Critters
(1986)
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| Directed by: |
Stephen Herek
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| Starring: |
Dee Wallace/Helen |
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M. Emmet
Walsh/Harv |
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Billy Green Bush/Jay |
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Nadine Van der
Velde/April |
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| RATING
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PLOT-CRUNCH:
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Ma, Pa, Sis and little bro live on a farm. They are the typical weed
whacking family…living in a typical weed whacking town. The town is
populated with the fat sheriff (Walsh), the town drunk (Hopper) and lots
of cows. But something is going to disrupt their cozy lives. That
something is a spaceship full of Critters ( kind of like porcupines on
steroids) who just escaped a space prison and come to earth for only one
thing…FOOD Lucky for us mortals…two bounty hunters are hot on their
trail…
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THE
LOWDOWN: |
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This movie is fun. For a low budget horror flick we’ve got an
impressive cast on our hands…Wallace, Walsh, Zane…and since the actor’s
are so good, it makes the silly things that happen around them believable.
There’s is genuine suspense in this movie, intentional laughs and fun
action. The Bounty Hunters bring gratuitous fight scenes to the movie
(always good to have them) and lots of humor. The Critters effects
(created by The Chiodo Brothers) are good and even when they look bad they’re
good.
This is Sc-Fi, horror, comedy
at it’s best. Now lets get some dessert…
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| ACTING: |
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Very solid. Eat your heart out DeNiro. Wallace
is very good in this film…by now she has the "mom" part nailed
down. (she played a mom in E.T. and Cujo) All of the actors are very
good, but I have a fondness for the family unit…they feel like a real
family. And yes Zane’s hair gives a great performance. Give his hair an
Oscar already!!! (his bald head now)
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| GORE: |
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Not much of it…few bite marks here and there
but it’s ok…this movie has everything else.
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| T
& A: |
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Jack all! I never thought I’d say this but I’m
happy nobody showed their goodies…it would have been distracting…
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| DIRECTING: |
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Tight. The pace is fast so the directing has to
be too. Lets also not forget that Herek is no bum…Bill N Ted wuz an
excellent movie.
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| SOUNDTRACK: |
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The soundtrack is kool. Fun 80’s rock/pop
songs. I loved the 80’s tune "Power Of The Night". The score
fits the film like a glove. (witness the montage of the Critters fooling
around and listen to the score that they play during…its great).
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| BOTTOM LINE: |
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It’s harmless pop corn fun. And it’s well
done. You feel that the people behind this film ( actors and crew) had a
great time making it…and as an audience we feel that come through the
screen. A definite keeper. BTW Look for the E.T. reference (other than
Wallace’s presence of course).
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| BULL'S EYE: |
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Critters wuz followed by three sequels. Part 2
was ok (directed by Mick Garris who directed The Stand and SleepWalkers)
Part 3 has Leonardo DiCaprio in it and part 4 takes place in space.
I’ve noticed that a lot of horror movie
"heroes" sooner or later wind up in space. Critters checked it
out, so did Pin Head (Hellraiser), that lousy Leprechaun (he also checked
out Vegas) and soon the man with the plan Jason Voorhees in JASON X Jason
In Space. Who’s next? Freddy???
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this movie on The Arrow's HORROR BOARD
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