Love ‘Gremlins?’ The Other Mini-Monster Movie That Outraged Parents Is Now Streaming: “Ridiculously over the top”
Joe Dante’s Gremlins did more than convince the MPAA to create the PG-13 rating we have today. It also sparked a wave of mini-monster movies aimed at kids as delightful gateways into the world of horror. Critters…The Gate…Puppet Master…they all owe something to those little green menaces. While not as beloved as that 1984 hit, there’s another cult ’80s horror film featuring tiny creatures that has grown a loyal fanbase over the years…Ghoulies.
Legendary producer Charles Band (best known for the Puppet Master franchise) founded Empire Pictures in the early ’80s. After a few minor successes, the company saw its first big hit with Ghoulies. Gremlins proved tiny monsters were in, and Ghoulies sought to capitalise on that. And, like Dante’s classic, it scared the hell out of kids, much to the frustration of parents everywhere.
What’s Ghoulies About?
Jonathan (Peter Liapis) moves into his parents’ old mansion, where his evil daddy, Malcolm (Michael Des Barres), is buried. There, he discovers his father’s books on the occult. Soon, Malcolm begins to take control of Jonathan from beyond the grave…just as the young man decides to throw a party. One thing leads to another, and the group find themselves conducting a ritual in the basement. Unbeknownst to them, they’ve just risen tiny monsters from Hell. With Malcolm taking control of Jonathan and the creatures roaming the property, havoc ensues.
They’ll Get You In the End
Ghoulies holds a special place in my monster-kid heart. It’s one of the first horror films I remember seeing, as I’m sure it was for many kids back in the day. I’d rent it on nearly every trip to the video store, much to my parents’ exasperation. Luca Bercovici’s directorial debut plays like many low-budget genre efforts from the period. Clunky dialogue. Performances ranging from stiff to, er, a little much. But what it lacks in story, it makes up for with an infectious Gothic atmosphere and the title creatures created by John Carl Buechler. They’re no gremlins, but they are an alluring combination of old-school rubbery effects and vicious menace.
I doubt Ghoulies would terrify adults today, but it sure did scare quite a few kids in 1985. Bercovici packs in numerous nightmare moments, from stretchy tongues to a clown doll with bleeding eyes, but the film is best known for the terror the poster image inspires. On it, we see the infamous green ghoulie popping out of a toilet with the tagline, “they’ll get you in the end!” Band has stated that he received a flurry of hate mail over that, with parents claiming their kids were afraid to use the bathroom because of it. My friends, I was one of those kids. I still double-check the toilet, just to make sure there isn’t a ghoulie in there waiting to get me.
What Others Are Saying
In his Dread Central review of the Ghoulies 4K disc released by MVD, Anthony Arrigo wrote that the film, “does possess a charm that isn’t purely nostalgic,” citing the creature effects as part of the movie’s enchantment.
Yes, Ghoulies only manages to grasp at what Gremlins accomplished. But that doesn’t take away from the film’s undying charm and its place in history as a mini-monster movie that welcomed countless young horror fans into the genre. If you think your kid’s old enough or just want to see what all the fuss is about, stream Ghoulies now on Tubi. And don’t forget to check the toilet before you sit down. You never know what might be lurking in there.
Categorized: Streaming News
