Film Screening: Ghoulies

It’s almost Halloween… time to summon the Ghoulies (1984, rated PG-13)! This very L.A. low-budget horror comedy from prolific z-picture producer Charles Band features local glam-rocker Michael Des Barres, Jack Nance from Eraserhead and a young Mariska Hargitay, and was all filmed at the Wattles Mansion, a fabulously gloomy 1907 Mission-style estate next to Runyon Canyon. We begin decades ago at the Wattles, where devil worshipper Malcolm and his cult are preparing to sacrifice Malcolm’s young son Jonathan – but just in time his mother places a protective amulet around his neck, and he’s whisked away. Then, in his twenties, Jonathan inherits the seemingly abandoned property, where he finds a dusty old spell book and some occult paraphernalia. He and his girlfriend throw a party, and down in the basement they decide to try out one of the magic rituals from the book. It doesn’t appear to work, but Jonathan seems changed… and then a little rubbery-looking creature materializes. Soon Jonathan is summoning more ghoulies, and proclaiming himself their master. Will his friends aid him in the ultimate ritual to achieve demonic power… before his undead father returns to usurp? Special effects legend Stan Winston did the delightfully grody creature puppetry. Ghoulies II, III (Ghoulies Go to College) and IV would follow, with diminishing budgets and returns – the first one is still the most fun.