Among other things the 1980s was a decade of fairy-tale movies teeming with cutesy puppets standing in for monstrous creatures – THE DARK CRYSTAL (1982), LABYRINTH (1986), etc. Then in 1984 came the Joe Dante-Steven Spielberg modern-day concoction GREMLINS – whose irresistibly anarchic protagonists turned a gory children’s horror comic into a box office champ. Needless to say, cheap imitators started to raise their ugly head almost immediately – GHOULIES (1985; which I’ll be revisiting presently), CRITTERS (1986) and, obviously, the film under review which brought medieval forest creatures into present day U.S. suburbia – although, curiously enough, the indoor sequences were shot in an Italian studio!
Directed by a make-up artist, one can hardly expect in-depth character studies here but what we do get – a typically eccentric turn from Michael Moriarty (energetically dancing around his living room to a revamp of Eddie Cochran’s “Summertime Blues”); musician-turned-actor-turned-politician Sonny Bono as a lifelong bachelor/would-be chick magnet (clearly modeled on Dudley Moore’s character in FOUL PLAY [1978]; Hollywood veteran June Lockhart (of SHE-WOLF OF London [1946] notoriety) as another tenant in the condominium which turns out to be the incarnation of the witch now hunting down the troll, who used to be her betrothed in human form(!); Jenny Beck as Moriarty’s little daughter who is transformed into a vengeful creep screaming for “Ratburgers!” when overtaken by the spirit of the troll and who, consequently, likes to beat the crap out of horror film-buff older brother; and diminutive Phil Fondocaro, a dwarf who, in mistaking him for an elf, the troll takes an immediate liking to – are, surprisingly enough, not unentertaining company for some 80-odd minutes or so.
The troll is immediately found by the girl in the basement of the apartment house and is soon gruesomely turning the other tenants into shrubbery and many another troll who, alarmingly, have a penchant for bursting into bouts of communal harmonic singing which provokes hysterics in the viewer more than anything else. For what it’s worth, Lockhart keeps a live, friendly mushroom companion by her side – in clear imitation of GREMLINS’ amiable Gizmo – and the film itself (which was followed by a sequel in 1990) is being remade as we speak.
P.S. Could it be just sheer coincidence that Moriarty’s character in the film is named Harry Potter(!) and that he is (albeit unsuspectingly) surrounded by hordes of trolls and wizards? For the record, I haven’t read any of J. K. Rowling's phenomenally successful books or watched any of their cinematic adaptations – but the similarity seemed too conspicuous to go by unmentioned.
Directed by a make-up artist, one can hardly expect in-depth character studies here but what we do get – a typically eccentric turn from Michael Moriarty (energetically dancing around his living room to a revamp of Eddie Cochran’s “Summertime Blues”); musician-turned-actor-turned-politician Sonny Bono as a lifelong bachelor/would-be chick magnet (clearly modeled on Dudley Moore’s character in FOUL PLAY [1978]; Hollywood veteran June Lockhart (of SHE-WOLF OF London [1946] notoriety) as another tenant in the condominium which turns out to be the incarnation of the witch now hunting down the troll, who used to be her betrothed in human form(!); Jenny Beck as Moriarty’s little daughter who is transformed into a vengeful creep screaming for “Ratburgers!” when overtaken by the spirit of the troll and who, consequently, likes to beat the crap out of horror film-buff older brother; and diminutive Phil Fondocaro, a dwarf who, in mistaking him for an elf, the troll takes an immediate liking to – are, surprisingly enough, not unentertaining company for some 80-odd minutes or so.
The troll is immediately found by the girl in the basement of the apartment house and is soon gruesomely turning the other tenants into shrubbery and many another troll who, alarmingly, have a penchant for bursting into bouts of communal harmonic singing which provokes hysterics in the viewer more than anything else. For what it’s worth, Lockhart keeps a live, friendly mushroom companion by her side – in clear imitation of GREMLINS’ amiable Gizmo – and the film itself (which was followed by a sequel in 1990) is being remade as we speak.
P.S. Could it be just sheer coincidence that Moriarty’s character in the film is named Harry Potter(!) and that he is (albeit unsuspectingly) surrounded by hordes of trolls and wizards? For the record, I haven’t read any of J. K. Rowling's phenomenally successful books or watched any of their cinematic adaptations – but the similarity seemed too conspicuous to go by unmentioned.