PopHorror Let's Get Scared
35 years ago, I was a little kid into horror, but I was still a little afraid of certain movies that I grew to love. In 1989, I was learning about the world, sucking everything in. When they released Little Monsters, I found a new meaning in horror movies again, and I wasn’t scared. I began to obsess over monster movies again. It started a horror-comedy trend for me. It was also based on someone my age at the time. I will always find this a safe place, along with movies like Return of the Living Dead, Michael Jackson’s Thriller, and Monster Squad. I still put one of these movies on when I am at rock bottom; they cheer me up every single time.
Nothing hit like Little Monsters, however. There were so many golden moments for me. I watched it A LOT, so much so that my family had to buy several copies of the movie because I kept wearing tapes out. I was entranced every time I watched it. Horror made me so happy in my life, and Little Monsters rekindled the flame. Thinking back on those memories from that time puts a lump in my throat. I flood the sadness with happy memories, trying not to think about grief or trauma.
Sypnosis
Brian (Fred Savage, The Wizard) is in a constant sate of letdown. Between having a dad that only wants to blame him and a brother who says there is monsters under his bed. While they decide to switch bedrooms, Eric (Ben Savage, Girl Meets World) and Brian set a challenge with each other, while Eric insists there is a monster under his bed. Brian laughs it off until he hears the monster.
Brian decides to set up a trap for the monster. The monster, Maurice (Howie Mandel, Gremlins) is a wild and fun guy. Though Brian was here to watch for the monster, instead he makes friends with him. Brian and Maurice wreak havoc in all kinds of ways. Whether they are pranking somone or visiting the underworld, they form a bond. Who needs the real rescue from bad things?
Little Monsters is a great mix for kids and adults alike. It’s a movie that can be watched on family movie nights. It has everything you need to enjoy the time spent together. Let them be scared at the minimal scary scenes. Get them into light stuff before making the jump to movies. If you really care about sharing an interest. So that means no Terrifier! There are plenty of movies to introduce to your kids. I was born in a different era, where our parents tried to traumatize us, Instead it didn’t work for some of us, like me for instance. Some of us were just born for this.
In The End
A lot of people hung onto this movie. The sets are top-notch; you know it’s not reality, but you cheer on Maurice and Brian all the way until the end. Maurice was perfect in his resemblance of a fun loving prankster, he nailed the entire role. Everyone had their own backstory that actually made sense. I could watch this a million more times because it’s just that amazing to me. I even play the movie in the background while I write. Little Monsters is proof that we somehow faced the things we were afraid of back then and embraced them.
Little Monsters is available on The Roku Channel, Peacock and Plex for free.
