Shocking Secrets From Monster Movies
Horror movies have been a staple of the film industry for decades, terrifying audiences with their eerie soundtracks, spine-tingling jump scares, and bloodcurdling monsters. But have you ever wondered what goes into making these terrifying creatures come to life on the big screen? From Frankenstein to Freddy Krueger, horror movie monsters have been haunting our dreams for generations. But behind the makeup and special effects, there are often hidden secrets and techniques that make these monsters even more terrifying.
We’re bringing some of the most shocking secrets from monster movies to light! Are you brave enough to keep reading?
The Cabin in the Woods
During a scene in which the characters get high and play truth or dare, Jules is dared to make out with a wolf head that’s hanging on the wall. The actress actually had to do this, they weren’t going to CGI it in. So the producers wanted to at least make it a more pleasant experience for her.
They came up with a pretty creative solution and covered the wolf’s tongue in powdered sugar. This made the kiss less disgusting for actress Anna Hutchinson. But it also made the wolf look more dusty and disgusting, evoking a stronger reaction from the audience. That’s what we call two birds with one stone!
The Host
Over the years, Korean writer and director Bong Joon-Ho has built up an incredible career and is now internationally recognized as a respected filmmaker. But before his international work, he was already very celebrated in South Korea. When he told his friends in the early 2000s that he wanted to make a monster movie, he didn’t get the reaction he’d hoped for. They told him not to do it and not to waste his talent.
He was saddened by these comments and they really affected him. But he still decided to write the script for The Host in secret. We’d be surprised if his friends still considered the movie a waste of his talent after they watched it. Just goes to show that even our best friends can be wrong sometimes!
Godzilla
Steven Spielberg had his doubts about the 1998 version of Godzilla. According to reports, Spielberg tried to talk director Roland Emmerich out of making the film, considering it a silly idea for Hollywood to try and remake the classic monster movie. Spielberg even went as far as to say he didn’t bother to see the film, stating that the only Godzilla he saw was the original 1956 version with Raymond Burr.
He didn’t want anything to come between him and his cherished memories of the classic monster movie. It’s interesting to see even a Hollywood heavyweight like Spielberg have his reservations about a movie. But in the end, audiences still flocked to theaters to see the giant lizard wreak havoc on the big screen. And who knows – maybe Spielberg even enjoyed the movie in his own way, despite his initial misgivings.
The Thing
Making a film is really hard work, and this one in particular was a big challenge for special effects artists. A 21-year-old man called Rob Bottin was responsible for overseeing The Thing’s special effects, and seeing as there were many ambitious effects for this film, he had a difficult task ahead of him.
He was so committed to the project that he did the most difficult tasks himself, he literally lived on the set and worked for one year straight without any (!) days off. This may have gotten great results for the movie, but not for his physical and mental health. The man ended up hospitalized for double pneumonia, a bleeding ulcer, and exhaustion.
The Blob
Steve McQueen had an impressive career as a Hollywood movie star until his untimely death in 1980. He was celebrated for some big performances such as The Great Escape and Papillon but there was one movie that he himself was not proud of. For years, he was unwilling to discuss The Blob.
But here’s a fact that may warm some of the monster film’s fans. When McQueen passed away, it was found that he had the film’s poster hanging on his bedroom well. So who knows, maybe he was proud of the film after all. He might have just been unable to admit it publicly.
The Evil Dead
Sam Raimi is known the most for two big things in his career: his amazing take on bringing the Spiderman franchise to the big screen, and his significant contribution to the horror genre. But even those who are celebrated for one particular thing may have someone else to thank for their success.
When Raimi directed the horror film The Evil Dead, Andy Grainger, a friend of his and actor Bruce Campbell (Ash) gave them the following advice: “Fellas, no matter what you do, keep the blood running down the screen.” They ended up including the scene in the final result of the film where the blood runs down the projector screen as a tribute to this advice.
Frankenstein
During the filming of the iconic 1931 horror movie, actress Mae Clarke expressed concern about being genuinely scared when Boris Karloff charged at her in full monster makeup. A pretty reasonable fear, wouldn’t you agree? To ease her fears, Karloff came up with a wholesome solution. He would wiggle his pinkie finger in a way that the camera wouldn’t pick up, but Clarke could see.
This gesture reassured her that behind the scary makeup was just her friend Karloff, and that she was safe. It’s heartwarming to see how actors can come up with creative solutions to make their fellow cast members feel comfortable on set.
