She usually appears to travelers in lonely areas with a mask across her mouth, and offers them a ghastly lose-lose scenario. Depending on the jinn in question, they can help people (see Aladdin) or harm them through bad luck, illness, and even possession. "It is a dramatic portrayal searching for kind of a greater truth rather than a … a factual truth. The monster carries out everything from general mischief — frightening children, biting the toes of sleepers –- to causing illness and even death. The best monster movies based on real-life folklore. A Tokoloshe — real or imagined — eventually does turn up in the film, though it's a far cry from the tiny terror of South African folklore. Theron helped produce the film, and talks about the research she did while promoting the film. But the real criminal had a deadly side, too. Movies. A hideous spirit found in numerous legends of Algonquin Native American and First Nations cultures, the wendigo appears as an emaciated, corpse-like figure that consumes anyone unlucky enough to cross its path in the snow-swept forest. They can be killed with traditional vampire-fighting gear like crosses and garlic, or the tail of a stingray. Killer Animal/Insects and Giants Monsters (Horror) Movies. The film is about serial killer Aileen Wuornos, a former street prostitute who murdered seven of her male clients between 1989 and 1990 and was executed in Florida in 2002. In the 1840s, paranormal skeptic Sir Robert Warboys accepted the challenge of spending a night in the second story of London’s hell house. When moviegoers see the graphic rape scene, many feel Wuornos is the victim. The two halves must then rejoin before sunrise or the creature will die. Here, she's the spirit of an abusive mother who possesses other women in order to continue preying on children after death. Monster is a 2003 biographical crime drama film written and directed by Patty Jenkins in her feature directorial debut. The movie taught us valuable truths about friendship, relationships, and so much more. The mananaggal is just one of several body-splitting, blood-drinking creatures in Asian folklore, including the penanggalan, the Krasue, and the Leyak. And here's the problem: If filmmakers say their movie is "based on a true story," shouldn't the heart of the story be true? Here are 10 horror movie villains and the real-life monsters who inspired them. A 30-foot sea monster was found in the Highlands lake in 2016, but it turned out to be a leftover movie prop from the 1970 film, “The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes.” The first victim was found with bite marks on her neck, much like a vampire would leave, while the second victim has wounds that look like a werewolf attack. On occasion, the monster's fearsome reputation has been used in crime fiction as a means to cover up a human killer's crimes, as in The Last Broadcast. No B-grade movie, this was real-life monster encounter "Monsters" seem to have a way of finding producer Doug Hajicek . Local legends date its origin back to 1735, when a woman, pregnant with her 13th child, cursed the unborn baby, which caused it to take a monstrous form. "[Wuornos] was just a vicious person," said Yates. "Even now?" "She isn't. The closest thing to an actually monstrous Santa might be Joulupukki, a terrifying half-man, half-goat from Finnish folklore. "This movie is portraying her as a victim," said Letha Prater. These 12 monster movies vary wildly: Some feature familiar fiends, and some star lesser-known creatures of night. In this horror movie, Ellen Page plays Sylvia Likens, the real-life 16-year-old girl who was brutally tortured and murdered by her caregiver Gertrude Baniszewski in 1965 Indianapolis. Three monster friends are studying how to scare humans in school. Often when talking about Stephen King's IT, people will use the name Pennywise when talking about the monster, and while that's understandable, it's not really accurate. I would think the research would include talking to the prosecutor, John Tanner, who spent years investigating Wuornos and the seven men she killed. The best-known banshee movie is most likely 1970's Cry of the Banshee, featuring Vincent Price as an evil judge who is cursed by a witch to suffer at the hands of a briefly glimpsed, devil-like sidhe –- an umbrella term for the supernatural creatures that inhabit prehistoric burial mounds across Ireland. The Invisible Man Review: A Real-Life Movie Monster Breathes Life Into an Antiquated Concept . When picking up her Golden Globe for her performance, Theron thanked lots of people, but she never once mentioned the families of the murdered men. ", Wyman explained why the film took liberties with some facts. Arguably one of the most famous regional creatures in American folklore, the Jersey Devil is a huge, two-legged beast resembling a kangaroo with a horse-like head and bat wings that allow it to traverse its haunting ground, New Jersey's eerie Pine Barrens. In addition to delivering some big scares, it manages to tap into everything we find scary about the winter: The cold, the silence, and what might be waiting out in the dark. Often, their attempts don't work out as planned. Though her legend dates back to the 17th century, this ghost hit her stride as a popular urban legend in the late 1970s, when reports of encounters from children on their way home from school spread throughout Japan. Kuchisake-onna joined Sadako, Kayako, and other onryo (vengeful ghosts) on movie screens in 2007's Carved: The Slit-Mouthed Woman. If you're enjoying a snack right now, put it aside for a moment, because this mythological creature is one of the most disgusting in all of world folklore. Most legends describe banshees with red eyes from constant weeping, and as posing no physical threat –- a banshee's voice is what's actually dangerous. Unlike Santa, Joulupukki received gifts –- sacrifices, really — to keep him from frightening people. It also has a tail that sports either a scorpion's barb or spikes that it can fire at prospective meals before devouring them whole. ", 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. The Connection Between The Creature In Underwater, Real Life, And Other Monster Media The monster in Underwater is disturbing: gelatinous, pallid, bony. It also spews acid, but that's a creation of the filmmakers. Her mother was engaged to Gino Antonio, when Wuornos killed him. Yet another Stephen King creature of darkness makes our list, but one with an inspiration that could come straight from… Many of them have turned up in films in their respective countries. 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