GREMLINS. I didn't think it was a particularly great film – in fact I preferred the sequel. But it was certainly popular, and it spawned an inordinate amount of rip-offs from GHOULIES to CRITTERS and even MUNCHIES(!). But the cheapest, cheesiest, dumbest rip-off has definitely got to be LITTLE DEVILS: THE BIRTH, a no-budget hopeless attempt at film-making which was marketed as the first in the series but died on release, meaning that no sequels followed. And we can thank goodness for small mercies in relation to that one. But for some strange, bizarre, muddy reason, I really enjoyed watching this attempt at movie-making; in fact I got a real kick out of it. It's one of those films I watched as a kid, and returned to in adult life out of curiosity. And hey, what do you know, the film is actually pretty decent despite the odds stacked against it.
The film has a great script. No, I'm serious. The lead writes cheesy porn for a living so there is plenty of interest out of that. The actor playing him doesn't take things too seriously and there's plenty of comedy for him to get involved in, so you end up liking him. There are many diverse and bizarre characters in support, from the criminal and his goon to the bizarre homeless gang. Russ Tamblyn (remember him from WEST SIDE STORY?) is in it too, as 'Doc', a good buddy who helps fight off the critters once the action starts. Tamblyn genuinely appears to be enjoying himself and having a laugh about it all, which transfers across to the viewer nicely. Stella Stevens also turns up in a manic turn as an ageing temptress who wanders around in black leather bondage gear. Although she was pushing sixty when this film was made, there's something about her presence you can't help but enjoy.
It takes a heck of a time for the action to start, but see, I enjoyed the build-up more than the pay-off. The script manages to retain interest and there are some fun, cheesy effects to enjoy, especially the little monsters. I kinda thought they might use stop-motion but no, instead we get hand-held puppets instead. Oh well. There's a gore scene where a lady gets her face dissolved, a fair few people getting burnt, and plenty of squishy dissolutions come the climax when the monsters are dissolved with lemonade. Yes, you heard me right.
Okay, so to put it bluntly, this film is a piece of junk. But who cares? It knows it is, and takes the mickey out of itself, so you can't help but get into the spirit of things. Me, I enjoyed the heck out of it, much more than if I were watching some middling horror flick like SCREAM 2. It just has that atmosphere about it which makes it irresistible. Give it a chance if you're willing to keep your tolerance level high; you might find yourself being pleasantly surprised.
The film has a great script. No, I'm serious. The lead writes cheesy porn for a living so there is plenty of interest out of that. The actor playing him doesn't take things too seriously and there's plenty of comedy for him to get involved in, so you end up liking him. There are many diverse and bizarre characters in support, from the criminal and his goon to the bizarre homeless gang. Russ Tamblyn (remember him from WEST SIDE STORY?) is in it too, as 'Doc', a good buddy who helps fight off the critters once the action starts. Tamblyn genuinely appears to be enjoying himself and having a laugh about it all, which transfers across to the viewer nicely. Stella Stevens also turns up in a manic turn as an ageing temptress who wanders around in black leather bondage gear. Although she was pushing sixty when this film was made, there's something about her presence you can't help but enjoy.
It takes a heck of a time for the action to start, but see, I enjoyed the build-up more than the pay-off. The script manages to retain interest and there are some fun, cheesy effects to enjoy, especially the little monsters. I kinda thought they might use stop-motion but no, instead we get hand-held puppets instead. Oh well. There's a gore scene where a lady gets her face dissolved, a fair few people getting burnt, and plenty of squishy dissolutions come the climax when the monsters are dissolved with lemonade. Yes, you heard me right.
Okay, so to put it bluntly, this film is a piece of junk. But who cares? It knows it is, and takes the mickey out of itself, so you can't help but get into the spirit of things. Me, I enjoyed the heck out of it, much more than if I were watching some middling horror flick like SCREAM 2. It just has that atmosphere about it which makes it irresistible. Give it a chance if you're willing to keep your tolerance level high; you might find yourself being pleasantly surprised.