In the early 1980s, filmmaker Stephen Herek got his start working as an editor for B-movie king Roger Corman. He was the assistant editor on Android, The Slumber Party Massacre, and Space Raiders, where he met Brian Muir. The two began a friendship while working on 1984’s City Limits, and Brian presented Stephen with a script he wrote. Seeing the potential in the screenplay, Herek decided this would be his next project as well as his directorial debut. They pitched their concept to Sho Films, who agreed to develop the film with New Line Cinema as the distributor. For the creature effects, they hired The Chiodo Brothers, who previously worked on Tim Burton’s Vincent and Pee-wee’s Big Adventure. Brian Muir decided to be credited as Dominic, his middle name, which he later regretted due to the confusion. After a six-week filming schedule and post-production, Critters was finally released in 1986.
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Synopsis
In the far-off reaches of space, a group of aliens known as Crites escapes from an asteroid prison. Two bounty hunters are sent to find and destroy the Crites, and they chase them down to planet Earth. They end up in the small town of Grovers Bend, where the bounty hunters assume human forms and start searching. Meanwhile, the Crites start making their way through the town and wind up at the home of the Brown family. The family consists of Helen (Dee Wallace), Jay (Billy “Green” Bush), Brad (Scott Grimes), and April (Nadine van der Velde). As the Crites and bounty hunters run rampant, local Sheriff Harv (M. Emmet Walsh) is having to deal with this. Once the Crites arrive at the Brown family’s house, it becomes a fight for survival against the diminutive creatures. Will the family survive, or will they be the Crites’ next meal?
Review
First and foremost, I should mention how Critters has been compared to Gremlins since its release and labeled a knock-off. While they share a similar premise of tiny monsters attacking people, the two are completely different from one another. Plus, Herek and Muir have refuted that Critters was written before Gremlins and was rewritten to avoid comparisons. Much like Ghoulies, this may have gotten greenlit because of the success of Gremlinsbut wasn’t a direct rip-off. That being said, Critters is easily the best if not one of the better films spawned after Gremlins. The cast is excellent, featuring veteran actors Billy Bush and M. Emmet Walsh, as well as genre favorite Dee Wallace. Plus, younger actors Scott Grimes and Nadine van der Velde give exceptional performances and are fully dedicated to the film. Also, there are some early appearances from Billy Zane and Lin Shaye.
While not as intricate or detailed as the Gremlins, the Critters are still impressive given the low budget. As designed by the Chiodo Brothers (Killer Klowns from Outer Space), they have a unique look and plenty of movement. For a first-time director, Herek does a good job behind the camera, making effective use of shadow and low lighting. Admittedly, after the opening scene of the Crites escaping from prison, the film takes a while to get going. Thankfully, the characters are fun to watch, and there’s plenty of humor and character development to keep you invested. Once it gets going, it’s a great thrill ride as the family tries fighting off the Crites and surviving. Plus, at a brisk 86 minutes, the film never outstays its welcome or feels like it’s dragging to the end. Overall, Critters is a solid creature-feature made with tons of talent and heart.
Buy The Critters Collection from Shout! Factory: https://bit.ly/3dSwczC
