Little Monsters
E**O
Great family film
I loved this film the first time I saw as a kid. It is something the whole family can watch and enjoy. It aged well over the years I felt. When I have kids I will introduce them to this movie. It was a well written story and just a lot of fun.
M**N
Fun for the whole family!
I love this movie so I bought a copy, glad I got it!
E**A
Little monster
It was a cute show
K**Y
This review pertains to the Vestron Video Collector's Series blu-ray by Lionsgate
(3 1/2 stars for the movie, 5 stars for the blu-ray)"Little Monsters" was released back in 1989 starring Fred Savage, Howie Mandel & Daniel Stern, and was directed by Richard Alan Greenberg from a script by Terry Rossio & Ted Elliott. Vestron Pictures financed the PG rated film but MGM/United Artists got distribution rights here in the states after Vestron filed for bankruptcy. The theatrical release was limited to only 179 theaters and the film grossed only $793,775 against a 7 million dollar budget. Reviews were mixed at the time but the film would go on to become a cult classic due to VHS rentals and television airings.I find the film to be a bit of a tonal mess in several places in which the filmmakers were trying to make it kid friendly but also wanting to deliver some of a dark sinister edge like 1988's "Beetlejuice" in which the director of "Little Monsters" was greatly inspired by. How much you like "Little Monsters" will depend on your reaction to Howie Mandel's over the top & unrestrained performance as the lead monster Maurice who Fred Savage's character Brian befriends. I do overall find the film to be enjoyable even if it falls short from greatness in several key areas.Lionsgate finally brings "Little Monsters" to blu-ray as part of their cool Vestron Video Collector's Series. The film comes in a slipcase but sadly the sleeve itself on the case does not feature reversible artwork.The film is presented on a dual layer disc in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio utilizing the AVC codec at a beefy bit rate often times getting up into the low to mid 30's. Nothing on the back of the case indicates that a new restoration was done for this release so I am assuming this is an existing HD master. Overall the film looks good with decent detail, accurate colors, and solid contrast & black levels. While a full fledged 2K or 4K restoration from the original camera negative (or even the interpositive) would have yielded better results, this blu-ray still represents a solid upgrade from the old DVD release. The 91 minute 25 second film is broken up into 13 chapter stops.Sound is presented in 2 channel English DTS-HD master audio. Dialogue was clear and the overall mix well done in my opinion. English and Spanish subtitles are included for the hearing impaired.Special features for this release are extensive and well done as follows:• *NEW* Audio Commentary with Jarret Gahan, Editor-in-Chief of CultofMonster.com• *NEW* Isolated Score Selections and Audio Interview with Composer David Newman• *NEW* “Call Him Maurice” – An Interview with Actor Howie Mandel (18 min. 39 sec.)• *NEW* “Beneath the Bed” – An Interview with Producer Andrew Licht (13 min. 54 sec.)• *NEW* “Monsters Big & Small” – An Interview with Special Makeup Effects Creator Robert Short (14 min. 55 sec.)• *NEW* Vintage Interviews with Actors Fred Savage, Ben Savage, Special Makeup Effects Creator Robert Short, and Director Richard Alan Greenberg (29 min. 2 sec.)• “Making Maurice” – Vintage Footage of Howie Mandel’s Makeup Transformation (16 min. 16 sec.)• Behind-the-Scenes Footage (11 min. 37 sec.)• Vintage EPK & VHS Promo (9 min. 19 sec.)• Theatrical Trailer (1 min. 28 sec.)• Still Gallery (3 min. 36 sec.)Fans of 1989's "Little Monsters" should pick up this special edition blu-ray without hesitation. The film looks and sounds good as well as featuring a terrific and exhaustive set of bonus features. Lionsgate did great work with this release. Highly recommended!
J**D
good
great for the kids
A**.
Arrived On Time And As Described
Great Highly Recommended!
T**K
Great movie
I love movies from my childhood.
V**D
I loved this movie when I was a kid
Little Monsters is a funny and slightly moving family comedy that reminds me of my childhood days when I first saw the movie - I just wanted to share it with my daughter =-D It is not for everybody though. My daughter thought that is was a good movie and wanted to watch it again...she is 4 years old any movie that she finds entertaining we have to watch at least 3 times; it may have been a little "mature" for her but I watched as a kid too and I turned out alright.To sum it up. Fred Savage plays Brian who moves into a new town; he keeps getting into trouble and blamed for things that he didn't do. He eventually captures Howie Mandle who plays the monster Maurice. Maurice introduces Brian to the monster world and secretly tires to convert him. They become friends in the meantime. Brian has a disagreement in monster morality and decides it is not for him. Boy (<---Creepy bad guy monster) kidnaps his little brother Eric (who is Matt Savage) and Brian and Crew go to save the day. Maurice is a true friend and helps them get Eric and get out of monster world. At the end of the credits is the best when the call and tell their parents that they are in Malibu...I still love this movie and I am 25 now. Although, it is not as funny as it was when I was a kid. After I watched this movie back in 1989 - 1990 I put the sarin wrap on the toliet...thought it was so funny...ended up being grounded. If you are one of those very overprotective parents I do not recommend you let your young one watch this movie. If you don't think putting sarin wrap on the toliet is a funny childish prank...you should probably not watch this movie...
J**E
Some friends can be REAL MONSTERS. And some monsters can be REAL FRIENDS
As children, many of us were afraid of the monsters in our closets, under our beds, etc. This movie helped to show us they don't all want to hurt us, some just want to have fun. For those that only know Howie Mandel from shows like AGT (and CGT) they'll be in for quite a surprise seeing him playing a role like this. The movie is enjoyable for kids and adults, although there are a few instances of stronger curse words, and some of the monsters may be a little TOO frightening for the really little ones. Overall though, I recommend this movie to anyone looking for an 80's style comedy and for fans of Howie Mandel or Fred Savage. The audio and video quality on the Blu-ray was amazing.
K**R
Świetny film
Zaskakująco poruszający film. Jest zabawny i podnosi na duchu.
A**
Ist schon da am 8.4.21 „Chicos Monsters“ ist gekommen
Ich bin Gehörlose, ich gefällst mir sehr gut aber das ist sehr lustig und fantastisch.Ich war früher auch alte Film sehen.Ich gerne das Film besser sehen .
S**I
ベッドの下の、イカした友達
私が小学生だった頃、NHK教育テレビでは海外ドラマをよく放送していました。その中でも強く印象に残っている映画が、この「リトルモンスター」。青い顔をしたクレイジーだけど、心優しいモンスター ”モリース”。私のベッドの下にも、こんなイカした "秘密の友達" がいればイイなぁと思っていました。大人になっても、心温まるストーリーです。
C**R
Playful
Great movie. Kid wants to help brother, kid wants to escape life for a while, kid seeing fault in his action, but of mayhem, kid saves the day. That’s more or less the plot, but Fred Savage and Billy Crystal make a fun pair.
Trustpilot
1 month ago
2 days ago