Thursday, October 19, 2017

The Monster Squad (1987) (Movie Review)


Everyone knows who to call when it comes to a ghost infestation, but who do you call if there’s monsters and ghouls on the loose? Well, that’s where the monster squad comes in to save the day. If you were to walk up to a random person and ask what they think of 1987’s “The Monster Squad”, they’d probably have no idea what you’re talking about. However, if you were to go online and ask about it, you’d probably receive several responses that it’s one of the absolute greatest Halloween classics of our generation. Initially “The Monster Squad” bombed, and received mixed reviews, buts it’s gained new life over the years as a cult classic. 
I regrettably didn’t see this film until after I graduated from high school, so I don’t have any nostalgic ties to this film. Truthfully, I think I would have liked this movie more if it was something I grew up with when I was still an impressionable youth, but still, I’m always open for something new to add to my personal Halloween collection. Upon my first viewing, the film certainly made me feel like a kid again, but it didn’t exactly knock my socks off either. Then the following year, I fond myself wanting to see it again, and gradually I found myself liking it more with repeat viewings. While it’s never achieved as high a status as some of my other favorite Halloween specials I watch yearly, this has still become a favorite, and makes the season feel a bit more complete. For me, this has become the Halloween film to kick off the season, and set the stage for all the other October material I love. So, to put a nice bow on the Halloween season of 2018, let’s take a look back at this fan favorite, explore why it’s gained such a devoted following, and determine if it really earns its status as one of the great new Halloween classics. 

    The movie begins with a terrific opening title card sequence that hint at both the frights and hummer that will characterize this film. There's a scrolling text that starts very serious in tone, yet closes on a joke, and it hooks me in every time I watch this.  
The spooky scenery is excellent, and the monster effects are just a delightful blend of cheesy and awesome. In the opening prologue, we see Van Helsing and a team of monster hunters attempt to banish Dracula and his creatures into a magical void, in which evil can never escape from. The plan fails, and Dracula escapes, which segues into our present-day story. A group of boys all living together in a small suburban neighborhood are all obsessed with classic monsters, and have started their own little club. One of the boys comes into possession of a diary that belonged to Van Helsing, and other oddities begin to occur. Turns out that Dracula has resurfaced and has brought all the classic monsters with him, including The Wolf Man, The Mummy, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, The Brides of Dracula and Frankenstein’s monster. Their seeking a mystical amulet which was also in Van Helsing’s position, and can grant them the means to secure their grip on the human world. With all these creatures running around, the boy’s band together to utilize their knowledge of monsters as a means to fight them back and save their home town. It’s a cliched premise to say the least, but I’ve always loved the concept of a small group of kids going off on a small-scale adventure to fight the battles that grownups can’t. It’s something that immediately puts me in a child’s perspective, and even a group of kids forming a club around their favorite pass-time entertainment is something I can relate too.  

      The boys are your typical token tropes that made up 80’s kid’s films, except this time, there all self-aware of their own tropes, and that makes it fun. The fat kid literally is referred to as “fat kid”, the overly stoic leader is just the over enthusiastic leader, and the cool guy is just, well … the cool kid. Although “cool kid” stands out for being noticeably older, yet acts no differently from the others. There’s also the one-off little sister who wants to join the club but isn’t allowed, which is also something I can relate too. These are also very immature kids, who talk trashy, swear, peak in on attractive girls, and even the one oldest kid smokes, like it’s a perfectly casual thing to do. This will effect viewers differently, but for me, it made this group feel more realistic, because I remember being with groups of kids (mostly between the ages of 10 and 13) and nothing staid G rated when the parents weren’t around. 
They also have some very quotable lines, with the most famous quote dropping after they fight off the wolf-man, and one of the kids states that “Wolf Mans got nards”. Perhaps the main appeal of the film is that it earns its PG-13 ratting, but it still feels like a family film. It still has cute moments, and funny quirks that kids love, despite some fowl content. Think of “The Goonies”, but with scary and immature material on display. There’s even a random Holocaust reference in this movie, so I honestly don’t know who this film is made for. Some of the content can get very adult, yet most of the film is conveyed in this childish presentation. Its all very middle of the road, but I can see how young adults can look back on this with fond memories of getting away with something immature. Now speaking personally, I got in trouble when my parents caught me watching Disney’s “Hocus Pocus”, so I’d have never gotten away with watching this film. 

