5.4 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Simon Watterman, a space archaeologist, discovers the "Munchies" in a cave in Peru. Cecil Watterman, Simon's evil twin brother and snack food entrepreneur, kidnaps the creature. What Cecil does not know is that the creature, when chopped up, regenerates into many new creatures -- and are they mean!
Starring: Harvey Korman, Charlie Stratton, Nadine Van der Velde, Alix Elias, Charlie PhillipsHorror | 100% |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Fantasy | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.84:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
BDInfo
English
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 3.5 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
In 1987, every video store in America had a poster for “Munchies” displayed somewhere. It was the VHS-era version of a Hidden Mickey, with the provocative image of a tiny monster looking up a model’s skirt becoming a spotting game for some, giving producer Roger Corman the kind of title exposure he craves. It’s not entirely surprising to learn that the film doesn’t quite live up to the promise of its one-sheet, but that was Corman’s thing during the 1980s, making promises with artwork that the features could never live up to (e.g. “Barbarian Queen,” “Galaxy of Terror”). “Munchies” was created to cash-in on the global success of 1984’s “Gremlins,” with Corman alum Joe Dante using his B-movie education to create a summer triumph, skillfully merging horror and comedy into an irresistible multiplex event. The knock-off wasn’t as fortunate, though it does have Tina Hirsch making her directorial debut, fresh off her time editing “Gremlins,” giving her the upper hand when masterminding a low-budget replication. Hirsch strives to craft her own vision for hellraising creatures up to no good, but there are limits to Corman-financed magic, and they are found quickly in this mediocre endeavor.
The AVC encoded image (1.84:1 aspect ratio) presentation for "Munchies" shows some level of care for a largely forgettable picture. As with many New Concorde releases, a new master has been created in recent years, giving the movie a nice HD appearance that quite good with colors. Primaries are compelling, with bright reds and yellows, playing up the cartoonish appearance of sets and costuming, which also provides a lively range of hues. Skintones are natural. Detail is consistent, with proper coverage of facial surfaces and textured clothing. Munchies retain their furry appearance and rubber specificity, presenting a clear look at monster regeneration. Delineation is acceptable, with a few darker stretches found during the viewing experience. Grain is fine and filmic. Cinematographic limitations are found, including time around the 46:00 mark, with damaged footage blurring parts of a lake confrontation between swimmer and Munchie.
Technical strangeness also emerges during the 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix. Again, "Munchies" wasn't made with the utmost care, finding levels occasionally missing proper balance. Around the 16:00 mark, levels noticeably increase for a scene before returning to normal, and it happens again around the 52:00 mark. These are small incidents, and perhaps unavoidable, but intelligibility is never threatened. Dialogue exchanges are open for study, with comedic extremes comfortable, while Munchie muttering is easy to follow, identifying all the odd accents the monsters use. Scoring is supportive, giving slapstick entanglements proper emphasis, leading with a thin synth sound. Sound effects aren't always defined, but this appears to be an inherent issue. Some surges of hiss are detected along the way.
"Munchies" doesn't have the imagination of "Gremlins" or the spirit of "Critters." It's not as thoughtfully made or invested in thrills. It's more of a comedy, and a pretty crummy one at that, often relying on Korman to come up with silliness, making the poor guy carry the picture with little success. Munchie antics include ogling ladies, smoking, and speaking English, and there's a reasonable sequence where the creatures take over a miniature golf course, finally finding a kingdom that's built to their scale, but such inspiration is only found in fits. Hirsch strives to fashion a proper "Gremlins" event, but she's often left with very little to work with, finding puppetry rudimentary and performances broad, trying to create a wild party with second-hand decorations. "Munchies" is often caught in a low-budget stranglehold, presenting scattered energy instead of a snowballing good time with a new round of teeny ghouls and their obsession with upskirt voyeurism.
(Still not reliable for this title)
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