Michael_Elliott Ghoulies Go to College (1991) * 1/2 (out of 4) Professor Ragnar (Kevin McCarthy) turns out to be a sick, evil man and sure enough he sets loose the ghoulies on a college campus. It doesn't take long for the "cool" kids to come under attack and they must fight back.GHOULIES GO TO COLLEGE was the third film in the series and I must say that it came so, so close to actually being a good movie. In fact, this direct-to-video cheapie should have been a much better movie and it could have been had the filmmakers simply did a couple things different, which I'll get to in a bit. As far as the film goes, well, the entire series really wasn't much to write about but at least director John Carl Buechler turned this into a R-rated film aimed more at adults.This third film offers up a lot more nudity, a little more blood and it's clear that they were aiming the picture at horror nerds who were renting these type of low-budget movies on VHS back in the day. I really liked the fact that they tried to punch things up a bit but the majority of the adult nature comes from non-stop nudity that is running throughout the picture. Hey, there's nothing wrong with nudity, now is there? The women are all attractive and the monster costumes are good for what they are. With Buechler behind the effects one wishes that there was a bit more gore.The biggest issue with this film is certainly the screenplay as all of the characters are quite annoying. This film goes for a campy, obnoxious teenager thing and it just failed completely because you hate all of the teen characters and you really just want them to die off. They're some of the most annoying characters that you're ever going to see and there are just too many of them. All of them dreadfully annoying and after a while it just eats at you. I'd also argue that the 94-minute running time was way too long for this type of film.With that said, Buechler does a nice job in the directing department and McCarthy is good in the lead role. He's certainly a lot of fun here and it's nice seeing someone like him show up in a movie like this. As I said, GHOULIES GOES TO COLLEGE isn't a good movie but had the characters been less annoying and had the picture run a bit less, it could have been much more entertaining.

ironhorse_iv Don't get me wrong, I don't hate this dumb movie. It was a guilty pleasure of mine, as a kid, but after rewatching it. It doesn't really hold up. It's obvious that the aim for this movie was to be comedic than actually scary. However, this choice in direction, somewhat ruins the potential of what could had been, really frightening. After all, the restroom is supposedly to be, the most private and safe place in the house. Seeing some unknown creatures invade that sacred place while you're doing your business; makes going to the bathroom, a little bloodcurdling for everybody. Instead of capitalize on that, this movie goes for rehash familiarity with its 1978's 'Animal House' and 1984's 'Gremlins' type of humor. Directed by John Carl Buechler, even though this movie got released in 1991, it was shot in 1989. It's still really dated, even for the time. The humor is really corny with the cartoon like violence and somewhat too immature for general audiences. While, it's still somewhat watchable at parts, for anybody who love lowbrow crude jokes. It's not really that funny. Even 'The Three Stooges' shorts from the 1930s & 1940s were funnier than this movie. It's also jarring, how the deaths scenes went. I guess, in this universe, toilet plungers and human tongues kill more people than bombs. How is that possible!? Anyways, the third installment's plot has the little demons being summoned at a college campus by now, Professor Ragnar (Kevin McCarthy), who is obsessed with the occult. Driven by taking revenge, on elaborate pranksters, the Professor and the creatures start to wreak havoc on the partying frat boys, during 'Hell Week' with only pretty boy, Skip Carter (Evan MacKenzie) & Erin Riddle (Eva LaRue) being able to stop them. Without spoiling too much, the worst thing, about it, is how the story written by screenwriter, Brent Olson has nothing to do, with the first two 'Ghoulies' films. First off, it doesn't have, recurring character, Jonathan Graves (Peter Liapis) in this film. Wouldn't it make more sense that he goes to this college? Nor does it tells us, how the Ghoulies escape "Satan's Den', the amusement park funhouse from the second movie and end up on this school campus. This film opening is also confusing. If a student trap them in a comic book in the 1960s, how in the hell, did they get out, in the previous films!? Also, how the comic and Gothic toilet made it in behind the wall of the men's washroom? It contradict, everything that happens in the first two movies. Another thing that sucks about this film is how poorly constructed, these hand puppets are. It's no Jim Henson's creature features. Stan Winston was initially attached to do the effects, however he drop out. Sadly, they couldn't even get Charles Band, known for his 'Puppermaster' series. Instead, they got third rate animators and puppeteers. Because of that, you see a lot of mistakes with the monsters, throughout this film. A good example is the beer drinking scene, where you can clearly see the puppeteer's hand holding his arm up. It's really, really bad. It get worst, as this third installment to the popular mini monsters series, has them, talk and wear over size clothes. The over use of the dated 1990s slangs, bad film references, awful puns, and crude, somewhat offensive language makes the voice acting from the voice actors like Richard Kind & Bob Bergen, somewhat hard to listen to. Nevertheless, the acting in this film is also just as horrible. First off, Kevin McCarthy's career has really hit rock bottom since his golden days of 1956's 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers'. He's so over the top and annoying in this film. Because of that, I really couldn't stand any of the scenes with him. Evan MacKenzie & Eva LaRue were just as bad. While, these two did have great chemistry, with each other; their characters weren't that memorable. The minor supporting cast of Matthew Lillard, Kane Hodder, Maria Wallace and Jason Scott Lee is more notable than these two. Another person that seem to steal scenes in the film is Playboy Playmate Hope Marie Carlton as Veronica, stuck up sorority babe. However, it's not her acting that made her stand out; but the use of her sexuality. Her pointless strip tease and shower scene is one of the hottest moments in the film even if it's a homage to 1960's 'Psycho'. In the end, this scene is really, really juvenile. 7 year old, me, like it, but adult, me, not so much. Still, this movie is probably the best out of the four main 'Ghoulies' films. Overall: While, Ghoulies III may get a few chuckles; it still belongs in the toilet, because how corny, it is. After all, crap with some corn is still crap.