     Now while this movie is obviously a product of late 80’s family films, it’s also a loving tribute to the classic movie monsters. In my opinion, this is my favorite movie to feature all these classic monsters in one place. They're all in color, perfectly recognizable, and they look modernized, but they still maintain a classy, old school look. Most movies these days try to make their designs so modern that they lose their identity in the process. 
These are also very kid-friendly looking monsters, as the Mummy looks like he came right out of a “Goosebumps” episode, The Wolf Man almost looks like a badger, and Dracula’s costume looks like it came from Walmart. The Creature from the Black Lagoon has the best updated design by far, looks incredible, and is honestly scarier than the original design. I think the scariest monsters featured in the film are Dracula’s Brides, as there always approaching slowly from a distance. Personally, I’ve always been frightened of something dangerous visibly approaching from far away. So, seeing these three brides with their bloody teeth, pale white eyes and long clothing slowly approach from down a long hallway or open road is genuinely unnerving. Also, I love the actor playing Dracula, as he’s completely over the top, yet surprisingly menacing in a very simple yet effective way. Just seeing this guy pick up a little girl by the face was actually kind of unsettling. 

    Speaking of the little girl, she’s a key ingredient to a subplot revolving around Frankenstein’s monster. Dracula dispatches the monster to steal the diary from the kids, and then destroy them, but the little girl wins him over and he becomes a nice monster as a result. 
This is where the film really begins to feel like “E.T. The Extra Terrestrial”, right down to a shot of the kids walking off with the monster while silhouetted against a beautiful sunset. Honestly, it’s my favorite aspect of the film, and it’s probably my personal favorite portrayal of the classic monster I’ve ever viewed on film. No joke, seeing Frankenstein bond with the kids just warms the heart, as well as provide some funny moments, and it even leads to some genuinely emotional scenes. I love this one moment when Frankenstein picks up a Halloween-store mask of himself, and is disgusted that his appearance is commonly used to scare people. The most heart-breaking scene of all is when Frankenstein rescues the little girl from Dracula, but at the cost of his own life, forcing the two to say goodbye. The monster even takes the girls teddy bear with him as a memento ... gets me in the feels every time.

    Not to worry, there are some legit funny moments to help balance things out. I especially love this one editing gag in which the film quickly cuts from one shot of the cool kid spiting, to a shot of water hitting a lake. I should also mention the creative talents behind this film, as some of the finest from the late 80’s all came together for this project. The script was written by Shane Black who was also the writer of “Lethal Weapon”, which subsequently came out that same year. Peter Hyams, who had previously worked on “2010: The Year we made Contact” served as producer for “The Monster Squad”. Then, rounding up the group was director Fred Dekker, who was fresh off the high of directing another 80’s horror comedy called “Night of the Creeps”. While all three of these talents were just right for this kind of project, this dose lead me into my biggest issue with the whole movie. There’s something about the script that just doesn’t feel complete to me. Like, there should have been key scenes in certain places to properly progress the film, but they were never written into the screen play.