An American Werewolf in London
It’s not easy to make it in Hollywood as an actor. Many aspiring performers start out in smaller projects like TV commercial appearances. David Naughton who ended up playing the lead in An American Werewolf in London was actually part of a Dr. Pepper commercial before he got cast. Talk about a major step up career-wise!
But this was still during the early 80s, and the world was a less accepting place. Naughton may have gotten his job in this big film because director John Landis saw him in the commercial, but he lost his job for Dr. Pepper because of the nude scenes in An American Werewolf in London.
Creature From the Black Lagoon
Monster and horror movies can be taxing to make as they deal with such unpleasant subjects. But this doesn’t always apply to every monster film. As it turns out, Creature From the Black Lagoon was actually an extremely pleasant experience according to actress Julie Adams. It seems like the compassionate nature of the story also translated to the filmmaking process.
Like Julie Adams said: “There always is that feeling of compassion for the monster. I think maybe it touches something in ourselves, maybe the darker parts of ourselves, that long to be loved and think they really can’t ever be loved. It strikes a chord within us.” This is a beautiful take on the monster genre and it sounds like Adams really found a lot of depth in the subject.
Little Shop of Horrors
The 1986 musical comedy horror movie “Little Shop of Horrors” had a unique way of achieving period realism. The filmmakers decided to source their wardrobe and props from New York thrift shops, which added an extra layer of authenticity to the movie’s setting. However, the team had a tough time finding garbage cans that fit the era.
In a stroke of genius, set decorator Tessa Davies loaded a truck full of new garbage cans and drove around town, offering to trade with anyone who had an old one outside of their home. According to Davies, people thought she was crazy, but it worked! Who knew garbage cans could be such a valuable commodity in movie production?
The Wolf Man
In a classic case of studio meddling, The Wolf Man’s original script had a more cerebral approach to the titular character’s transformation. The idea of whether Lawrence Talbot’s transformation was real or imagined was a mystery left to the audience’s interpretation. However, the studio heads decided that the big bad wolf man needed to actually appear on screen to sell more tickets.
So, the script was revised to include the famous werewolf transformation scenes that became iconic in horror film history. We can only imagine what the movie would have been like if they kept the ambiguity, but one thing is for sure – audiences wouldn’t have been treated to Lon Chaney Jr.’s unforgettable performance as the Wolf Man.
Cloverfield
Cloverfield, the 2008 found-footage monster movie, had a twist that not even the actors saw coming. Lizzy Caplan, who played Marlena, initially thought she was auditioning for a romantic movie, and she wasn’t alone. The script was so hush-hush that the actors were not allowed to read it until after they signed on.
It wasn’t until her second audition, when Caplan read a scene, that she realized what kind of movie she was going to be in. Talk about a shocker! Despite the surprise, Caplan did a great job portraying the fear and chaos of a monster attack, proving that sometimes the unexpected can lead to greatness. Who needs a script when you’ve got talent and a little bit of mystery?
Predator
The incredible amount of confidence Hollywood stars seem to have is actually an illusion much of the time. Apparently, even the biggest action stars out there feel like they have something to prove. On the set of Predator, Jesse Ventura heard from the wardrobe department that his arms were one inch bigger than Arnold Schwarzenegger’s.
He was absolutely delighted to hear this information which prompted him to suggest that they measure their arms to compare, with the winner getting a bottle of champagne as the prize. But Ventura lost! In an act of mischief, Schwarzenegger had told the wardrobe department to tell Venture that his arms were bigger. Talk about playing mind games!
The Shape of Water
Director Guillermo del Toro had a clear vision for the character of Elisa in “The Shape of Water.” He wrote the role specifically for Sally Hawkins and described her as beautiful in a way that is believable and relatable. Del Toro wanted someone who could shine with a magical, ethereal quality. And apparently, he got exactly what he was looking for.
Hawkins’ performance as Elisa earned her critical acclaim, including an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. It just goes to show that sometimes, when you have a clear vision for what you want, you can make magic happen – even in a movie about a woman falling in love with a fish-man.
Hellboy
When Guillermo del Toro had to choose between directing “Hellboy” or “Alien vs. Predator” and “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,” he picked the red demon with a heart of gold. Maybe he just really loves cats (like Hellboy’s pyrokinetic feline friend) or maybe he thought it would be more fun to work with Ron Perlman and a talking fish than a xenomorph or a dementor.
Either way, it’s clear that del Toro had a passion for bringing Hellboy to the big screen, and we’re grateful for it. Who needs wizards or space monsters when you have a wisecracking, cigar-smoking demon fighting to save humanity?
