# So, which big screen monster do YOU find the most iconic, design-wise? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 12, 2010, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-which-big-screen-monster-do-you-find-the-most-iconic-design-wise/553501 "2010-09-12T13:26:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MTCicero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a4c791/32.png) [@MTCicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MTCicero)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2010, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-which-big-screen-monster-do-you-find-the-most-iconic-design-wise/553501/1 "2010-09-12T13:26:21Z")
This thread is inspired by watching **Alien** last night with my wife, and a friend who’d never seen the movie before (he’s a young-un). He very much enjoyed the film, giving it a 7.5 out of 10, but one of his criticisms was how “machine-like” H.R. Giger’s monster looked. He didn’t like that at all. When I responded that, well, it was a man in a suit, he said that he had no problem with that at all, it just put him off how mechanical the monster looked (whatever that means). Well, I couldn’t disagree with him more. The **Alien** alien is, in fact, my favorite screen monster of all time. By _far_. I mean, [just look at it](http://www.gadgetmadness.com/cm/albums/1979_alien_suit_auction/normal_alien2.jpg). If that’s not the stuff of extreme nightmares, then I don’t know what is. And it got me thinking: What are some of the all time iconic screen monster designs? Are there any that even come close to Giger’s alien? Some that come fairly close, IME, are: [Lon Chaney’s Phantom of the Opera](http://www.lagunajournal.com/lon-phantom%5B1%5D.jpg), [the classic Frankenstein’s monster design](http://www.virginmedia.com/images/boris-karloff-monsters-gal-431.jpg), and (for me) [the werewolves in the original **The Howling**](http://www.horrordvds.com/reviews/a-m/howling-ld/howling-ld_shot9l.jpg). So, what’s your take? ---
**Author:** ![Cuckoorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Cuckoorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cuckoorex)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2010, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-which-big-screen-monster-do-you-find-the-most-iconic-design-wise/553501/2 "2010-09-12T13:51:53Z")
I think the classic Universal monsters are all iconic, from Frankenstein’s monster to Dracula to the Wolf Man to the Mummy, etc. Outside of that, the next two major iconic monsters to spring to mind are King Kong and Godzilla. Certainly Alien is up there as well, and I would give a nod to the Creature from the Black Lagoon as well. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2010, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-which-big-screen-monster-do-you-find-the-most-iconic-design-wise/553501/3 "2010-09-12T14:46:49Z")
Yes. The original Universal monsters are the templates for their characters; you either imitate it or you go to great lengths not to imitate it. About the only one I’d add to **Cuckoorex’s** list is the original Lon Chaney [Phantom of the Opera](http://www.tvworthwatching.com/werts/phantom%20opera%20chaney.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2010, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-which-big-screen-monster-do-you-find-the-most-iconic-design-wise/553501/4 "2010-09-12T15:14:18Z")
Most iconic? Universal’s Frankenstein. I’m not sure what my favorite would be, though. ---
**Author:** ![shy\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a6a055/32.png) [@shy\_guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shy_guy)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2010, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-which-big-screen-monster-do-you-find-the-most-iconic-design-wise/553501/5 "2010-09-12T15:25:11Z")
The first one that came to mind is the original King Kong. No subsequent version looks _right_, because the 1930’s version is just what King Kong is _supposed_ to look like. I agree with **Cuckoorex** on the Universal Monsters. Universal’s Frankenstein monster looks absolutely nothing like the literary figure it is based upon, yet that’s _everybody’s_ mental image of “Frankenstein.” ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2010, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-which-big-screen-monster-do-you-find-the-most-iconic-design-wise/553501/6 "2010-09-12T15:25:55Z")
Without a doubt, [Godzilla](http://brusimm.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Godzilla-Toho-Original-00.jpg)! Instantly recognizable, and the mid-90s attempt to give him a make-over was every bit as popular as ‘new coke.’ Michael Myers from **Halloween** , Freddie Kruger from **Nightmare on Elm Street** and Pinhead from **Hellraiser** all fit the bill. I’m iffy about Jason Voorhees, because despite how famous the character is, he has no distinctive traits that weren’t copied from Myers. Nothing he ever did was truly original to him. ---
**Author:** ![Mekhazzio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b38774/32.png) [@Mekhazzio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mekhazzio)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2010, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-which-big-screen-monster-do-you-find-the-most-iconic-design-wise/553501/7 "2010-09-12T15:35:23Z")
Heh. Giger’s alien is **supposed** to look biomechanical, as does a very great deal of Giger’s art in general. If you count the facehugger as a different creature, it’s at least as much of an instantly recognizable icon also. Depending on how broad a definition of ‘monster’ we’re using, you can’t get much more iconic than Darth Vader’s helmet. He fits about as well as the Phantom does. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2010, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-which-big-screen-monster-do-you-find-the-most-iconic-design-wise/553501/8 "2010-09-12T15:44:27Z")
I agree with the OP’s young friend: the Alien \*does \*appear quite mechanical. But I figured it was supposed to look that way, as it was intended to be some sort of biomechanical species. ---