   For example, when the kids first learn of the real monsters, they come up with their heroic team name, vow to stop the creatures from terrorizing their town, and they put their hands together for that one big group shot … and every time I just can’t help but feel that a key ingredient is lacking. Personally, I feel this scene would have been far more impactful if the kids actually had a frightening run-in with maybe one, or several of the monsters beforehand. Then maybe after a narrow escape they regroup in their tree house, and then we get that triumphant group coming together moment. This problem happens again with a montage scene involving our young heroes making their own weapons to combat the monsters, but again, it’s hard to get excited when they still haven’t had any spooky encounters beforehand. 
Actually, aside from Frankenstein and one throw-away joke with the mummy hiding in a little boy’s closet, the team never encounter any of the monsters until the third act, and by then it’s almost too late. It also annoyed me to no-end that Dracula was fully aware of the kids and their club, despite never encountering any of them throughout the film, at least until the finale. Heck, the kids at least have a scene in which they learn of the monsters, but Dracula never once had a moment of discovering who his modern-day opponents were. There’s a scene when Dracula destroys their club house, while comedically stating “meeting adjured”, and once again I feel that Dracula doesn’t know enough about the kids to make that kind of joke. There’s also an odd continuity error when a police officer fires several rounds right at Dracula, but nothing hurts him in the slightest. Then just a minute later, Dracula transforms into a bat, the cop shoots him again with the same gun, and somehow Dracula becomes a bloody, beaten mess. What’s up with that, is he only immune to bullets when in human form? Maybe I’m being too nit-picky, but there’s moments like that through the whole film in which I just feel like something is either missing or just out of place.
    Thankfully, the film finds it’s footing again once we get to the third act. The creature battles on display are among some of the absolute best to feature these iconic monsters. We have Dracula taking on a police force without breaking a sweat, and he also uses dynamite as his main choice of weapon, which is pretty surreal. There’s also a car chase involving the Mummy, and for a brief moment we get the satisfaction of seeing Frankenstein battle Dracula, something that rarely happens in live-action. We also have the fat kid gunning down a monster with a shot gun, and that alone makes this one of the greatest Halloween family films I’ve ever seen. My favorite moment of all is when our hero’s strap a stick of dynamite to the Wolf Man, launch him out a window, and he explodes while in mid-air! It’s the most amazing feat of action I’ve ever seen in a family film. Plus, I’ve always wondered what would happen if you were to blowup a werewolf. Well, according to this film they just put themselves right back together, which is awesome. I remember seeing this film around the same time I watched 2004’s “Van Hellsing” for the first time, and I was amazed that this late 80’s family film had better monster action then a big budget summer blockbuster with high-profile actors. We then wrap things up with a cheesy monster squad theme song, which is so 80's, I can't help but adore it on some level.        
   When all is said and done, you can put me in the category of viewers who call this a Halloween classic, and try to watch it every October. I can’t say I love this film quiet as much as other Halloween films I actually grew up with, and I wouldn’t even call it on-par with some of the newer Halloween films from this millennium like “Coraline” or “ParaNorman”. 
Still, I have a great deal of fondness reserved for this film, as it dose take me back to a time when I was just a kid, and dreamed of going of exciting adventures during the Halloween season. It’s also really cool to just see all the classic Universal monsters together in one live-action film. Now of course there’s those bumps in the script that bother me, but the film at least succeeds in getting me in the mood for the October season, and sometimes, that’s all I really need. I also can’t recommend this movie for everyone, as there’s plenty who could get turned off by the films immature content in what’s supposed to be a family film. Truthfully, I never saw this as a movie for little kids, I feel it’s more for young adults who want to relive those good-old childhood days, while still getting adult material out of the experience. That in a nut-shell is why “The Monster Squad” has such a devoted fan base, it’s a film that gives you the best of both age spectrum's. It’s your childhood and adulthood bottled in one highly entertaining Halloween package, and I see no shame in liking the movie for that.

Thanks for reading my review of 1987’s “The Monster Squad” ... and continue to enjoy whatever movies or Halloween specials you love!    


My Top 10 Favorite Horror Movie Sequels


Sequels more often than not have a hard time living up the expectations raised by its predecessor, but Horror movie sequels seem to have the hardest time of all. Usually there’s no point to horror sequels, and they simply exist to cash in on the success of the original. However, there are some select good horror movie sequels that not only live up to the quality of the first, but in some cases, surpasses them. So, for this October, I’ll be counting down my own personal Top 10 Favorite Horror Movie Sequels that actually do the original proud, and may even be better.   


#10 Annabelle Creation (2017)


The 2014 movie "Annabelle" was terrible, and set a new low for the genera. Yet, this squeal/prequel not only brought back some real scares, but also had a lot of admirable aspects. In general, the Annabelle doll has become a mascot for modern horror cinema, and giving her a detailed origin was a risky venture, but it worked, as her dark secrets make the doll both more terrifying, and subsequently more tragic. The film revolves around two orphaned girls finding a new place of residence, but they each in turn find themselves haunted by the mysterious doll, as well as the secrets revolving around the house keepers late daughter. Putting the focus on two girls was a great start, but it's the performances, and chemistry between the two that give's this film it's substance. It makes the scares all the more effective because I genuinely cared about the two. This is also the first time I genuinely felt terrified of a creepy, motionless doll. The film also lends to some terrific haunted house scenarios, spooky action, and some memorable frightening highlights.    


