That Little Monster (1994)

ridiculous rating

People are voting emotionally.

I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

Amazing worth wacthing. So good. Biased but well made with many good points.

It's pretty much a one-hour student art film version of 'Eraserhead' down to having the same opening scene and even a comparable production history given that the movie apparently took 3 1/2 years to shoot. It's equally trippy (for the lack of a better word) but unlike Lynch's film the plot actually is very straight forward. A father's anxiety (again, for the lack of a better word) over his newborn is replaced with a young babysitting woman's anxiety and incapability to deal with the baby of her new employers. "That little monster" refers to no other than to that baby. The movie ends with an amusing Twilight Zone-type twist which is only fitting because the title card basically used the Twilight Zone title card background. What should also be noted is the campy humor that reminded me of John Paizs' Canadian indie productions. Worth a look if you are a big 'Eraserhead' fan.

Paul Bunnell's quirky 1994 short film (53 minutes), "That Little Monster" appears to be influenced in equal measure by Ed Wood, Luis Buñuel, Rod Serling and David Lynch, and served up with more than a little caustic, over-the-top, decidedly dark humor. Bunnell and his team succeed admirably in stirring a Lynch-like queasiness. Misty, expressionistic scenes are punctuated by seemingly unrelated (and unsettling) shots of doll parts, grotesque statuary and kitschy bric-a-brac. Selected scenes go on and on, testing the viewer's patience, tolerance for truly off-the-wall characters, and appetite for surrealism. Longtime genre buffs will either appreciate or repudiate a canny reconstruction of the "warning" issued by Edward Van Sloan in the prologue to the '31 "Frankenstein." Standing in for Van Sloan is an eerily-lit Forry Ackerman. In the accompanying commentary track, Bunnell points out that Ackerman's wife Wendayne had only recently passed away prior to the filming of his scene. Stranger still is the presence of Bob Hope -- yes THE Bob Hope. Not only does Hope turn up in a clip from his 1934 screen debut, "Going Spanish," he peppers the closing credits with one-liners shot in 1994 expressly for "That Little Monster!" A class act all the way!The story concerns an exchange student who takes on a babysitting gig in a truly strange household. The mop-topped husband croons country western tunes, mom slathers on the mascara and blows obnoxiously huge bubble-gum bubbles, and the toddler, well, he's "That Little Monster," an aggressive, goo-gooing grotesque who makes Chucky seem well-behaved. Director Bunnell says in an interview that the film was originally conceived as an episode for a TV horror anthology. His story could easily have been told in half an hour. At 53 minutes, he's milking the surrealism a tad. But Bunnell is adept at synthesizing his influences and at ease indulging his twisted passions. Also a part of the DVD package is Bunnell's 1981 short, "The Visitant," which is arguably more intriguing, but certainly not as well executed.

If you are a lover of shows like The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, Night Gallery or Monsters, this film is for you! The opening homage to the 1931 film Frankenstein is truly a bit of ingenious parody.Mr.Bunnell certainly used the black and white medium not only to enhance the mood and flavor of the subject but to also remind the viewer of the tribute made to shows like the beloved Twilight Zone and Outer Limits series.Unusual use of camera angles and movement of the camera itself catches one off guard. Remarkable to note is the babysitter's first entrance into the nursery. This is one of the creepiest uses of the camera I have ever seen. The camera seems to become The Blob - so to speak- and take on a life of it's own! An amazing piece of work! Although a short film, it delivers more than enough mystery, suspense and thrill to satisfy any fan of the genre. Well written and contrived with a well balanced blend of horror, science fiction and black humor.Also as a bonus there is an amazing star cameo appearance by a now late but well remembered comedian.The reason I didn't give the film a full 10 is due to the use of an unnecessary and perhaps too long "overture" at the beginning. Overlooking this personal point the film is well worth the viewer's time.The bonus materials on the DVD are also very good. The Visitant is a brilliant short film shot in color. An un-nerving little piece about a father visiting his young son's grave. I jumped at least twice as the film ran it's course. Again a very well written and contrived piece of film story-telling at it's best.The Interview with the film's creator is light-hearted and full of camp!Hat's off to Mr Paul Bunnell, his cast and crew for a very worthwhile and entertaining DVD set.Jim Seaburg

Upon viewing THAT LITTLE MONSTER, I found that this movie is actually quite stylish, and better thought-out than most movies in theaters today. There are some true moments of black humor, mixed in well with some fun shocks and suspense. Ultimately, the movie is an affectionate nod to THE TWILIGHT ZONE series (the story is almost a direct lift of one specific episode), and particularly the underlying spooky humor that show was noted for.Originally, this was written as an episode for TV's MONSTERS, but writer / director Paul Bunnell decided to expand the idea into a longer, artier version. The cast is mainly made up of a talented group of unknown starlets, but horror fans will be happy to see Reggie Bannister of the PHANTASM films here, in a small but significant role (just don't expect to see him running away from flying spheres, and you'll be happy). It was enjoyable to see Bannister again, this time playing Twelvetrees, the butler who warns the baby-sitter about that little monster.Shot in 16mm for the bargain basement cost of $30,000, Bunnell spared no effort in trying to make this movie look as polished and professional as anything the big studios are putting out today. And his strive for perfectionism shows in many of the setups. One elaborate shot has the camera dollying up to a door, twisting around then going up the wall, then over the top of the room and down inside it. Most people would have been content with a dolly to the doorknob, then a dissolve to the inside. But not Bunnell. What looks like a robot dolly / crane is actually a specially-built room that rotates, and a Steadicam operator. Pretty impressive stuff. I was so blown away by this shot, I rewound the tape and watched it again. It's small touches like these that help set this movie above much of the competition. And it took them just three takes to get such an elaborate shot to Bunnell's satisfaction.There's also a surprise guest star at the end of the film, one that will leave many of you scratching your heads wondering how Bunnell managed to wrangle this guy up.My only complaints with the movie are small -- some of the staging is too theatrical, and I sense that Bunnell has his roots in community theatre. And the story has a tendency to drag in places, due to Bunnell's "artsy" touches. Luckily, these moments are few and far between. If you're a fan of humor at its darkest, you won't be disappointed with THAT LITTLE MONSTER!