**Author:** ![Flip\_Pancake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f1d935/32.png) [@Flip\_Pancake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flip_Pancake)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2010, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-which-big-screen-monster-do-you-find-the-most-iconic-design-wise/553501/9 "2010-09-12T16:01:07Z")
Add dorsal fin to open water. Don’t forget the ominous piano chords. Dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum… ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2010, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-which-big-screen-monster-do-you-find-the-most-iconic-design-wise/553501/10 "2010-09-12T16:47:40Z")
I don’t think the xenomorph looks all that biomechanical. It just looks like a gargantuan glossy black bipedal scorpion. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2010, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-which-big-screen-monster-do-you-find-the-most-iconic-design-wise/553501/11 "2010-09-12T16:49:12Z")
They are pretty much all iconic. I think bride of Frankenstein has the most icon-ness bang for the buck though - hair teased back with two streaks is so simple and yet so unmistakeable. I agree that Alien looks mechanical though. I mean, that’s Giger’s style - biomechanical. Pretty much all of his work has what looks like black plastic ribbed hosing running through it somewhere. It didn’t bother me with the alien, but it bother me a little that the astrojockey’s ship it crashed had the same design aesthetic even though it was made by a different race. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2010, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-which-big-screen-monster-do-you-find-the-most-iconic-design-wise/553501/12 "2010-09-12T16:51:59Z")
Godzilla is the King of the Monsters. nuff said. ---
**Author:** ![MTCicero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a4c791/32.png) [@MTCicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MTCicero)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2010, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-which-big-screen-monster-do-you-find-the-most-iconic-design-wise/553501/13 "2010-09-12T18:22:37Z")
> [@Hades](#): > > I don’t think the xenomorph looks all that biomechanical. It just looks like a gargantuan glossy black bipedal scorpion. That’s always been my take as well. (Also: When did the first link in my OP stop being a picture of the Alien, and start being tech reviews?) ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Nader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Darth\_Nader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Nader)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2010, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-which-big-screen-monster-do-you-find-the-most-iconic-design-wise/553501/14 "2010-09-12T20:20:07Z")
Another vote for Pinhead. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2010, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-which-big-screen-monster-do-you-find-the-most-iconic-design-wise/553501/15 "2010-09-12T22:49:25Z")
Came to post Godzilla, but see he’s already been mentioned several times. Go go Godzilla! ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2010, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-which-big-screen-monster-do-you-find-the-most-iconic-design-wise/553501/16 "2010-09-12T23:21:38Z")
Another vote for Frankenstein as the most iconic. I’d also add [Nosferatu](http://www.sepiachord.com/images/Nosferatu.jpg) and the [Romero zombie](http://media.comicmix.com/media/2008/10/03/land-of-the-dead-zombie-cropped.jpg) to the list. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2010, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-which-big-screen-monster-do-you-find-the-most-iconic-design-wise/553501/17 "2010-09-12T23:25:20Z")
> [@Cuckoorex](#): > > I would give a nod to the Creature from the Black Lagoon as well. Ditto. Much more iconic than Dracula, to me, and my favorite of the classics as well. ---
**Author:** ![MTCicero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a4c791/32.png) [@MTCicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MTCicero)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2010, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-which-big-screen-monster-do-you-find-the-most-iconic-design-wise/553501/18 "2010-09-12T23:30:23Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I’d also add [Nosferatu](http://www.sepiachord.com/images/Nosferatu.jpg) Yes. This was the one glaring omission in my OP. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-which-big-screen-monster-do-you-find-the-most-iconic-design-wise/553501/19 "2010-09-13T01:48:39Z")
Dracula defies iconic design- Lugosi, Lee, Palance, Jourdan, Langella- heck, even Bergin & Hamilton really embody Stoker’s Count. As much as I like Copolla’s version, it was because of the supporting cast, the atmosphere, blood, boobs, beasts, beheadings AND religion- but not Oldman. Adding in- Dwight Frye’s Renfield is more iconic than any one image of Dracula. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2010, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-which-big-screen-monster-do-you-find-the-most-iconic-design-wise/553501/20 "2010-09-13T11:09:20Z")
> [@jackdavinci](#): > > it bother me a little that the astrojockey’s ship it crashed had the same design aesthetic even though **it was made by a different race**. _Was it_, though? One theory is that the Jockeys bred the xenomorphs as a war weapon. 's a pity that Cthulhu’s never made it to the big screen, because he’s pretty iconic. But other than that, I’d have to say the split-jawed vamps from Blade II damn near made me crap myself. Mammal mouths don’t open that way!:eek: Now that look is starting to pop up in unrelated franchises, I hear. So, an icon in the making? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-which-big-screen-monster-do-you-find-the-most-iconic-design-wise/553501.md?page=2)