Pan’s Labyrinth
Did you know that Guillermo del Toro took matters into his own hands when it came to the English subtitles for Pan’s Labyrinth? The talented director wrote the subtitles himself because he no longer trusted translators after encountering issues with previous subtitled movies. And who can blame him? It’s not uncommon for something to get lost in translation, and when it comes to a movie as visually stunning and emotionally charged as Pan’s Labyrinth, every word counts.
Del Toro’s dedication to his craft is truly inspiring, and it just goes to show that sometimes the best way to ensure something gets done right is to do it yourself. So next time you watch Pan’s Labyrinth, take a moment to appreciate the fact that every word of dialogue and every piece of text on screen was carefully crafted by the masterful Guillermo del Toro himself.
Alien
Ridley Scott’s Alien has gone down as one of the most iconic monster films in cinematic history. And Scott certainly knew what he was doing with his actors on set. According to the actor Yaphet Kotto, Scott actually told him to make sure to annoy Sigourney Weaver off-camera. He asked him to do this so there would be real tension between the two.
Chemistry translates from real life to the screen, and sometimes manufactured tension can add a lot to a performance. It seems like it worked well. Kotto reportedly regretted annoying Weaver, because he really respected her. Considering how much he liked her in real life, maybe the forced tension really was necessary. We’re sure she forgave him in the end!
The Descent
Makeup departments will often make life-size replicas of actors in order to create a convincing corpse. This was the case when it came to the phenomenal horror flick The Descent. Actress Nora-Jane Noone said on the audio commentary of the DVD that they made an exact replica of her and that she was able to keep the head of the doll after filming wrapped.
And of course, she understood what that meant: a plethora of potential pranks. She admitted to taking the head and sticking it in her mother’s freezer! It’s almost impossible to not pull a prank like this when you have this kind of opportunity. We completely understand!
Jurassic Park
Did you know that the 1993 movie Jurassic Park and the book it was based on caused a surge in students studying paleontology? It turns out that the idea of resurrecting extinct creatures captured the imaginations of people all over the world, and suddenly everyone wanted to learn more about these fascinating creatures.
Thanks to Jurassic Park, paleontology is no longer just a dusty subject for academics – it’s now a subject that captures the imaginations of people of all ages. From aspiring paleontologists to dinosaur-obsessed kids, Jurassic Park has brought a whole new generation of fans to the world of prehistoric creatures. So if you’re a fan of Jurassic Park, why not take your love for these amazing creatures one step further and learn more about them?
Bride of Frankenstein
The making of The Bride of Frankenstein was plagued with a bit of bad luck? Just before filming began, the actor playing Henry Frankenstein, Colin Clive, broke his leg in a horse riding accident. But, being the trooper he was, Clive soldiered on and filmed most of his scenes sitting down!
Despite the setback, the film turned out to be a huge success and is now considered a classic in the horror genre. And who knows – maybe Clive’s injury even added to the film’s appeal, giving audiences a glimpse of the lengths actors will go to bring their characters to life. He may have been sitting down for most of the movie, but he still managed to deliver a spine-chilling performance!
Jaws
Similarly to the way people became interested in dinosaurs because of Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park, people started to be terrified of sharks following Spielberg’s Jaws. But that’s not the only notable fact about this groundbreaking film. Actors Robert Shaw and Richard Dreyfuss reportedly couldn’t stand each other in real life. They argued all the time, which must have been very awkward to be around on set.
But it did work perfectly for their characters. There’s no doubt it translated onto the screen and enhanced the tension between their characters Quint and Hooper. While their bad relationship might have been very unpleasant to experience for the crewmembers and other castmates, it’s awesome that something good came out of it.
Nosferatu
Many older horror films didn’t necessarily age well in the sense that they’re not as scary as they were perceived to be when they first came out. But Nosferatu, which is over a hundred years old, is still absolutely terrifying. The vampire’s character design and stark dramatic lighting make it a very impressive film which is still very eerie when we watch it back nowadays.
So it comes as no surprise that someone deemed it too scary to be shown in theaters. This happened in Sweden, where the movie was banned due to excessive horror. For 50 years, Swedes could not watch this film anywhere in their country. In 1972, the ban on this film was finally lifted and we’re sure it still scared many people then.
Clash of the Titans
Sir Laurence Olivier needed a little help during the making of Clash of the Titans. Apparently, the legendary actor was so ill during filming that he would often lean on his co-star Pat Roach and say, “Let me draw some of your strength, dear boy.” It’s hard to imagine a Hollywood icon like Olivier needing help, but it just goes to show that even the most talented actors aren’t invincible.