#9 “Dawn of the Dead” (1978) 


In the vain of "The Bride of Frankenstein”, here is yet another sequel that escaped the long shadow of its iconic predecessor, and has become a classic in its own right. The original “Night of the Living Dead” is the movie that kicked started the Zombie genera, but the sequel “Dawn of the Dead” is what kept it going strong after so many years, and why Zombies are so popular today. This a film that blends nasty Zombie action with social commentary on society, and becomes gory poetry in the process. Aside from that, this is just a wildly entertaining film, with great characters, quotable lines, and a terrific mall-shop setting. While I can’t say it’s 100% better than the first film, it is undeniably the movie I’d rather watch.    




   

#8 The Conjuring 2 (2016)


Back in 2013, “The Conjuring” made a big impact, launched several spin-off films, imitators and is regarded as a small classic of the modern era. However, while I thought the first was very well constructed, it just didn’t stick with me as either a frightening or memorable experience. By contrast, it’s 2016 sequel “The Conjuring 2”, scared me senseless, and has stuck with me as one of the better films in the haunted house genera. The premise is very similar to the first, as it revolves around a family haunted by vengeful spirits, and two paranormal investigators are sent by the church to dispel the demons plaguing their house. James Wan proves once again to be one of the greatest horror filmmakers of our time, as he takes old haunted house clichés, and gives them a tense new edge. If you think too hard, you’ll find plenty of details to pick at, but as an experience, this film builds a relentlessly haunting atmosphere, tells a very competent ghost story, and is chalk full of memorable visuals, like the rocking chair moving on it's own.
Also, there's stand out new spooky characters, like The Crooked Man and an unsettling nightmare involving a painting of a scary looking nun. It’s one of those scary movies that still leaves a cold chill in the air after it ends. The performances are all solid, especially from child-actress Madison Wolfe, who’s portrayal of the real life Janet Hodgson is one of the best the horror genera has to offer. In my opinion, her performances is on par with the original Exorcist, which I don’t say lightly.    


#7 “The Bride of Frankenstein” (1935) 


This movie is often regarded as not only one of the greatest horror sequels, but one of the all-time greatest movie sequels that stands on its own as a classic. There’s no denial there, this really is a sequel that out-dose the original, both in quality and in substance. Despite what the title may lead you to think, the actual bride doesn’t arrive on-screen until the very end of the film, and is only seen for a few minutes. Yet, she still has a big fan base, and has become an iconic movie monster. The main attraction of this film is the actual Frankenstein monster itself. Boris Karloff is back in the role, and turns on a far more effective, and emotional performance. The creature can now talk, and the film exposes both his monstrous side, and a rather sympathetic side. There’s a pivotal moment where it makes friends with a blind man who brings out a good side to the creature, and it might just be the most touching moment between man and monster to be viewed on screen. There’s also an awesome new evil doctor, a terrific score, some very impressive special effects, and some genuine chills. This is one old monster movie that has aged remarkably well, and is well worth checking out. 


#6 “The Curse of the Cat People” (1944) 


The original 1942 “Cat People” is my all-time favorite classic Black and White horror movie, which still holds up after all these years. It’s 1944 sequel titled “The Curse of the Cat People” surprisingly holds up very well too, but for completely different reasons. This is a rare horror movie sequel that drops the scary thrills of the original, and is more of an atmospheric fantasy with subtext. It’s very much a psychologically complex family film told as a ghost story for kids, and it takes the series into a new direction, while continuing both the story and developing all the main characters from the first film. It may seem like a bait and switch to go from a legit scary movie, to a child-hood fantasy, but this film makes that transition work seamlessly, and makes this sequel work as a fresh, and original experience on its own. I can’t say it’s quiet as good as the first, but defiantly stands apart as a really good film that would still be special even without being connected to the original.  


#5 “Gremlins 2: The New Batch” (1990) 


1984’s “Gremlins” was a surprise hit that has become a small classic in its own right, and while I also think it’s good, I’d also be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy the 1990 sequel more. I actually find this to be a very underappreciated sequel that might just be better than audiences give it credit for. You’d think that after the large fan base of the first “Gremlins”, the sequel would at least get some recognition. Well, then again, it’s not as subtle as the original, and is extremely over the top. It might just be the wildest sequel I’ve ever seen, full of forth-wall jokes, movie references, and self-paradise. Personally, that’s what I like about this film, as it’s just non-stop entertainment, and even builds on the original. We get a bunch of brand new gremlin creatures that keep things feeling fresh, and even the setting has gotten bigger, and better than before. If you can get passed its mind-numbing overtones, you might just be able to have a really fun time with this film.


