1989 was a simpler time. Back then you could make a comedy for children in which a boy is abducted by a grown man dressed as a monster in a denim vest. Oh, also that man is Howie Mandel, in a performance so manic he makes Robin Williams look like Sam Elliot. Of course the film is Little Monsters, also starring Fred Savage and directed by the guy who designed the titles for Hudson Hawk. It was fun when we were kids, but what about now? Is the film anything more than a botched carbon copy of Beetlejuice? Is the film a surreal metaphor for the sexual awakening of puberty? Why do we care? Download the link below to find out, or better yet, subscribe on iTunes! And be sure to follow us on Twitter!
MUSIC: This week’s featured artist is Hands & Teeth
WARNING: the podcast contains strong language and immature subject matter, please be advised.
Check out this video– apparently the makers of this film decided to downplay the creepiness of the child/grown-man monster friendship by having an actual 1-900 number you could call. It only cost 95 cents a minute, plus all of your dignity.
Remember when Fred Savage was like a God? Well maybe not a God, more like a little boy. But he sure gave those Culkins a run for their money (as did their parents). When he wasn’t being read bedtime stories by Peter Falk or staring into space while Daniel Stern monologued, Fred was starring in films like 1989′s The Wizard. A childhood favorite in its time, but how does it hold up? It’s basically a two-hour advertisement for Nintendo– but what an advertisement! It also stars future Rilo Kiley star Jenny Lewis, and future Christian Slater Christian Slater.
