A Quiet Place features terrifying monsters with a highly-developed sense of hearing that they use to track their prey. Which former The Office cast member co-wrote, directed, and starred in the 2018 film?
John Krasinski co-wrote and directed the film, and co-starred in it with his wife, Emily Blunt. In the film, the monsters are blind but have an acute sense of hearing, leading the couple and their on-screen children to live in near-complete silence.
Lon Chaney did his own makeup to create a monstrous character for a 1925 film that tells the story of a disfigured recluse who covers his face with a mask and lives under the Paris Opera House. What is the name of the character/film?
Chaney did his own makeup to become the character of the Phantom of the Opera. He achieved the skull-like effect of the Phantom’s face through a combination of spirit gum, fish skin, mascara, cotton, and a pair of ground-down false teeth. When Chaney’s grim visage was finally revealed, many theatergoers fainted.
Horror runs in the family—Lon Chaney’s son, Lon Chaney Jr., followed in his father’s footsteps and went on to star in some early horror films as well. He may be most well known for a character who has issues with moonlight, to put it simply. That film was later remade in 2010 with Benicio Del Toro. What’s the name of the film?
In The Wolf Man, Larry, played by Lon Chaney Jr., kills a wolf with a silver cane, only to discover that he’d actually slain a werewolf, and was now one himself. Tale as old as time! The film went on to have four sequels, and of course, a remake.
Boris Karloff was one of classic Hollywood’s greatest horror stars. He played Imhotep in The Mummy, but he was best known for one iconic—and imposing—monster in particular. What was the name of the first film he appeared in as the aforementioned monster?
Boris Karloff portrayed Frankenstein’s monster (Frankenstein is the doctor!) in 1931’s Frankenstein, and its follow-ups Bride of Frankenstein and Son of Frankenstein.
In Bride of Frankenstein, Elsa Lanchester joined Boris Karloff onscreen in a dual role—she played both Mary Shelley and the Bride. What distinctive feature became a stereotype of the character of the Bride?
English actress Elsa Lanchester (1902 - 1986) at Heathrow Airport, London, UK, 1st February 1963. (Photo by George Stroud/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
The role of Frankenstein’s monster was first offered to an actor named Bela Lugosi. At the time, he had just appeared as another famous horror monster, and he refused the role. What role was Lugosi known for?
Lugosi starred as Dracula in the 1931 film of the same name, released mere months before Frankenstein. Though he scoffed at the role of Frankenstein’s monster, he’d later go on to play him in 1943’s Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man.
The German take on the vampire story came in the form of 1921’s Nosferatu. What was the name of the vampire in that film?
Count Orlok was the creepy vampire played by Max Schreck in Nosferatu. Though loosely based on Bram Stoker’s tale, one producer was particularly inspired by a Serbian man he’d met who claimed to be the son of a vampire.
Which of these classic monsters was actually based on a real historical figure, and shared his name?
The “monster” in The Mummy went by the name Imhotep, and he was played by Boris Karloff. Imhotep was a real person, but before you get your torches and pitchforks ready, the real Imhotep was actually a very successful and beloved architect who was revered as a god after his death.
Which early horror film was based on legends about a race of half-man, half-amphibian monsters who dwelled in the Amazon River?
That would be The Creature From the Black Lagoon, which did actually have a connection to Citizen Kane. The set of that film was where an actor named William Alland met cinematographer Gabriel Figueroa. Figueroa told Alland the legends about the creatures, and Alland passed on the idea to the eventual producers of the film.
Which 400-foot tall monster that terrorized the city of Tokyo became a pop culture icon in Japan?
Forget the MCU, Godzilla is actually the longest continually-running film franchise, having been in ongoing production from 1954 to the present day with just a few hiatuses.
Which NBA power forward defeated Godzilla in a 1992 Nike commercial?
That would be the Round Mount of Rebound, Charles Barkley. Barkley and Godzilla went in on a one-on-one game in the commercial, ultimately leading to Godzilla’s loss.
What 1958 B-horror monster was not so much a monster as a sentient puddle made of silicone and red dye?
As The Blob was filmed, more and more red dye was added to the eponymous puddle of silicone, to make it appear as if the Blob had consumed more and more blood and flesh. Thanks to the amazing properties of silicone, the original model is still intact and has yet to dry out, 60 years later.
What is the name of the species of shark who threatens the beaches of Amity Island in 1975’s Jaws?
Real great white sharks were the basis for Jaw’s shark, but they cannot survive in captivity and were never an option for the filmmakers—so they built three mechanical sharks, costing close to a million dollars apiece.
H.R. Giger was a Swiss painter, best known for his unique and photorealistic style and subjects that examined the link between humans and machines. For which 1979 film did he design the monster?
H.R. Giger’s original designs for the monster in Alien were so frightening he was held up by customs agents at the Los Angeles airport who thought the violent, grotesque images were photographs, and wouldn’t let them or Giger through, until writer Dan O’Bannon showed up to explain.
Jason Voorhees is the unkillable stalking murderer of the Friday the 13th series. What part of his appearance sets him apart?
When Jason comes to mind, we might see him donning the famous vintage white hockey mask, but he didn’t actually don the mask until Friday the 13th Part III.
What is the name of the horror monster who wears a striped sweater and distinctive gloves covered with knives?
For A Nightmare on Elm Street, Freddy Krueger’s trademark knife-glove was made of steak knives and brown leather by designer Jim Doyle, and inspired by Wes Craven’s cat.
Which king of shock rock played Freddy’s stepfather (and first victim) in 1991’s Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare?
While Iggy Pop performs the title song, it was Alice Cooper who played the stepfather in Freddy’s Dead. While the full title suggests it was supposed to be the final installment in the franchise, it’s not a spoiler alert to say that it definitely was not the final time audiences encountered Freddy Krueger.
