Ghoulies III: Ghoulies Go to College (1991) [filmed in 1989]

... aka: Duhovi III (Ghosts III)
... aka: Ghoulies: Ghoulies Go to College
... aka: Ghoulies 3
... aka: Ghoulies III - Anche i mostri vanno al college (Ghoulies III: Monsters Also Go to College)
... aka: Ghoulies Go to College

Directed by:
John Carl Buechler

GHOULIES (1985) was a surprise money-maker despite not being a very good film. Whether or not its makers were deliberately trying to cash in on Gremlins when they made it is irrelevant to the fact it clearly wouldn't have been nearly as successful had Joe Dante's film not been such a hit itself. GHOULIES II (1988) was also profitable in addition to being a slight improvement over the first. So why was producer Charles Band suddenly not involved in this third film in the lucrative franchise? By the late 80s, Band's Empire Pictures was in financial dire straights due in part to a string of less-successful theatrical releases in 1987 and Band spending tens of millions of dollars to set up shop in Italy. In an effort to raise money to try to save the studio, he sold off what he could, which happened to include the rights to the "Ghoulies" brand name. It didn't help matters and Empire was pretty much over by the end of 1988.

Hoping to cash in were Lightning Pictures, the production arm of Lightning Video and both subdivisions of parent company Vestron Inc. / Pictures / Video. Like Band, who was a major supplier of video product through his Wizard Video, Vestron was doing just fine distributing other people's films. Their undoing came when they started trying to compete with major studios by financing their own. While they did hit pay dirt with the corny Dirty Dancing in 1987, most of their subsequent in-house productions - like Steel Dawn (1987) with Patrick Swayze, Midnight Crossing (1988) with Faye Dunaway, Far from Home (1989) with Drew Barrymore and Catchfire (1990) with Jodie Foster, Dennis Hopper and Vincent Price - were commercial and critical failures that didn't even come close to making back their budgets in theaters.

By 1991, Vestron too had filed for bankruptcy and their entire catalogue went to other distributors. A few years before that happened, they'd purchased the rights to Ghoulies and produced this sequel for the home video market. Buechler, the man behind the fx of the first two films, was brought back again for same and they even let him direct this time, too. They also managed to get together a better-known cast to appeal directly to video renters. Seems like a surefire video hit, right? Nope. This was one of their titles that got caught up in the financial problems. It was shot back in 1989, but not released until two years later. By that point, the distribution rights had already been handed over to Taurus Entertainment, who also released Class of 1999 (1990); another Lightning production.

A college professor manages to resurrect the ghoulies from their "porcelain vessel" (a toilet) by reading a comic called "Ghoulish Tales" and pays the ultimate price for it. Twenty-one years later, a student using the john manages to find a copy of the comic and history's about to repeat itself once an incantation contained within the comic's pages is read aloud. The demon puppets have picked the perfect time to make a return trip from hell: It's "Prank Week" at Glazier College! You pretty much know what to expect. Eggs will be thrown at houses. Toilet paper will be hung from trees. Pies will be flung into faces. Water-filled condoms will be sling-shotted off of balconies. Goats will be hoisted up flagpoles. Blow-up sex dolls will drive golf carts. And uncredited Kane Hodder butts will be stuck in rolling mop buckets. All the usuals.

There are two rival frats hoping to earn the coveted title of "Yank King" (for some reason they call pranks "yanks" here): the popular and homogeneous rich kids and jocks of the Gamma frat, and the more accepting and diverse, yet only slightly less obnoxious, Beta Zeta Theta frat. The former is led by bleach blonde "Hitler youth" snob Jeremy Heilman (John R. Johnston) while the latter is fronted by wise ass Skip Carter (Evan MacKenzie). Good luck determining which of these two is the least likable. Even though they want us to root for Skip, they sure as hell don't make it easy on us during the first half of the film. The Beta frat is painted as the more unpopular one as they accept a guy wearing glasses, a fat guy, a black guy (who doesn't even get any dialogue) and an Asian guy (who is so obsessed with electronics he can't get laid). Oh, the 80s.

Skip somehow manages to be dating the pretty, studious Erin Riddle (Eva La Rue) who, let's face it, is clearly out of his league. But because he's so obsessed with his "yanks" he stands her up, which prompts her to start going out with Jeremy just to piss him off. Meanwhile, the mean and increasingly more unhinged Professor Quinton Ragnar (Kevin McCarthy), who's sick of the "yanks" and basically sick of all the students period (can't say I blame him), gets his hands on the Ghoulish Tales comic. He does some research, recites the incantation and summons the ghoulies up through a toilet in the Beta house. Ragnar also discovers that because he called them forth, he can also control the creatures and uses this to his advantage.

This time out there are only three of the creatures: the fish, cat and rat ghoulies. The creature design is somewhat different, too, as they're larger than in the previous two films, though not as big as the dwarfs-wearing-masks from the next sequel. But the biggest change is that the ghoulies now talk. Of course it's almost exclusively terrible one-liners but, hey, what do you expect, Shakespeare?

