10 Worst Practical Effects Movie Monsters

The nineties were a funny time for horror. CGI began to emerge in blockbusters like Jurassic Park but remained too costly for most genre fare. Meanwhile Freddy, Chucky, and friends have carved out a profitable niche by combining quips with kills, leading a pack of imitators to try their hand at conjuring up movie monsters who straddled the line between scary and campy.

Hence the world was gifted Rumpelstiltskin, a fairy tale villain reimagined as an R-rated slasher who bore a bizarre resemblance to Muppet Treasure Island’s Blind Pierre. Now we know what you’re wondering, and the answer is yes, the film was directed by Mark Jones, the same man responsible for the long-running (and somehow still going!) Leprechaun franchise.

Credit where it’s due, though: It took a few sequels before the titular leprechaun was sent to space and the hood, whereas Rumpelstiltskin’s eponymous monster was wearing shades and riding an inexplicable motorcycle before the end of his first instalment. Unfortunately for real Rumpel-heads, it was also his last onscreen appearance. Shame, we were looking forward to Freddy vs Rumpelstiltskin.