25 best horror movie monsters

11. The Toilet Ghoul (Ghoulies)

It doesn’t surprise me at all if you haven’t heard of the Ghoulies. Why would you, after all, when their far-better predecessors, the Gremlins, are around?

Still, these gross little monsters managed to make an impression, even as they skirted some copyright laws. Perhaps I’m also speaking from personal experience, as I vividly remember the debut of the infamous Toilet Ghoul.

But let’s back up a bit. The Ghoulies, in the 1985 film of the same name, are summoned by the deceased father of one Jonathan Graves (Peter Liapis). Jonathan’s dad was apparently messing around with the occult before his death. The Ghoulies travel to our realm, and specifically to the Graves mansion, to generally terrorize everyone.

The aforementioned Toilet Ghoul actually doesn’t show up until Ghoulies II, which came out in 1988. In this sequel, the Ghoulies escape the manor and make their way to a funhouse called “Satan’s Den”. People think they’re part of the attraction until the creatures begin to take victims.

The Toilet Ghoul… well, okay. It’s a gross, slimy, green monster that hangs out in a toilet. Some unwary victim sits down without looking first, and… well, you know what happens.

So, yes, this is a very dumb movie with a literal potty joke at its center. And, yet, if you were a young child who watched this, chances are you may still check the toilet bowl first before sitting down. It’s not the worst kind of habit you can cultivate, especially if you have to use public restrooms on a regular basis. Still, it made using the bathroom an oddly unnerving experience for young and old alike for many years.

I still check before I sit down, to this very day.