The Big Picture
- Long before America's Got Talent, Howie Mandel played a monster in the cult classic comedy Little Monsters.
- The new Blu-ray steelbook release from Walmart includes interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, and more.
- The film follows a sixth grader who befriends a monster and must save his brother from the monsters' world.
Long before Howie Mandel began judging the many unique acts across the country in America's Got Talent, he played a monster under Fred Savage's bed in the fantastical 1989 comedy Little Monsters. A gateway into the world of horror comedy, the low-budget film by director Richard Alan Greenberg has since earned the status of a cult classic thanks to the heart and creativity poured in despite its failure at the box office. Now, Maurice (Mandel) and Brian (Savage) are back together thanks to a colorful new Blu-ray steelbook release from Walmart packed with plenty of goodies for collectors eager to explore the world of the monsters.
The cover, designed by artist Vance Kelly, gives off pure late-80s vibes with Brian donning some nice shades with his monster pal Maurice right beside him. Around them is a world depicted in an almost infrared look, giving each building in the monsters' domain a more haunting, yet zany feel. On the back of the cover, a trio of kids looks on fearfully with their lights out for protection as one of the other, more malicious monsters slowly approaches from behind them. It's a good teaser of what's to come - wacky antics with Maurice and a few light frights courtesy of some fun monster designs.
Little Monsters follows Brian, a sixth grader who's trying to adjust to living in a new town when he meets Maurice. Although he's a monster, the two become fast friends and Maurice takes him to see the world of monsters where all the rules kids have to follow are no more. Junk food reigns supreme, there's always time for more games, and, best of all, there are no adults to lay down the law. Things take a dire turn, however, when Brian realizes he's starting to become a monster himself and, as he tries to escape their world, they instead kidnap his brother Eric, played by Savage's real-life brother and Boy Meets World star Ben Savage. Brian then takes the fight back to the monsters to save Eric and end the madness once and for all.
See How 'Little Monsters' Was Made With a Cavalcade of Extras
Mandel and the Savage brothers are joined in Little Monsters by a few fun names, including Daniel Stern who coincidentally played the older version of Fred Savage's character on The Wonder Years. Stern was also just a year away from his first turn as one-half of the Wet Bandits in Home Alone when he appeared in the film. Rounding out the cast are Margaret Whitton, Frank Whaley, and Rick Ducommun.
In addition to the film itself, the steelbook also comes packed with bonuses that shed light on the making of the overlooked gem. From interviews with Mandel and Savage to audio commentary and behind-the-scenes footage, everything is there for those who want to dive into the creation of Maurice and his homeworld without rules. Mandel has his fair share of stories to tell about the production, as he said in the featurette "Call Him Maurice" how, despite his positive experience with everyone on set, shooting Little Monsters was physically a nightmare thanks to the make-up and the warm outfit required to give Maurice his demonic look. Check out everything included below:
- Audio Commentary with Jarret Gahan, Editor-In-Chief of cultofmonster.com
- Isolated Score Selections and Audio Interview with Composer David Newman
- “Call Him Maurice” — An Interview with Actor Howie Mandel
- “Beneath The Bed” — An Interview with Producer Andrew Licht
- “Monsters Big & Small” — An Interview with Special Makeup Effects Creator Robert Short
- Vintage Interviews with Actors Fred Savage, Ben Savage, Special Makeup Effects Creator Robert Short, and Director Richard Alan Greenberg
- Behind-The-Scenes Footage
- Vintage Footage: “Making Maurice” — Howie Mandel’s Makeup Transformation
- Vintage EPK & VHS Promo
- Theatrical Trailer
- Still Gallery
Little Monsters comes home with a new Blu-ray steelbook release for $22.99 USD at Walmart on March 5. Check out the colorful collectible cover above and the trailer below.
