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.
Tag Archives: Fantasy
Daffy Duck & Porky Pig Meet The Groovie Goolies (1972)
As a hardcore Looney Tunes fan, it’s heartbreaking to see how low the character gallery sank in the latter years. With the aging and inevitable death of Mel Blanc, the Looney Tunes basically tread water for years. With this movie, the Looney Tunes gang shares a marquee with a group of goofy monsters that get in all sorts of mishaps and adventures. What ensues is a dull, grating (the Looney Tunes don’t need no stinkin’ laugh track), and absolutely bizarre outing for the gang from Termite Terrace.
Happy Halloween, Scooby Doo! (2020)
Who better to celebrate Halloween than the Scooby Gang? “Happy Halloween, Scooby Doo!” is the thirty first animated movie in the long running franchise. It’s a long running franchise that, to its credit, doesn’t seem to be slowing down any time soon. This installment is firmly a Halloween oriented movie, revolving around the idea of fear, and Velma trying to ignore her emotional response to fear in favor of rationality. What she ultimately comes to realize is that fear can be a good thing; it can even help us survive in perilous situations.
Shortcut (2020)
I admit that I was a bit hesitant during “Shortcut” as it seems to meander back and forth between time lines and whatnot. However, during the final half, Alessio Liguori’s “Shortcut” finds a path and sticks to it, offering a horror movie with great substance. “Shortcut” is a mix of It Chapter One” and “Jeepers Creepers 2” (sans the uh… uncomfortable pedo overtones) and really sucked me in as a creepy, weird, and engaging tale of coming of age in the face of a dark force on a deserted highway.
The Goonies (1985) [4K Ultra HD/Blu-Ray/Digital]
Even though I was born in the eighties, I don’t have a particular connection with “The Goonies” as while it’s mostly considered a masterpiece, I’ve only ever considered it just pretty good. Director Richard Donner’s adventure film is the Hardy Boys Meets Indiana Jones and for the most part it’s an entertaining call back to fodder like “The East Side Kids,” which keeps in line with Spielberg’s ode to his childhood cinema.
Beetlejuice (1988) [4K Ultra HD/Blu-Ray/Digital]
We’re nearing the beginning of October so as is the mandate to keep reality from collapsing, we have another Tim Burton classic re-released and updated. Burton’s horror comedy classic “Beetlejuice” gets another big re-release for physical media collectors, allowing fans to re-visit the demented and dark supernatural comedy in a 4K UHD upgrade. Of course Burton’s film is being released in various other editions online, including Steelbook.
A Mermaid in Paris (Une sirène à Paris) (2020) [Fantasia Fest 2020]
In a fairy tale-like version of Paris, a man who works at a very particular bar finds and saves a mermaid. As he takes care of her, he slowly falls for her, which could very well be his downfall.