Wolfman's Got Nards

The Monster Squad (1987)
Dir- Fred Dekker

Three decades ago in the midst of Freddy, Jason and Michael Myers a low budget creature feature came and went that mixed elements of the Goonies, Ghostbusters, and the Universal Studios classic monsters. The Monster Squad are a group of pre-teens who enjoy the old movie monsters of the past and meet together at a tree house behind the home of one the members. They discover that Dracula is looking to throw the world into eternal chaos as he summons a collection of monsters that include Frankensteins monster, the Mummy, the Gillman, and Wolfman to acquire a magical device that helps to maintain the balance of good and evil. The Monster Squad seek out help from a local older gentleman to assist them in translating an ancient book and discover how to defeat Dracula and his army. The cast of young actors work well together and make the movie stand out with a camaraderie that would have many fans compare them to the young actors in The Goonies, Stephen Kings It and the more recent Stranger Things. Stan Winston was responsible for the creature makeup and due to licensing issues he had to alter the monsters slightly to avoid litigation. What we get are some pretty amazing looking creatures that honor the spirit of the classic movies of the 30's and 40's. The one area the film does suffer from is the special effects that look silly and dated, but you can look past that when you weigh the whole movie together. Since its release in 1987 Monster Squad has gained an impressive cult following as fans rediscover this film with the help of The Alamo Drafthouse and fan conventions bringing the cast together for reunions and watch parties. The film is available on some streaming sites as well as DVD and Blu Ray. If you are a fan of the classic Universal Monsters, this film will not disappoint.