The Monster Squad

One question: How on earth can a movie this good have been so rare and hard-to-find for so long?

The answer? Copyright problems. For this tragic reason, this superbly made family movie in the vein of "The Goonies" has, until recently, been largely hidden from view...

And it's a crying shame too, because it really is beautifully made and has something for everyone. The Monster Squad is a fun 'B-movie' which carries on the tradition of the old monster movies of the 1950's.

A ramshackle bunch of kids led by Sean (ANDRE GOWER) calling themselves 'The Monster Squad' live in a town where everything is starting to go haywire. A man walks into a police station begging to be incarcerated because it is a full moon. Needless to say the police think he's simply crazy. Only later does it start to appear that he's something else entirely.

Meanwhile, above, a plane carrying strange cargo in the form of coffins and artifacts has problems and "things" fall out of the sky into a local swamp. Later, all the famous ghoulish characters from those old monster movies will reunite there and only 'The Monster Squad' will stand between them and the total domination of the world by the forces of evil.

A hundred years ago, famous vampire hunter, Dr.Abraham Van Helsing battled these very same forces before disappearing, leaving only a diary of his exploits.

The kids are lucky enough to get hold of this and, with a translation from the local 'scary German guy' (LEONARDO CIMINO) we learn that an amulet exists which is a source of pure good and can be used to stop the evil Dracula (DUNCAN REGEHR) from taking over the world.

Dracula, with his compadres Frankenstein, Werewolf, a Gill-Man, and a 2000-year old Mummy, meanwhile know that the kids have the diary and the stage is set for the showdown.

Luckily Sean, Fat-Kid, Rudy and Pheobe have a suprise ally in the form of gentle giant Frankenstein (TOM NOONAN), who is obviously disallusioned with a life of evil and the stage is set for the battle to save all mankind...