"Ghoulies" was the first (and still the most successful) "little creature" film to rip off Joe Dante's "Gremlins" (others that followed included the "Critters" series, "Evil Toons," and the execrable "Munchies") and helped put Charles Band's Empire Pictures on the map. I remember seeing this one as a teenager and thinking even way back then that it wasn't much good, but when it came on Turner Classic Movies this past weekend, I couldn't help myself and gave it a whirl, figuring that I could use a blast of '80s cheez nostalgia.
Unfortunately, even nostalgia can't save this dog of a movie. The script is absolutely nonsensical (and appears to have been made up as the filmmakers went along), the acting's terrible, and the creatures, though cool looking, don't really get to do much once we finally see'em.
Our story (such as it is): twenty something Jonathan has inherited a big ole mansion that belonged to his parents, who were bigwigs in the local Satanic cult. Jonathan starts messing with the leftover black magic stuff in the basement and boom, conjures up a bunch of nasty looking little creatures who begin snacking on his idiot friends. Unfortunately, Jonathan's too busy trying to patch things up with his girlfriend to notice this or the fact that he's accidentally resurrected his dead father (played by rocker Michael Des Barres), who happens to be conveniently buried on the property. Thus, a battle for supreme power ensues, via lots of cheap special effects, yelling and screaming. The ending is not really an "ending," it's just one more shock scene to set up the inevitable sequel (of which there were three, if memory serves).
"Ghoulies" has some cool looking (for its time) creature and puppet effects (a trademark of most Charles Band/Empire productions) and Band's combo of Gothic Horror and high camp would serve the studio well in their seemingly dozens of creature features that followed this one (see: "Doctor Mordrid," the "Puppet Master" series, "Demonic Toys," "SubSpecies," etc.), most of which were way better than (and most likely paid for by the success of) "Ghoulies." The PG-13 rating for "Ghoulies" is puzzling, as it's pretty dark stuff. I can just imagine a 1985 theatre full of parents taking their 12 year olds to this sickie, thinking it's going to be another action packed cute-critter flick like "Gremlins" ... until the Satanic Black Mass in the opening scene! Added trivia notes, apparently one of the midgets in this flick was the guy inside the "E.T." suit, and a very young, very hot Mariska Hargitay (of future "Law & Order" fame) makes her film debut here as one of the teenybopper victims.
Worth a look for '80s trash devotees but otherwise there are far better options.
Unfortunately, even nostalgia can't save this dog of a movie. The script is absolutely nonsensical (and appears to have been made up as the filmmakers went along), the acting's terrible, and the creatures, though cool looking, don't really get to do much once we finally see'em.
Our story (such as it is): twenty something Jonathan has inherited a big ole mansion that belonged to his parents, who were bigwigs in the local Satanic cult. Jonathan starts messing with the leftover black magic stuff in the basement and boom, conjures up a bunch of nasty looking little creatures who begin snacking on his idiot friends. Unfortunately, Jonathan's too busy trying to patch things up with his girlfriend to notice this or the fact that he's accidentally resurrected his dead father (played by rocker Michael Des Barres), who happens to be conveniently buried on the property. Thus, a battle for supreme power ensues, via lots of cheap special effects, yelling and screaming. The ending is not really an "ending," it's just one more shock scene to set up the inevitable sequel (of which there were three, if memory serves).
"Ghoulies" has some cool looking (for its time) creature and puppet effects (a trademark of most Charles Band/Empire productions) and Band's combo of Gothic Horror and high camp would serve the studio well in their seemingly dozens of creature features that followed this one (see: "Doctor Mordrid," the "Puppet Master" series, "Demonic Toys," "SubSpecies," etc.), most of which were way better than (and most likely paid for by the success of) "Ghoulies." The PG-13 rating for "Ghoulies" is puzzling, as it's pretty dark stuff. I can just imagine a 1985 theatre full of parents taking their 12 year olds to this sickie, thinking it's going to be another action packed cute-critter flick like "Gremlins" ... until the Satanic Black Mass in the opening scene! Added trivia notes, apparently one of the midgets in this flick was the guy inside the "E.T." suit, and a very young, very hot Mariska Hargitay (of future "Law & Order" fame) makes her film debut here as one of the teenybopper victims.
Worth a look for '80s trash devotees but otherwise there are far better options.