After spending a long time without an actual release, the Vestron Video Collector’s Series is back with two new titles in time for October. One of the biggies is “Little Monsters,” the 1989 cult classic that’s been considerably out of print for years and been handed some flimsy DVD releases. Now on Blu-Ray, “Little Monsters” is available for a new generation of blooming horror fans. As someone that lovingly looks at “Little Monsters” as a childhood favorite, I’m happy to declare that (despite a tonal change in the second half) the movie has lost little of its luster.
After weird occurrences in his house, Brian (Fred Savage) traps a monster that’s living under his bed. Taking pity on it, he gets to know the horned wild-eyed boogeyman, Maurice (Howie Mandel), who while a monster is also a lovable party animal. The pair become fast friends and during the night, Maurice takes his young charge into the netherworld of monsters, where they have a great time making mischief in the lives of sleeping children. But Brian’s opinion of Maurice and his reckless lifestyle changes when he discovers that he himself is turning into a monster.
Richard Greenberg’s “Little Monsters” is still one of my all time favorite childhood classics that’s kept afloat thanks to the great chemistry by Fred Savage and Howie Mandel. While Savage is just a natural in on-screen, Mandel is likable as Maurice and manages to come through the startling monster make up to create a pretty funny protagonist. “Little Monsters” is a lot about growing up and learning that life is tough and can’t always be avoided or escaped from. Sometimes you have to face it head on and hope for the best. Brian goes through the journey of a classic child watching his parents (Daniel Stern and Margaret Whitton) on the brink of the divorce and his escape to monster world becomes a chance for him to avoid the pain.
When he figures out that every action has consequence and people inevitably suffer from his deeds, it becomes a matter of fighting for what’s left in his life that’s stable. All things considered as gateway horror, it works even if the finale is a major shift in tone. From dark fantasy to outright horror, director Greenberg shifts the narrative featuring a pretty horrific villain, all things considered. That said, I love “Little Monsters,” and I’m ecstatic it’s been given a top notch release.
The new release from Vestron comes with a digital code for consumers. There’s an audio commentary with Jarret Gahan, Editor-In-Chief of CultOfMonster.com, and Isolated Score Selections and Audio Interview with Composer David Newman. The nineteen minutes Call Him Maurice is a fun interview with actor Howie Mandel, as he recollects his misery from being under latex all summer filming in North Carolina (“I wouldn’t even put on a condom after shooting the film”). Beneath the Bed is a fourteen minutes interview with producer Andrew Licht, who recalls not giving up on getting this project done, landing Howie, his gratitude for Mandel’s performance despite Mandel’s misery, as well as others in the film, working with the director and how much he liked shooting in North Carolina.
Monsters Big & Small is a fifteen minutes interview with special make-up effects creator Robert Short. Originally wanting to be a stunt man, Short started with Don Post studios. The interview gives great detail in the planning, sketches and the make-up that went into the film. There’s thirty minutes of Vintage Interviews With Actors Fred Savage, Ben Savage, Special Make-Up Effects Creator Robert Short and Director Richard Alan Greenberg, all from a vintage EPK package. There’s the eleven minutes Behind-the-Scenes Footage with star Savage on wires, Mandel with the flame thrower and mostly scenes in the under the bed world. Making Maurice is vintage sixteen minutes footage of Howie Mandel’s make-up transformation. This is the full on make-up process video for Howie Mandel becoming Maurice. There’s the nine minutes Vintage EPK & VHS Promo, the original theatrical trailer, and finally a Still Gallery.