countchocula
10-13-2002, 05:34 PM
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00000JZHD.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg
After the unjust cancellation of The Munsters (only 70 episodes!), Herman and the gang hit the silver screen with Munster, Go Home!. I should state that I’m an avid fan of the series, which contributed to my enjoyment of this film. If you never got into The Munsters, chances are that you won’t dig this spooky treat. For me, Herman Munster is a savior. Fred Gwynne didn’t find his goofy, fun-loving niche until around the fifteenth episode, but once Herman’s livelihood was activated, you couldn’t help but to love the big lug! His wife, Lily, is a sultry little number, in my eyes. All goth chicks replicate Lily’s fashion sense. Her and Herman have solid chemistry together, and they’re the only cutesy-pie couple that doesn’t press the vomit button in the back of my tongue. Grandpa (aka Sam Dracula) is a hilarious vampire/mad scientist hybrid who performs outlandish experiments at every opportunity that he gets. Butch Patrick is commendable as Eddie, Herman and Lily’s son who carries a Wolfie doll around quite often (I want that doll!). And finally, Marilyn, Herman’s niece, is the oddball of the bunch. She’s your typical blonde, attractive teenager. Of course, the rest of the family views her as unsightly and physically handicapped. LOL! What rubs me the wrong way is that Pat Priest, the actress who portrayed Marilyn throughout most of the series’ history, is absent from Munster, Go Home!. In her place, Debbie Watson steps into Marilyn’s shoes. She’s a redhead! Doesn’t that detract from the image of a perfect, ideal teenager, which is what Marilyn is supposed to be? Society’s collective image of such a teenager is blonde! Still, it would be unfair to criticize Watson’s performance solely because of the color of her hair. She does well, and conveys that sweetness that Priest nailed down.
This far into the review, and no synopsis? Oops! I got caught up in the characterizations, which is a good thing. The entire clan is loveable and demands your undivided attention. Anyway, our tale kicks off with Herman inheriting a castle from his deceased uncle. Herman is deemed Lord of Munster Hall, and the family shoots off to England to sop up their luxuries. However, this makes Herman a target. His cousin, Freddie, is enraged that his father didn’t bequeath that title to him. He makes it top priority to off Herman, but is he successful in his plans to do so? I won’t tell! In a way, this flick reminds me of Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan in that we’re promised a certain setting (in this case, England), but we spend a great deal of the time on a cruise ship! Granted, it’s only 20-30 minutes, but the pace drags considerably during this time. Since many events occur that aren’t relevant to the storyline, this seems like a poor excuse to increase the running time. But is this a big deal? Nope! Herman’s sea sickness and Grandpa’s lycanthropic mishap are amusing to watch. Dragula, the Munsters’ kickass automobile, is souped up for a race that Herman competes in. The race sequence itself is quite exhilarating. The bad guys attempt to foil his potential victory (shooting the tires, creating an oil slick), but their mischief is proven to be futile, as Herman slides across the finish line in first place. And yes, I realize that I have just posted a spoiler, but if you honestly expect this film to have a grim, anti-Hollywood ending, then you should be tucked away in a strait jacket.
I’m glad that I happened upon this delight at K-Mart for TWO DOLLARS. What a steal! They don’t know how precious this film is! I know that there were a couple of other Munster flicks featuring the original cast (well, save for Pat Priest), but those will be harder to come by. In closing, I’ll just state the obvious. If you got a kick out of the series, then you’re sure to eat this treasure up!
My rating-3.5/5
After the unjust cancellation of The Munsters (only 70 episodes!), Herman and the gang hit the silver screen with Munster, Go Home!. I should state that I’m an avid fan of the series, which contributed to my enjoyment of this film. If you never got into The Munsters, chances are that you won’t dig this spooky treat. For me, Herman Munster is a savior. Fred Gwynne didn’t find his goofy, fun-loving niche until around the fifteenth episode, but once Herman’s livelihood was activated, you couldn’t help but to love the big lug! His wife, Lily, is a sultry little number, in my eyes. All goth chicks replicate Lily’s fashion sense. Her and Herman have solid chemistry together, and they’re the only cutesy-pie couple that doesn’t press the vomit button in the back of my tongue. Grandpa (aka Sam Dracula) is a hilarious vampire/mad scientist hybrid who performs outlandish experiments at every opportunity that he gets. Butch Patrick is commendable as Eddie, Herman and Lily’s son who carries a Wolfie doll around quite often (I want that doll!). And finally, Marilyn, Herman’s niece, is the oddball of the bunch. She’s your typical blonde, attractive teenager. Of course, the rest of the family views her as unsightly and physically handicapped. LOL! What rubs me the wrong way is that Pat Priest, the actress who portrayed Marilyn throughout most of the series’ history, is absent from Munster, Go Home!. In her place, Debbie Watson steps into Marilyn’s shoes. She’s a redhead! Doesn’t that detract from the image of a perfect, ideal teenager, which is what Marilyn is supposed to be? Society’s collective image of such a teenager is blonde! Still, it would be unfair to criticize Watson’s performance solely because of the color of her hair. She does well, and conveys that sweetness that Priest nailed down.
This far into the review, and no synopsis? Oops! I got caught up in the characterizations, which is a good thing. The entire clan is loveable and demands your undivided attention. Anyway, our tale kicks off with Herman inheriting a castle from his deceased uncle. Herman is deemed Lord of Munster Hall, and the family shoots off to England to sop up their luxuries. However, this makes Herman a target. His cousin, Freddie, is enraged that his father didn’t bequeath that title to him. He makes it top priority to off Herman, but is he successful in his plans to do so? I won’t tell! In a way, this flick reminds me of Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan in that we’re promised a certain setting (in this case, England), but we spend a great deal of the time on a cruise ship! Granted, it’s only 20-30 minutes, but the pace drags considerably during this time. Since many events occur that aren’t relevant to the storyline, this seems like a poor excuse to increase the running time. But is this a big deal? Nope! Herman’s sea sickness and Grandpa’s lycanthropic mishap are amusing to watch. Dragula, the Munsters’ kickass automobile, is souped up for a race that Herman competes in. The race sequence itself is quite exhilarating. The bad guys attempt to foil his potential victory (shooting the tires, creating an oil slick), but their mischief is proven to be futile, as Herman slides across the finish line in first place. And yes, I realize that I have just posted a spoiler, but if you honestly expect this film to have a grim, anti-Hollywood ending, then you should be tucked away in a strait jacket.
I’m glad that I happened upon this delight at K-Mart for TWO DOLLARS. What a steal! They don’t know how precious this film is! I know that there were a couple of other Munster flicks featuring the original cast (well, save for Pat Priest), but those will be harder to come by. In closing, I’ll just state the obvious. If you got a kick out of the series, then you’re sure to eat this treasure up!
My rating-3.5/5