# Best Beast



## dwndrgn (Sep 26, 2003)

After doing all kinds of cartoon/tv series research I've gotten back into Godzilla mode so with that in mind...

What TV/Movie/Book monster is your favorite?  My first favorite was Smaug from the animated movie of The Hobbit.  I loved how he was drawn and I felt sorry for him, plus, what a cool name!  So, as a kid I named a stuffed animal (happened to be a monkey, but who cares?) Smaug to honor him.  I still fondly adore that animated Smaug but I have to say that the goofy, rubber-suit Godzilla is my current favorite, followed closely by the Raptors from Jurrassic Park - they were created so well that you almost believed they were real.

Do tell, what are your favorites?


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## Brian G Turner (Sep 26, 2003)

Heh, I always wanted to see more of the mythical creates in films - the hippogriff, the griffin, the manticore and all that crowd. Never really feel I saw them well represented (or I don;t remember, anyway). I mean, as a kid you open the books on mythology and see all these creatures - but somehow they remain just in the book.

The best are ones you can identify with - as being sentient. Mentioning Sinbad on the other thread reminded myself of the Cyclops in one, and how we'd all root for him because he showed real thinking behind some of his actions. Same with King Kong I guess.

So maybe the best monsters are one's that can think, rather than stagger blindly?


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## Marianne (Sep 26, 2003)

*Favorite foreign film*

I always tell people who ask that Godzilla is my favorite foreign film.  But my all time fav beast is the werewolf, in film and literature.  I have a certain amount of empathy for the character that turns into a terrible monster through unfortunate circumstances and leads a dual existence of good vs evil.


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## dwndrgn (Sep 29, 2003)

Marianne said:
			
		

> I always tell people who ask that Godzilla is my favorite foreign film. But my all time fav beast is the werewolf, in film and literature. I have a certain amount of empathy for the character that turns into a terrible monster through unfortunate circumstances and leads a dual existence of good vs evil.


Being a woman I can relate to that completely!


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## Twelve (Sep 30, 2003)

Ohhh...I love monsters. I'm of the crowd that believes that all good fantasy books must have a serious dose of monsters appearances.

So, the best monster/beast? Too hard to say...but those within CLASH OF THE TITANS get me going!!

12


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## Foxbat (Sep 30, 2003)

> Too hard to say...but those within CLASH OF THE TITANS get me going!!


Absolutely. Particulary Medusa - One of Harryhausen's finest.


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## Twelve (Oct 1, 2003)

Foxbat said:
			
		

> Absolutely. Particulary Medusa - One of Harryhausen's finest.


Wasn't she awesome? With that bow and all? Man....

12


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## The Eavesdropper (Oct 1, 2003)

Hola!

New User to this site. Very happy to have seen Godzilla referenced as the inspiration for this Best Beasts topic. I prefer his more dramatic roles to the films that come off as campy, but Toho's monster movies have ALL maintained a great appeal for me.

Catch up on the latest news about G and the rest of the Toho pantheon at Club Tokyo/Monster Zero ~ http://clubtokyo.org/monsterzero/

Get your hands on The Journal of giant Japanese monsters, G-Fan magazine ~ www.g-fan.com

And check out some killer G-fictionwork including War against the Wild Gods at my own elusive Site, The G-Spot ~ 
http://www.thegspot.bravepages.com/


"Raunch The Lockets!!"
~E.


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## Twelve (Oct 2, 2003)

E is a New Yorker? 

Very cool.

12


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## The Eavesdropper (Oct 2, 2003)

Twelve said:
			
		

> E is a New Yorker?
> Very cool.
> 12




Yes, a most diverse and ecclectic little city!
BTW, I was there in 1998 and can say with certainty that was NOT Godzilla.

Sayonara,
~E.


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## Twelve (Oct 3, 2003)

The Eavesdropper said:
			
		

> Yes, a most diverse and ecclectic little city!
> BTW, I was there in 1998 and can say with certainty that was NOT Godzilla.
> 
> Sayonara,
> ~E.


