THIS IMAGE-DRIVEN SERIES SHINES AN OBNOXIOUS PASTEL NEON LIGHT ON THE 80-EST 80s MOVIES AROUND.
THAT’S SO 80s! takes a nostalgic trip down VHS memory lane, remembering some of the cheesiest movies from one of the cheesiest decades.
Fellow movie connoisseur MOVIEROB joins forces with SLIP/THROUGH for a semi-regular column highlighting some of the best scenes (and fashion choices) of the era.
This edition of That’s so 80s gets its retro horror on with the 1987 Cult Classic, THE MONSTER SQUAD. Part GOONIES, Part Universal Monsters, All Fun! This cheesy comedy-filled action horror flick takes the PG-13 approach to adventure. These kids are not whiny or helpless, the will fight to save the day with some tasty 80s flavour. Think STAND BY ME in the Apocalypse.
Rob and Dan breakdown what they love about this retro gem, from the 80s fashion to the 80s sensibilities.
Enjoy! And Stay Rad!
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When Dan suggested we watch and review this movie, I only had a very vague recollection of what it was about.
I did recall that I’d seen it and also that I liked it as a kid, but I had little to no clue as to what it was all about.
As the minutes began to tick by, numerous important plot points kept popping back into my brain that helped me remember what happens.
The kind of plot points were so esoteric that I was actually quite surprised that these were the facts I recalled.
I recalled the friendship between the little girl Phoebe and Frankenstein and also the whole virgin subplot (which isn’t really surprising that a 13 year old would remember). I also remembered the actor who portrayed the German neighbor.
Watching this now, it seems to feel like a horror comedy copy of Goonies (1985) which doesn’t come close to matching the success that that Spielberg film had.
The similarities between the two films us uncanny and it seems like many plot issues were taken straight from Goonies (1985).
Examples – monster helping the kids, everyone seeking a treasure from long ago, the beautiful girl tagging along but not really wanting to be a part of the ‘club’, the fat kid everybody makes fun of, the fact that the protagonists mother is played by Mary Ellen Trainer in both and of course kids that save the town.
Being a kids movie, the monsters depicted – Dracula, Frankenstein, Wolfman, Mummy and the Creature From the Black Lagoon aren’t at all scary and in many cases just laughable.
The added 80’s family dynamics of parents contemplating divorce makes this feel in some ways just completely cheesy.
Personally, I find Mama Fratelli much scarier than Dracula or any of his monster friends as they are presented here.
80’s me -4/5
80’s vibe – 2/5
Now – 3/5
I think they should have gotten Daryl Dixon to take these crossbow shots
80’s high school bullies at their best
Just a typical day in the park for the whole family…wait, who’s chaperoning the kids?
Why do all haunted houses look like this?
80’s kids getting around town on bikes was the fad at the time
Is that a stick of dynamite in your pants or are you just happy to see me?
Terrible rubber costume effects!
Eat this… you monster!
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