Who better to lean on than Roach, a towering, burly figure who was no doubt happy to lend his strength to his ailing co-star? Whenever you rewatch Clash of the Titans, take a moment to appreciate the dedication of actors like Olivier and Roach. They may have been facing their own battles offscreen, but onscreen they were larger than life – and that’s something that will never change.
Gremlins
In this 1980s classic, Kate has a scene where she tells Billy that she doesn’t like Christmas and tells him a pretty terrible story, recounting a traumatizing event during her childhood when she was just a little girl and her father was suddenly nowhere to be seen on Christmas Eve. They still hadn’t heard a thing from him on Christmas Day. Then several days later, he was found dead in their chimney with a broken neck, dressed as Santa.
This scene was incredibly close to being removed from the film, because many studio executives didn’t like it at all. They felt like it wasn’t clear whether it was meant to be funny or sad. Steven Spielberg was the executive producer of the film and he was also not fond of the scene, but he ended up allowing the director Joe Dante to keep it in.
Tremors
When actors are in the early stages of their careers, every choice they make feels very significant. They’re at the point where every role can make them or break them. This was the case for Kevin Bacon when he starred in Tremors. He decided to make this film because he wanted to make some money for his new marriage to actress Kyra Sedgwick and for their upcoming newborn child. But when the film didn’t do well, he feared that he’d made a terrible mistake for his career.
For years he held a bitter sentiment toward the film and even called it the “worst thing I ever did.’’ But time can put things into perspective for anyone. Years later when he looked back on it, he said it was the most fun he’s ever had making a movie in his entire career. He now considers it one of his favorite films of all time!
Bird Box
John Malkovich is one of those people who’s a force of nature. Everyone who has ever met him has confirmed that his eccentricity on screen is completely authentic. This story from the set of Bird Box only confirms that. Apparently several cast members noticed that Malkovich had a peculiar connection with the birds on the set.
If he told them to move their feet, they would listen to him and move their feet. Now how many actors can do that? Now we’re wondering if he was able to fill in for the animal trainer if they were too busy to tend to all the birds!
The Fly
Did you know that Jeff Goldblum, star of the 1986 remake of The Fly, wrote a heartfelt letter to Vincent Price when the movie was released? Price had starred in the original 1958 film, and Goldblum wanted to pay homage to the horror legend by letting him know how much he admired his work.
In his letter, Goldblum wrote, “I hope you like it as much as I liked yours.” Price was deeply touched by the gesture, and he composed a reply to Goldblum. He even went to see the movie, which he described as “wonderful right up to a certain point… it went a little too far.” That sentiment probably sums up many people’s feelings towards Cronenberg’s films!
Annihilation
Before a high-budget movie gets released, it’s very common to do test screenings to get audiences’ reactions. At this point, the studio can still do reshoots or go back into the cutting room to make changes, if they deem it necessary. So when Annihilation had a test screening, the movie was poorly reviewed by the audience.
David Ellison, a financier at Paramount became concerned that the film was ‘’too intellectual’’ and ‘’too complicated’’ and demanded the film be changed to make it appeal to a wider audience. He wanted to make Natalie Portman’s character more sympathetic and change the ending. Writer and director Alex Garland really didn’t want to change the film, and thankfully producer Scott Rudin stuck by his side.
IT Chapter One
When the 1990 clown horror story It got a remake in 2017, it was no question that the cast would consist of several child actors. It can be tricky to put child actors in scary movies because they can be more sensitive than their adult costars. The audience was definitely bound to get traumatized by the clown, but they didn’t want to traumatize the actors, too.
Jack Dylan Grazer, who played Eddie, was the first of all the kids to film with Bill Skarsgård in his terrifying clown makeup. It was an intense scene in which Grazer would cry and gag of fear, while the clown was super close to him, yelling and drooling. Skarsgård, being the mature actor in this setting, was actually concerned for Grazer and after the scene was over, he asked him if he was okay. Grazer just looked at him and said ‘’Love what you’re doing with the character!’’. Skarsgård was blown away by Grazer’s professional attitude.
A Quiet Place
Corn fields have become a real monster and alien film phenomenon over the years. What can we say, it just looks great to run away through these fields. They’re the perfect place for someone (or something) to hide in. The location where most of the film takes place is a farmhouse and the surrounding area which consists of corn fields. When the producers made this film, they actually purchased twenty tons of corn and hired local farmers to grow it.
After all the stories we’ve heard of film crews disrespecting their shooting locations, we think it’s really neat that they were able to employ local farmers for this task.