Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		5.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.5

Hobgoblins Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf October 30, 2016

The blockbuster success of 1984’s “Gremlins” inspired an enormous amount of imitators, especially in the world of no-budget filmmaking. Titles like “Critters,” “Ghoulies,” and “Munchies” come to mind, each with a special interest in raising creature feature hell without spending the money necessary to do it in style. 1988’s “Hobgoblins” is arguably the worst of the bunch, with writer/director Rick Sloane barely trying to make something special out of the titular menace. Instead of establishing a little monster mayhem, Sloane tries to make a camp classic featuring occasional appearances from furry demons, mostly relying on his cast to conjure up wackiness to pad the picture’s run time. “Hobgoblins” isn’t funny, but it does provide a slightly different take on the “Gremlins” formula, and Sloane’s periodic production recklessness is something to behold.

Taking a job as a security officer at a closed film studio, Kevin (Tom Bartlett) is informed by his veteran co-worker, McCreedy (Jeffrey Culver), that dangerous Hobgoblins are locked up in a vault, with a specific warning to leave them alone. Unfortunately, the Hobgoblins are soon released, possessing a special power that tempts victims to their doom by making their wildest fantasies come true. Interacting with friends Kyle (Steven Boggs), Amy (Paige Sullivan), Daphne (Kelley Palmer), and Nick (Billy Frank), Kevin realizes the Hobgoblins are coming after the gang, targeting dreams of stage performance and sexual excitement to trap their victims. Looking to recapture this elusive enemy, Kevin learns that the Hobgoblins don’t fight fair, embarking on a quest to break up their twisted manipulations and return them to the vault.

Sloane isn’t one to spend a lot of money on his productions (including the “Vice Academy” series), but “Hobgoblins” looks like it was made for next to nothing, using spare locations to backdrop creature craziness, including ample time at Kevin’s house, which is nothing but white walls and a couch. The big draw of the movie is the titular aliens, who’ve been trapped in a studio vault for years, eager to escape and begin destroying lives. They’re puppets, at least one of them is, with Sloane trying to create his own version of “Gremlins” using furry, ugly dolls to torment the main characters, leading to Ed Wood-style scenes where the actors are ordered to wrestle with stuffed Hobgoblins, while actual hand manipulation is regulated to nods, leaving the monsters dead-eyed and stiff. Hardly the stuff of nightmares.

Sensing horror is a pipe dream, Sloane amplifies the screenplay’s silliness, creating thickly drawn characters who possess a single identifying trait (e.g. Amy is uptight, Nick is a military man, and Kyle is addicted to phone sex) before subjecting them to the Hobgoblins and their unique mission to soften their prey through fantasy, making the impossible real for a brief, shining moment before they go in for the kill. For Kyle, his lusty phone contact comes to life in the form of Fantazia (Tamara Clatterbuck), a vixen ready to whisk him away to a secret make-out point. Amy’s inner fire is unleashed at Club Scum, where she becomes a semi-stripper, delighting in sexual exhibition in front of an appreciative crowd. This make-a-wish angle has potential, but there’s no momentum to the story, interrupting Hobgoblin schemes with pure stupidity, including one absurdly protracted sequence where Nick attacks Kevin’s droopy masculinity with a garden tool fight in his front yard. It goes on unnecessarily long, leaving less time for the dream sequences. Sloane also pads “Hobgoblins” with music, allowing visiting band The Fontenelles to play an entire song at Club Scum, putting the movie on pause to possibly repay some type of debt.

Hobgoblins Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

"Scanned and restored in 2k from a 35mm Original Camera Negative," "Hobgoblins" looks better than it has any right to be, with the AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation identifying all the detail a fan could want from the movie. Clarity is generous, capturing textures on puppetry and fabrics, and locations preserve decorative touches and depth. Colors are superbly refreshed, delivering bold primaries on costumes and ideal greenery, while more extravagant fantasy lighting retains potency. Skintones are natural. Delineation is always communicative. Grain is fine and filmic. Source is in fine condition, without points of damage.

Hobgoblins Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

It takes a little extra volume to get the 1.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix up to a powerful level, as it offers a quieter presence, necessitating an initial boost. Dialogue exchanges battle with low budget limitations, but nothing is lost during the listening experience, coming through with intended energy. Scoring cues are also compelling, while soundtrack cuts bring a broader power to the track, finding a heavier sound. Sound effects are appealing and defined to satisfaction.

Hobgoblins Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features writer/director Rick Sloane.

• "Hobgoblins Revisited" (18:55, SD) focuses exclusively on Sloane, who recounts the history of his movie, exploring the home video boom of the 1980s, where anyone with a completed picture could land a lucrative distribution deal. While Sloane claims "Hobgoblins" was written before "Gremlins," he does admit the creature design was inspired by the Joe Dante classic. Sloane also discusses his reaction to the feature's appearance on "Mystery Science Theater 3000" (he swears he enjoyed the riffing, but it's hard to believe him), and revisits a few of the locations, delighting in his no-budget filmmaking tricks.

• Interview (10:58, HD) with creature effects designer Kenneth J. Hall chats up the limited budget of "Hobgoblins," with Sloane offering just $2000 to make five movie-ready puppets. Only one was created for hand manipulation, with the rest simply dolls meant to be tossed around. Hall discusses his professional history and mentions turning down Sloane's offer to return for "Hobgoblins 2."

• "Making of a Disasterpiece" (27:39, SD) tracks Sloane's efforts to reunite the cast for a group interview, working with old headshots and social media to find actors, with a few, including Duane Whitaker (who plays Club Scum creep Roadrash), not interested in discussing their part in a B-movie. Those who agreed to the offer are jovial but slightly awkward, clearly embarrassed by their participation in "Hobgoblins." We hear career updates and a few low budget moviemaking anecdotes, and there's a cameo by the original Hobgoblin puppet.

• "Hobgoblins Invade Comic Con" (4:51, SD) joins Sloane and actress Kelly Palmer as they venture to the 2009 gathering of the geeks. Setting up a vendor table, the pair sign autographs and show off a Hobgoblin puppet, though it seems most people approaching don't have a clue what "Hobgoblins" is.

• And a Trailer (2:06, HD) is included.

Hobgoblins Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The highlights of "Hobgoblins" emerge in the final act, where Sloane goes crazy with pyrotechnic effects, filling Club Scum with shooting flames to simulate grenade attacks against the mischievous aliens. There's even a burning man fire gag. None of this seems regulated in any way, adding a feel of irresponsibility that also triggers surprise, which isn't a reaction the picture enjoys with any regularity. It's a little sad that to conjure excitement, Sloane has to endanger lives, but when the pickings are this slim, little moments matter. The rest of "Hobgoblins" collects overacting, dismal screenwriting, and antics from stuffed green monsters. It really should be more fun, but Sloane hurts himself by aiming so low -- a little more money and a quick dismantling of the feature's sense of humor would've been grand. While the effort still wouldn't touch "Gremlins," it wouldn't be entirely unappealing.