Critters

Director: Stephen Herek Stephen Herek

Overview

"This well-remembered science fiction opus gets a serviceable presentation on DVD. Critters has been given a widescreen transfer to DVD at the original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, letterboxed on conventional TV sets and enhanced for playback on 16 x 9 monitors. (A pan-and-scan transfer at 1.33:1 is also available.) The film's original English-language soundtrack has been remixed for Dolby Digital 5.1 playback, while an alternate audio track dubbed in French is in Dolby Digital Mono. The feature is closed-captioned in English. As a bonus, this edition includes the film's original trailer."

Product Details

Release Date:	08/05/2003
UPC:	0794043637124
Original Release:	1986
Rating:	PG-13
Source:	New Line Home Video
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Full Frame, Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:26:00
Sales rank:	45,524

Special Features

Closed Caption;Widescreen and fullscreen versions of the film; 5.1 surround sound; Stereo surround sound; Hidden alternate ending; Theatrical trailers; DVD-ROM enabled

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Dee Wallace Stone	Helen Brown
M. Emmet Walsh	Harv
Billy Green Bush	Jay Brown
Scott Grimes	Brad Brown
Nadine Van Der Velde	April Brown
Terrence Mann	Bounty Hunter/Johnny Steele
Don Opper	Charlie McFadden
Billy Zane	Steve Elliot
Ethan Phillips	Jeff Barnes
Jeremy Lawrence	Preacher
Lin Shaye	Sally
Michael Lee Gogin	Warden Zanti
Art Frenkel	Ed
Doug Koth	Bowler #1,Actor
David Newman	Composer
Montrose Hagins	Actor
Art Frankel	Actor
Roger Hampton	Jake
Chuck Lindsly	Pool Player #1
David Stenstrom	Pool Player #2
Adele Malis-Morey	Woman #1
Corey Burton	Critters

Technical Credits

Stephen Herek

Domonic Muir

Stephen Herek	Director,Screenwriter
Chris Biggs	Special Effects
Mike Cassidy	Stunts
Rupert Harvey	Producer
Quicksilver FX	Special Effects
Robert Shaye	Executive Producer
Domonic Muir	Screenwriter
Barry Opper	Producer

Editorial Reviews

This pleasant, old-fashioned diversion posits eight hungry little furballs called Crites snatching a spaceship and escaping from their prison planet. They come to Earth, landing in a small Kansas town and pursued by a pair of shape-shifting bounty hunters. One takes the guise of a famous rock star named Johnny Steele (Terrence Mann of A Chorus Line), while the other snatches various guises from the people he meets. Meanwhile, the Crites are eating everything in sight and terrorizing a farmer's family. And a wholesome family it is, too, with mischievous son Brad (Scott Grimes of Night Life), precocious daughter April (Nadine Van Der Velde), and perfect housewife Helen (Dee Wallace of The Howling). Don Opper is funny as the semi-retarded handyman Charlie, who is always hearing aliens through the fillings in his teeth, and Blood Simple's M. Emmet Walsh is in fine form as the town sheriff. An interesting kiddie-oriented ploy has the bounty hunters almost as destructive as the Crites until they are befriended by young Grimes. Kids will enjoy the Crites, well designed to be both fearsome and cute by the Chiodo Brothers, who would go on to make the fun, silly Killer Klowns From Outer Space, while adults will groove on the nifty transformation effects by R. Christopher Biggs and the 1950s monster-movie ambience. Look for a young Billy Zane as Van Der Velde's doomed boyfriend, and a funny exchange between a hungry Crite and a toy ET. There were three sequels, none directed by Herek, who went on to 101 Dalmatians.