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If the movies have taught us anything, its that scientists are determined to make monsters and unleash them on the world. Whether the scientists in question are cackling lunatics merrily sewing together parts to make Franken-creatures or serious-faced geneticists in pristine lab coats trying to save humanity by using animal DNA to cure diseases, the movies tell us their experiments will go wrong, and their creations will go on the rampage.
The new Jurassic Park movie, Jurassic World, is a perfect example of how scientists always take it too far its main attraction is a genetically modified dinosaur specifically created to be scarier and more thrilling than the Tyrannosaurus Rex but even the fearsome Indominus Rex seems cuddly compared to some of these abominations
Dren from Splice (2009)
The parts: Dren is a second generation genetic experiment, a human-animal hybrid made by fusing proteins from a genetically modified vermiform with human DNA.
The whole: Initially a cutesy little creature (played by Abigail Chu), Dren grows to resemble a human woman (Delphine Chaneac) albeit one with a stinger and far too widely-spaced eyes and then morphs into a male whatever-it-is. With wings.
Monstrosity rating: Depends which stage youre talking about initially around a 3/10, Drens more of an 8/10 by the end of the movie.
The sharknado from Sharknado (2013)
The parts: A freak weather event and some sharks.
The whole: Okay, so its not a genetic hybrid, and the two parts are fairly easily separated from one another, but the idea of sharks zooming around downtown Los Angeles in a whirlwind is a pretty terrifying one. Ridiculous, yes, but theres something brilliant about it, too.
Monstrosity rating: 4/10. Because although theyre just sharks, youd find a shark attacking you on dry land pretty darn monstrous.
Lota from Island Of Lost Souls (1932)
The parts: A panther, lots of cosmetic surgery, and human blood transfusions.
The whole: More hideous in concept than execution, Lota (Kathleen Burke) looks like a beautiful woman but she isnt. Shes a surgically enhanced panther, seemingly capable of human emotion, but also very much capable of turning back into a panther, claws, teeth, and all.
Monstrosity rating: The real monster here is Dr Moreau (Charles Laughton), the scientist who took it upon himself to turn animals into humans in the first place. Lotas still a killer, though, so 6/10.
Aaron from Hybrid (2007)
The parts: A blind man and a pair of eyeballs from a recently deceased wolf.
The whole: Um, a man with wolf eyes (Cory Monteith). It turns out that putting animal parts into humans isnt completely without consequences, though, as the wolf eyes give Aaron super sharp senses (good) and an appetite for raw meat (not so good).
Monstrosity rating: The transplant gives Aaron a killer instinct, but he still just looks like a kid with fancy contact lenses in. Thats a 6/10.
The ape man from Night Of The Bloody Apes (1969)
The parts: A dying man and a gorilla heart.
The whole: Another animal-human transplant story, here a gorilla-to-human heart transplant has unexpected side effects for the patient namely, an ape-like face and homicidal impulses. Scientifically, it makes zero sense, but since when has that stopped horror movie directors from making monsters out of, well, anything?
Monstrosity rating: 7/10. Apparently gorilla hearts make you super strong, and really keen to rip peoples faces off.
David Kessler from An American Werewolf In London (1981)
The parts: David (David Naughton) is an American tourist hiking his way across the UK when he gets bitten by a mysterious wolf-like creature. No prizes for guessing what it really is.
The whole: Yup, David turns into a werewolf on the next full moon. The final wolf is pretty terrifying, but its the in-between stages that are most disturbing, as Davids body slowly and painfully stretches itself into a new shape.
Monstrosity rating: David might be a nice boy, but in wolf form, hes around an 8/10.
The dire wolf from Dino Wolf (2009)
The parts: Another type of werewolf, this one was created in a lab from the DNA of the extinct dire wolf mixed with a dollop of human DNA, for good measure.
The whole: Intended to be a kind of super soldier, the dire wolf turns out to be an uncontrollable killing machine that rips the guts out of anyone it comes into contact with.
Monstrosity rating: A prehistoric werewolf is a more terrifying prospect than a common-or-garden one, but unfortunately, the budgetary constraints mean the effects work isnt a patch on Rick Bakers. Lets say 6/10.
The weresheep from Black Sheep (2006)
The parts: Part man, part genetically modified carnivorous sheep.
The whole: Turns out its not just wolves who can turn people into monsters with a bite: on a New Zealand sheep farm, creepy farmer Angus (Peter Feeney) is turning his woolly charges into meat-eaters, and when one takes a chunk out of him, he transforms. Into a weresheep. Obviously.
Monstrosity rating: Sheep might not be as scary as wolves in their natural, un-messed-with forms, but these ones are horrible. 7/10.
The car from Super Hybrid (2011)
The parts: Unknown, but theres something with tentacles in there.
The whole: Nope, we havent accidentally put the wrong picture in there the hybrid in question here is a shapeshifting alien creature that disguises itself as a car to lure in its victims. Since most of the movie is spent watching a group of mechanics scrambling for their lives, its not clear where the car-alien came from or what its made of, but it bleeds metallic goop when its injured and eats people.
Monstrosity rating: It doesnt look very scary, but thats all part of its plan. 7/10.
