Critters (1986)

Director:

Stephen Herek

Writers:

Stephen Herek (screenplay)
Domonic Muir (screenplay)

Release Date:

11 April 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Comedy | Horror | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

The original tasty entree!

Plot:

A massive ball of furry creatures from another world eat their way through a small mid-western town...

Plot Keywords:

Monster | Brother Sister Relationship | Blood | Reverse Footage | Boy Eaten

Awards:

3 nominations

Cast

Dee Wallace	...	Helen Brown (as Dee Wallace Stone)
M. Emmet Walsh	...	Harv
Billy Green Bush	...	Jay Brown
Scott Grimes	...	Brad Brown
Nadine Van der Velde	...	April Brown (as Nadine Van Der Velde)
Don Keith Opper	...	Charlie McFadden (as Don Opper)
Billy Zane	...	Steve Elliot
Ethan Phillips	...	Jeff Barnes
Terrence Mann	...	Johnny Steele / Ug
Jeremy Lawrence	...	Preacher
Lin Shaye	...	Sally
Michael Lee Gogin	...	Warden Zanti
Art Frankel	...	Ed
Douglas Koth	...	Bowler #1
Montrose Hagins	...	Organist

Runtime:

82 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (DeLuxe)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:14 (theatrical rating) | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 (video rating) (1986) | UK:12 (video re-rating) (2005) | UK:15 (original rating) | USA:PG-13 | West Germany:16 | Norway:16 (original rating)

Company:

New Line Cinema

Goofs:

Continuity: When the family are chased out of their house, the front door closes behind them and it is clearly shown that the BOTTOM bolt of the door drops, thus locking them all out. When the boy subsequently runs around the side of the house, gets in and unlocks the front door from the inside, he doesn't lift up the bottom bolt.

Quotes:

Charlie McFadden: Call the Army! They're here.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The House That Freddy Built (2006) (V)

Soundtrack:

Power of the Night

It takes all kinds of critters...

Ah, where would the world be without corny '80s movies? "Critters" is certainly one of the best examples, portraying a bunch of nasty little space creatures attacking a Midwestern family (it's always gotta be the Midwest, doesn't it?). As this is pure goofiness, they don't waste any time trying to explain anything logically; they get right down to the wackiness, full scale.

Anyway, it's one of those movies that you watch with best buds, or while sitting around in your underwear (or both). Don't explain a religious experience, just luxuriate in the silliness. And to think that it was directed by Stephen Herek, who also directed "Mr. Holland's Opus" (as far as I know, those were the only two good movies that he ever did). Starring Dee Wallace-Stone (that's right, ET's mom!), M. Emmet Walsh (of "Midnight Cowboy" fame), Billy Zane (the "Titanic" villain) and Lin Shaye (the "Something About Mary" neighbor). Really cool.