Noble Craigonly ever appeared in six movies before he passed away, but he’s memorable in every one, no matter how small the part. Born in Los Angeles, California in 1948, Craig was drafted into the army in 1967 and sent to Vietnam two years later, in 1969 (viaGreen Bay Press-Gazette). Craig was only there 12 days before he stepped on a booby-trapped land mine. The explosion, which the paper said was big enough to knock out a tank, took his legs, right arm, hearing in his right ear, and most of the vision in his right eye.
The same year he had that profile in thePress-Gazette, Craig made his acting debut inSssssss, a cult-classic movie, where he plays a snake man. Craig went on to effectively utilize his injuries to play monsters and characters others wouldn’t be able to. Craig’s name may not be up there withthe most iconic actors behind movie monsters, butthe six films he did appear in are all considered classics of the genre. Noble Craig lived an impressive life before he passed in April 2018 (viaLegacy) and it’s a gift that he left movie fans these few performances.
The Best Sea Monster Movies, Ranked
Sea monsters are a common trope in the horror genre, from Best Picture winners to enduring B-movie classics, the creatures are in some great movies.
6Puddle Soldier (One Of The Many Gorey Kills In This Cult Classic)
The Blob (1988)
The Blob(1988) is a remake of the 1958 film of the same name and though it may not have the B-movie charm of the original, it is frighteningly intense and horrifically gorey.The Blob doesn’t just kill its victims, it dissolves them in some of the most realistic and nauseating sequences of the era. People are squeezed down tubes, children are liquefied, and innocent townspeople are melded together. It’s not for the fainthearted.
Noble Craig appears briefly towards the endof the film. After the government arrives to stop the blob, they get more than they bargained for when the creature explodes from the sewers and continues its rampage. Craig plays one of these soldiers that the protagonist Meg (Shawnee Smith) tries to help. When she lifts him, the still alive soldier’s arm pulls off like taffy and Meg notices his bottom half has melted into the pavement. It’s quick, but it’s memorable.
The Blob
Cast
The Blob is a 1988 science fiction horror film directed by Chuck Russell. The plot revolves around a malevolent, gelatinous entity that emerges from a meteorite and begins consuming everything in its path in a small American town. As the creature grows larger with each victim, a group of citizens races against time to find a way to stop the unstoppable menace. The film stars Kevin Dillon and Shawnee Smith.
5Crypt Creature (The Horrific Creation Of The Horror Icon, Dr. Herbert West)
Bride Of Re-Animator (1990)
Brian Yuzma’sBride of Re-Animatoristhe second film in theRe-Animatortrilogyand once again follows Herbert West (Jeffrey Combs) and Dan Cain (Bruce Abbott), who are still experimenting with Herbert’s re-animator fluid. They decide to try and re-animate a person from disparate parts and succeed in creating a woman. However, they also accidentally revive the head of Herbert’s deceased nemesis, Dr. Carl Hill (David Gale).
He plays a terrifying monster, designed by the legendary special effects artist Screaming Mad George, with a leg for its arm and other body parts mismatched all over.
Towards the end of the film, Herbert and his friends are locked in a crypt where Herbert’s only experiments are lurking. One of them is played by Noble Craig. It’s one of the few chances to actually see Craig’s face in one of his roles. He plays a terrifying monster, designed by the legendary special effects artist Screaming Mad George, with a leg for its arm and other body parts mismatched all over.
Bride of Re-Animator
Bride of Re-Animator is a horror-science fiction film directed by Brian Yuzna. Set eight months after the events of its predecessor, the film follows Dr. Herbert West and Dr. Dan Cain as they continue their experiments in reanimating dead tissue, resulting in a monstrous and grisly outcome. Jeffrey Combs and Bruce Abbott reprise their roles, advancing the story’s exploration of the boundaries between life and death.
4Tim McGraw, The Snake Man (A Forgotten And Strange Movie And Craig’s First Performance)
Sssssss (1973)
Sssssss, titledSsssnakein the UK andMysterious! The Vampire Human Snakein Japan, was the first role of Noble Craig’s career. In the film, a herpetologist, Dr. Carl Stoner (Strother Martin) takes on a new lab assistant, David Blake (Dirk Benedict). Unbeknownst to David, Dr. Carl has been experimenting with turning humans into snakes and plans on doing the same to David.
