Customer Reviews

That Little Monster

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I went into this with an open mind. Some of my favorite horror films happen to be low-budget and arty with iffy acting. But, this just didn't do it for me.
I'm just not a fan of Peter Jackson's early, low budget, awkward, OTT "funny" movies like BAD TASTE and DEAD ALIVE and this reminded me of an attempt to ape and graft that style onto that of the original TWILIGHT ZONE, with some early David Lynch bad-dream-gooeyness thrown into the mix.
This had some potential-
an amusing cameo by The Ackermonster himself.
A great (albeit derivative) abstract opening sequence.
Some lovely b & w photography.
Story elements which threw me off-balance and set things up for the reveal of the titular monster.
But, it seemed the filmmaker was so enamored of his female lead he couldn't see and work around her limitations. One or two "cute" close-up reaction shots were plenty, he didn't need to include 15-20 of them.
And, oh NO! I'm sorry, but, better no score at all than yet another generic film-student SYNTH SCORE.

And the masks- funny and disturbing the first time, from then on it's way too much of an attempt to mimic ("honor"?) a CLASSIC episode of TWILIGHT ZONE known for its NEAR-FLAWLESS makeup effects.

Nice try, but, I think there must be other young filmmakers out there who despite their youth have matured past their influences enough to begin to develop their own voices. I'd like to see them get a crack at this kind of dvd release.

This movie is dark and bizarre. The plot is flat and predictable. The effects are laughable. It is a cross between Eraserhead and Attack of the Killer Tomatoes. It seems more like a high school film project.
I recommend seeing it just for laughs.

The release of "That Little Monster" and "The Visitant" on DVD is memorable. The marriage of film to sound creates an inviting
environment that stirs the imagination, and leaves one wanting more.

When a friend recommended this obscure monster movie to me I went in a bit apprehensively. I knew nothing of the film's makers or main cast. Boy oh boy, was I in for a surprise! Something completely different was about to fill my TV screen --- a snazzy little gem of a film which may very well take YOU by surprise too! I heard this was supposed to be some kind of homage to David Lynch's "Eraserhead," and I guess if you're gonna steal, why not steal from the best. Well, it's not.... not so much an homage to "Eraserhead" but rather a celebration of a dream -- or -- what you can do with very little money and a dream. Sure the film is unevenly paced in spots, slow on the draw at times, and a very simple storyline, but it never leaves you feeling like you wasted your time.

The real story here is revealed in the dvd's Audio Commentary where the director tells about his passion to make a movie without the big bucks and with no studio backing. And did he succeed???? Don't expect a film classic here, but with a little fine tuning these guys will make it to the BIG screen for sure.

I gave this dvd 5 out of 5 stars, not because the movie is a perfect gem, because it's not, but rather because the film makers really seemed to pour their heart and soul into this production which really shows in every single frame --- and also because the black & white photography really grabs you and that's a hard thing to nail these days.

It's always nice to go into a movie(s) cold and emerge jazzed about possibilities. Case in point, Paul Bunnell's double bill DVD. THE VISITANT is very Lynchian in structure, in that the details divulged at the climax completely make sense of the bizarre strings of events unfolding throughout. A disarming mood
piece, for sure, with a most excellent score, and there's one shot that's textbook composition: the visitant framed from about twenty feet behind a locked gate, under an open-air cemetery structure. That was totally brilliant. The opening shots remind me a lot of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD in how it's cut. That had to be intentional.

THAT LITTLE MONSTER is very ERASERHEAD. Beautiful cinematography (with some stunning shots: the blood falling on the doorway beads; the first approach to the monster's door which leads to an Olympian ascent over, around, and inside it; a bird's eye slow motion view of the monster tackling the babysitter through the doorway) and nice attention to design. Wow. Bob Hope. That's absolutely fantastic, ambitious. Perhaps because a minority of scattershot buzz prefaced the DVD with a frown towards story and structure, I went in looking at it as very European: loose and experimental. True, American studio narrative cronies might advocate cuts here, cuts there, tighten this, tighten that...but I think that's missing the point with what Bunnell achieved with both (with the latter, I kept thinking of all the genre in-jokes, not to mention casting coups...it's totally a TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE, and most certainly, their loss). The curtain introduction is exceedingly funny, by the way.

And hey, I LIKE chocolate-covered raisins. ;)

I just want to tell you all how thrilled I am with the DVD release of THAT LITTLE MONSTER. Elite has done another first-rate job on a hard-to-find independent horror-comedy (which up until now has only been available through Sinister Cinema on VHS).

Elite Entertainment was founded in 1993. The company is currently one of the leaders in the restoration and distribution of horror, science fiction and cult DVD titles, including EVIL DEAD, TOWER OF EVIL and I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE. Recent titles include POPCORN; a triple feature on the Masterworks of the German Horror Cinema, including the original silent films NOSFERATU, DER GOLEM and THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI; the popular DRIVE-IN DISCS series; and the Millennium Edition versions of two of the most classic horror films ever made, NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD and RE-ANIMATOR.

Elite's DVD release of THAT LITTLE MONSTER is far superior to the VHS version. Included for the first time is the original "Overture" theme music which was scored for the world premiere in 1994 and not heard since; a sharp new digital transfer from a fine grain print which really enhances the black & white photography; and clips of Bob Hope from his 1934 debut short film GOING SPANISH, inserted from a recently discovered 16mm print (something I wasn't able to do for the original release). As for Supplemental goodies, Elite includes an exclusive unedited Audio Commentary by Carl Mastromarino and myself -- a ten-minute interview clip from a Los Angeles cable show -- and THE VISITANT, a short film I shot on super 8mm for a cost of $500 when I was 17 years old. This film played on HBO in 1982 as a filler and has always been well received (considering its low budget) and remains a personal favorite of mine.

THAT LITTLE MONSTER features special appearances by sci-fi professor emeritus Forrest J Ackerman, PHANTASM star Reggie Bannister, and a very special surprise guest from Hollywood's golden era. And I'm delighted to have been able to personally supervise this special edition of THAT LITTLE MONSTER, which is why I gave this product an Amazon.com "five-star" rating and great big "thumbs up" to Elite. What more can I say?! I think my friend Angus Scrimm (PHANTASM's "Tall Man") said it best... "If you're having a horror film party some Saturday night, surprise your guests by screening THAT LITTLE MONSTER after the feature attraction. It's a devilish, strange, disquieting little chiller that will cap your evening with some most delicious shudders. Some of its images may stay on in your mind to become part of your film vocabulary."

This wreaks of "student film". It tries too hard to be cute and quirky. Other reviewers compared it to "Eraserhead" and I have NO idea why. Eraserhead certainly didn't try to be cute. This film is also compared to "The Twilight Zone" series. Again, a body of work that one would hardly be described as being cute.
Everything in this film screams - AMATEUR - and it makes me wonder if the other reviewers aren't somehow connected to this project. The acting is horrible. There are way too many shots done at weird angles, as if trying to be SO avant garde. Not. This is a joke, and a poor one at that. Avoid it. Especially if you are a fan of David Lynch.