hollywoodad.bsky.social
Movies are love. Movies are life.
292 posts
173 followers
33 following
Prolific Poster
Conversation Starter
comment in response to
post
Messy, goofy, and full of heart—Monster Squad is peak ‘80s nostalgia. Would rather rewatch this than most modern blockbusters. 7/10, would squad up again.
comment in response to
post
Fun fact: Kiefer Sutherland showed up at Monster Squad’s premiere to support it. He starred in The Lost Boys, the movie that arguably killed it at the box office. Talk about awkward.
comment in response to
post
There was almost a remake! In 2010, Michael Bay’s Platinum Dunes planned a reboot, but it fizzled out by 2014. Honestly, kinda glad—it wouldn’t have had the same charm.
comment in response to
post
Monster Squad bombed on release in ‘87—made just $3.8M on a $12M budget. The Lost Boys dropped two weeks earlier, and R-rated vampire teens won over PG-13 horror kids.
comment in response to
post
The shoot was CHAOS. Kids broke props constantly. Dracula’s cape swish? Rehearsed with ballet training. Wolfman’s suit? Cost half the effects budget alone.
comment in response to
post
That iconic “Wolfman’s got nards!” line? Ad-libbed on set. Nobody thought it would make the final cut. Decades later, it’s the most quoted part of the movie.
comment in response to
post
Special effects legend Stan Winston’s crew handled the monster designs. The Gillman suit (built by Steve Wang & Matt Rose) was such a hit, they got hired to fix Predator's suit right after!
comment in response to
post
Duncan Regehr, aka Dracula, beat out a then-unknown Liam Neeson for the role. Neeson was actually supposed to appear as Dracula’s human disguise, but the scene never got shot.
comment in response to
post
Shane Black, fresh off Lethal Weapon, co-wrote it. He cut a 160-page draft down to 100 pages—but kept all the snark. This is why Monster Squad feels like The Goonies with a body count.
comment in response to
post
Fred Dekker pitched Monster Squad in ‘86—he wanted Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein for a new generation. Studio execs weren’t sold on “monsters for kids” but finally bit.
comment in response to
post
New article
podiocommentary.substack.com/p/bond-bezos...
comment in response to
post
John Williams composed the iconic score in days. Spielberg was so moved he teared up during the first performance. The film smashed records, grossing $1B+ & birthing a franchise. Truly… life found a way.
7/7
comment in response to
post
That T. rex attack scene? The animatronic malfunctioned when wet—sometimes moving on its own. Crew members were eating lunch when it suddenly roared to life. “It scared the crap out of us,” they said.
6/7
comment in response to
post
Filming was intense. Hurricane Iniki hit Hawaii during production. Cast & crew sheltered as 145 mph winds tore apart sets. Spielberg later called it “the most terrifying moment of my life.”
5/7
comment in response to
post
Spielberg blended old & new tech: Stan Winston’s animatronics made the T. rex feel real, while ILM’s CGI pushed boundaries. That iconic Brachiosaurus? It was the first photorealistic CGI creature.
4/7
comment in response to
post
Casting nearly went a different way. Harrison Ford turned down Dr. Grant, & Jim Carrey auditioned for Ian Malcolm. But Jeff Goldblum’s chaotic charisma & Sam Neill’s rugged charm defined the roles.
3/7
comment in response to
post
Michael Crichton’s novel sparked a bidding war before release. Universal won with a $1.5M deal, but Spielberg had the inside track—he’d been discussing the story with Crichton while developing ER.
2/7
comment in response to
post
podiocommentary.substack.com/p/movie-thea...
comment in response to
post
I watched it when it premiered at midnight and then I ended up watching it again with my daughter last night. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it