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CRITTERS: The Remake - Bringing The Little Guys Into The Next Century!
With so many 80's era horror flicks being tossed onto the reboot queue as of late it got me thinking to myself, what franchise would I honestly love to see get a well done reboot? The first one to pop into my head was the clasc creature feature series CRITTERS.
A franchise that ts comfortably on my top ten comfort movies list of films I like to watch when I’m feeling down for a guaranteed mood pick me up, some people like to eat when their feeling down me? I pop in a clasc horror movie from my childhood and disappear to eaer and more carefree times.
In 1986 the clasc comedy/horror/action romp CRITTERS would be released to the masses a story following a young boy Scott Grimes (Brad Brown) and his family on their rural farm in a small mid western town. And their battle against the alien creatures who have fallen from the sky, little balls of spikes and sharp teeth which are being hunted at the same time by a team of intergalactic bounty hunters .This would instantaneously become a movie I would watch time and time again growing up.
Even looking back today at the first CRITTERS, the special effects hold up and once again proves that practical effects and animatronics will always have its place in the horror genre, and have not been replaced by CGI. The original CRITTERS, was directed by Stephen Herek, who would later on direct such hits as BILL & TED’s EXCELLENT ADVENTURE and DON’T TELL MOM THE BABYTTERS DEAD.
The now infamous Mick Garris would give us die hard critter fans a sequel in 1988 with CRITTERS: THE MAIN COURSE, my personal favorite contribution to the franchise. Once again Brand and his family are faced with spinney balls of death as a batch of un-hatched critter eggs are mistaken for Easter eggs during the small towns Easter celebration. Recently I obtained an original print of the poster for this film that was sent to video stores as promotion thanks to a friend which now proudly hangs behind my work area as a constant reminder of where my horror roots are located at all times. CRITTERS: THE MAIN COURSE is a truly clasc 80s horror film and I’m sure all fans from that era remember their first experience with the little flesh eating monsters from outer space.
In 1991 we would see yet another sequel and the start of the downward spiral of the franchise with CRITTERS 3, oddly enough this is also the film debut of the now superstar Leonardo DiCaprio as Josh. I like to tell myself that CRITTERS 3 is the film that ultimately launched him into stardom but most likely he does not even like to think about the fact he was in a CRITTERS film. Directed by Kristine Peterson this time around we find the CRITTERS have hitched a ride to the big city and once again start to terrorize the redents of a rundown apartment building, although this movie is not horrible it is a far cry from the high quality of the franchise’s first two entries.
Shot directly after completion of the third film CRITTERS 4 would be released in 1992 directed by Rupert Harvey and be the death of the franchise. In the final installment of the series one of the bounty hunters are about to destroy the last two critter eggs in existence, but before that happens he receives a message warning him it would be illegal to wipe a species of any sorts from the galaxy and is given orders to transport the remaining eggs for safe keeping. After being lost in space and frozen for fifty three years the bounty hunter and his deadly cargo are discovered by a team of wreckage collectors. The critters end up getting loose and once again start chewing on humans like a blue plate special. By far this is the worse movie of the franchise and even still I still enjoy it for the most part.
With all of that said how awesome would it be to see this franchise get a reboot with a decent budget and the promises of no CGI just old school practical effects and animatronics the way creature features of this caliber are meant to be made. If I could choose a dream director to take on the reboot I would have to go with Joe Dante due to his beautiful work on the GREMLINS franchise and more recently THE HOLE, I feel he would be a perfect match for a film of this type.
Hopefully somewhere out there a stressed out studio executive is sweating bullets trying to think of a franchise that has not seen a remake yet and sees this little rant slash begging spree for a reboot of a series that I truly love, CRITTERS. But remember Mr. Hollywood executive, no funny buness, take it serious and don’t rush it out the door. A crazy idea I know, but one can hope.
http://youtu.be/3VkxRD3s5_I
A franchise that ts comfortably on my top ten comfort movies list of films I like to watch when I’m feeling down for a guaranteed mood pick me up, some people like to eat when their feeling down me? I pop in a clasc horror movie from my childhood and disappear to eaer and more carefree times.
In 1986 the clasc comedy/horror/action romp CRITTERS would be released to the masses a story following a young boy Scott Grimes (Brad Brown) and his family on their rural farm in a small mid western town. And their battle against the alien creatures who have fallen from the sky, little balls of spikes and sharp teeth which are being hunted at the same time by a team of intergalactic bounty hunters .This would instantaneously become a movie I would watch time and time again growing up.
Even looking back today at the first CRITTERS, the special effects hold up and once again proves that practical effects and animatronics will always have its place in the horror genre, and have not been replaced by CGI. The original CRITTERS, was directed by Stephen Herek, who would later on direct such hits as BILL & TED’s EXCELLENT ADVENTURE and DON’T TELL MOM THE BABYTTERS DEAD.
The now infamous Mick Garris would give us die hard critter fans a sequel in 1988 with CRITTERS: THE MAIN COURSE, my personal favorite contribution to the franchise. Once again Brand and his family are faced with spinney balls of death as a batch of un-hatched critter eggs are mistaken for Easter eggs during the small towns Easter celebration. Recently I obtained an original print of the poster for this film that was sent to video stores as promotion thanks to a friend which now proudly hangs behind my work area as a constant reminder of where my horror roots are located at all times. CRITTERS: THE MAIN COURSE is a truly clasc 80s horror film and I’m sure all fans from that era remember their first experience with the little flesh eating monsters from outer space.
