Hobgoblins (1988)

User Rating:

1.6/10   

Director:

Rick Sloane

Writer:

Rick Sloane (writer)

Release Date:

14 July 1988 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Fantasy | Horror | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Be careful what you wish for... You just might get it!

Plot:

A young security guard must track down diminutive aliens who kill people even as they make their fantasies come true.

Plot Keywords:

Alien | Vault | Hobgoblins | Nightclub | Puppetry

Cast

Tom Bartlett	...	Kevin
Paige Sullivan	...	Amy
Steven Boggs	...	Kyle
Kelley Palmer	...	Daphne
Billy Frank	...	Nick
Tamara Clatterbuck	...	Fantazia (as Tami Bakke)
Duane Whitaker	...	Roadrash
Jeffrey Culver	...	McCreedy
Kevin Kildow	...	Dennis
Kari French	...	Pixie
Daran Norris	...	Club Scum M.C
James Mayberry	...	Sergeant Parker
Ken Abraham	...	Thug
Don Barrett	...	Comstock
David Teague	...	Lowlife
Spit Spingola	...	Fontanelles--Vocal
Pat Bostrom	...	Fontanelles--Guitar
Mark Hodson	...	Fontanelles--Bass
Tony Cisero	...	Fontanelles--Drums
Cole Coonce	...	Fontanelles--Guitar

Directed by
Rick Sloane

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Rick Sloane		writer

Produced by
Rick Sloane	....	producer
Craig Turkel	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Alan DerMarderosian

Cinematography by
Rick Sloane

Film Editing by
Rick Sloane

Casting by
Kelley Palmer

Makeup Department
Kathleen Crawford	....	assistant makeup artist (as Kathleen Vandale)
Patti Haack	....	assistant makeup artist
Linda Nottestad	....	hair designer
Linda Nottestad	....	makeup designer

Production Management
Naomi Monk	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
David Teague	....	assistant director

Art Department
Craig Clark	....	production artist
David Teague	....	production artist

Sound Department
Don Teschner	....	sound recordist

Special Effects by
Kevin Francis 'Boomer' McCarthy	....	pyrotechnic effects

Stunts
Bob Ivy	....	stunt coordinator
Bob Ivy	....	stunts
Paul E. Short	....	stunts
Howard St. James	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Don Campbell	....	second assistant camera
Rudy Harbon	....	first assistant camera
Michael Stradling	....	second assistant camera

Editorial Department
Alison Howard	....	assistant editor

Other crew
Craig Clark	....	title designer
Kenneth J. Hall	....	creature fabricator
Henry Stanney	....	production assistant

Production Companies

• Rick Sloane Productions

Distributors

• American Cinema Marketing (1988) (USA) (theatrical)
• Entertainment 7 (2000) (USA) (all media) (non-USA)
• Retromedia Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Retromedia Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Rhino Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Shout! Factory (2009) (USA) (DVD)
• Trans World Entertainment (TWE) (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Vídeo Ban (????) (Brazil) (VHS)

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M | UK:18 | USA:R

Company:

Rick Sloane Productions

Trivia:

During McCreedy's flashback, he can be seen looking at information for The Visitants (1986), a previous movie by director Rick Sloane, in which Jeffrey Culver, who plays McCreedy, also starred.

Goofs:

Continuity: Nick is shown throwing the grenades from a crouched position in front of the bar, which is in disarray and empty. The camera then cuts to a shot of the grenades landing beside the same bar (note the neon sign), but now there are patrons standing at it drinking. Terrified patrons vacate the same bar at least twice (after Kevin and Kyle are thrown back into the club by Roadrash; and then again seconds later when they and Daphne hide under the table).

Quotes:

Comstock: [McCreedy is going to search for Kevin] McCreedy, if you dare to abandon your post, you are FIRED!
McCreedy: Well, good! It saves me the trouble of quitting.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Hobgoblins: The Making of a DisasterPiece (2009) (V)

Soundtrack:

Love-Me-Nots

In one word, budget

This rip off of the 1984 hit "Gremlins" is quite possibly the biggest train wreck of a movie ever made. Even for a 'B' grade movie, all other cheap horror movies on the same platform completely dwarf this movie in terms of plot, acting, and goodness.

It begins with a random old security guard and the younger punky security guard whose name is of no importance. Why? Because a few minutes into the film he walks into the 'forbidden' safe, and is killed whilst living out his fantasy of being a rock star in a cheap pub.

This is just an appetizer for the scat-filled main course. The main character, KEVIN, struggles various times to prove himself as more than a total pussy. Perhaps he succeeds within the film, but to the audience he proves himself as nothing more than a bad actor. Kevin gets himself a job with the old security guard, and is guided through his security shift in the (wait for it) abandoned studio lot. Yes why bother making a set when you can just use the studio itself. Back to the film. Kevin somehow opens the forbidden safe and releases the Hobgoblins. The Hobgoblins force people to live out their wildest fantasies and then kill them for some reason. They must be returned before sunrise or else...or else what? Exactly.

Other characters include Kevin's 'macho' army friend NICK, Nick's 'woman' DAPHNE whose character has no more substance than a bitch-slut attitude and prostitute worthy outfits. There is Kevin's manipulative and 'reserved' girlfriend AMY, whose deepest desire is apparently to be a badly portrayed Cher look-alike with fishnet stockings with a pair of blue grandma underpants on top.. Don't ask me how that works. Quite possibly the most entertaining character of all is KYLE. How such groups of friends are made is up for question. Kyle is a perverted creep who can't go an hour without self-stimulating. His hobbies include calling up sex-chat lines from other people's houses and most likely sniffing underwear.

The story unfolds as the heroes search for the Hobgoblins: knee-high creatures (aka. hand puppets) which, for some reason, attempt to travel no further than the borders of the local neighborhood. Each of the characters eventually lives out their wildest fantasy which never has anything to do with having millions of dollars... or the film having a big budget.

WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD: The twist at the end of this movie will leave the watcher wondering "What?". The Hobgoblins are returned to the safe by...their own free will. Perhaps they lost patience waiting for sunrise to wreak havoc, or perhaps the story-writers got writer's cramp and decided not to worry about the ending. Upon returning to the safe, the old security guard reveals "What he learned in the military" and detonates explosives which destroys the safe, signaling the end of the evil Hobgoblins and the end of this roller coaster ride; better fitted to a ride on an escalator.

The sheer badness of this film is enough to send someone to tears. If you plan to watch it, I recommend a few alcoholic drinks beforehand to take any serious consideration of the film out of mind.