MovieChat Forums > The Phantom of the Opera (1925) Discussion > most evil of the universal monsters

most evil of the universal monsters

posted 10 years ago by crakatoot
6 replies | jump to latest

thought they made a lot of horror films, only 8 of the Universal monsters are truly iconic;

Phantom of the Opera- Chaney
Dracula - Lugosi
Frankenstein Monster - Karloff
Mummy - Karloff again
Invisible Man - Rain
Bride of Frankenstein - Lancaster
Wolf Man - Chaney Jr.
The Creature from the Black Lagoon - Chapman/ Browning

there all monsters in there way but who is the most evil. Well to me i think it has to be Dracula. yes there is something tragic bout him, just as there is something tragic about all Vampries but that aside Dracula is truly evil. He kills for gain. he goes to london casue he wants more victims. hes not crazy like the invsible man, or an animal like the Creature or the Wolfman. or misunderstood like Frankestien or his bride. the Mummy and the phantom kill for selfish gain but they don't have the intensity like Dracula. what do u think.

i told you not to stop the boat. Now lets go. Apocaylpse Now

[–] www1125 10 years ago

I'd agree. Dracula is certainly the most evil.

[–] ElectricWarlock 9 years ago

I'd say Dracula is the most evil. The Phantom really isn't evil at all. He just wants to be loved and not rejected.

[–] KingCobra686 9 years ago

I wouldnt say the phantom is moral, but I also wouldnt say that he is evil. Hes more of a misfit than a villain.

Most of the Universal monsters really arent that evil, with the exception of Dracula and the Invisible man.

[–] morden1018 9 years ago

I completely agree. Most of the Universal Monsters were either acting out of loneliness/bitterness at being outcast - look how common the theme of trying to find a lover or mate is among them - were not entirely in control of themselves, or at their worst were driven to kill in order to survive. Quite often it's the human characters who mercilessly persecute them or seek to control them or profit from them who are the truly evil characters. That being said, however, I actually find the Phantom and the Invisible Man to be the most evil. Both of them are human beings, who, mad or otherwise, chose to become murderers. Claude Rains' portrayals are sheer genius, he's easily the best invisible man and second best phantom (better than it sounds, being second only to Lon Chaney is an honor). His seamless, effortless, embodiments of both the phantom's cold-blooded obsessiveness and the invisible man's gleeful bloodthirstiness still creep me out to this day.

[–] morden1018 9 years ago

Also, not to be pedantic, but I reread your original post and I noticed that you only referenced the Chaney Phantom. Universal also made a remake in 1943 starring Claude Rains. I find the Chaney version to be far superior - mainly due to the Phantom's needlessly altered backstory in the Rains version and Chaney's far superior Phantom makeup (which he designed himself, much like his Quasimodo makeup in the 1923 Hunchback of Notre Dame) but Rains definitely played the Phantom as more vindictive and evil. Sorry for rambling, I'm just a huge Universal Horror fanboy.

[–] MayoGalway 8 years ago

On the trivia pg. for The Invisible Man it is noted that he killed four people(possibly five) and derailed a train, killing maybe 100+. Deadly, evil, and crazy! Sure, Dracula killed more through history, but none of the Universal movie monsters killed more in their particular movie. Please correct if I'm wrong.