Every week at SiftPop.com, we challenge our writers to come up with their favorite answer to a movie-related prompt tied to a recent release. This week, with the release of Sasquatch Sunset, we’re discussing some of our favorite movie cryptids! Let us know your favorites @SiftPop!
Even beyond the film’s most famous sequence, the legend present within 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea absolutely fits the cryptid criteria for the characters within the film. As fear of a supposed sea monster known for causing destruction to lone ships at sea spreads, the infamous beast turns out to be no more than a high-tech submarine with a Lovecraftian emerald glow. With delightful practical effects and a scene-stealing performance from James Mason as the enigmatic Captain Nemo, 20,000 Leagues kicks into another gear entirely when the Captain’s submarine encounters the true monster: the giant squid, or as Jules Verne often referred to it in his original novel, the kraken. We now know that the giant squid likely served as the original inspiration for the many-tentacled beast, though the possibility of a larger-than-life sea monster must have felt frighteningly real to the seafaring population before the existence of the giant squid was confirmed in the mid-to-late 1800s. Despite the kraken’s lack of staying power as a legitimate fear for the internet generation, its depiction in 20,000 Leagues has remained the most iconic and instantly recognizable since its 1954 release, defining our modern conception of the monster ever since. (Foster Harlfinger)
Have you ever sat there and pondered to yourself, “What movie has the greatest practical effects in film history?” Maybe with a focus on makeup and animatronics? Look no further than An American Werewolf in London. Genuinely one of the greatest horror movies ever made, this flick is a blast. It’s self-aware and comical, scary when it needs to be as it grosses out the audience with truly disturbing visuals, and it tells a rich story stepped in folktale and lore. The makeup practical effects alone are more than worth your time, but once you consider everything that this movie brings to the table, it is definitely one of the all-time greats. (Heath Lynch)
Perhaps the most common of the cryptids on the silver screen, there is no shortage of unicorns in film. While I was tempted to go with Cabin in the Woods, because, come on, that’s just hilarious, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone gets the nod for versatility in-world. There’s a lot in the wizarding world that the animal is used for, whether it be potions or wand-making. Specifically, the first film is where unicorns are the most crucial to the plot. Spending a detention figuring out who’s been killing unicorns in the Forbidden Forest is a key moment, not only in the story, but in Harry’s (Daniel Radcliffe) hero’s journey. There’s some great lore around unicorns in this world, specifically the fact that drinking the blood of a unicorn gives you eternal life, though a cursed one. It’s a cool twist, and making it silver just adds to the majesty of the animal. It’s a unique take on a cryptid that’s one of pop culture’s favorites to fantasize about. (Jake Bourgeois)
While a majority of wel- known cryptids are clunky, clawed, menacing, or terrorizing, only one has the gracefulness and majesty to reign over the rest. Unicorns in the Rankin-Bass 1982 animated classic, The Last Unicorn, are disappearing and Schmendrick (Alan Arkin) believes he has encountered the last. To protect the elegant equine, he transforms her into the Lady Amalthea (Mia Farrow), hiding the hunted cryptic in plain sight from the man who is intent on capturing them all for himself. Aided by a fiery red bull, King Haggard (Christopher Lee) has been forcing the unicorns into the sea, where they remain prisoners of the rolling tides. It is only when Lady Amalthea, the last unicorn, comes to realize the importance of their existence that she is able to return to her natural form. Harnessing her powers to fight the Red Bull, she is able to release all the captive unicorns, returning them to the world of men. (Patrice Downing)
What is the most famous of all the cryptids? Bigfoot! The Sasquatch. There have been countless renditions of Sasquatch in pop culture, but few are as unique as Susan. Laika Studios’ Missing Link presents a fun twist on the Sasquatch mythos with Zach Galifianakis providing a silly and quirky approach to the character. Seeing a cryptid like this dressed up in gentlemanly period attire is quite the sight, as he and two grand adventurers (Hugh Jackman and Zoe Saldana) journey to find the mythical land of Shangri-La. Not only do we get a fun Sasquatch, but we also get a whole kingdom of Yetis as well. This might not be top tier Laika, but its fun, stop-motion world is full of adventure, danger, and fun. Missing Link is a gorgeous film that makes the most of cryptid lore and the legacy of adventuring societies. (Shane Conto)
The kraken has its tentacleprints all over Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest. It’s a fantasy movie, but the characters have a similar kind of disbelief in the creature’s existence as we might for Bigfoot in real life. But disbelieve at your own peril, because the kraken will come and attack your vessel out at sea no matter the size. But it’s really only after one person; Davy Jones controls the terrible beastie and sends it after Jack Sparrow, culminating in memorable finale, in which we finally see the kraken in all its glory. It also perfectly leads into the off-the-wall, bonkers fun that is At World’s End. (Robert Bouffard)
The 2012 DreamWorks film, Rise of the Guardians, created new origins for many cherished figures of childhood folklore and holiday tradition. The Easter bunny (Hugh Jackman) is a rough-and-tumble Australian warrior, the Tooth Fairy (Isla Fisher) commands a legion of humming bird-esque spirits that collect teeth, and Santa Claus (Alec Baldwin) is not the jolly old St. Nick that we are used to, but a muscular, tattooed Russian. At the North Pole, Santa is assisted not by elves, which are more of a pest than a helper, but by a team of Yetis, which make toys for children all around the world. It’s a nice change of pace for the reclusive, Himalayan beasts to be featured not as terrible monsters feasting on misfortunate sherpas, but rather as creative and kind-hearted protectors of wonder. Don’t get me wrong, I still love a good monster movie with a scary creature, but it’s also nice to see those creatures be rehabilitated, and what better rehabilitation is there for a wintery monster than working for Santa Claus himself? (Jake Hjort)
Long before I had any concept of what a cryptid was, one had already become part of a family tradition. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was one of many classic Rankin/Bass Claymation specials in the annual Christmas rotation, and the Abominable Snowmonster (I was today years old when I realized he’s not technically an abominable snowman) was perhaps their most terrifying villain. When you’re a kid and he’s first teased with the music kicking in, it’s undeniably scary. Sure, it may eventually be true that his bark becomes worse than his bite and the whole Bumble nickname sort of neuters the fear factor, but he definitely works as a villain for kids. The special’s continued status as a perennial holiday tradition means Bumble will continue to introduce kids to cryptids (whether they know it or not) for years to come. (Jake Bourgeois)
Do you enjoy murder mysteries? Of course you do. You have a pulse, right? But what if we could do a murder mystery that’s a self-aware and schlocky horror comedy wherein the murderer is a lycanthrope desperately trying to eat everyone in a small town before being discovered by those hunting them down? That’s exactly what Werewolves Within brings to the table. It’s a silly and fun flick that goes by in a breeze, and I say that as a compliment. Very quotable, incredibly watchable, and full of adorable performances, Werewolves Within is a fun ride. (Heath Lynch)