More or less the plot of Ravenous.
ETA: Crap. SmartAleq beat me to it.
Was he ever in the military?
Also an episode of Supernatural.
There’s a whole set of African monsters, some of which have (parenthetically) appeared in movies, like the goblin/incubus/kappa-like Tokoloshe, others of which are more of the cryptozoology/Bunyip fold, like the Nessie-like Mokele-Mbembe , the Nandi Bear, giant snake Grootslang & hybrid Mamlambo. Then there are the usual collection of people-eating monsters - the two-faced Angolan Kishi, the monstrous ant-lionesque Ga-Gorib of the Khoekhoen, the will-o’-the-whisp-like vampire Obayifo (which shines light out of its anus & armpits!), various ogres and the like.
I wouldn’t want to run into the Archangel Gabriel in a dark alley, either as portrayed by Christopher Walken (Prophecy) or Tilda Swinton (Constantine). I would let the latter Gabriel put her feet on my face, though.
For my own contribution, I’ve always found stories of the “black-eyed kids” (e.g., here and here) rather unsettling. They remind me of the old stories of the fairies, where half the horror lay in the fact that you didn’t know what exactly these things were, what purpose they might have or what exactly befell their victims.
That is right, Supernatural [and the precursor Night Stalker] used lots of odd monsters. That was my first exposure to the rakshasa.
Holy crap! This took off like crazy. I posted this before I went out of town, and then was unable to check it for a while, so I sort of forgot about it. Nice work! I really like the Philippine creatures, especially if they’re played up for maximum creepiness, and not just as eye candy.
One note about the black-eyed kids: the idea is rather creepy on a deep, “there is something SO wrong with that” level, but man, if I could edit my OP, I would. Scary children are another category of monster that could use a decades-long hiatus.
Don’t know if this counts, being properly a goddess of the underworld, but I find Sedna scary, rising from the icy water to clutch at us with her fingerless hands.
‘Made sacrifices’ of what?
I am a fan of the show Lost Girl. The main character is a succubus that grew up not knowing it. She was eventually caught by a Fae and brought into the fold. There are lot of different Fae each choosing a side, light or dark, and she refuses to choose. She learns how to control her abilities and is searching for her mother while encountering all sorts of baddies and not so baddies. Most of the characters are from Greek mythology and nary a vampire in the bunch. Oh wait there was one vampire but he was a very minor character in one episode and was a snitch that would give her info in exchange for her “acquiring” blood from the local blood bank. There is however one werewolf, but he has only wolfed up once or twice, and really he is just there to have hot sex scenes with the succubus.
All the input here is encouraging. I’m not usually the posting kind but times they are a changing.
We needn’t go to the depths of mythology when the reality or the world we live in is so much more frightening. True evil exists in some people. It is a living breathing entity that once ushered in takes hold, poisons and darkly influences everything. Let me introduce a true gem of American history: Mr. Herman Webster Mudgett. Better known as H.H. Holmes.
These were his last words:
I was born with the devil in me. I could not help the fact that I was a murderer, no more than the poet can help the inspiration to sing – I was born with the “Evil One” standing as my sponsor beside the bed where I was ushered into the world, and he has been with me since.
H.H. HOLMES
Check him out and do a little research. Without a doubt He’s the stuff of nightmares.
I’d be surprised if the Dope, being more or less based in Chicago, doesnt have an article or two on H.H.Holmes. Had read about him a few years back, always thought he’d be good source for a movie.
My friends, let’s not forget the terrible legend of the were-botfly.
It is said, in whispered tales, that when the moon is gibbous, those infected with were-botfly-ism shrink down into the size and shape of bot fly larva. They burrow into the flesh of a human host, and if that host is a lawyer, tax accountant, or dental hygienist, then the host will become a were-botfly as well! If not, the lucky host will die an excruciating death.
Alas, the only things that can kill a were-botfly are peroxide and tweezers.
I dunno if it falls within the ream of “mythology” - perhaps more of a 16th century urban legend - but I think the Scottish story of the cannibalistic Sawney Bean clan is truly the stuff of nightmares …
Paula Abdul, Elvis, and Carpet Fresh among other things. Yes, really.
ETA: I remembered I mentioned it once before on the Dope in more detail.
Oh, pshaw. You want scary? Were-candirú is where it’s at.
Malthus mentioning urban legends reminds me of La Llorona. Although looks like wiki notes a few films on the topic, already.
Somehow, I doubt that the legend of Bunny Man is comming to the big screen any time soon:
There is an Icelandic monster/cryptid that is interesting. It is a huge shambling shaggy beast the size of a bull, covered in shells or possibly scales like a pangolin. It has huge curving claws and reeks terribly. It comes out of the ocean at nights and will take anyone unfortunate enough to be present. They are hard to see because they blend in thanks to the shells/ natural armor which either way, is coated in the detritus of the deep. The odd thing is this monster might actually be a legend left over from a primitive mans encounter with giant ground sloth.
Done right, this would make an awesome film.