‘Ghoulies’ Are Good Enough [4K Review]
Anthony Arrigo
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This has been a banner year for fans of Empire Pictures’ films on home video. Earlier this year Arrow Video released their radical Enter the Video Store: Empire of Screams box set, From Beyond (1986) got a 4K from Vinegar Syndrome, and now MVD Visual has re-issued two infamous Empire titles: Ghoulies (1985) on 4K and Ghoulies II (1988) on a remastered Blu-ray.
If you dig ‘80s practical effects and campy horrors you’ll likely agree the average Empire film is a three-star effort striving for five-star entertainment. Charles Band put together a, uh, band of filmmakers who tended to rotate through his productions and that roster led to a wellspring of creative stories full of weird beasts, offbeat characters, and electronic synth scores. Ghoulies is perhaps best known for being the film that got flamed by parents because the poster features a ghoulie popping out of the toilet… scaring the crap out of kids to the point many wouldn’t even go to the bathroom. As one of those kids, I can attest to the efficacy of that marketing. While it’s hardly much of a fright, Ghoulies does possess a charm that isn’t purely nostalgic.
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Jonathan (Peter Liapis) has just inherited his late father’s sprawling mansion and estate, where unbeknownst to his son dear old dad, Malcolm (Michael Des Barres), enjoyed hosting satanic rituals and making sacrifices to his dark lord in the basement. Now 25 years later, Jonathan finds in that same basement old texts and props for occult rituals so he does what anyone else in the ‘80s would do: he throws a party and has his guests be part of an unholy after-hours ritual. Jonathan thinks he’s in control, donning these robes and chanting spells, summoning forth little ghoulies and a pair of evil dwarf servants. What he doesn’t know is that big daddy Malcolm is about to be reborn—and father doesn’t want any competition in the family.
The story is a bit messy but visually there’s a good amount to like here. There’s one primary location, the Wattles Mansion in Los Angeles, and it’s got the look of something classically Gothic and patently horror. Anytime there’s a graveyard on the property you know spooky shit is going down. John Carl Buechler created the creatures after Stan Winston left the project. These little beasts are rubbery and look like little more than hand puppets, and they’re all ungodly ugly, but there’s an indelible charm to these hunks of special effects that is impossible to ignore. Buechler’s work has a distinct look and I’ve enjoyed many films more than otherwise because of his artistry. I also like the occult flourishes like those dwarf servants, the enchanted talisman, or the groundskeeper Wolfgang (Jack Nance), the film’s true underdog hero.
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Speaking of Wolfgang, well, he doesn’t speak much, really. He’s sympathetic in the opening, and then he’s mute when Jonathan arrives at the house, and then he shows up during the finale in a way that’ll have you wondering where that guy has been the entire time. At one point he even narrates for about a minute for no particular reason. He’s the most interesting character other than Malcolm and the film doesn’t seem sure how to use him. There’s also an issue of tone since the satanic scenes are actually somewhat intense and dark yet bad ‘80s humor is a constant when Jonathan’s friends are around. None of the jokes really land, either. Bad comedy. Not as bad as the series eventually got but remove enough of it and the air might’ve been more horrific.
A fresh 2023 scan of the original camera negative is the basis for this 1.85:1 2160p Dolby Vision/HDR 4K disc. The image has a good amount of depth to it; incredibly clean, with no signs of print damage and healthy film grain that sometimes gets thick. I didn’t expect an Empire film from 1985 to look stunning in 4K and keeping those expectations in mind made for a pleasant experience here. The picture isn’t razor sharp or tight in every way 4K can provide but for a low-budget horror movie full of special effects the results are definitely satisfactory. There isn’t much to crow about regarding the audio – it’s an English DTS-HD MA 2.0 mono track with clear dialogue, a decent presence, and a moderate low-end.
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The 4K disc features two audio commentary tracks—one from 2015, with director Luca Bercovici; the other from 2016, with Bercovici, moderated by Jason Andreason of Terror Transmission.
Both of those tracks can also be found on the included Blu-ray, along with:
“Introduction with writer/director Luca Bercovici” (HD, 0:51), a quick bit before the movie starts.
“From Toilets to Terror: The Making of Ghoulies” (HD, 29:49), an informative and entertaining piece, featuring lots of anecdotes and facts about the film’s creation.
“Editing an Empire – Interview with editor Ted Nicolau” (HD, 27:31), one of Band’s production regulars has plenty to say about patching together this feature.
“The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste – Interview with actor Scott Thomson” (HD, 22:03), one of the two burnout characters in the film reflects on his career and work on this movie.
“Just Cos of the Chick, Man! – Interview with director Luca Bercovici”, more from the man behind this film.
Theatrical trailers for Ghoulies and Ghoulies II are included, along with a still gallery and four TV spots.
Special Features:
DISC ONE – 4K BLU-RAY
- EXCLUSIVE NEW 4K RESTORATION (16-bit Scan of the Original Camera Negative) of the film
- DOLBY VISION/HDR PRESENTATION OF THE FILM
- Archival 2015 Audio commentary with director Luca Bercovici
- Archival 2016 Audio commentary by director Luca Bercovici moderated by Jason Andreasen of Terror Transmission
- Collectible 4K Mini-Poster
- Limited Edition Slipcover (First Pressing Only)
DISC TWO – BLU-RAY
- EXCLUSIVE NEW 4K RESTORATION (16-bit Scan of the Original Camera Negative) of the film
- Optional English Subtitles
- 2.0 Mono DTS-HD Audio
- Archival 2015 Audio commentary with director Luca Bercovici
- Archival 2016 Audio commentary by director Luca Bercovici moderated by Jason Andreasen of Terror Transmission
- Video Introduction by Luca Bercovici (HD)
- Editing an Empire: Interview with Ted Nicolau (HD, 27:30)
- The Mind Is A Terrible Thing to Waste: Interview with Scott Thomson (HD, 22:02)
- “Just For The Chick Man” interview with Luca Bercovici (HD, 33:46)
- “From Toilets to Terror:” The Making of Ghoulies (HD, 29:49)
- Photo Gallery
- Theatrical Trailer (HD, 1:55)
- 4 TV Spots (SD)
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Ghoulies
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Special Features
Summary
MVD Visual has put together a powerful package for Ghoulies fans, upgrading the video quality to full 4K and adding a wealth of bonus features absent from previous releases. This is a release well worth it for fans.
