No doubt King Kong is winning many new fans because of Peter Jackson's 2005 remake, but here are some movie monsters of the past who shouldn't be forgotten:      

Nosferatu. A Phantom of the Night who drinks the blood of his victims, this sinister creature is the predecessor to Dracula. He first creeped onto the big screen in the 1922 horror film Nosferatu.

Creature from the Black Lagoon. The "Gillman" was discovered during an archeological expedition at the headwaters of the Amazon. He has appeared in numerous sequels since. The Black Lagoon is supposedly a beautiful place, but nobody has ever come back alive to prove it. First appeared in Creature From the Black Lagoon (1954).

Godzilla. Awakened by man's tampering with atomic power, Godzilla unleashes the wrath of a hundred earthquakes. But Americans need not fear, as apparently Tokyo is his favorite stomping ground. His first movie was Gojira (1954).

Jaws. This Great White Shark is not really a monster, but a ravenous flesh-eating creature just the same. Jaws (1975) was his first film.

Rodan. Another Japanese phenomenon -- but this one flies. It measures an incredible 165 feet high and made a screen debut -- appropriately -- in 1956's Rodan.

Tyrannosaurus Rex. Born from the DNA of mosquitos and frogs, this reptile is 7 tons of SUV crunching future fossil fuel. T-Rex made her most significant appearance in Jurassic Park (1993).

Dr. Zaius. A ruthless abuser of human rights who would just as soon shoot an astronaut as give him a frontal labotomy. Dr. Zaius first operated on screen in Planet of the Apes in 1968.

The Fly. Dr. Andre Delambre inadvertantly swaps heads and an arm with an ordinary housefly. Not so bad until we learn how Dr. DeLambre must now eat his food. Although making a later appearance as Brundlefly in 1986's The Fly, he was seen first in the 1958 movie with the same name.

Flying Monkeys. Even after 60 years, these creatures manage to give the heebie-jeebies to movie-watchers of all ages. The Flying Monkeys, led by Nikko, made their first appearance in 1939's The Wizard of Oz, yet continue to appear in children's dreams throughout the world.

Michael Myers. This relentless screen monster proved that a butcher knife and Jamie Lee Curtis are all that's needed to make a truly scary movie. Oh...and a William Shatner mask. Michael first appeared in 1978's Halloween.

Dr. Frankenstein's Monster. The scariest rendition of ol' Frankie came about in the 1931 black-and-white classic Frankenstein, but without question his coolest rendition can be seen in 2004's Van Helsing. As bad as the latter movie was, that glass-encased beating green heart and piston-driven leg are the best.

Hannibal Lecter. Although Hannibal the Cannibal is actually a human being, whether or not he is a monster can't be debated. His appearance in The Silence of the Lambs (1991)caused a spike in sales of fava beans and Chianti across the world. Here's to polydactylys everywhere!

George A. Romero's Zombies. No one does zombies better than Romero. And 1968's Night of the Living Dead kicked off an entire new genre of filmmaking.

Wicked Witch of the West.  A very scary lady who made her first cinematic appearance in Kansas in 1939. Eeek! Seeing Miss Gulch riding on that bicycle still brings chills.

Wolfman. This lycanthropic creature has caused a fear of full moons for generations... and also a spike in sales of silver bullets. Wolfman first chewed up the scenery (and more) in  1941's The Wolf Man.

Freddy Krueger.  A more frightful version of Edward Scissorhands, Freddy lurks in the corners of nightmares. Although preferring to prey on the teenagers of Springwood, he can make quick mincemeat of anyone. Freddy first displayed his acting chops in Nightmare on Elm Street (1985).

Hal 9000. Although not a living monster, Hal 9000 -- the brains behind the Goodship Discovery on its mission to Jupiter -- is as dastardly and deadly as even the most prolific human serial killer. Hal's screen debut occurred in 1968's 2001: A Space Odyssey.

And, finally:

King Kong of 1933. Despite all that flickering fur and the mechanical, robot-like movements, the original Kong managed to scare the pants off our parents and grandparents decades ago. It's no wonder moviegoers are still fascinated by this hairy monster.    

(Photo from 2005 King Kong:  ©Universal Pictures. All rights reserved)

Article also posted at www.franksreelreviews.com.