The Monster Squad – Nostalgiathon 2012
Yay Nostalgiathon! In case you’re looking for even more nostalgia, head on over to the Nostalgiathon 2012 page to all the latest entries – there’s some super fun stuff there!
On an unrelated note, I’m in a show that opens this weekend which of course means a full week of tech and dress rehearsals so I will be around all spotty like. And let’s not even talk about January just yet. It’s gearing up to be a wild ride…
The back story:
Once upon a time, there was a wee lass named Misty who was all of seven years old. Misty’s parents thought it would be absolutely delightful to show her a little film called The Monster Squad. Why would they do this? Who knows? Unfortunately for Misty’s parents, this experiment did NOT end well. As a matter of fact, the wee lass sat up ALL NIGHT LONG refusing to sleep because she KNEW that at any moment Dracula would walk through her bedroom door and do something horrendous. And as we all know, if a wee one doesn’t sleep, the adults don’t sleep. This was the occasion that led to the horror movie ban in Misty’s life, the ban that would not be lifted until her sixteenth birthday.
Don’t mess with these muthas!
The Now:
I revisited The Monster Squad (Two-Disc 20th Anniversary Edition)
First, I’d like to say…Mom & Dad, what the hell were you thinking showing me this??? Dracula picks up a 5 year old girl by the chin and calls her a bitch – how was I not supposed to think he had a deeply intense hatred of tiny children of the female variety and would hunt me down? Sheesh! (Btw, I do so totally love my parents, I just don’t know what they were thinking here. *giggles*)
Second, this movie is absolutely a classic. Awesome kids, great one-liners and an all around good time – way perfect for adolescent boys especially, methinks. And ah, the 80s when kids could curse like sailors and check out scantily clad women in the movies all while smoking ciggies or being smoked around. Such a simpler time…*sighs*
My name is HORACE!!
This is one I just sort of assume everyone has seen but if not – well…classic movie monsters come back and kids fight them. See, my hazy memories were correct. 😉 It’s kinda like The Goonies (which I love) but with some real drama. The old German guy for one? Had no memory of that and when I saw him talking about monsters, it kind of broke my heart a little. I was NOT expecting something like that to be in a “kids'” movie.
A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS:
If I had watched this when I was oh, say 12, I would’ve been head over heels in love with Rudy. He was such a bad ass. 12 year old Misty would’ve *swooned* over that kid. 😉
Eugene: Is she a versgin?
Scary German Guy: Yes, she can do it!
Patrick: She can’t read, she’s five years old!
Scary German Guy: I’ll help her!
EVERYTHING about the above exchange cracked me up. Just EVERYTHING.
That freaking adorable dog. So cute.
Frankenstein for the WIN!
Not gonna lie, through jaded adult eyes some of the middle got a bit boring but overall one fun ride and definitely worth the revisit!
Posted on 2012.26.November, in American Cinema, Horror Comedy, Oldies but Goodies and tagged andywatchesmovies, cinemaschminema, long live the 80s, nostalgiathon 2012, remember when, the monster squad. Bookmark the permalink. 43 Comments.
Cinema Schminema 
Never saw this one but sounds strangely odd enough to be worth watching..
It’s hilarious – pure 80s. 🙂
This is one that I’m sure I saw as a kid, but likewise forgot. Watched it for the “first” time a year ago, and thought it was a lot of fun. Great review, Misty; hope it doesn’t give you nightmares this time. 😀
*giggles* No, no nightmares this time. 😉 Thanks Morgan!
YES! Don’t forget that bad ass rap song at the end.
YES!! I forgot to mention that, thank you! I was cracking up when it started playing – must find a download!
Mummy came to my house.
That kid was so darn cute.
….and now he is our age! Cool Kid was on Kids, Inc. Remember that show? It was awesome.
I have never seen Kids Inc. I grew up with only three channels, lol. I don’t know that I got whatever channel that was on. But Cool Kid was SO mega-awesome.
Shame on me but I have never seen this movie but I keep saying I need to see it. Well, you might just have given me that extra push I needed.
Oh I hope I did – it’s so fun and silly. 🙂
Haha wonderful choice 😀
Thanks, Tim! 🙂
awesome movie and great pick. my son and I watched it a while back and we had grins on our faces the whole time.
Nice!! Love how you are watching all this stuff with your kids. 🙂 Was definitely a trip down hazy memory lane for sure.
I wish I had seen this as a kid. I saw it for the first time this year, and i could appreciate it, but I know I would have liked it more when I was 12.
I think 12 would be the most perfect age for this, really. 7 was definitely too young, lol and rewatching it now with little memory, like I said it drug in a few places but 12 year old me would have LOVED this so hardcore. 🙂
FUCK YES! This movie and Goonies made up my entire childhood.
Yay for Goonies!! This one was…well…obviously influential on mine, lol.
God those movies made me into the person I am today 🙂
I freakin’ love this film in every way. And the best part? It was written by Shane Black! If Horace isn’t in Iron Man 3 I’m gonna be very disappointed
Ha, I didn’t know that – Horace should be EVERYWHERE.
As a child of the eighties this one somehow got passed me so I had to discover it as an adult and I tell you what – I fell in love with it. I wish this would have been a childhood favorite because it is just one awesome movie. – My name’s Horace!
I am so with you there! If only I had been a little older, what a different direction my life might’ve taken!…or not…because somehow I still grew up to be fascinated with horror and monsters…irony, eh? 😉
I LOVE MONSTER SQUAD! I wanted to include this in Schlocktoberfest this year (and last) but ran out of time.
It was pretty excellent! Again, I’m amazed at the things kids used to be able to do on film, lol. Are you going to include it next year then? 🙂
YES I looooved this one as a kid and it’s actually been in my Netflix queue for months
You should watch it ASAP!! Definitely a fun time!
Great write up. Love this movie and one I will need to replace. I am a huge fan of Fred Dekker and thankfully I saved Night of the Creeps!!!!
But I really enjoyed this and its great for all ages, I think we all had the fantasy of killing monsters heck even as an adult I,still have that fantasy lol
Thanks! And glad you were able to save Night of the Creeps! 🙂 And yeah, I think everybody at some point in time wants to be a superhero of sorts. 🙂
I never saw this in the theater but love the film as an adult. I own the BD and it’s fast becoming my 5-year old sons favorite horror film.
Nice!! Your five year old is much braver than seven year old me was, lol.
I kind of feel I have missed out by not seeing this………just doesn’t look like my kind of thing. Well played to your parents showing you a scary film when you were young though, I can’t wait to make my unborn kids sit through stuff 🙂
You’re not missing out, especially if it isn’t your thing. 🙂 And yes, forever grateful to my parents for that one. 😉 But I am determined to raise my kids right with starting them out on Krueger when they are wee so by the time they’re like 4 they adore him.
Same-ish plan for me, but with Jigsaw instead of Krueger and scorsese/de niro films playing 24/7 🙂
Must. See. This.Film! Never seen it before but I love The Gooniesbut that railer has me sold. Love 80s cheese.
Yes, yes, yes! You so should! 🙂 Then come back and tell us how you liked it!
You described exactly how horrified I felt when I first saw this movie somewhere in 1989 – 1990 in former Yugoslavia, as I am Serbian, so you can really tell that this movie has scarred small kids worldwide :). I have to say that if you don’t want your kid under the age of 10 to be looking at the windows all night long waiting for whole pack of monsters to pop up, don’t show this movie to him, because at that age the “comedy” side of it is invisible. Great movie but it should be limited to 15+ year olds at least.
Lol, so glad I wasn’t the only one traumatized!! Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting! 🙂
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