Well, I'm from New York as well, so it's cool to meet my peoples every now and then. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




12


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## lastdimtwilight (Oct 13, 2003)

My  favorite magical beast would have to be The Red Bull from the book/movie The Last Unicorn. He would be such an awesome pet!


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## Sci-fi_gEEk (Oct 16, 2003)

dwndrgn said:
			
		

> I still fondly adore that animated Smaug but I have to say that the goofy, rubber-suit Godzilla is my current favorite, followed closely by the Raptors from Jurrassic Park - they were created so well that you almost believed they were real.



Oh yea, Smaug rocked, when I read the Hobbit back in 5th grade, I made a big poster, something like 6 1/2' by 3' of Smaug lying atop is treasure.  I always thought it was sad that He didn't get to kick a little more butt before getting arrowed.

A little off topic, but for some reason this beast talk made me think about the ferocious beast from Monty Python and the Holy Grail: The Rabbit of Caerbannog!!  He's got big pointy fangs and jumps a mile long and, and......yea he was great 

the gEEk


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## dwndrgn (Oct 16, 2003)

Sci-fi_gEEk said:
			
		

> A little off topic, but for some reason this beast talk made me think about the ferocious beast from Monty Python and the Holy Grail: The Rabbit of Caerbannog!! He's got big pointy fangs and jumps a mile long and, and......yea he was great
> 
> the gEEk


KILLER RABBIT!!!!!  LOL!  I think the best part of that scene is the 'Holy Hand Grenade'.  I'm giggling to myself thinking about it.  Thank goodness it is lunchtime and my office door is shut!


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## Brian G Turner (Oct 17, 2003)

*TIM:* I warned you, but did you listen to me? Oh, no, you knew it all, didn't you? Oh, it's just a harmless little bunny, isn't it? Well, it's always the same. I always tell them--


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## littlemissattitude (Oct 17, 2003)

I've thought about this for a long time, and I have finally come to the conclusion that my favorite beast is King Kong.


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## Gnome (Oct 17, 2003)

I'll go with the Rancor from "Return of the Jedi"......one of the last really good uses of stop-motion before all this really terrible CGI came into being. CGI is getting better (Gollum), but it doesn't express "fantastic" the way stop-motion has in the past.  Ray Harryhausen is the "Monster King" and always will be.


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## Brian G Turner (Oct 18, 2003)

Well, if we're going to talk Harryhausen, then we absolutely have to mention the Sinbad monsters. 

The Cyclops, the Hydra - great beasts!


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## BAYLOR (Apr 14, 2021)

The Dragon In the 1981 Disney film *Dragon Slayer.      *It still impresses.


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## Maseeha.Aellari (Apr 14, 2021)

Monsters are one of my favourite aspects in any piece of literature. I like misunderstood creatures, like the Zhouwu (???) in Fantastic Beasts, even though I'm not such a big fan of Rowling's work. 

All time favourite... Neverbeast from Tinkerbell. Yes, I know it's a kids' movie, but have you seen his powers? He can harness lightning and build lightning rods using boulders and spit! Not to mention he can summon wings on command, has horns that act like lightning rods, and can hang upside down from a tree.


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## Rodders (Apr 14, 2021)

My personal favourite the Rancor from Return of the Jedi. An impressive cinema monster, to be sure and one of the better parts of an often maligned film. (Although i still enjoy watching it.)

When thinking of Harryhausen, my mind always goes the fight with the statue of Talos in Jason and the Argonauts. I was terrified of it as a kid and i swear i look at statuary differently as an adult as a result of that movie.


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## Toby Frost (Apr 14, 2021)

The Alien.


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## BAYLOR (Apr 15, 2021)

Godzilla


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## Guttersnipe (Apr 15, 2021)

The dragon in the novel Grendel. Gmork from The Neverending Story. Frankenstein's monster (novel version). King Kong.


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