Review of Hobgoblins (1988) by Shawn R — 12 Jul 2009

Hobgoblins is the infamous 80's ripoff of the far superior Gremlins movie about a couple of security guards who open up a vault at a rundown studio and unleash demented little hobgoblin monsters that go out and cause of ruckus by making people's desires and fantasies come true, albeit with death in store for them.

While they may have an entire city people to do their evil bidding on, they just so happen to focus the young, do-gooder square security guard's house of friends, which include the ultra-prudish girlfriend, her slutty friend, her military hornball boyfriend, and the nerd who calls sex lines.

All five of them come together to barely form half a brain to try and stop these little menaces. Hobgoblins is praised for being one of the worst films ever made and, while I wouldn't compare it to pure manure like Ed Wood or Michael Bay films, I will say that Hobgoblins certainly has a so bad it's good charm to it, especially since it is immersed in 80's culture and aesthetics, which I'm always a fan of.

Director Rick Sloane (also known for making about 80 Vice Academy movies) shows that he had fun making such a terrible movie, though one would question his ability to write decent female characters (nearly every single one of them is a cunt in this film!).

The cast is mostly comprised of nobodies, save for Duane Whitaker (Pulp Fiction, Feast) who plays a club bouncer. So, if you are willing to partake in terrible acting, horrible editing, a jumbled up story line, and nearly 90 minutes worth of unintentional comedy, I'd recommend Hobgoblins for a seriously disturbing, but fun night, especially if you have the Mystery Science Theater version of this film.