The Monster Squad 7 Ways It Still Holds Up Today

The Monster Squad: 7 Ways It Still Holds Up Today

Fred Dekker’s Monster Squad was not a theatrical hit when it released in 1987, but the hilarious horror movie has come to be known as a cult classic.

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Fred Dekker’s Monster Squad may not have been a theatrical hit when it was released in 1987, but the roaringly fun horror movie has come to be known as a cult classic in today’s day and age. Being almost four decades old, viewers can’t help but wonder if the movie holds any weight in modern times, and the truth is — it does. More than that, it’s so beloved that a documentary has been made about the film, Wolfman’s Got Nards.

Originating in the 80s means that there are certain aspects like casual sexism and lack of diversity (a trope that horror movies no longer use) that haven’t aged well in the movie, but cinematically, tonally, and in terms of storylines, there is plenty about Monster Squad which will appeal to audiences in 2o21 from the camp factor to vampires.

Good Vs. Evil

The foundation of thousands of great stories has been the constant conflict between good and evil. Monster Squad keeps the ball rolling with an age-old war between Abraham Van Helsing and Dracula, which somehow finds its way to suburban America into the hands of gutsy young kids.

The lines between benevolent forces and those of wrongdoing always blur a bit in real life, but cinema provides a clear-cut, black-and-white perspective on it. In the end, it’s quite pleasant to watch, especially for some good old-fashioned escapism.

Next-Gen Heroism

The next generation can always be counted on to undo the mistakes of their predecessors and fight their forgotten battles, and Monster Squad has that in spades from the first scene. A spell and fight gone wrong in the 1800s came back to bite Sean, Patrick, Horace, Phoebe, and EJ and their hometown, which means that the kids have to step up to the plate to fix what their ancestors messed up.

This stays relevant not only in the best horror movies, but also in real life where climate change, racism, and sexism, relics of previous generations, are being kept at bay by a younger guard.

Vampire Domination

There’s a reason why Monster Squad is one of the best vampire movies streaming on Amazon currently — Duncan Regehr’s Count Dracula is considered one of the best renditions of the sinister Transylvanian vampire so far.

The blood-sucking monsters (and sometimes heroes) have always been subject to fascination and wonder, with their mysterious and sometimes sexualized personalities, but the obsession with vamps reached its peak in the 2010s. The supernatural being is even more popular than ever, so Monster Squad’s inclusion of the Count as its main villain makes more sense now than ever before.

School Social Hierarchy

One thing that remains unchanged today is the social atmospheres of middle and high school, which the movie depicted very well. Moving in cliques based on shared interests or even looks is almost a norm in school, and that was the reason that Sean’s Monster squad existed in the first place.

Along with the monster nerds, there were the bullies who made fun of Horace, who liked to eat. EJ was the edgy high school senior who grew past his bullying ways, even showing Horace some respect. The dynamics between school kids were shown in a dramatic yet realistic way.

Campiness

Camp has become increasingly mainstream in today’s media and cinema, and campy horror like Monster Squad holds up in 2021. The exaggerated acting, the “so bad that they’re good” special effects, and the horror-comedy action sequences make this a campy classic.

Monster Squad falls squarely in the category of horror-comedies that flopped initially but later gained traction. Now this cult classic has come to be known as staples of the genre.

Classic Universal Monsters

One of the biggest appeals of the movie is the legion of Big Bads that come together to face off against a bunch of precocious kids. The crew of monsters is led by Dracula, who is aided by werewolves, succubae, Gill-Man, the Mummy. Meanwhile, joining the Monster Squad is a friendly Frankenstein.

These Universal monsters are widely known and loved. Unfortunately, they had to be altered a bit since Universal Studios didn’t pick up Monster Squad. Even with their slightly different appearances, everyone loves seeing these villains together onscreen.

The Comedy

All the kids and the monsters alike were quite funny, and thankfully most of it wasn’t an outdated sense of humor. The sarcasm mixed with heavy deadpan comedy makes the movie watchable. The actors do a fabulous job of delivering these lines with great timing.

The beginning prologue about Van Helsing’s attempt to foil Dracula going awry because “He blew it” set the amusing tone for the entire movie. Nothing can ever top the classic line, “Wolfman’s got nards.” It’s so beloved that it was the title of their documentary.

The titular monsters of the movie had to be dressed with some variations to avoid copyright issues with Universal, but Robert Turturice, head of costuming, did a stellar job with the design and clothing of the villains.

Frankenstein’s signature hobs traveled up his head from his neck, but his raggedy appearance was done just right, Dracula’s suit and cape subtly added to his deadly persona, and even the Mummy’s bandaging was done quite expertly. All in all, the monsters look like who they are supposed to be without getting the studio sued.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/the-monster-squad-still-holds-up/

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