The Worst Monster Makeup In Movie History

Throughout the history of cinema there have been countless imaginative monsters and creepy creatures put on the big screen. We've been fortunate to see great monster costumes, from the minimalist designs of the original "Frankenstein" to Jeff Goldblum's sickening makeup in the remake of "The Fly." Even today, horror and sci-fi filmmakers are still crafting monsters of impressive quality on varying levels of budget.

But, for as long as there have been artfully crafted ghouls and goblins, there have been those that missed the mark. Cinema is littered with B-grade movies, big and small, with some of the silver screen's goofiest looking monsters. Whether it be because of the film's low budget, or a lack of materials, it received laughter as opposed to screams. From overdone designs that just went too far to costumes that might as well be bad Halloween costumes, here is just a small selection of the worst monster makeup in movie history.

This is an uninspired monster for an appropriately uninspired film, that being 1957s "From Hell It Came." Kimo, an island prince, is sentenced to death for murdering his father and is buried in a hollow tree trunk. However, due to the island's proximity to nuclear radiation, Kino is resurrected as a murderous tree monster.

The tree monster is a bark covered lump with arms and legs, complete with a permanently grumpy scowl. We aren't joking when we tell you that the tree's face never once moves or emotes during the entire film. A lack of emotion is quite fitting, considering that "From Hell It Came" is the textbook definition of a snore-fest. Whenever the tree monster isn't on screen, the film is awash with bad acting, uninspired cinematography and bland dialogue.

It's often wondered, if a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, would it make a sound? We feel the better question is, if a killer tree is on the loose, would it be exciting enough to care?

Cinema has been graced by many great looking cyclopes throughout pop culture history, such as "The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad." When done properly, the cyclops can be a menacing mythical creature used to test the resolve of mighty heroes. Sadly, that is far from the case with the creature presented in the 1957 stinker known as "The Cyclops." This film comes courtesy of Bert I. Gordon, a famous 50s filmmaker who specialized in the topic of gigantic menaces. Whether it's "The Amazing Colossal Man" or "Earth Vs. The Spider" Gordon thrived within the subgenre of gargantuan monsters.

Here, the Cyclops isn't a mythical creature, but a horrifically mutated test pilot being who is now on a rampage. The film is a four course meal of shlock, with the monster itself being a mostly naked 25-ft man with a melty face. The look of the Cyclops is a far cry from the standard depictions as it's actually a 25-ft tall man. His appearance is attributed to the radiation melting and disfiguring his face, leaving one mangled eye. On paper this sounds like a creative and potentially menacing creation — however, due to the film's budget, it sadly isn't.

If you are familiar with "Malcolm in the Middle" opening credits, you might've gotten a taste of this one. If you didn't know, that clip is actually taken from the 1961 B-movie stinker "Creature From the Haunted Sea". This is one of many cinematic oddities that came courtesy of the low budget filmmaking legend, Roger Corman.

The film starts off as a legitimate thriller concerning gambling, racketeering and theft, set during the intense Cuban Revolution. At the center of the conflict is the titular creature, a sentient play-doh glob with ping pong ball eyes. The film is included in the 2004 book, "Science Fiction and Fantasy Film Flashbacks," which says that the cast and crew "...had to do some deep concentration in order not to laugh when we saw it." It's noted that, in addition to ping pong balls, it was constructed from items such as Brillo pads and pipe cleaners.

Roger Corman was responsible for many ridiculous creations throughout his career, but this just might be his cheesy crescendo.

Honestly, with a name as blunt and to the point as "Octaman," what would you really be expecting? It's bizarre to think that a film of this B-grade caliber was directed by Harry Essex of all people. Essex was the writer and co-writer of several memorable monster movies, most notably "Creature from the Black Lagoon." But while Gillman, the film's main menace, has become one of horror's most beloved figures, Octaman most certainly has not. The film follows an intrepid expedition team who, while studying a remote fishing community, discover a vicious humanoid octopus monster.

Octaman is a preposterous looking hybrid of man and octopus which contains two legs, multiple tendrils and a sucker mouth. It looks like a mascot for a squid-based snack food, and it's just as hilarious as you might think. Much like the most memorably bad B-movies, "Octaman" takes itself very seriously, which only serves to heighten the hilarity. In recent years the film has developed a cult following, helped in part by its inclusion on Rifftrax.

For as little evidence as we have for Bigfoot's real life existence, we certainly have plenty of cinematic evidence of his popularity. The enigmatic urban legend has been the subject of various horror films, most notably "The Legend of Boggy Creek." Additionally, he has made appearances in various family films such as "Harry and the Hendersons" and "A Goofy Movie".

Sadly, "Night of the Demon" is one of the weakest entries to Bigfoot's cinematic canon. That lack of quality is most definitely reflected in the design of the film's take on the mythic Sasquatch. We are treated to a Bigfoot who looks more like someone falling asleep while wearing a cheap Chewbacca costume. The outfit is nothing more than a man in mud like makeup, false teeth, and a discount wig. This Bigfoot is unique, not only for its subpar appearance, but for its level of violence as well. Throughout the film, Bigfoot piles up an ample body count in gruesome fashion.

If you look up the worst films ever made, there is a good chance "Troll 2" will be on the list. The infamous 1990 flop has been, not unfairly, cited as one of the worst movies of all time. The film is notorious for many reasons — not the least of which being its performances and its ridiculous editing. But what most tend to remember, aside from the infamous "Oh My God" scene, are the horrendous special effects.

First of all, the titular trolls aren't actually trolls: they are referred to as Goblins within the film. The trolls all have permanent frumpy or mean looking faces, with beady little eyes and slime dripping from their mouths. They appear to be nothing more than crude over the head masks plopped on top of a herd of pint sized actors. These special effects are truly the cherry on top of a legendary miscalculation of a horror film.

However, its infamous status has garnered it an immense cult following who are quite fond of the 90s disaster. This fandom is given much more exposure in "Best Worst Movie," a documentary which catches up with the cast and crew. It goes to show that even if your monster movie doesn't hit the mark, someone out there will appreciate it.