Webster

First appearance: Alligator People (1959)

Under hypnosis a lady remembers a weird episode from her past where she reveals that she was once married to a man who was turned into an alligator because of science. 

Patrick Bateman

First appearance: American Psycho (2000)

A wealthy businessman in the '80s lives a double life. By day he's a wealthy investment banker. By night he dresses as a bat and fights crime. No, sorry got this one confused with another movie. By night the investment banker enjoys murdering people, but because it's the 1980s and everyone is a fake nobody notices nor believes he's a serial killer.

Interesting that this actor played both Patrick Bateman and the vigilante Batman. Bateman, Batman, weird, isn't it?

Martian

First appearance: War of the Worlds (1953)

As usual Mars decides to kill a bunch of people on Earth. Why? Probably because we're the closest inhabited planet. Or maybe they're just jerks. Either way they do a really good job of wrecking stuff. Will Earth's military or scientists figure out a way to stop this invasion? 

The eventually remade this movie with Tom Cruise as the main character and in a weird twist decided that the martians had buried their war machines all over the surface of the Earth millions of years ago for some reason instead of sending them down in landing craft disguised as meteors like in every other version of the story.

Martian

First appearance: Mars Attacks (1996)

Martians make first contact with Earth. Human's misunderstand why the martians are coming and mayhem ensues. Probably the greatest movie based on a series of collectable cards ever.

Martian saucer design is similar to the one in Earth Vs. the Flying Saucers and the Martians seem to have a similar weakness. 

The Lost Skeleton

First appearance: The Lost Skeleton of Cadavera (2001)

This appearance: The Lost Skeleton Returns Again (2009)

The further adventures of Scientist Dr. Paul Armstrong!

Living in the Jungle after his latest discovery was stolen by a rival scientist Dr. Armstrong is unaware that the nefarious Lost Skeleton is up to his old tricks. 

Satan

First appearance: Prince of Darkness (1987)

In the bowels of a small run down church a secret is hidden. A group of physics students spend the weekend trying to discover what that secret is. Turns out its a big can of liquid Satan and Jesus was an alien. Can the students stop the awakening evil from bringing Anti-god across the dimensional plane and destroying the universe?

The second movie in John Carpenter's Apocalypse Trilogy (the other two are The Thing and In the Mouth of Madness)

Leprechaun

First appearance: Leprechaun (1993)

In 1983 a man captures a Leprechaun and brings the pot of gold home to his wife in the U.S. Unfortunately for him the Leprechaun isn't going to let the gold go so easily and has stowed away in the man's luggage. After killing the man's wife the man once again defeats the Leprechaun by showing it a four-leaf clover (a leprechaun's only weakness) and imprisoning in a crate. Just as he's about to set fire to the crate the man has a heart-attack and dies. 

Ten years later a family rents the house containing the Lepre-crate. The Leprechaun tricks a mentally-challenged man in to freeing him and mayhem ensues.

This franchise includes an adventure in space (Leprechaun 4: In Space) and two set in "The Hood" (Leprechaun 5: In the Hood and Leprechaun 6: Back 2 tha Hood). Why? I don't know.

Inspector Dan Clay

First appearance: Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959)

Aliens attempt to conquer the Earth by raising the dead, with typical results.

This movie has the reputation of being the worst movie ever made. I don't think that's really fair to Ed Wood. While there is a certain lack of quality in terms of sets, acting and scripting the movie is actually quite watchable. I'd even go so far as to say its entertaining. In fact I'd rather watch this than some of the direct to video junk that's being churned out nowadays. In fact, since it's copy right free now, here's the whole flick for you to watch:

Imhotep

First appearance: The Mummy (1932)

An ancient Egyptian priest comes back to life in order to attempt to resurrect of the woman he was buried alive for originally trying to resurrect. Mayhem, of the 1930s variety, ensues.
One of the original Universal Monster movies, not one of my favorites.

