‘Call them for a monster-ous good time.’
The Monster Squad is a 1987 American comedy horror film directed by Fred Dekker (Night of the Creeps) from a screenplay co-written with Shane Black (The Predator).
The film features the classic monsters (re-imagined by a team of special effects artists including Stan Winston), led by Count Dracula (Duncan Regehr). They, in turn, combat a group of savvy kids out to keep them from controlling the world. This is also a twist on horror movies as it reimagines classic monsters unleashed in a 1980s setting, and the film also makes a barb at incessant horror sequels when a “film within a film” is questioned as to how many times can a serial killer come back from the grave?
On its release, The Monster Squad was a major flop at the box office but it has developed a cult following over the years amongst people who watched it on VHS or television as youngsters.
In 2018, a fan-made documentary about the movie’s gradual development of a cult following, Wolfman’s Got Nards was released.
Reviews:
” … another important factor leading to this film’s success is that everything is played seriously. Of course, this doesn’t mean that the film doesn’t have laughs, it IS about monsters and all; what I should say is that the actors don’t ‘camp’ up their roles. This makes the whole film much more entertaining and engaging, and a tad more realistic.” Arrow in the Head
“That ingratiating affection for classic horror permeates every facet of the film, from the way monster-maker Stan Winston takes on ubiquitous horror icons to Black and Dekker’s snappy banter to the fine performances of monsters Tom Noonan (as Frankenstein), Jon Gries (as a tormented werewolf), and the elegantly understated Regehr.” The AV Club
“This is a film so clearly invested with love by the creators for its genre, so infused with the sheer pleasure of childhood old school horror marathons that it’s impossible not to be swept up in its charms. Its awkwardness and idiosyncrasies make it distinct from so much of the Amblin blandness that Spielberg’s family unit was churning out and more in tune with the spiky “anything goes” sensibilities of Joe Dante at his best.” The Movie Waffler
“The Monster Squad is recommended viewing for anyone who loved The Goonies. It’s funny, it’s got great action, it’s imaginative and while the final 30 minutes lose the magic a little it’s still a great slice of ‘80s childhood joy.” That Was A Bit Mental
Buy Blu-ray: Amazon.com
Buy Blu-ray: Amazon.com
Release:
In the USA, The Monster Squad was released by Tri-Star Pictures on August 14, 1987.
Film Facts:
The 1970’s TV series Monster Squad is not related, but a remake of the 1987 movie is apparently in long term development.
