Ghoulies/Ghoulies 2
(MGM Region One Double Feature DVD)
(1985/1987)
review by Don't Feed the Dead

While I don't have as much love for the Ghoulies as I do for the Gremlins, I still get a kick out of the miserable grunts and groans put forth by the simplistic puppets born from the toilet. The Ghoulies was a movie that was sort of shunned from American cinema when it was released, due to its coming after Gremlins in the theaters. Everybody has love for the Gremlins( except for Head Cheeze), and naturally the public responded with cries of "ripoff" when the Ghoulies followed suit on the silver screen. However, what people fail to notice about Ghoulies is that the idea was developed a few years prior to Gremlins, yet the movie was released at a later date because it didn't have the child appeal that Gremlins had.
Ghoulies is set in the mid 80's when it was filmed - bad hair, neon clothing and breakdancing are rampant throughout the movie. We see a satanic ritual being held in the beginning of the movie, where a baby is to be sacrificed to give the druid leader a new soul. The baby is spared by its mother, who suffers an undesirable death at the hands of the Ghoulies. Prior to delving any further into the storyline, I would like to point out that there are four major ghoulies: The green water dwelling ghoulie, the cat-like ghoulie, the rat-like ghoulie, and the ghoulie thug.

Cut to 20 years later, and we see a man inherit the same house that the ritual took place in from his recently deceased father. He's surveying the grounds with his raggedy looking chick, when they stumble upon a tombstone with a pentagram on it. Before the duo can discover who the grave belongs to, the caretaker arrives in his pink garb and scares them away. The two then move to the interior of the house and begin to explore. After searching the house for a while, they decide to just settle in and enjoy their new residence. So what do people do when they inherit a decrepit mansion with satanic ties? They throw a party! Whilst we are treated to a delightful breakdancing session by the token pothead, we begin to see the lead character Peter take interest in this book that he found during his house exploration. Peter thinks that the party should move to the basement where they hold a ritual to summon demons. Well, nothing occurs during the ritual, but after everyone vacates the basement, the Ghoulies begin to appear. Peter eventually discovers his new found pets and delves deeper into the satanic rituals that he reads about in his new book, craving the power an knowledge that his father, the same dude we saw in the opening ritual, once held.
Although the concept of Ghoulies is a bit odd, it does have its charming characteristics. For one, it was a bit of a pioneer in cinema puppetry for the horror genre, and although rudimentary, does not give in to the dreaded claymation effect. The Ghoulies themselves also have an adorable air about them, and if given the chance to be domesticated, would probably make excellent pets. They are brought to life with a great deal of personality, which is more evident in the sequel.

The second installment of Ghoulies follows in linear fashion, with the demons previously being expelled from the house. They now return in a burlap sack at the opening, where a holy man is attempting to dispose of them while fleeing from klan members wearing red. The holy man finds solice in a closed gas station, where there is an ominous vat of toxic chemicals siiting open in the middle of the garage floor. He dumps the sack into the vat, but falls prey to the toxins himself when Bat Ghoulie flies by and knocks him in. Coincidentally, moments later a truck for the sideshow attraction "Satan's Den" rolls in seeking a mechanic's assistance. The Ghoulies seize the opportunity to hitchhike and grab a ride in the back of the truck to the carnival stop. Now, Satan's Den is an endangered sideshow that has made very little money over the past few months, but all of that is about to change when the Ghoulies unleash their fury in the Den.

Ghoulies II is more enjoyable than its predecessor in that the characters are more defined, and the ghoulies have more of a personable feel. Known more for its trademark "Ghoulie in the toilet bit", part II was a bit more popular than the first. Not to take anything away from the rest of the substance, in fact the movie itself is quite funny with plenty of cheap-o gags and 80's lingo to keep the story rollin along. The FX get an upgrade from the first installment, offering a plethora of gore in a haunted house setting. The puppetry is still unrefined, but amusing none the less. Oh, and did I happen to mention the circus midget? Anyone that has seen movies with little people will take notice of Phil Fondacaro as Sir Nigel Penneyweight, the annoyingly British dwarf. Interesting how people with differences will stand out in our mind, but we can't draw a memory of our previous day's activities. Or is that because I'm a burnout?
Not much by way of extras, both movies receive the original theatrical trailer, but nothing more. In either case, I believe this double feature is worth the monetary sacrifice and the time spent watching the two flicks. I had a great time watching the little bastards wreak havoc in the sequel and almost busted a nut with the breakdancing sequence in the first film.