In 1991 we would see yet another sequel and the start of the downward spiral of the franchise with CRITTERS 3, oddly enough this is also the film debut of the now superstar Leonardo DiCaprio as Josh. I like to tell myself that CRITTERS 3 is the film that ultimately launched him into stardom but most likely he does not even like to think about the fact he was in a CRITTERS film. Directed by Kristine Peterson this time around we find the CRITTERS have hitched a ride to the big city and once again start to terrorize the redents of a rundown apartment building, although this movie is not horrible it is a far cry from the high quality of the franchise’s first two entries.
Shot directly after completion of the third film CRITTERS 4 would be released in 1992 directed by Rupert Harvey and be the death of the franchise. In the final installment of the series one of the bounty hunters are about to destroy the last two critter eggs in existence, but before that happens he receives a message warning him it would be illegal to wipe a species of any sorts from the galaxy and is given orders to transport the remaining eggs for safe keeping. After being lost in space and frozen for fifty three years the bounty hunter and his deadly cargo are discovered by a team of wreckage collectors. The critters end up getting loose and once again start chewing on humans like a blue plate special. By far this is the worse movie of the franchise and even still I still enjoy it for the most part.
With all of that said how awesome would it be to see this franchise get a reboot with a decent budget and the promises of no CGI just old school practical effects and animatronics the way creature features of this caliber are meant to be made. If I could choose a dream director to take on the reboot I would have to go with Joe Dante due to his beautiful work on the GREMLINS franchise and more recently THE HOLE, I feel he would be a perfect match for a film of this type.
Hopefully somewhere out there a stressed out studio executive is sweating bullets trying to think of a franchise that has not seen a remake yet and sees this little rant slash begging spree for a reboot of a series that I truly love, CRITTERS. But remember Mr. Hollywood executive, no funny buness, take it serious and don’t rush it out the door. A crazy idea I know, but one can hope.
http://youtu.be/3VkxRD3s5_I
Horror Domain - Cursed Evil Overlord
Thursday 8/18/2011 at 05:06 AM | 80951
NO NO NO NO NO NONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NO WAY IN HELL IT'S BAD ENOUGH THEY SCREW UP FRIDAY THE 13TH AND THAN NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET AND THAN MY BLOODY VALENTINE BUT THERE IN NO WAY IN HELL I WILL LET THIS HAPPEN EVER .CRITTER ALL 4 MOVIES ARE CLASC AND NEED TO BE LEFT ALONE .
nightmareblade
Thursday 8/18/2011 at 05:44 AM | 80957
I would be down for a remake a sequel or a prequel. Just no CGI. CGI Critters would piss me off.
DoubleshotJ
Thursday 8/18/2011 at 05:47 AM | 80958
As much as I loved the original Critters movie and I think that it would be awesome to see what they could do with practical FX and animatronics......... I'd really just like to see somebody do something new and creative. I want to see a new (good take)
on a monster movie. The kids of this generation coming up really don't have many movies in the genre that are
well made and that they can call their own.
Super 8?.... Meh.
on a monster movie. The kids of this generation coming up really don't have many movies in the genre that are
well made and that they can call their own.
Super 8?.... Meh.
Craddock
Thursday 8/18/2011 at 06:10 AM | 80959
NO NO NO NO NO NONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN NO WAY IN HELL IT'S BAD ENOUGH THEY SCREW UP FRIDAY THE 13TH AND THAN NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET AND THAN MY BLOODY VALENTINE BUT THERE IN NO WAY IN HELL I WILL LET THIS HAPPEN EVER .CRITTER ALL 4 MOVIES ARE CLASC AND NEED TO BE LEFT ALONE .
it sounds as if you're not a big fan of remakes lol
i'm all up for this idea
Critters has always flown under the radar, and it's one of those movies that could be HEAVILY improved upon. I would DEF check out a reboot.
it sounds as if you're not a big fan of remakes lol
i'm all up for this idea
Critters has always flown under the radar, and it's one of those movies that could be HEAVILY improved upon. I would DEF check out a reboot.
Matt_Molgaard
Thursday 8/18/2011 at 01:43 PM | 80978
I don't mind remake like Fright Night looks awesome and much better than the original but what they did to Friday the 13th and Nightmare was beyond wrong .If fact I liked the new Elm street to a point I just hated that it was way to much CGI and it was way to heavily edited .I mean if they would have kept the stuff we saw in the trailer or alteast release those scenes on the dvd or blue ray like they said they would it would have been a much better film .
nightmareblade
Thursday 8/18/2011 at 07:43 PM | 81009
Looking back at them now, Critters greatly seem to be demented little Furbies.
I think I'm in the same boat with everyone who wouldn't mind a remake, so long as they didn't use CGI.
Maybe I'm getting jaded on the whole thing, but at this point, I much prefer tangible effects to green screens.
dew
Thursday 8/18/2011 at 08:08 PM | 81016