The antics of the ghoulies this time include getting drunk on cheap bear, eating pizza, drinking Drain-O, belching, farting, breaking lots of stuff, watching a couple have sex, watching a woman strip, watching women take showers, watching a topless pillow fight and partaking in a panty raid. So basically they're not much different than regular frat guys. However, in this entry, the ghoulies seem more intent on destroying personal property and vehicles than people. They do at least manage to flush someone down a toilet, smash a head with a skillet, pull off a face with a bathroom plunger and strangle Marcia Wallace to death with her own tongue after making a Newhart joke.

Unlike the previous entries, which seemed geared more toward tweens, this is a strictly R-rated college sex comedy with lots of tasteless gags and female nudity. If you accept it on those terms and are just looking for some dumb, lowbrow fun, this pretty much delivers on that. It's fast-paced, energetic, has fun special effects and there's at least always something going on... even if that something is usually embarrassing and moronic! While the cast is pretty grating at first due to the writing, the two leads do at least grow on you a bit by the end. As an added bonus, it's great seeing veteran McCarthy in a major role here and looking like he's having a lot of fun. He even turns into a mutant with a giant bulldog head on his stomach (!) at one point.

Much of the nudity is provided by sexy Playboy Playmate Hope Marie Carlton, who has a (played for laughs) sex scene, a strip tease scene and a shower scene. She spends so much time naked most people probably won't even realize she also possesses pretty good comic timing and creates an amusing character here. Others in the cast include Patrick Labyorteaux (Heathers) as Skip's best bud, Stephen Lee (Dolls) as a security guard in love with his golf cart, Jason Scott Lee (who'd get some attention a few years later for the Bruce Lee biopic Dragon) and Griffin O'Neal (APRIL FOOL'S DAY). This was also the film debut of Matthew Lillard (billed as "Matthew Lynn"), though he's stuck in the background the entire time so you may not even notice him.

Unlike the first two films, this hasn't been given a spit-shined special edition Blu-ray, though there's been a (bare bones) DVD release from Lionsgate.

★★

Howling, The (1981)

... aka: Aullidos
... aka: Das Tier (The Animal)
... aka: Gritos de Horror (Horror Scream)
... aka: Howling: The Beast
... aka: Hurlements

Directed by:
Joe Dante

"What's the best werewolf movie of the 80s: An American Werewolf in London or The Howling?" That's one of the most frequently debated topics in all of 80s horror and one I can finally provide a definitive answer to: Both! There really may be no "better" in this particular case. These two films both provide completely different pleasures with completely different werewolf transformations / make-up designs, a completely different attitude and a completely different sense of humor. So, like many things, this is strictly a matter of personal taste and no one is exactly right or wrong for preferring one over the other. Both are well-made, well-written, well-cast, manage to provide scares, laughs and atmosphere and deservedly hold their place in the genre as not only two of the best werewolf films of their decade but two of the best werewolf movies of all time.

What's really not up for debate is that An American Werewolf was the more popular and successful of the two right out of the gate. It received more critical praise, grossed nearly twice as much to become the highest-grossing horror movie of 1981 and even won the very first Academy Award handed out in the make-up category for Rick Baker's brilliant work. Meanwhile, The Howling was also praised (just not as much), also financially successful (just not as much) and also won some industry awards (just not as prestigious). However, it's worth noting that American Werewolf was significantly more expensive to produce and also had the luxury of being a heavily-promoted wider release from Universal, while Howling was distributed by the smaller (though not tiny by any means) AVCO Embassy. Preferences aside, one thing no one can ever take away from The Howling is its ability to pull off many of the same things American Werewolf did on a fraction of the cost, with Howling's 1.5 million budget dwarfed by the 10+ million it cost to bankroll Landis' movie.

Also typically left out of the conversation completely is the wide release of a third wolf-themed horror movie in 1981: Michael Wadleigh's Wolfen. It reputedly cost 17 million to produce (just a few million less than 1981's top-grossing film, Raiders of the Lost Ark!) and failed to match the box office of either American Werewolf or The Howling. Wolfen, which actually is a unique, stylish and pretty damn good movie in its own right, didn't come close to making back its budget in theaters. That likely cost its director (who'd made the Best Documentary Oscar winner Woodstock a decade earlier) his career while Dante and Landis both went on to successful careers in Hollywood.

Los Angeles-based TV newscaster Karen White (Dee Wallace) has been recently receiving calls from a local serial killer known as Eddie the Mangler (Robert Picardo), who uses a yellow smiley face as his calling card. In an effort to help finally end his reign of terror, Karen decides to act as a decoy for police and lures Eddie to an adult book shop where he's eventually shot dead. Unfortunately for our heroine, a police screw almost got her killed before Eddie bit the bullet and she's now traumatized to the point of temporary amnesia and unable to recall exactly what happened that night. Instead, she's haunted by nightmarish glimpses of the event, which reveal only small pieces of information at a time and are having a detrimental effect on both her personal and professional life. In an effort to "recharge her batteries," author, behavioral expert and psychiatrist Dr. George Waggner (Patrick Macnee) sends her off for a relaxing stay at his secluded "experimental living community" called The Colony, where she's to take part in seminars and group therapy in a peaceful, tranquil setting.