Glenn Manning

First appearance: The Amazing Colossal Man (1957)
This appearance: War of the Colossal Beast (1958)

In the Amazing Colossal Man, Lt. Col. Glenn Manning was hit with radiation. Instead of contracting cancer and dying he grew to fifty feet tall, went insane and goes on a rampage. The military eventually knocked him off the Boulder Dam, killing him. Or so they believe. Upon receiving reports of strange food truck robberies in Mexico, his sister (who according to the first movie didn't exist), an army guy and a scientist decide that Glenn is alive and committing these crimes. Turns out they are right Glenn didn't die in fact plutonium radiation made him ten feet taller, melted off half his face, stupider and addicted to loaves of bread. Our group of intrepid heroes capture Glenn, drug him and bring him back to the States in order to cure him, or something.
Back home Glenn wakes up and goes on a rampage in Los Angeles. What can stop and Amazing Colossal Man?
Coincidentally (or not) the man who made this movie Burt I. Gordon's initials spell BIG.

Ghost Face

First appearance: Scream (1996)

Who's killing Sidney Prescott's pals on the anniversary of the murder of her mother and why are they following the "rules" of a slasher movie? The first in the new breed of "self-aware" horror flicks. In my opinion the only decent one in the series and kind of the movie to blame for why horror flicks have gotten kinda crummy for the past few years. Directly responsible for the "Scary Movie" series and its knock-offs and the subsequent dumbing down of the human race.

Gizmo

First appearance: Gremlins (1984)

Since I've already talked about Gremlins once on the blog, this is the Gizmo who's in Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990).
Billy and Kate have moved to New York to put the horror of the Christmas of 1984 behind them, but when the scientists at Splice of Life discover Gizmo the Mogwai in the alley behind a closed shop in China town can mayhem be far behind?
Surreal sequel to the classic christmas movie.

Frank Douglas

First appearance: Monster-A-Go-Go! (1965)

Astronaut Frank Douglas disappears when his space capsule lands on earth. A large radioactive creature appears at roughly the same time and proceeds to wreak havoc. A team of scientists and the military track the monster in an attempt to capture it. Is this monster the missing astronaut? 

The movie was originally directed by Bill Rebane but he ran out of money before completing it. The godfather of gore H.G. Lewis eventually bought the movie in order to finish it. Between the time when the film was originally abandoned (1961) and when H.G. Lewis took over (1965) enough time had passed that some of the original actors were no longer available so they are replaced by different characters providing similar roles in the plot. One of the original actors had changed so much in the four years he was recast as the brother of the character he originally played.

this film also features a human voice simulating the ringing of a phone at one point.

Green Slime

First appearance: The Green Slime (1965)

Scientist visit an asteroid on a collision course with Earth. After blowing up the asteroid they return to the space station Gamma 3. Unfortunately one of the scientists has a big of green slime on one of his boots. The slime grows into a weird tentacled creature that can shoot lightning out of its tentacles. When ever it's wounded it bleeds the same green goop that it grew from creating more monsters. Can the crew of the Gamma 3 stop this menace before it takes over?
Probably not the seem more concerned about their personal lives and junk.
Features probably the most awesome sci-fi movie theme song ever.


also here's the trailer

Saucer man

First appearance: Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1956)

A scientist working on a secret rocket project gets contacted by aliens who tell him to "cut it out."
He doesn't listen so the aliens blow up the rocket base. Understandably this angers the scientist so he develops a sonic weapon to fight the aliens. Based on a true pamphlet.
On a side note. I love how the saucers in this movie are stop motion creations from Ray Harryhausen.

Vlad Dracula

This appearance: Francis Ford Coppola's Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)

Another retelling of the Dracula legend. This one claims to stick closer to the source material. A lot of people really like this movie but the first time I saw it I fell asleep and missed a lot of it. I took that as a sign and haven't seen it again since. At least he had this cool armour at one point. 

Dr. Jack Griffin

First appearance: The Invisible Man (1933)

A scientist discovers the secret of invisibility. He uses this new found ability to run around naked and strangle people. He's kind of a jerk.

The Creeper

First appearance: Jeepers Creepers (2001)

A bickering brother and sister run afoul of an axe weilding, truck driving fiend that hunts for humans for twenty-three days every twenty-three years.  Turns out he's some kind of demon that eats body parts to replace his own and he hunts using the smell of fear. He also lives in an abandoned church and likes to quilt, go figure.