David’s girlfriend Kristina (Heather Menzies) figures out what’s happening when she goes to a carnival and finds a caged Tim McGraw (Noble Craig), now known as the Snakeman, a sideshow exhibit and Dr. Carl’s former assistant. With a torso ending in a tail, and makeup that covers him all over,this was an early example of the roles Craig would end up being perfect for. He doesn’t do much more than hiss but his campy appearance provides a critical piece of information to the plot.
Sssssss
Sssssss is a 1973 horror film directed by Bernard L. Kowalski. It stars Strother Martin as Dr. Carl Stoner, a scientist who secretly experiments on his assistant, David Blake (played by Dirk Benedict), transforming him into a snake. The film explores themes of unethical scientific experimentation and features notable special effects for its time.
3Sewer Creature (A Frightening Jump Scare That Sets The Tone For The Underworld)
Big Trouble In Little China (1986)
Big Trouble in Little Chinais John Carpenter’s campy, classic action-comedy that finds Jack Burton (Kurt Russell) and his friend Wang Chi (Dennis Dun) searching for Wang’s abducted wife in the mysterious and legendary underground world below San Francisco’s Chinatown. As Jack, Wang, and a group of friends enter the subterranean lair, a giant, bug-eyed monster bursts from a hidden passage and swallows one of the men whole.
Though John Carpenter is known for his horror films,Big Trouble in Little Chinais much lighter, with few actual scary moments. This scene is a true jump scare, however, and the creature, played by Noble Craig, bursts out just where the audience isn’t looking. It’s a very well-lit scene as well, which is unusual formonster movies of the 1980s. Craig’s large costume is very easy to see in all its hideous glory.
Big Trouble in Little China
Big Trouble in Little China is a 1986 action comedy directed by John Carpenter. Kurt Russell stars as Jack Burton, a truck driver who attempts to rescue his friend Wang Chi’s fiancée from the clutches of an evil sorcerer named David Lo Pan.
2Vomit Monster (A Disgusting Creature That Features In A Memorable Scene)
Poltergeist II: The Other Side (1986)
InPoltergeist II: The Other Side, set one year after the original film, the Freeling family has moved to Phoenix, Arizona. Their old home is now the site of an archaeological dig, but whenthe spirit of a malevolent preacher Rev. Henry Kaneis unearthed, he seeks out the Freelings to haunt them. He starts by possessing a Mezcal worm that Steve (Craig T. Nelson) swallows.
Cue a gloriously disgusting and painful scene of Nelson vomiting up a white, pulsating creature that grows into a large legless monster by the second. This Kane Worm is played by Noble Craig, andit’s one of the best close-ups of his career. The worm is nauseating, but the costume also allows for a lot of expression by Craig, giving him the chance to do more than scream or roar like many of his other roles.
Poltergeist 2: The Other Side
Poltergeist II: The Other Side continues the eerie saga of the Freeling family as they face new supernatural threats. Directed by Brian Gibson and released in 1986, this sequel delves deeper into the dark forces haunting the family. JoBeth Williams and Craig T. Nelson reprise their roles as Diane and Steve Freeling, who must confront the malevolent spirit of Reverend Kane to save their daughter Carol Anne.
1Freddy Krueger (Merging Freddy Was One Of The Weirdest Versions Of The Iconic Horror Villain)
A Nightmare On Elm Street 5: The Dream Child (1989)
It’s debatable if Freddy Krueger isthe best slasher villain ever, but what isn’t debatable is that playing him is a major jewel in the crown of any monster actor. For most of his life, he’s been played by Robert Englund, but others have put on the striped sweater and gloves for one reason or another. InA Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child, Craig dons the character for one of his appearances in the film.
It may not be a long sequence, but the fact thatNoble Craiggot to play Freddy Kruger at all instantly puts him in the highest echelons of movie monster actors.
There is a sequence where Alice (Lisa Wilcox) believes she’s finally escaped the demon, only for Freddy to burst out of her torso. In that moment, Freddy is played by Craig. It’s a very cool effect and required Craig’s torso to be strapped to Wilcox’s chest to achieve the right look (viaBloodyDisgusting). It may not be a long sequence, but the fact thatNoble Craiggot to play Freddy Kruger at all instantly puts him in the highest echelons of movie monster actors.
A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child
A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child continues the infamous saga of Freddy Krueger, the supernatural killer, as he invades the dreams of young Alice Johnson. Released in 1989, the film follows Alice’s struggle to protect her unborn child, who becomes the latest target of Krueger’s deadly hauntings. Directed by Stephen Hopkins, this installment delves into darker, more surreal territory within the franchise.