#4 “Dracula has Risen from the Dead” (1968) 


Now it’s time for Dracula to make it on my list, and personally, this is my favorite movie to feature the titular vampire. “Dracula has Risen from the Dead” is the third entry in Hammers Dracula franchise, and while it’s not as classy as the first film, I honestly find it to be far superior. The plot for this sequel revolves around an Atheist who needs to rescue his love from the clutches of Dracula, but sense he doesn’t believe in God, holly objects have no effect on him. Even a stake through the heart can’t kill him. Thus, in order to defeat the evil of Dracula, he must go on a spiritual quest to find his faith in order to concur his demons, both figuratively and literally. Christopher Lee once again plays Dracula, and he’s awesome as always. However, the real strength of this film comes from our lead hero, and an underlining theme of discovering faith in order to concur evil. 


#3 “Evil Dead 2” (1987) 


Here’s yet another horror sequel that really needs no introduction. “Evil Dead 2” is widely regarded as not only superior to the first, but one of the great classic horror movies in it's own right. It takes all the basic conventions, atmosphere, visuals and set-up of the first, and ups it to 10. Usually too much of a good thing is what spoils sequels, but in this film, the increased special effects, and slapstick violence make it considerably more entertaining, and even more inventive then the original. Also, it’s in this sequel that Bruce Campbell’s character Ash emerged as one of the most awesome, and iconic horror movie anti-heroes of all time. There’s a stand-out scene in which Ash battles his possessed hand, which is one of the horror genera’s greatest moments. It’s just a perfect mix of action, horror and comedy, with brilliant cinematography, and film-making techniques on display.   


#2 “Aliens” (1986) 


For the record, this is actually my favorite sequel on the list, and one of my personal favorite movies. The only reason it’s not on the number one spot is because I always look back on “Aliens” as a Sci-Fi action movie before horror. Still, it’s been groped with horror movies before, and it truly is one of the best sequels the genera has to offer. At first, it just seems like a traditional fun monster movie with people trapped on an Alien planet, populated with terrifying monsters, but it feels like a much smarter film. The characters are all great, and you never want to see any of them get killed. These are people that you really latch onto, and the space marines themselves are so cool with all kinds of fascinating futuristic technology, weapons, and vehicles. Sigourney Weaver gives her usual great performance that’s natural, full of nerves energy, and she proved once and for all that woman can kick as much ass as any leading action star. The atmosphere is great, it can get really intense and suspenseful, with lots of thrilling action scenes, awesome visuals, and terrific characters help make this B monster movie an A+ masterpiece.


Before I reveal my #1 favorite, here are some quick Honorable Mentions … 
Silence of the Lambs” (Yes, that movie was actually a sequel to a film called “Manhunter”)
Creep Show 2

The Mummy Returns

A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors

"Son of Frankenstein




#1 “Wes Craven's New Nightmare” (1994)


 This is the seventh entry in the “Nightmare on Elm Street” series, and a rare sequel that I honestly think out matches the original. This film actually steps outside of the horror universe, and focuses on the actual film crew, and actors as there making a new “Nightmare on Elm Street” film. Heather Langenkamp plays herself, while also playing the role of Nancy. During production of the film, lots of strange things start to happen to her, and she begins to wonder if the character of Freddy Krueger is actually coming to life, or maybe she’s going insane after staring in so many of these Freddy films. It’s an interesting study of how acting in a horror film can leave a twisted impact on the actors or the crew involved. Rather than focusing on a cast of disposable characters, all the attention is on Heather Langenkamp, who carries this film beautifully. The character of Freddy Krueger has also never been more frightening or more interesting then as portrayed in this film. His makeup is much scarier, and the dream sequences are haunting spectacles. While the original “Nightmare on Elm Street” is obviously a classic, I personally think that its seventh sequel “New Nightmare” is far superior, and probably the greatest horror movie sequel ever made. 


Thanks for reading my Horror Movie countdown, and continue to enjoy the Movies you Love!