The Ghoulies films are an American horror-comedy series released throughout the 1980s and 1990s and centered on a group of demons usually summoned by Satanic worshippers.
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The original Ghoulies (released in 1985) originated in 1983 under the title Beasties. It was to be directed by Charles Band, with special effects by Stan Winston (the two had previously collaborated on Parasite). It ended up being directed by Luca Bercovici[1] with special effects by John Carl Buechler and his company Mechanical and Makeup Imageries Inc. The film was released theatrically by Empire Pictures in March 1985 and was a surprise success on home video. Ghoulies also stars Mariska Hargitay and Peter Liapis.[2]
This film depicts a comical Hollywood-esque portrayal of black magic, Satan worship, and the occult.
According to stories Charles Band tells on his Full Moon Horror Road Show, he was tasked to come up with a great campaign to promote the film. During a brainstorming session he came up with the idea to have the Ghoulie popping up from the toilet. The idea was a huge success and the scene was then shot for the film after the fact.
The first sequel was released in 1988 and sees the titular Ghoulies descend upon a carnival. Again produced by Empire Pictures, the film was directed by Charles Band's father Albert Band. Ghoulies and Ghoulies II were released as a double feature DVD from MGM Home Entertainment in 2003. Special features include theatrical trailers.
The third film saw Buechler step into the director's chair and was released straight-to-video in 1991 by Vestron Video. The film co-starred genre stalwart Kevin McCarthy and is the first film where the Ghoulies actually speak. To this day, a R1 DVD has never been released. This was Matthew Lillard's film debut.
The series' fourth and final entry was directed by Jim Wynorski and made by CineTel Films and also released straight-to-video in 1994 by Columbia TriStar Home Video. Original Ghoulies lead Pete Liapis returned to the series as Jonathan Graves, now a detective who must deal with a new pair of Ghoulies. This entry in the series has been criticized by the fans of the series because the 'ghoulies' in this film are completely different than the other entries in the series. Instead of the usual puppet Ghoulies, the movie cast midget actors in miniature costumes. Ghoulies IV was released on DVD in 2007 by Echo Bridge Home Entertainment.