GL84 After reading from a sacred comic book that contains a spell to conjure a swarm of devilish creatures, a college professor sends them out to ruin the live of a student involved in a despised prank-war ritual with other students who must stop their childish rampage.This here turned out to be quite an enjoyably goofy and silly monster movie that has more than enough assets to make it interesting. The comedy here is outlandish, as the stipulation of this taking place during prank week means that the pratfalls, gags and goofs that occur are all pretty funny in their own right, and when added by with a gaggle of one-liner-spouting creatures that react with the slapstick grace of a silent-film star, the results are nothing short of hilarious. While it works on the comedic level, as a horror film this is quite lacking. One of the biggest problems is the complete lack of fear instilled by the creatures because they are so goofy and cheesy-looking that their scenes don't evoke anything remotely associated with terror or shock, and when combined with the admittedly goofy and ludicrous back-story for their conjuration, and it all spells funny more than screams. That said, there's some more good stuff here in the finale being quite action- packed as it manages to bestow a feeling of real tension because the villain is still treated as though he's serious and the manners in which they go about dealing with it are quite fun overall, and when mixed with real-life special effects and props manages to make for a rather enjoyable effort.Rated R: Graphic Language, Nudity, Violence, comedic sex scenes and alcohol use.

Woodyanders Rowdy ghoulies Rat, Cat, and Fish embark on a wild destructive spree on a college campus. That's about it for the admittedly flimsy premise, but fortunately director John Carl Buechler and screenwriter Brent Olson happily indulge in the expected blithely inane and sophomoric "Animal House"-style collegiate hi-jinks that include lots of beer swilling, dopey practical jokes, slapstick violence, the inevitable panty raid, a fierce rivalry between two sparring fraternities, and a generous sprinkling of tasty female nudity. Moreover, the game cast attack the wacky lightweight material with real zest: Evan MacKenzie contributes an engaging performance as affable prank master Skip Carter, the fetching Eva La Rue makes a favorable impression as the sweet Erin Riddle, Kevin McCarthy portrays evil buzz crushing dean Professor Ragnar with deliciously hammy panache, John Johnston jerks it up nicely as hateful tool Heilman, Stephen Lee does well as bumbling campus cop Barcus, and cute blonde onetime Playboy Playmate Hope Marie Carlton struts her sizzling hot stuff as stuck-up and sexually voracious vixen Veronica. Plus it's a total riot to see both Jason Scott Lee and Matthew Lillard in their pre-stardom days. Look fast for Kane "Jason" Hodder as a guy who gets stuck in a rolling mop bucket. The rocking soundtrack and the sprightly score by Reg Powell and Michael Lloyd keep things bouncing along. A complete goofy hoot.