-Contributed by Luke Merrill
There was a feel good
movie about a group of social misfits banding together to confront a threat
that adults don’t understand while getting into adventures set to a rockin 80’s
soundtrack. That movie was of course the goonies. But shortly after the goonies
there was the monster squad. Released in ’87, The Monster Squad
is the feel good adventure romp that squared a group of kids who preferred
monster lore to studying their science books. These kids get mixed up in a plot
for the undead legions of monsters to overthrow the balance of good and evil,
led by the undead king of the night, Dracula himself.
Although Dracula and vampires are making
quite a comeback, (and they’ve never been more sexy) with shows such as, Twilight, True Blood, and the new Dracula series, which places Dracula in
a more stylized and seductive era. The Movie “Monster Squad” place Dracula at
the height of his power, commanding dominion over all the lesser forms of the
undead, and decked out in his very stylish Victorian era suit and black cape,
red liner included. It’s very striking.
Dracula in an effort to
tip the scales of good and evil plans to destroy an indestructible amulet,
which is the epitome of total good, at its weakest moment which comes once
every hundred years. That nosey adventurer Van Helsing has
other plans and crashes the party to incite an ancient ritual that causes the
amulet to tear a hole into the very fabric of time and space to create a portal
to limbo which will banish all evil from our plane of existence. That was over
a hundred years ago.
Cut to modern day, it
is now 1987, Dracula is back and summons the creatures of the night, such as
the wolfman, the mummy, Frankenstein’s monster, and the Creature from the Black
Lagoon, in an attempt to reacquire the amulet and destroy it, so his kind can
take back the night and rule it unopposed for millennia to come. So who can
stop such a star powered cadre of evil, the police, the army, the national
guard? No way, only a group of junior high kids and their dog can recognize and
handle this threat effectively. That’s right when monsters strike it’s time to
call in the monster squad.
But not all is as
hopeless as it seems, the monster squad is composed of some real heavy hitters.
You have Sean, the no-nonsense leader of the group who is the first to
recognize this threat for what it really is, his best friend Patrick who’s hot
older sister is constantly in a state of
dress/undress at the window across from
the club’s tree fort, Fat Kid, aka My name is Horace, whose hunger and constant
apprehensive whining comes in handy at the oddest intervals, and Rudy, quite
unarguably the coolest kid in junior high, decked out in his leather jacket,
fingerless gloves, and dark sunglasses. I know, I know why would a cool kid
like Rudy be hanging out with these misfits, but just remember what I said about
Patrick’s older sister constantly undressing next to their tree fort and it
starts to make sense.
They pick up more
members along the way like Creepy German Guy, who’s is really not as scary as
everyone thinks, Eugene, the best
dressed 7yr old I’ve ever come across( those robotech PJ’s are awesome), and Phoebe,
Sean’s supposedly annoying little sister, who’s friendship with Frankenstein
and virginity are crucial to the movies finale. Phoebe is played awesomely by
Ashley Bank, whose scream could rival that of the late Carrie Henn of the
Aliens franchise.
Suffice it to say this
group deftly and comedicly outmaneuvers the machinations of Dracula and his
cadre of evil in the Movie Monster Squad and has to be the feel-good kids action
adventure romp of that time. You won’t find movies of this type out in theaters
these days, which is why it is perfect to show at Horror Camp. Although
suffering from some slight potty mouth, the flick is age-appropriate for junior
high kids. The special effects and monster costumes are awesome, a modern (or
so to say 1987 modern) tribute to the costumes utilized in the creature feature flicks
that spawned these ghouls back in the 30’s and 40’s.
Monster Squad is absolutely enjoyable, and I
can think of no reasons not to watch it, so if you missed the screening at
Horror Camp rent or stream a copy for yourself. I believe it is being feature
on Comcast’s OnDemand for the remainder of the month. Check it out and let us know how Monster Squad
made you feel.
The Movie Trailer
Tags: Monster Squad,
Movie Night at the Rec Hall, Dracula, Wolfman, Frankenstein
