- Directed by Luca Bercovici
- Written by Luca Bercovici, Jefery Levy
- Stars Peter Liapis, Lisa Pelikan, Michael Des Barres, Jack Nance
- Run Time: 1 Hour, 21 Minutes
- Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HysJUwWWAEI
Spoiler-Free Judgment Zone
It’s a story of magic and possession that moves steadily and stays interesting throughout. The effects are dated, but they get the job done. There aren’t a lot of surprises, but it’s memorable and worth the watch.
Synopsis
We see a number of little creatures– the Ghoulies, in cages and hanging around an altar as a bunch of cultists prepare to do a ritual. The leader of the cult, Malcolm, chants, and his eyes glow. He pulls out a dagger to sacrifice a baby, but before he can do it, one of the cultists runs up and grabs the baby. He uses his magic to retake the baby, his own son, but yet another cultist, Wolfgang, also turns against him and takes the baby. As Wolfgang and the baby leave the house and cross the field, Malcolm tears out the woman cultist’s heart. Credits roll.
Years pass. All grown up, Jonathan has inherited his dead father’s estate. He and Rebecca walk the estate and find a creepy-looking old grave. Wolfgang meets Rebecca, and it’s clear that he doesn’t say much anymore. While cleaning the basement, Jonathan finds a pentagram and candles on the floor. A box also contains his father’s robes, books, and other magical accouterments.
Rebecca wants to have a housewarming party, and they invite all their weird 80s friends. Mike, Eddie, Dick, Robin, and Mark the Toad Boy are all there. Diana talks about how she went on a date with the toad boy. Mike break-dances until all the pills, joints, and drugs fall out of his pockets. They all decide what to do after the party, and Jonathan suggests doing a ritual.
They all go down into the basement, and Jonathan draws a circle-pentagram from the book he found. He does a very serious-sounding ritual, but nothing seems to happen. They all go upstairs, but a few minutes later, a Ghoulie appears.
The next day, Jonathan starts cleaning the house and ends up doing another ritual in the basement. He soon becomes addicted to magic, or is he just being used by his father’s spirit? He paints a very elaborate spell circle on the floor and then makes a cool amulet, which he gives to Rebecca. That night, he summons up some more Ghoulies; this time, he knows what he’s doing. He tells them they can roam the grounds but must remain invisible to everyone else.
He then continues to practice his magic until Rebecca comes home early and catches him in the act. He apologizes and promises to stop. They have sex that night, but down under the bed, the Ghoulies have their own magic circle. Jonathan recites a chant throughout the act, which annoys Rebecca, so she leaves him.
For his next trick, Jonathan conjures up two magical little people, Grizzel and Greedigut, who vow to serve him. They say he can do whatever he wants if he does a master ritual, which requires seven other people. Rebeca returns and wants Jonathan to leave the house and go away with her. She sees his green, glowing eyes and is terrified. He uses his magic to make her stay.
The friends from the party return for a dinner party. The friends are all in a trance, so Jonathan beams them down into the basement, where Grizzel and Greedigut wait to perform the big ritual as the Ghoulies watch from the shadows. As they all chant, the grave out in the backyard lights up, and old dead Malcolm rises from the grave. Afterward, Jonathan tells them all to pick a room for the night.
We soon see that the Ghoulies serve only one master, Malcolm. Mark and Donna are next to the fountain, when a group of Ghoulies attack them. Inside, Eddit and Mike laugh at how much of a “screamer” she is. Elsewhere, Robin is attacked by a clown puppet who bleeds green ooze out of his eyes.
Before long, Jonathan finds all his friends are in comas and Rebecca is unconscious. Malcolm enters the room and says that Jonathan has always been doing his bidding. He’s looking better, but far from good. Malcolm plans to steal Jonathan’s youth, and it seems that Jonathan has lost whatever power he had. Rebecca sits up, but the little people warn him that it’s a trap.
Suddenly, Wolfgang comes in, also wearing wizard robes and stabs Malcolm in the back. They have a magic fight with various colored lightning bolts before they both vanish. Jonathan and Rebecca run outside in the commotion, taking all their formerly-dead friends out with them. They drive off as Grizzel and Greedigut wave to them.
Rebeccas asks, “Is it really over?” We see a bunch of Ghoulies in the back seat…
Commentary
Surprisingly, I really liked this one when it came out and remember seeing it multiple times in the theaters. I may have been a little too young to see how bad it was then, but I can see all the flaws now!
The Ghoulies themselves are simply puppets, but they’re good-looking and a lot of fun. The acting is fine, the pacing is good, the characters are distinct and memorable, but the overall plot is pretty unsurprising. It looks good, but there’s just not a lot to it.