Monster Squad: 20th Anniversry Edition

By: Phetus
Date: Thursday, August 02, 2007

It's hard to believe that this film is twenty years old. But twenty years later, the film still stands as a testament to the greatness of DVD, and its ability to breathe new life into old films and allow the audience to appreciate these films in a whole new light. Released in a time when censorship was minimal, (you'd never see a 12 year old with a shotgun, or hear the word "homos" in a kids film nowadays) and those "deleted scenes" as they're referred to nowadays were kept by a film's director for his own personal collection. Monster Squad stands as a nostalgic trip back to a simpler time, while still offering up plenty to appreciate in my adult years. As with many current "cult classics" the film originally bombed at the box office. As you will find out in the "MONSTER SQUAD FOREVER" featured documentary, despite the fact that it starred their trademark b/w horror figures, Universal had passed on the film, and it was released by a lesser company through a deal with Tri-Star. With "The Goonies" released just two years earlier, many of the moviegoing audience passed it off as a cheap knockoff, or poorly concieved sequel attempt. The film found a resurrection in the video market, which is where I first came across it. Too young for slasher flicks, and lacking the attention span for a b/w flick, I latched on to the film as an early favorite, and for me, it stands as my first experience with the horror genre. In my later years, I can appreciate the film even more for the things I never noticed as a child, or was too young to understand. Never before available on DVD in the US, I was resigned to adding a burned copy of bare bones, overseas release to my collection after finally ending my search for it at a local horror convention. For one of my childhood favorites, I always found it a shame that the things that make the DVD format great (i.e special features, commentaries) weren't included in that release. It's been twenty years and I guess thats the magic number, because there is little that could make this 20th Anniversary edition better for a nostalgic fan such as myself. From the extended scenes from Fred Dekker's personal files, to the commentary and interviews with "squad members" Andre Gower(sean), Ashley Bank(pheobe) and Ryan Lambert(rudy), this DVD has it all. The latter showed me the film from a different angle, as the actors discussed the little intricacies that came with making it. From the story behind Universal's pass and the changes made to the monsters (by special effects wizard Stan Winston fresh off both Aliens and the original Predator) to Tom Noonan's refusal to appear without makeup in front of the child actors, to Andre Gower's anecdote about his initial desire to play Rudy, the discussions offer insight into just how much fun the film must've been for the actors. Although it is a shame that other "squad members" Robby Krieger and the late Brent Chalem couldn't be there for the reunion shot at a recent 20th anniversary screening and panel for the film. Their absence, especially the young death of Chalem is not ignored. The cast offers a fitting tribute to their co-star in the "Monster Squad Forever" a five part documentary on everything from conception of the idea to its release and the cult status it has achieved over two decades. The "deleted scenes" are hyped up a little more than they needed to be. Although it is fantastic to see additional scenes from this film and great that Dekker offered up his own personal collection, they are little more than several extensions of the same scene that offers little element to the action or plot of the story. One has to wonder why the other scenes (such as Dracula's extended speech before he finds the amulet) that are discussed in the commentary and documentary features were never included. Other than that, and the fact that this edition is long overdue, this release is cause for me to finally ditch my poor, bare bare bones edition. For twenty years is the magic number, and in another twenty when I can show this film to my own children, this edition will help them enjoy it just the same as I did nearly half a century before.

Click here to read the staff review by Mania.