Little Monsters

“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.”

They really did make anything in the late ‘80s, and Little Monsters is proof. Starring super-star child actor Fred Savage who will do just about anything, and Howie Mandel playing the poor-man’s Beetlejuice, this over-the-top, not-so-kid-friendly film is the staple of many childhoods. For me, however, it was not, and that old adage that you have to grow up with something to appreciate it might be true here more than ever.

The story itself has a nice innocence about it, something that children would immediately identify with: the monster under the bed. Instead of being something scary and horrifying, the monsters are more like practical jokers that want to cause as much chaos as possible, getting the children into trouble with their parents for some twisted kind of satisfaction. Brian’s inability to make friends has put him at odds with his father Glen (Daniel Stern), who is being blamed for all kinds of hijinks that have resulted in a bit of slapstick comedy routines like ice cream in the face. His world at school isn’t any better, with the resident bully targeting him and his brother Eric (Ben Savage). This makes the monster underworld where parents aren’t allowed and you can do anything you want more appealing once Brian captures and subsequently saves Maurice who invites him under the bed to a world he couldn’t imagine existing.

The team of Brian and Maurice is very appealing to a younger audience, I imagine. As kids that age who undoubtedly are at odds with their parents over rules and restrictions, an entire world below their feet to run amok couldn’t be more attractive, as is the very crude humor in it that was very surprising to me for a PG rated film. With monsters telling Brian he has a nice ass, to Maurice urinating in a child’s apple juice who later drinks it, this film gives kids a dose of juvenile humor who I’m sure got excited for the foul language and actions.

The absolute best thing about the film has to be the brilliant practical effects in the film. With what I’m sure was a miniscule budget, some of the monster effects are done extremely well. The eyes bulging out of Maurice’s head, the melting of the monsters into clothes when exposed to light, and even the jumping into the abyss under the bed effect looks very impressive. While Maurice is the monster most focused on, the main antagonist monster is probably one of the creepiest things I’ve ever seen, looking like something out of a Cronenberg film.

While there is a lightheartedness to the story, it honestly isn’t done very well. There is no substance or heart to it at all until over an hour in when the family dynamic changes from the possible separation of Brian’s parents, which causes Brian and Maurice to open up about their feelings. This helps some, but there still aren’t any true relationships that are explored and built upon in the film, it all just seems so hollow and uninteresting. Brian doesn’t change at all by the end of the story, he had no journey to appreciate what his parents do for him or the bond he has with his brother. It’s a story with absolutely no depth, no emotional resolution, and could have honestly been an iconic kid’s film if these parts of the story were explored in even the slightest way.

Although I’m sure Maurice is pretty entertaining to children, as an adult the character was glaringly annoying. He’s basically less funny cross between Beetlejuice and The Genie from Aladdin, with the Beetlejuice comparison apparently made quite often which Mandel denies have seeing the film in the special features on the disc. The scenes between Brian and Maurice it certainly looks like they are having fun, but none of it even seems scripted, with Maurice basically saying nothing that adds any type of information or story-propelling moments, just off-the-cuff word vomit and a really annoying laugh.

Video

Little Monsters is presented in 1080p High Definition Widescreen 1.78:1. This transfer is a bit rough looking, with heavy grain throughout, with some of the darker scenes particularly distracting. It doesn’t look like anything new was done with this film for this release in terms of cleaning up the transfer at all, but seeing it in high definition will surely be satisfactory for fans that grew up watching this one.

Audio

The audio is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. A perfectly adequate track to accompany video transfer. The track is well balanced, dialogue clear and concise, with no issues of note. The score sounds good and has a few nice sequences that help set the lighthearted tone of the film.

Special Features

This is where these sets really shine. #19 of the Vestron Video Collector’s Series, this set has a slew of extras to dive in to, giving a greater appreciation of the film. It also comes with a Digital Copy, something I believe to be a first for this line.

These include:

• Audio Commentary with Jarret Gahan, Editor-in-Chief of CultofMonster.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
• Vintage Footage: “Making Maurice” – Howie Mandel’s Makeup Transformation
• Vintage EPK & VHS Promo
• Theatrical Trailer
• Still Gallery

Little Monsters may not hold up for me watching it for the first time as an adult, but it still manages to pull off some very impressive practical effects and deliver a few laughs, complete with a good cast that genuinely seem to enjoy the roles they play. A great addition to the Vestron Video line for fans of this cult-favorite, I for one hope they continue their stellar treatment of films that might never see the light of day otherwise. With a great price-point in comparison to their earlier titles, this is for sure recommended to pick up if you’re a fan of the genre, and the Vestron line in general.