The Beat #18: The Halloween Issue! Classic Movie Monsters
Illustrations and copy by Brian Grabell of Scout Collective
It’s that time of year where we celebrate what goes bump in the night. In an age where the Horror genre has gone all-in with blood, gore and guts, and we are feeling a little nostalgic. We at The Beat would like to remember the less violent classics and celebrate some of the creatures that started it all and remain iconic to this day.
We love Halloween and wish you and yours a classic night of ghosts and ghouls… and remember that this year will be a little different with one of the greatest villains of 2020, COVID-19. If there was ever a night to wear a mask, Halloween would be that night. Stay scary and most importantly, stay safe.
Happy Halloween, everyone. Here there be monsters!
Bride of Frankenstein
Here we have one of the first instances where the sequel may be better than the original. The Bride of Frankenstein is our First Lady of Horror and sports one of the most iconic hairstyles of all time. The movie is so good that in 1998, it was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Film Registry, having been deemed "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant."
Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde
Originally a novella published in 1886, this “strange case” has remained in popular culture with versions of the characters scaring audiences of the silver screen as recently as 2017 with Universal’s reboot of The Mummy. A truly cautionary tale about the dark side of one’s personality, this legendary story will continue to delight.
Nosferatu
More than just the pioneer of creepy shadows, this menacing man appeared on the scene back in 1922 with his Symphony of Horror. Nosferatu was so creepy that the film was banned in Sweden until 1972. That is some really remarkable scaring ability. Not to be outdone by Max Schreck’s original performance, Willem Dafoe reprises the character in 2000’s Shadow of the Vampire which is a very well done piece of horror itself.
The Phantom of the Opera
Even if you have never seen The Phantom of the Opera, you know his mask. The story is based on a French novel published in 1910. Not only is the story fantastic and filled with the iconic music of its own, but it has provided us with such a wonderful character that we celebrate.