C.H.U.D.

First appearance: C.H.U.D. (1984)

New York City learns that a project called Contamination Hazard Urban Disposal, in which toxic waste is supposed to be transported through the sewers is not the best idea when weird murders and disappearances start cropping up. Can a photographer, his girlfriend and a guy who runs a homless shelter save the city from this plague of mutant bums?

For some reason there's a sequel to this movie that has nothing to do with the mutant bums. Instead it's about a zombie named Bud. Bud "the Chud." Don't see that movie.

Chatterer

First appearance: Hellraiser (1987)

Since I've already discussed Hellraiser and the Cenobites don't do much until the sequel, I'm going to talk about Hellbound: Hellraiser II or as my gang refers to it Hellraiser 2: Hellraiser too.
In the sequel to the bafflingly popular Hellraiser, Kristy Cotton is in the care of Dr. Channard at his weird-ass mental institution. This is what happens when you try to blame the destruction of you home and murder of family on a missing uncle and an old dirty mattress. Turns out Channard believes her because he knows about the Lament Configuration and is trying to summon something from the mattress. Long story short someone solves the puzzle box, everyone goes to the Cenobite realm. The audience is treated to a series of erotic, goofy, bizarre imagery (usually all at the same time.) Pinhead lets Kristy go, contrary to the suggestion of the other Cenobites and Kristy saves the day or something. And you are left to figure out why people love these movies.

There's an extended flashback that takes up what feels like half the movie using footage from the first Hellraiser, which is good if you've never seen Hellraiser. Characters also tend to repeat dialog, either their own or something someone has just said to them.
Chatterer is my favorite Cenobite in the first flick, for some weird reason they changed his face in the second movie. They gave him eyes which makes him look a little goofy.

Bub

First appearance: Day of the Dead (1985)

A diverse group of survivors hold up in an underground military complex hoping to wait out the on going zombie apocalypse. Sadly, ninety percent of them are jerks and another eight percent of them are utterly insane. Will our heroes survive? Will the scientists figure out a way to domesticate the zombies? Are all army guys jerks?
Currently I think this is my favorite of the Romero zombie flicks.

The Blob

First appearance: The Blob (1958)

One night a strange rock falls from space. A weird old hermit decides to poke it with a stick. Inside the rock is a weird pulsating ball of goo. Naturally the old man pokes the goo with a stick. The goo, being hungry from its long space voyage, climbs up the stick and proceeds to begin eating the old man's hand.
The hermit stumbles out onto a near by road and proceeds to ruin Steve Andrews' (Steve McQueen in his debut leading man role) evening.
Based on a true story.
Features a theme song written by Burt Bacacharach

Andre Delambre

First appearance: The Fly (1958)

A woman murders her husband in a giant hydraulic press, but why?
Turns out he was doing science and came up with a way to teleport matter from one spot to another, but not without terrible consequences. Consequences like: making the printing in a book be reversed, spreading the atoms of a cat through out a room so that you can hear it meow but will never find it, and if you're unlucky enough to have more than one thing in the chamber, they get parts swapped around.
Interestingly the story takes place in Quebec for some reason.

The Amityville House

First appearance: The Amityville Horror (1979)

Always make sure you do a bit of research when buying a house, especially one that looks like it's got a face. This is the true story of a family who didn't.

Adam Sorg

First appearance : Color Me Blood Red (1965)

The sad tale of an artist and his quest to find the perfect pigment to create the perfect "red" for his paintings. I'm sure many artists can relate to his plight. Its amazing how attached to certain materials we can be. If you've never seen an H.G. Lewis movie I'd probably suggest this one since it's got a plot that makes some sense.

This might be the grisliest of the "Artist as Murderer" movies.

Ro-Man Extension XJ-2

First appearance: Robot Monster (1953)

A boy named Johnny and his family fight to survive the Ro-man in a world where everyone has been killed by the Calcinator Deathray. Eventually Ro-man decides he wants to experience what life for the Hu-mans is like and is killed by his superiors. Or is he? Maybe its all a dream? I don't know but the Ro-man has a cool bubble machine hidden in a cave.
Weird little movie rumoured to have been shot over 4 days.