Which 2003 film pitted two of the slasher genre’s most (in)famous killers against each other?
At first, Freddy Krueger enlists Jason Voorhees to help him terrorize potential victims, but pesky Jason just can’t help hogging said victims, and so, the two go into battle. We won’t tell you which of the two win, because in a world of constant reboots, does it really matter?
What monster was named in the film credits as “The Shape” before being credited with his official name in a sequel?
That’s Halloween’s white-masked, coverall-clad stalker, Michael Myers. He is actually referred to by his name in the film itself, but the credits call him “The Shape.”
Michael Myers is known for his creepy, disembodied white mask. It was actually made from a real mask of a celebrity’s face that the crew stretched out and painted. What celebrity face is Michael actually wearing?
The mask was actually a William Shatner mask—or, to be more technical, a mask of Star Trek’s Captain Kirk. Production designers didn’t realize the mask was supposed to be William Shatner until it was time to order more masks for the sequel.
What is the name of the disturbing child-eating monster who appears briefly in 2006’s Pan Labyrinth, guarding a feast no one may eat from—or else?
The Pale Man is the nose-less, mostly blind monster whose sinister appearance is one of the most haunting images of Pan’s Labyrinth.
Which actor played the Pale Man (and the Faun), along with a host of other characters in Guillermo Del Toro films, including the Amphibian Man in The Shape of Water?
That would be Doug Jones, not only an actor, but also a contortionist and mime. Apart from Pan’s Labyrinth and The Shape of Water, he’s also appeared in Del Toro’s Hellboy, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Mimic, and Crimson Peak.
Which chainsaw-toting character from a 1974 film was inspired by notorious Wisconsin serial killer Ed Gein?
In The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Leatherface was the name of the main “monster,” although he operated in tandem with his maniacal family. Gein was the inspiration for Leatherface, as well as Norman Bates in Psycho.
Which ‘80s slasher film was inspired by a news story about a group of refugees whose nightmares were so intense that they stayed up for days, before eventually dying in their sleep?
Wes Craven, the writer and director of A Nightmare on Elm Street, was inspired by the terrifying tale of Khmer refugees whose mysterious deaths in their sleep had no visible cause.
Which original star of Halloween—and target of Michael Myers—returned as Laurie Strode for the 2018 reboot/sequel, also simply titled Halloween?
amie Lee Curtis garnered rave reviews for her reprisal of the role of Laurie Strode, the original “final girl” of the 1978 version of Halloween. In the updated version, she lives in expectation (and fear) of Michael Myer’s return, and has spent most of the last four decades preparing for it.
On and off throughout the Halloween films, Michael Myers is pursued by a doctor, who first meets him at Warren County Smith's Grove Sanitarium. What is the doctor’s name?
Dr. Samuel Loomis appears in seven of the eleven Halloween films, and along with Laurie Strode, serves as one of the series’ main protagonists.
What is the name of the actor who has played Freddy Krueger in the grand majority of the Nightmare on Elm Street films?
While Jackie Earle Haley portrayed Freddy in the 2010 reboot, it was Robert Englund who originated the character and has played him on film eight times—not to mention in 44 episodes of the ‘80s TV show Freddy’s Nightmares – A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Series.
On which ‘80s-themed sitcom did Englund make a cameo appearance as Freddy Krueger for a Halloween episode?
Englund appeared on The Goldbergs in an episode entitled “Mister Knifey-Hands,” where a young character is allowed to watch A Nightmare on Elm Street for the first time.
What color or pattern is Freddy Krueger’s distinctive sweater?
Every element of Freddy Kruger’s look was specifically engineered to terrify, including his red and green striped sweater. Craven had read somewhere that red and green stripes had a disorienting, unsettling effect on viewers.
What appears to fly out of Candyman’s mouth in the 1992 film of the same name?
Perhaps if they were to make a family-friendly version of the film, Candyman would spit candy at children, but in the 1992 version of the film, swarms of bees fly out of his mouth. Wonder if that’s something they’ll repeat in the upcoming Jordan Peele-helmed remake?
Your Results
Simply Scary
Sometimes, you still watch horror movies with your hands over your eyes. And that’s fine! With the array of terrifying monsters out there these days, who can blame you? Nevertheless, you’ve managed to acquire an impressive range of knowledge about horror villains, and it shows. Way to go!
Honestly Horrifying
On a list of all the major horror movies made in the last 100 years, you’d definitely be able to tick off the majority of the boxes, from the classic Universal monsters to the slashers of the ‘70s to the bizarrely grotesque creatures of today. Congrats on your massive knowledge of horror’s scariest!
Truly Terrifying
Incredible! Is there a horror movie you haven’t seen? Your dreams must look like Freddy’s playground! Very few people can get over 17 questions correct on this quiz, so consider yourself among a rare class of horror buffs. Just remember, whatever you do, don’t fall asleep!
Happy With Your Test Score? This video can help you do better on any quiz... even if you know ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about the topic.
Quiz
What’s better than going to the movies and settling into a dark theater only to spend a couple hours screaming alongside a hundred or so strangers? If you’re about to take this quiz, chances are, not much. There’s nothing quite like the thrill of a horror movie, and there are few things in pop culture as simultaneously fascinating and terrifying as the monsters that populate our favorite films. Whether they’re based on a real-life phenomenon or simply the brainchild of a twisted filmmaker’s mind, the thrill of catching a glimpse of these terrifying monsters is well worth the price of admission. So, are you a fraidy cat or a horror buff? Take this quiz and see how much you really know about horror’s most terrifying monsters.
