The Monster Squad and Wolfman’s Got Nards, the 30th anniversary documentary about the film and its fans, are available together in Kino Lorber’s Studio Classics The Monster Squad 4K UHD set or separately on Blu-ray. The pair make a great double feature to celebrate co-writer/director Fred Dekker’s ’80s cult classic.
Buy Wolfman’s Got Nards Blu-rayWolfman’s Got Nards was directed by Andre Gower (Sean) and was made in conjunction with Monster Squad’s 30th anniversary, which saw Gower, Ryan Lambert (Rudy), and Ashley Bank (Phoebe) go on a 17-day tour of screenings at Alamo Theaters in 2017. Gower gathers participants such as Dekkar and co-writer Shane Black along with fans/filmmakers, such as Seth Green (who auditioned for the film) Joe Lynch, and Chuck Russell, to the discuss the film and its impact.
The documentary is broken down into chapters and focuses on elements, such as the script, the production, and the effects. The Monster Squad bombed upon release, and Dekkar says it wasn’t until 2006 that he became aware people liked it. Through cable TV and home video, the movie found an audience, which interviewees debate if it is a cult following. Looking at the collections and film’s impact on some fans, it certainly seems that way.
But the impact wasn’t all positive. Lambert didn’t tell people he was in the film and eventually quit acting. Dekkar is honestly ambivalent, which is understandable because while The Monster Squad may have proud devotees now, its poor box-office performance had a negative effect on his career.
Although a big fan of the film, Mike Dillon, Professor of Cinema Studies at CSU Fullerton, talks about The Monster Squad being politically incorrect due to scenes of homophobia and misogyny. As someone who went to school in the late ’70s/early ’80s, bullies calling someone a “faggot,” whether gay or not, is authentic to the times. I also disagree with his assessment of a character being slut-shamed. I don’t want to spoil the scene, so I won’t go into much detail, but the character isn’t shamed by other characters because she’s had sex. Nor was the world-saving ritual created for prudish reasons but rather by the writers to set up a joke. Dillon’s critiques are so focused through a modern lens, it doesn’t seem like he can get a clear picture of what he’s looking at.
Brent Chalem (Horace) is not involved in this documentary. That’s because he died in 1997 due to a deadly emergency-room mistake where he was given the wrong medication, but family members speak on his behalf. Other cast members are not involved, although why is unclear.
For fans of The Monster Squad, Wolfman’s Got Nards is a wonderful gift to commemorate the movie’s pearl anniversary no matter when one’s devotion began.