Along with increasingly frustrated vegetarian / health nut husband Bill (Wallace's late real-life husband Christopher Stone), Karen goes to the secluded Northern California commune, which she and hubby soon discover is populated by a bunch of eccentric, though seemingly harmless, kooks. They're introduced to some of their new neighbors at a nighttime beach bonfire where bitchy nymphomaniac Marsha (Elisabeth Brooks), who makes her attraction to Bill blatantly clear, and old timer Erle Kenton (John Carradine), who attempts to commit suicide by jumping into the fire because "I've gotta burn!," make the biggest impression. Later that night, a near-constant howling coming from the foggy forest proves to be the perfect soundtrack to accompany Karen's recurring nightmares. So much for rest and relaxation.

Dealing with the oddballs at The Colony, plus all of the howling and eerie noises coming from the woods, prompts Karen to want to head back to the city. Before that can happen, Bill is attacked and bitten by something in the forest. Dr. Waggner advises no travel until he's fully healed. Shortly thereafter, Bill develops a craving for meat and sudden disinterest in his wife; shrugging her off and instead sneaking into the woods late at night to meet up with the sultry Marsha.

Back in L.A., Karen's colleagues Chris (Dennis Dugan) and Terry (Belinda Balaski) are busy working on a new TV special tentatively titled "The Mind of Eddie Quist." This leads to the morgue where Eddie's body has mysteriously disappeared and then a trip to (the very funny) Dick Miller's bookstore for werewolf literature. After receiving a frantic phone call from Karen about Bill being bitten by a wolf, Terry decides to pay a visit to The Colony herself and soon regrets her decision. That's because the entire place is a haven for werewolves. And Karen ending up there herself is no coincidence.

Among other things, The Howling continues to serve as a good example of how to make a horror-comedy the right way. First and foremost, while the entire movie has a self-aware and satirical edge and is filled with humor, sight gags and inside jokes, much of that is kept on the periphery as not to be intrusive to the actual story. Clips of The Wolf Man are seen on a TV set, most of the characters are named after famous werewolf movie directors (which was clever in 1981 but not so much now because everyone does it) and you can spot all kinds of wolf-related references all over the place, from a framed picture of Lon Chaney in the doctor's office to a copy of Allen Ginsberg's "Howl" on a desk. Yet none of that diminishes the horror content in the least. When this wants to be creepy or scary, it is, especially a long sequence of Balaski's character being stalked through the woods.

Like many other Dante films, the cast has been chosen specifically to please genre fans. In addition to those already mentioned, we also get fun roles for Kevin McCarthy (TV station director), Slim Pickens (friendly local sheriff), Noble Willingham (cattle rancher) and Kenneth Tobey (cop). James MacKrell has a funny part as a newscaster (a role he'd reprise in Dante's Gremlins a few years later) and Don McLeod is memorable as Marsha's "part bloodhound" brother. Also showing up in uncredited cameos, are writer John Sayles (morgue attendant) and art director Robert A. Burns plus Roger Corman (seen outside a phone booth), Forrest J. Ackerman (seen holding a copy of Famous Monsters in a bookstore) and Jonathan Kaplan (gas station attendant).

Another obvious highlight are the make-up effects. While Rick Baker received a supervisor credit, Rob Bottin (an assistant to Baker at the time) was the main man in charge of the fx. A lengthy man-to-wolf transformation scene continues to impress today and his wolf designs themselves remain some of the most menacing and effective in any werewolf film all these years later. Other fx contributions come from Doug Beswick (mechanical fx), David Allen (stop motion), Greg Cannom and Roger George. Outside of a brief but silly-looking cartoon werewolf sex silhouette, the effects have held up very well. Pino Donaggio also contributes a good score with echoes of some of the music he'd previously done for Brian De Palma movies.

Though some character names and the basic plot outline come from the 1977 Gary Brandner novel of the same name, the film itself doesn't really have much to do with that mostly humorless book. That has a lot to do the screenplay going through a number of hands, including Jack Conrad and Terence H. Winkless, before John Sayles was brought in to do the same Sayles magic he did with ALLIGATOR (1980) and his previous Dante collaboration Piranha (1978). The closest adaptation to the novel is actually the third sequel - HOWLING IV: THE ORIGINAL NIGHTMARE (1988). All other sequels in this long-running series credit one of three, or all three, of Brandner's Howling novels as a basis though they too have little, and sometimes absolutely nothing, to do with anything Brandner wrote.

★★★1/2