Wolfman’s Got Nards review by Bobby Blakey
In 1987 Night of the Creeps and Robocop 3 director Frank Dekker teamed up with Lethal Weapon writer and Iron Man 3 director Shane Black for the The Monster Squad. The film mashed up the Universal Monsters with a Goonies vibe and should have been an easy hit, but alas it just didn’t get the push or box office it deserved. In 2018 star of the film Andre Gower decided to put the spotlight on this classic film with the documentary Wolfman’s Got Nards featuring Derek Black, Fred Dekker, Seth Green, Adam F. Goldberg, Heather Langenkamp, Adam Green, Chuck Russell, Joe Lynch, Ryan Lambert and more.
How does a Squad…become a Cult? How does a Cult…become a Classic? When it was released in 1987, The Monster Squad was deemed a failure by critics and was, according to the box office, a film no one cared about. But over the last three decades, word of mouth has turned it into a cultural phenomenon. Wolfman’s Got Nards is a howlingly entertaining documentary that explores the power of cult film told through the lens of The Monster Squad, taking an in-depth look into the film’s conception, response, cult status and revival. Through interviews with the cast, crew, screenwriters, directors, academics and original reviewers as well as through never-before-seen footage, it turns the lens on an audience of self-proclaimed misfits (including celebrities and filmmakers) who have kept The Monster Squad alive for more than thirty years.
As a massive fan of Monster Squad, I had been eager to see this feature when I heard it was coming out. Sadly, I missed out on its tour with Alamo Drafthouse and have been patiently waiting for his home release so finally getting my hands on a copy brought joy to my heart. This film isn’t doing anything different with the documentary genre, nor does it need to. It stacks so much great information,
interviews, love for the film and archive footage that it brings it all to the forefront to perfection.
It's interesting enough seeing the making of portion of the film and all they did to really make a true to form horror teen film that should have been a home run, but the additional history of its deserved praise and the outpouring love for a film that I connected with when it was released is pure joy to see. Having Gower at the helm helped to bring that special touch that might have been missing otherwise thanks to his own history and passion for it all.
Seeing the cast reunite and hearing the stories from making the film just adds to the film’s legacy and answers so many questions fans likely had for years. Seeing the fans and celebrities that were inspired and hearing how specific projects were inspired just makes all those things all the better and gives that perspective when revisiting all of it. I walked away from this film with a big smile and urge to watch The Monster Squad for the billionth time to see how it connects differently knowing everything about where it was, where it went and how much it is loved today.
In addition to the documentary, this release offers up bonus content including trailer, deleted scenes, music video, featurettes and more. See how The Monster Squad came together with Wolfman’s Got Nards available now from Kino Lorber.
For more information or to get your copy head over to https://kinolorber.com/product/wolfman-s-got-nards-special-edition