The Monster Squad is one of the most beloved films of the 1980s, but it didn’t always have the massive fanbase that frequently quotes its memorable scenes. Andre Gower, who portrayed Sean in The Monster Squad, writes and directs Wolfman’s Got Nards, an exploratory documentary of The Monster Squad’s cult status and the nostalgia and impact it had on its creators, actors, fanbase, and the horror genre.
Wolfman’s Got Nards breaks up into several segments, highlighting the cast and crew, the monster effects, the expectation vs. the reality during The Monster Squad’s release, and the rekindled love for the film that emerged publicly from its fanbase almost 20 years later. The documentary brings back several cast and crew members to recall their experiences on set, including director Fred Dekker, writer Shane Black, and many of the actors, like Ryan Lambert (Rudy) and Ashley Bank (Phoebe).
One of my favorite sections is when Duncan Regehr (Count Dracula) discusses his preparation for the villain role and the focus that went into wanting the character to be more imposing and frightening than ever before. This segment is chock-full of tiny amazing moments as the now-grown actors remember their experiences as children, often not knowing what was going to happen on set.
The film takes a turn at pulling on the heartstrings, too, when the cast pays tribute to Brent Chalem (Horace), who tragically died in 1997 from a mix of pneumonia and hospital miscalculations. It was touching how much inspiration his character development had on kids who felt like outcasts who were trying to overcome their bullies and fears.
The monster special effects segment is also wonderful, as members of the Stan Winston Studio reflect on how back then, Stan Winston just put his trust in them, and how they were just flying by the seat of their pants. Now, these workers are doing work on Academy Award-winning films. I never knew how much thought went into the creature design. A moment that sticks out was the decision to make Mummy (Michael Reid MacKay) tiny, rickety, and fragile, as to create a visual dissonance between it and Tom Noonan’s massive Frankenstein’s Monster, who is 6’5″ even without those giant boots and forehead prosthetics.
RELATED: Andre Gower of ‘The Monster Squad’ Talks Slaying Monsters (Exclusive)
Although everyone knows about The Monster Squad now, it was a flop upon release. It had the unfortunate luck of releasing just two weeks after The Lost Boys, so people were seeing that instead. Back then, going to the movies was more of a special occasion than a regular hangout. Many professional critics were counting the film out before it even had a chance to be seen, and several weren’t fans of horror films in the first place. The Monster Squad was written off as a cheesy kid’s film that was “too scary for your four-year-old to watch,” as one critic put it. You think? The cast and crew moved on from the release feeling down and disappointed, and really had no clue of the cult following that was growing throughout the 1990s and 2000s.
The last act of the film focuses on the impact that The Monster Squad has had on its fans worldwide throughout the years. Interviews bounce back and forth between superfans with tattoos and collections recalling what the movie meant to them and their families and some of the most popular faces in horror, like Heather Langenkamp, Adam Green, and Chuck Russell, who discuss how the film provided inspiration throughout their careers.
Overall, I couldn’t have asked for a better documentary about a film I love. The nostalgia flowed, and I see-sawed between smiling and feeling emotional throughout the entire thing. By the end, I found myself wanting to chant “Wolfman’s Got Nards!” with everyone else. Andre Gower created something great here.
Wolfman’s Got Nards is now on Blu-ray and VOD.
We’re hardworking geeks who love to geek out, but we can’t do it without you! If you enjoyed this article and want to see more like it, please consider tipping our writers. Also, as an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
