American Monsters
the creepy, scary, shocking & bizarre
creatures, characters and stories
of American folklore, legend, literature and cinema
Universal Classics
Dracula, Frankenstein, the Bride of Frankenstein, the Mummy, the
Creature from the Black Lagoon, Invisible Man, the Werewolf,
Phantom of the Opera
Universal Monsters (or Universal Horror) is the name given to a
series of distinctive horror, suspense and science fiction (sci-fi) films
made by Universal Studios from 1923 – 1960.
Creature from the Black Lagoon
The Invisible Man
. . . Mad Scientist
def. a scientist who is insane
. . . and Megalomaniac
def. a person who is obsessed with
their own power
Dracula
My name is Dracula.
I am, indeed, a vampire.
And I vant to suck your blood.
Other Vampires
The Wolf Man
It’s called a werewolf.
Frankenstein
It’s my name, yo!
• Frankenstein; or the Modern Prometheus by
Mary Shelley (1818)
• 1910: First Frankenstein film by Edison Studios
• 1931: Universal Studios’ Frankenstein
The Bride of Frankenstein
Phantom of the Opera
Mummy
Other
Hollywood Movie Characters
The Blob, King Kong, Gremlins, Pinhead, Freddy Krueger, Mike
Meyers, and . . . Jason
The Blob (The Blob, 1958)
King Kong (King Kong, 1933)
• One of the most well-known
characters in cinema history
• Made by RKO (not Universal . . .
Rare at the time)
• Quiz Time!
• What is the name of Kong’s
island?
• What other animals live on the
island?
• What building does Kong climb
up in New York City?
Quiz Answers
Do you know who I am?
• Gizmo!
• From the movie
Gremlins (1984)
Mogwai
Gremlin
Pinhead (Hellraiser, 1987)
• First appearance in Clive
Barker’s novella, The
Hellbound Heart
Freddy
Mike Myers
Jason
Know Your
Basics
We’ve already discussed: vampires, werewolves, mummies, and
killers, but there’s more. . .
ghosts, poltergeists, witches, the Devil, demons and aliens
Ghosts
Poltergeists
• “Knocking spirit”
Witches
Definition
1: a woman who is thought to have magic powers
2: a person who practices magic as part of a religion (such as Wicca)
3: a very unpleasant woman
4: one that is credited with usually malignant supernatural
powers; especially a woman practicing usually black witchcraft
5: an ugly old woman
6: a charming or alluring girl or woman
7: a practitioner of Wicca
The Devil
Demons
From The Simpsons (season 5 episode 5)
Aliens
Uniquely American
urban legends, folklore,
Native American monsters,
and local sightings
• “Goat sucker”
• Vampire attacking
livestock
• First sightings: Puerto
Rico 1995
• Many sightings in Texas
• Descriptions change
Wendigo
• Algonquian (Native American)
belief
• Legend prevalent in northern
U.S. and Canada
• A demonic spirit
• Possesses humans and turns
them into cannibals
• Roams around woods in cold
areas
Bigfoot/Sasquatch
• California is Bigfoot Country!
• Hundreds of sightings
• Shy, curious, rarely aggressive
• Good swimmer, bad smell
• Varied diet
(fish, deer, berries, plants, etc.)
• HUGE! Up to 14 feet tall.
Is he real?
Champ
A giant sea creature. . .
like the Loch Ness Monster (Scotland)
in Lake Champlain, New York
?
Mothman
• -Point Pleasant, West Virginia
(1966 – 1967)
• Rumors he appears before
upcoming disasters to warn
people of them
• Made famous by The Mothman
Prophecies (book by John Keel)
Skin Walkers
• Native American lore
• Evil!
• A witch in animal form
• Can turn into any animal
• Can run faster than a car
• Can read human thoughts
• CanNOT enter a home
without invitation
• Don’t make eye contact!
Bloody Mary
• 4.5 oz
tomato juice
• 1.5 oz
vodka
• Ice cubes
• Celery stick
• Worcestshire
sauce
2014
The #1 Monster in America
American-Made
- George A. Romero
- Night of the Living Dead (1968)
- Commandment II: The undead crave
human flesh.
- Today:
Walking Dead is the #1 show on television.
The End
. . . Or is it?
. . . Bonus
The Jackalope