Ghoulies * (1984, Peter Liapis, Lisa Pelikan, Michael Des Barres, Jack Nance) – Classic Movie Review 10,283

Director Luca Bercovici’s 1984 film Ghoulies is a gruesome black comedy horror flick, in which Jonathan Graves (Peter Liapis) moves in with his girlfriend Rebecca (Lisa Pelikan) to an old tumbledown mansion, where he assumes the evil mantle of his demented deceased dad, Malcolm (Michael Des Barres).

His eyes glow green and he conjures up ghoulies – a pair of dwarves and a long-tongued temptress.

Ghoulies is a silly film with terrible special effects, but it was popular enough for three sequels: Ghoulies II (1987), Ghoulies III: Ghoulies Go to College (1990) and Ghoulies IV (1994), which brings Peter Liapis back ten years after the original.

Also in the cast are Jack Nance as Wolfgang, Peter Risch, Tamara De Treaux, Scott Thomson, Ralph Seymour, Mariska Hargitay, Keith Joe Dick, David Dayan, and Victoria Catlin.

Producer Charles Band said received much hate mail after the TV trailer for the movie, mostly from parents who said the ads made their kids afraid to go to the bathroom because of the shot of a ghoulie coming out of a toilet (‘They’ll get you in the end!’).

Ghoulies is written by Luca Bercovici and producer Jefery Levy.

12 seconds were cut in the US for a PG-13 rating.

Ghoulies is directed by Luca Bercovici, runs 81 minutes, is made by Ghoulies Productions and Empire Pictures, is released by Hemdale (1984) (UK) and Empire Pictures (1985) (US) and Entertainment in Video (1985) (UK) (VHS), is written by Luca Bercovici and Jefery Levy, is shot by Mac Ahlberg, is produced by Charles Band and Jefery Levy, is scored by Richard Band and Shirley Walker, and is designed by Wayne Springfield.

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 10,283

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