Ghoulies (1985)
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0% of critics liked it
(9 reviews) -
26% of users liked it
(10,031 ratings)
Joe Dante's box-office fantasy Gremlins had barely left American cinemas before Charles Band's B-movie factory, Empire Pictures, rushed out this cheap knockoff. While Dante's film benefited from the director's wry sense of humor and the high-concept clout of executive producer Steven… More Joe Dante's box-office fantasy Gremlins had barely left American cinemas before Charles Band's B-movie factory, Empire Pictures, rushed out this cheap knockoff. While Dante's film benefited from the director's wry sense of humor and the high-concept clout of executive producer Steven Spielberg, Band's tawdry little creature feature boasts lower production values than a high-school haunted-house fundraiser. The title monsters are a pack of obnoxious demons -- enacted by a handful of rubber dolls covered with KY jelly -- summoned up by the metaphysical shenanigans of college student Jonathan Graves (Peter Liapis) after he discovers his late father's occult paraphernalia at the family estate. Jonathan later invites a group of annoying friends to participate in an all-night party, during which he intends to perform an elaborate parlor trick -- actually a satanic ritual through which he hopes to acquire his father's supernatural powers. This doesn't sit well with Dad, who bursts violently from his grave (a nice touch) to have a chat with his wayward son while legions of ghoulies (well, four or five, anyway) descend upon the revelers. Considering the entire production revolves around the antics of the ghoulies themselves, the alleged puppetry involved is laughable -- the inarticulate puppets do little more than open drooling mouths full of pointy teeth before offscreen stagehands fling them at the heads of cast members. The film's main points of interest lie with the supporting cast, which includes Bobbi Bresee as a supernatural seductress (sporting an eight-foot tongue!) and Eraserhead's John Nance as a bizarre gardener. Somehow, this became one of Empire's top moneymakers, spawning no less than three sequels. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi
- Directed By
- Luca Bercovici, Albert Band
- Written By
- Luca Bercovici
- Genres
- Horror, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Comedy
- In Theaters
- Jun 1, 1985 Wide
- Studio
- Vestron Video
Critic Reviews
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Austin Kennedy, Film Geek Central
I can enjoy a bad cheesy B-movie, but there has to be a sense of charm, and GHOULIES has none whatsoever!
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Gerry Shamray, Sun Newspapers of Cleveland
B movie trash.
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David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
...they're not meant to inspire terror in viewers, as evidenced by the sequence featuring a ghoulie playing the piano...
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Scott Weinberg, eFilmCritic.com
Low-rent "Gremlins" rip-off that exists only due to a clever VHS cover.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Peter Liapis
as Jonathan Graves
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Lisa Pelikan
as Rebecca
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Michael Des Barres
as Malcolm Graves
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Jack Nance
as Wolfgang
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Peter Risch
as Grizzel
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Tamara De Treaux
as Greedigut
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Scott Thomson
as Mike
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Ralph Seymour
as Mark Toad Boy
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Mariska Hargitay
as Donna
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Keith Joe Dick
as Dick
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David Dayan Fisher
as Eddie
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Bobbi Bresee
as Temptress
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Charene Cathleen
as Robin
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Victoria Catlin
as Amanda
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Annie Stocking
as Ghoulie

