The Monster Squad (1987)

Thriller for the younger set about a bunch of kids who stumble upon a talisman which is being sought by five monsters (Dracula Frankenstein the Wolfman the Mummy and yes--Gill Man). The monsters need the charm because it will give them the power to live longer but can they retrieve it from the lads who are also aware of its abilities?System Requirements:Running Time: 82 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY Rating: PG-13 UPC: 017153215663 Manufacturer No: 21566 Product Description

Rock Until You Drop!

Ah, The Monster Squad. That box office bomb that became a classic to us horror fans. That cute modern day homage to Universal monster flicks and the Little Rascals. If you haven't seen it, someone should kick you in the nards.
Fred Dekker was a fresh and unique talent to the horror world, but seems to have dropped off the face of the Earth(in the documentary on Disc 2 he says that The Monster Squad is the film that killed his career, and that he killed it again by directing Robocop 3. But it makes me wonder if people like Uwe Boll and Ulli Lommel can have steady careers, why can't Dekker make a comeback?). He only directed three films and wrote and directed a few episodes of Tales From The Crypt. His first film, Night of the Creeps, was an excellent homage to B horror films of the 50s and 60s(where's the friggin' DVD??????). His third film, Robocop 3, I can forgive him for. Probably a studio pressure thing, and it wasn't a horror film anyway so it shouldn't count. His second film, The Monster Squad is what he'll always be remembered for.
Like Night of the Creeps, The Monster Squad is an homage to a bygone era of horror, this case being the Universal Monsters-Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster, The Mummy, The Wolfman, and The Creature. Universal passed on the Monster Quad, so Dekker had to alter the appearance of the monsters just enough to avoid legal trouble. In case you don't already know, it's about a group of preteen boys(and a little girl) who are horror fans, but find themselves facing the real deal when Dracula shows up with his posse and wants to destroy the magical amulette and diary that Van Helsing used to destroy him 100 years ago. This diary has landed in the hands of Sean(Andre Gower), the leader of the Monster Squad. So now it's up to The Monster Squad to save the world.
Fun, fluffy stuff. It was marketed as a family oriented film. Not a kiddie, Disney type thing, but something the whole family could enjoy. In retrospect, it seems more like something geared for adults. Thank God it was made in the 80s before folks were so tightassed about political correctness. The kids do and say stuff that you'd never hear or see if the film were made now. Plus, there's a bit more blood and gore than you'd expect from a film aimed at families. As you can imagine, the film is more of a comedy than a horror film, but Dekker makes sure not to make it all cute and zany. Dekker's a horror fan and he shows us he's a horror fan. Like the classic Abbott and Costello/Universal Monster team ups, the monsters play it straight. They may be stuck in a comedy, but they act as though they were in a horror film.
Of course the immortal, "Wolf man's got nards" line is found here. I never found that to be very funny, but hey.
Aside from the pointless changing of the cool cover art of the original movie poster, this 2 disc set is a good deal. Naturally the film looks and sounds as good as it'll ever get. It's got an entertaining commentary by Dekker and three of the Squad. Disc 2 is a treat. It has a long and informative documentary that answers just about everything you've ever wanted to know about the Monster Squad. Also included is an interview with Frankenstein from around the time the film was shot. And of course the usual bells and whistles, trailers and whatnot. Unlike most 2 Disc Special Editions that play you for a sucker, this one's good. And the price is right too.
A good treatment for a great cult classic. Now lets get the lead out and release Night Of The Friggin' Creeps!!! October 10, 2008

Classic Spooks For The Season

This classic monster movie from the 1980's blends the best of the monster movie villains to delight and scare those who may be afraid of the dark. I would recommend this movie for anyone who likes horror/comedy/cult classic films like the Goonies. October 2, 2008

BEST MONSTER MOVIE

My brothers and I would always catch it on cable whenever we could and when we got it on VHS, we exhaused the heck out of it!! I tried to protect it as much as I could but we had to throw it out. I have been looking for this DVD for years and its finally here! I am so thrilled and excited. It was the best monster movie ever! There was Dracula, who was so downright evil, the actor was just so damn good and Frankenstein's Monster, the Mummy, the Creature from the Black Lagoon and even the Wolf Man, who really does have nards(best quote out of the entire movie)! Don't pass this one up, its one of the greatest monster movies, although not scary enough for adults, its a pleasure watching! September 17, 2008

Great movie!

Great movie for kids and adults. It would maybe be better if it didn't have the smoking, and the teenage sexual references were maybe toned down even more, but still a great "good triumphs over evil type movie". August 16, 2008

where's the thrills?

I thought the movie would be a lot more exciting that all the hype made it seemed. I'd put the feel of it along the lines of "The Goonies" and "Hocus Pocus", but not quite as good. Bland humor weighs the plot down, inappropriate language for children even though I think that's the target audience, maybe for it's time it was a classic, but I guess I missed that boat...should've been made more into a scary film, that's what I thought I was going to be watching. July 25, 2008

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