• Watch Live
  • Schedule
    Full Schedule Shows Movies
  • Find Comet in Your Area
Comet Logo
  • Watch Live
  • Schedule
    Full Schedule Shows Movies
  • Find Comet in Your Area
without warning

The 21 Greatest Forgotten Monsters of Hollywood

By Johnny Brayson August 1, 2017
Share Tweet

 

If you were to ask most people to name their favorite movie monsters, you’d likely hear a lot of the same answers. You’d get people who were into the classics like Dracula and Frankenstein’s Monster, some who dig ’80s slashers like Freddy and Jason, others who favor creatures like Xenomorphs and Predator, and more than a few who are all about kaiju like Godzilla and Kong.

 

However, as most COMET viewers will know all too well, there are plenty of other movie monsters out there who are just as great but don’t get the love they deserve. So take a look below at the 21 greatest forgotten monsters of Hollywood, and see if they change your own ranking of the best movie monsters ever.

 

1. It – It! The Terror from Beyond Space

it 2

Maybe the scariest-looking alien in a 1950s sci-fi movie, It was made even scarier thanks to a publicity stunt where the movie studio offered anyone $50,000 if they could prove that It wasn’t actually lurking on Mars that very moment; an impossible task at the time.

 

2. The Aliens – Strange Invaders

A 1980s tribute to ’50s sci-fi, this film sure got the look of its creepy aliens right.

 

3. Giant Mollusks – The Monster That Challenged the World

Maybe the best sea monsters ever depicted in a film, assuming you don’t consider Godzilla to be a sea monster.

 

4. Ro-Man – Robot Monster

Is he a robot? Is he a monster? Is he a guy in a gorilla suit wearing a space helmet? Whatever he is, he should be way more iconic.

 

5. The Alien – Without Warning

without warning 2

Rumored to be the inspiration for Predator, this alien hunts people for kicks and looks awesome doing it.

 

6. Quetzalcoatl – Q: The Winged Serpent

Another ’50s throwback from the ’80s, who doesn’t love a stop-motion Aztec god that decides to live in the Chrysler Building?

 

7. The Mahars – At the Earth’s Core

mahar

Giant flying telepathic dinosaurs that rule the center of the Earth? Yes please.

 

8. Radu Molasar – The Keep

molasar

A demonic golem who feeds off human energy, Molasar’s appearance changes as he grows stronger, but he always looks menacing with the red light emanating from his face.

 

9. Cellar Dweller – Cellar Dweller

cellar dweller

A demonic comic book character come to life, this guy has one of the most frightening designs of any movie monster ever.

 

10. Belial – Basket Case

This is one Siamese twin who did not want to be separated.

 

11. Kali – The Golden Voyage of Sinbad

kali

One of legendary special effects artist Ray Harryhausen’s greatest achievements.

 

12. The Sun Demon – The Hideous Sun Demon

It’s official: Too much sun is really bad for you.

 

13. The Beast – The Beast with a Million Eyes

beast million eyes

With a fantastic original design and a clever ability (it can see through the eyes of other lifeforms, hence the million eyes), this ’50s alien really deserves a bigger following.

 

14. The Aliens – The Falling

falling

This movie’s alternative title was Alien Predators, and it’s not hard to see why when you look at these grotesque creatures that fell from the sky.

 

15. Dwight Renfield – The Night Flier

He may have a boring name, but this airplane-flying vampire is probably the scariest-looking villain out of any Stephen King movie.

 

16. Alyda Winthrop – The Unnamable

unnamable

Another mundane name (maybe they should have not named her, like the title says), this rare female demon is all kinds of terrifying.

 

17. Billy Connors – The Beast Within

Seriously, what is with these names?! Billy’s main moment of terror comes when he busts out of the body of his host Michael, showing the truly horrifying beast within.

 

18. Zuni Fetish Doll – Trilogy of Terror

zuni fetish

Chucky has nothing on this doll.

 

19. The Roc – The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad

Everyone wants to talk about the Cyclops in this Harryhausen classic, but this giant two-headed bird is far more menacing.

 

20. Rawhead Rex – Rawhead Rex

This glistening ’80s creature deserves to be mentioned right up there with Freddy and Jason.

 

21. Kothoga – The Relic

kothoga

By far the most recent film on this list, having been released in 1997, it’s surprising that no one talks about its toothy nightmare fuel since it debuted so recently. What’s that? 1997 was 20 years ago? Oh God, I’m old.

 

No one is more committed to honoring these forgotten movie monsters than COMET, and you can see many of these films on our network throughout the coming months. Check our schedule here to see what’s on!

 

 

Images courtesy of MGM, Paramount Pictures, Giphy, Columbia Pictures, ABC, Lionsgate, New Line Cinema, Pacific International Enterprises, Image Entertainment, and Shout! Factory

Recent News

Empire Strikes Back

‘The Empire Strikes Back’ Originally Had a Different Ending — and It Actually Screened in Theaters

  If you consider yourself a Star Wars buff, then you probably think you know everything there is to know about The Empire Strikes Back. The second film in the series is widely considered to be the best of the franchise, and with the movie celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, you’d think there wouldn’t...

Read More
Furiosa

George Miller Shares Details on the Next ‘Mad Max’ Movie

  If you’re like most people and thought that the best thing about Mad Max: Fury Road was Charlize Theron’s Furiosa, then you’re in luck, because a Furiosa prequel is officially slated to be the next installment in the franchise. Director George Miller recently shared some new details about the upcoming film, and it sounds...

Read More
Avatar

‘Avatar 2’ Set Photo Teases Insane Underwater Motion Capture

Avatar 2 has been talked about for so long that it sounds like a pipe dream at this point, but it is actually a real film that’s in the process of being made. As proof of that fact, the film’s official Twitter account has gifted us a photo from the set of the movie, and...

Read More
Michael Bay

Michael Bay Is Producing a Pandemic Thriller That Will Film in Quarantine

  Michael Bay is not a filmmaker who’s known for his subtlety. The explosion connoisseur is the brains behind such bombastic cinematic showcases as Armageddon, Pearl Harbor, and the Transformers movies, and now he’s about to unleash what could be his most insane movie yet.   Bay is set to produce a new horror-thriller based...

Read More

Find Comet in your area

Detect Location
or
Channel Finder Results
Watch Comet TV on:

COMET is also available to stream online at CometTV.com/watch-live/

Join the COMET mailing list

Click Here to Subscribe!
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Cookie Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Advertise on Comet
  • Become an Affiliate
  • Copyright Notices
  • Closed Captions
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Cookie Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Advertise on Comet
  • Become an Affiliate
  • Copyright Notices
  • Closed Captions
Comet is THE destination on free TV for true fans of sci-fi and fantasy. We relish everything out-of-this-world and the fans who love it, with some of the most iconic franchises including The X-Files, Stargate SG-1, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, and Grimm, plus fun movie titles that celebrate your sci-fi and fantasy fandom.
© 2025 Sinclair, Inc.