March Badness : Monster Madness - The Championship

This is it: the final showdown of ultimate monsters.  Evil clown versus vicious alien.  The manifestation of childhood fears vs the horrific spawn from the planet Acheron LV-426.  Pennywise vs The Xenomorph.  This is March Badness : Monster Madness - The Championship.  Warning: The clips below include spoilers as well as graphic and disturbing content.

ICYMI:
March Badness 2015
Explanation / list of contenders
Empty bracket
Round 1
Round 2
Sour 16
Evil 8
Ferocious 4

Pennywise (It) vs The Xenomorph (Alien)

The best way to judge these two is to watch them in action.  First, we're introduced to Pennywise the Dancing Clown.  Poor little Georgie has lost his boat - but don't worry, Pennywise is there to help...

Next, we meet the Xenomorph.  Kane sites down to a nice meal with his crew mates when he starts to feel an unpleasant sensation in his stomach.  No, it's not indigestion - it's something else...

But the Xenomorph isn't the only one who knows how to make a dramatic entrance.  Eddie is taking a shower when a certain clown decides to interrupt.

Pennywise is pretty horrifying, but the Xenomorph is no stranger to terror either.  And it's quite a bit bigger than it was the last time we saw it.  Brett is looking for Jonesy, the cat, when he gets a nasty surprise.

The kids of Derry are looking through an old album when they get a surprise of their own.  "I'll kill you all! Ha Ha! I'll drive you crazy and I'll kill you all! I'm every nightmare you've ever had! I am your worst dream come true! I'm everything you ever were afraid of!"



Through all that has happens on the Nostromo, Dallas remains calm.  But all of that changes when he enters the air ducts to go looking for the alien...

OK.  Time for closing arguments.  Pennywise ends by proving he's not just a thing of childhood imagination, by tormenting grown-up Richie.



The Xenomorph finishes by taking out two of the remaining three crew members as they try to make preparations for their escape.  Ripley tries desperately to get there in time, but is too late to save them.

And the winner is...

The Xenomorph

With acid blood, a second mouth, a pointy tail, and just an overall awesomeness that can't be denied, the Xenomorph is the ultimate monster.

The Bracket

Here's what the final bracket looks like:

March Badness : Monster Madness - Ferocious 4

ICYMI:
March Badness 2015
Explanation / list of contenders
Empty bracket
Round 1
Round 2
Sour 16
Evil 8

Pale Man (Pan's Labyrinth) vs Pennywise (It)

Pale Man is a mythical creature in a fantastic world - a world that we're not sure exists outside the mind of Amelie, the film's protagonist.  But the danger surely seems real as she desperately tries to escape the monster's lair while her fairy helpers are mercilessly devoured by the ghoulish beast.  And even though the encounter takes up a relatively small portion of the story, the image of the Pale Man sticks with you for some time.  But still, his overall impact does not compare to that of the terrifying clown from It.  Pennywise is not only the star of the book and movie, but has made a lasting impression on our culture and forever changed how we view clowns.  Sure, there was always the possibility of a kid being frightened by a clown, the same way he or she might be scared of Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny.  But a fear of clowns has become relatively common for many adults today, thanks to Pennywise.

Winner: Pennywise

The Brundlefly (The Fly) vs The Xenomorph (Alien)

The mutation of Seth Brundle from man to fly was certainly gross and quite disturbing at times, but the Xenomorph has a dark presence that can't be denied.  From the moment the alien ripped through the chest of a crew member of the Nostromo you knew it was a special kind of monster.  The Brundlefly is disgusting but the Xenomorph is horrifying.

Winner: The Xenomorph 

The Bracket