4 Star

80s Monster Fun

What a day to be alive, or reborn, as Arrow Video brings us a slice of 1980s lighthearted horror, in the 4K UHD release of “The Monster Squad“. Directed by Fred Dekker (Night of the Creeps, RoboCop 3) who does what they say not to do, “work with kids”. As a bunch of kids take on the most classic of horror characters, in an end of the World fight. This is so 80s, and it is a total blast, a must own for any fans of “The Goonies” and comedy horror.

A long time ago, well, nearly one-hundred years ago, famous vampire hunter Abraham Van Helsing (Jack Gwillim, Clash of the Titans, A Man for All Seasons) and a few pitchfork wielding locals try to banish the powerful Count Dracula (Duncan Regehr, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (TV Series), Wizards and Warriors (TV Series)), using an amulet and an ancient text read by a virgin, but he got it wrong, and Count Dracula manages to flee, while Van Helsing’s  apprentices immigrate to the US to hide the amulet out of Dracula’s reach.

Scoot forward nearly one-hundred years, to middle school America where youngsters Sean Crenshaw (Andre Gower, Mr. President (TV Series), Fathers and Sons (TV Series)), who has a little sister Phoebe (Ashley Bank, Frasier (TV Series), The Haunted (TV Movie)), who really wants to become a member of Sean’s Monster Squad. A small bunch of school-kids who love old style monster features and the non-human characters therein. Members are his best friend Patrick Rhodes (Robby Kiger, Children of the Corn, Table for Five), clumsy Horace (nicknamed “Fat Kid”) (Brent Chalem, Quantum Leap, Small Wonder (TV Series)), tough older kid Rudy (Ryan Lambert, The Demons Within, Wrecker), and little Eugene (Michael Faustino, Blank Cheque, Suburban Commando).

Count Dracula has spent his time collecting old friends like The Mummy (Michael Reid MacKay, Batman & Robin, X-Men 2), the Gill-man (Tom Woodruff Jr., Aliens, Tremors), The Wolf Man (Jonathan Gries, Men in Black, Taken), but his best trick is getting Frankensteins monster off a plane in flight. Once he is brought back to life, the monster is charged with getting Van Helsing’s diary that describes the amulet and the ritual that would banish him and his followers into “Limbo” forever.

This diary is currently in Sean’s hands, but he can’t read it, as it is written in German. Introducing “Scary German Guy” (Leonardo Cimino, Dune, Waterworld) who turns out to be the best thing that could happen to the Monster Squad. But when Phoebe befriends the Monster that is when they have a true ally.

Let the plan begin, they only have a short time before Dracula can rule the world. This is Monstrous fun, and on 4K it is visually stunning, and the effects still stand tall.

Hooray for The Monster Squad.

The Monster Squad Limited Edition is available on 4K UHD

 

2-DISC 4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS

• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Francesco Francavilla
• Collectors’ booklet featuring new writing on the film by critics Sean Abley, Priscilla Page, Justin LaLiberty and Johnny Mains

 

DISC 1 – FEATURE & EXTRAS (4K ULTRA HD)

• 4K (2160p) Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
• Original lossless stereo and DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround audio
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Audio commentary with writer/director Fred Dekker and “Squad Members” Andre Gower, Ryan Lambert and Ashley Bank
• Audio commentary with writer/director Fred Dekker and director of photography Bradford May
• Monster Squad Forever, a feature-length 2007 documentary on the making of the film
• Archive featurette with the SFX team, featuring interviews with John Rosengrant, Steve Wang, Alec Gillis, Shane Mahan, Lindsay MacGowan and Tom Woodruff Jr.
• Archive interview with composer Bruce Broughton
• A Conversation with Frankenstein, a vintage 1986 featurette
• Deleted scenes
• Animated Storyboard sequence
• Trailers and TV spot
• Image galleries

 

DISC 2 – WOLFMAN’S GOT NARDS (LIMITED EDITION EXCLUSIVE BLU-RAY)

• High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation of Wolfman’s Got Nards, a 2018 feature-length documentary co-written and directed by The Monster Squad star Andre Gower
• Original lossless stereo and DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround audio
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• In the Goddamn Club, More with Fans of The Monster Squad
• Blood Bath music video
• Deleted scenes
• Extended interviews with Fred Dekker, Shane Black, Adam Goldberg and Seth Green
• Archive interview with Andre Gower & Henry Darrow McComas
• Podcast audio interviews with actors Ashley Bank, Tom Noonan, Carl Thibault and Michael Reid MacKay
• Trailer