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Little Monsters (1989)

Family cult classics?  Sure!  Little Monsters is back in action because knowing that urine and apple juice are interchangeable is something one needs to know early on in life!

"Little Monsters is back in action because knowing that urine and apple juice are interchangeable is something one needs to know early on in life!"


It might be the film that bankrupted Vestron Pictures, but Little Monsters - a wildly imaginative comedy which brings together The Wonder YearsFred Savage and Daniel Stern, who did the narration on the show as the adult version of Kevin Arnold (Savage’s part), on-screen for the first time - is a definite keeper.

Especially if you had any part of your childhood in the 1980s.  From Howie Mandel’s manic performance as Maurice, the punk-rock monster that Savage befriends, to the sense of loneliness that all kids feel when, friendless, they try to survive a brand-new town and school, Little Monsters is a wickedly fun flick that is both morbid and manic as a monster befriends a kid, but doesn't tell him why.  Plus, it answers the age old question of what exactly it is that monsters do.  

There’s no such thing as monsters.  That’s what the parents of Brian (Fred Savage) and Eric (Ben Savage) keep telling their kids.  Of course, they are wrong.  The poor kids have been uprooted into a new town and a new house due to their parent’s troubled marriage and now - thanks to a series of unfortunate incidents around the house - they are taking out their frustrations on Brian, blaming him for leaving his bike out, leaving melted ice cream in the cupboard, and so on.Little Monsters (1989)

Except Brian’s not the bad guy.  It’s Maurice (Mandel), the monster that lives under his brother’s bed.  Because according to writers Terry Rossio and Ted Elliot (Pirates of the Caribbean), monsters really DO exist and they can be lured out from beneath the beds of children everywhere with Doritos.  

Which is exactly what Brian does in Little Monsters, befriending the blue-skinned monster who takes him to the monster world which is EVERY kid’s wildest dream full of endless amounts of junk food and video games.  The two fast friends find they can’t contain their excitement on having met each other and begin to play pranks on other kids, thanks to staircases in this underground world of monsters which lead to other kids’ bedrooms throughout the world.

This family friendly comedy might come across as Beetlejuice for kids, but that’s not nearly as awful as it sounds thanks to the fun that Savage and Mandel appear to be having while pulling pranks on other kids, especially the bully at his school.  But these pranks have consequences and Brian discovers that the “magic of the night” is slowly turning him into a monster, too.  And, when he wises up to their appeal, he's going to have to fight to keep his family together.

Brian Stevenson, come on down!  Brand new to the Vestron Video Collector’s Series at #19, the family-friendly gateway to young horror fans, Little Monsters is now on blu-ray thanks to Lionsgate as part of its Vestron Video Collector’s Series.

4/5 beers

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[tab title="Blu-ray Review"]

Little Monsters (1989)

Blu-ray

Blu-ray Details:

Home Video Distributor: Lionsgate Films
Available on Blu-ray
- September 15, 2020
Screen Formats: 1.85:1
Subtitles
: English, English SDH, Spanish
Audio:
DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; single disc
Region Encoding: Region-free playback

New to the Vestron Collector’s Series, Little Monsters is the story of Brian (Fred Savage), a sixth-grader who’s recently moved to a new town and made friends with Maurice (Howie Mandel) — the monster who lives under Brian’s bed! Maurice introduces Brian to the world of monsters, where junk food rules, adults aren’t allowed, and the fun and games never end. But when Brian’s brother is kidnapped, it’s time for Brian to get serious and fight the monsters on their turf in this zany cult favorite.  With some great supplemental material - most of it new - Little Monsters makes for a seriously fun cult flick.

Video:

Offered courtesy of Lionsgate Films and its new handling of the Vestron Video imprint in 1.85:1, the AVC-encoded 1080p transfer is a relative goldmine of previously unseen details and colors. This is EASILY the best the film has ever (and probably will) look. The details in the school and in the monster underground streets are strong. The clothing and some of punked-out items are a reason to appreciate the visual “pop” throughout the high definition transfer, too.  The atmosphere is especially nice. The crisp image quality is the best you’re going to get with a film like this and, admittedly, even a bit better than expected. Colors are perfect. Blacks are solid. Skin tones are detailed and appropriate. 

Audio:

The original 2.0 Stereo Audio is included, as well as DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby Audio.

Supplements:

Commentary:

  • There is a NEW Audio Commentary with Jarret Gahan, Editor-in-Chief of Cult of Monster.com, who puts the film in a great context, explaining why it ought to have the appreciation it deserves.

Special Features:

The Little Monsters Blu-ray release from Lionsgate includes a new commentary, score selections and commentary from David Newman, a NEW interview with Howie Mandel, and much more!

  • Audio Commentary with Jarret Gahan, Editor-in-Chief of Cult of Monster.com
  • Isolated Score Selections and Audio Interview with Composer David Newman
  • "Call Him Maurice" - An Interview with Actor Howie Mandel
  • "Beneath the Bed" - An Interview with Producer Andrew Licht
  • "Monsters Big & Small" - An Interview with Special Makeup Effects Creator Robert Short
  • Vintage Interviews with Actors Fred Savage, Ben Savage, Special Makeup Effects Creator Robert Short, and Director Richard Alan Greenberg
  • Behind-the-Scenes Footage
  • "Making Maurice" - Vintage Footage of Howie Mandel's Makeup Transformation
  • Vintage EPK & VHS Promo
  • Theatrical Trailer
  • Still Gallery

Blu-ray Rating:

  Movie 4/5 stars
  Video  4/5 stars
  Audio 3/5 stars
  Extras 4/5 stars

Overall Blu-ray Experience

4/5 stars

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[tab title="Film Details"]

Little Monsters (1989)

MPAA Rating: PG.
Runtime:
110 mins
Director
: Richard Greenberg
Writer:
Terry Rossio, Ted Elliott
Cast:
Fred Savage, Howie Mandel, Daniel Stern
Genre
: Adventure | Comedy
Tagline:
Some friends can be REAL MONSTERS. And some monsters can be REAL FRIENDS.
Memorable Movie Quote: "We're the reasons why brothers hate their sisters!"
Theatrical Distributor:
United Artists
Official Site:
Release Date:
August 25, 1989
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
September 15, 2020.
Synopsis: A boy discovers an incredible and gruesome world of monsters under his bed.

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[tab title="Art"]

Little Monsters (1989)

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