CRITTERS (1986)—For Whom The Puppets Toll

Cinema of Cruelty (Movies for Masochists)

This week, The Cultists Present Stephen Herek's Critters (1986). Once upon a strange and otherworldly time—otherwise known as 1986—the cinematic landscape gave us a gift. Sporting the tag line “hangry hairballs from outer space,” the titular Critters have only two goals: fuck shit up and then eat it. Brought to us by the fever dream team who would later go on to create the likes of ‘Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure,’ ‘Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead,’ and ‘The Ginger Dead Man,’ this movie is just pure filmed fun. A joyful romp wrapped in the grinning maws of mischievous alien muppets that somehow oddly manages to be both behind and a head of its time.

Topics include: the Chiodo Brothers' EFX work; all those packed in 80s references; creating the (not so) alien language of the Crites; and ALL OF THE SEQUALS in the 30 year and counting franchise.

Episode Safeword: “satiated”