As Halloween approaches, it’s time to start watching scary movies with my kids. Because my sons are both 11, however, I won’t start them with anything too strong, at least not right away. For our Film at 11 podcast this week, Thomas and I sit down with The Monster Squad, director Fred Dekker and writer Shane Black’s 1987 horror-comedy about a group of 12-years-olds who have to save their neighborhood from Dracula and a team-up of other classic movie monsters.
Released in the wake of The Goonies, this suburban kids’ adventure tale was definitely aiming for the same vibe of anarchic chaos. Also much like The Goonies, I think it may be an artifact best left to nostalgia. Watching as an adult, I find the tone of both movies quite shrill and obnoxious. In just one of its many sins, The Monster Squad is filled with swearing and a lot of offensive language that hasn’t aged well. I don’t think Black’s writing is nearly as clever as he believed at the time.
Thomas enjoyed the movie more than I did, which I suppose is appropriate enough. It’s obviously targeted for the sensibilities of someone his age, not mine. I’ll let him have this one. In our next episode together, though, this boy better brace himself for a Texas Chain Saw Massacre!
(Before anyone calls Child Protective Services, let me be clear that was just a joke.)
| Title: | The Monster Squad |
| Year of Release: | 1987 |
| Director: | Fred Dekker |
| Watched On: | Blu-ray |
| Also Available On: | 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Paramount+ Fubo Hoopla Roku Channel Various VOD rental and purchase platforms |
The Blu-ray
As it turns out, The Monster Squad was remastered for new Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray editions released by Kino Lorber in 2023. The movie’s also currently streaming on Paramount+, where I probably could have found that new remaster if I’d looked. Sadly, I hadn’t been paying enough attention and wasn’t aware of any of those things. Instead, I pulled out a copy of the 20th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray from Lionsgate that had been sitting in my collection unwatched since it was first released back in 2009 (which was, one may note, not even the movie’s actual 20th anniversary). What a mistake that was. This old disc both looks and sounds pretty awful.
The Lionsgate disc was clearly not scanned from the film’s Original Camera Negative. Whatever source was used started a few generations away. The 2.35:1 picture is rather soft, with flat colors, elevated black levels, and persistent light edge enhancement. It may not be one of the worst Blu-rays I own, but learning that a newer remaster was available if I’d bothered to check for it really soured this viewing experience.
The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack is frankly even worse. The track is thin and weak, with murky dialogue and no dynamic range at all. It was fatiguing to my ears.
Annoying, the Lionsgate disc also starts with two forced trailers before the main menu. Once you finally get to them, bonus features include two audio commentaries, a five-part retrospective documentary (about 75 minutes total), a jokey 1986 interview with “Frankenstein” (actor Tom Noonan in character on set), a handful of deleted scenes, some animated storyboards, a still gallery, a trailer, and a TV spot.
Related
- Shane Black (writer)
- Dracula
- Frankenstein’s Monster
- Other Vampires
The Video File Blog 
“Also much like The Goonies, I think it may be an artifact best left to nostalgia. Watching as an adult, I find the tone of both movies quite shrill and obnoxious.”
Haha. Ouch. My second favourite movie of all time.
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Is this the movie where one of the kids asks if the Wolfman “has nards”?
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Yup.
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