Gremlins Rip Offs, Killer Puppet Films, Slashers and other Creature Features you’ve Probably Never (or may have) Heard of

Ah, the blood soaked umbrella of the creature feature.

Nothing quite filled you with the awe and mystery of what lurked beneath that tea stained video cassette case cover residing on the shelf of your local video shop.

You got it home and were enthralled with what lept out in front of you from deep within your televisions gory innards. Your parents tutted at your taste in rental but you continued, like a soldier, ignoring all who scalded you.

Years passed and the internet reared its ugly, consumer driven head.

Your credit card was no longer safe and low and behold thousands upon thousands of these films were making their way through your letterbox, screaming your name out in the ether of their route, terrifying all the other fluffy parcels laying in the corridors of the nations desolate sorting halls.

The postman thought you were insane and your wife/husband/parents wanted to know the truth. Your copy of Ghoulies was held aloft and used against you in a jealous rage, your steelbook of Chopping Mall a catalyst for your marriage break up but still, you continued waving your sword of B.

Why are you reading this I hear you ask?

The truth is…who knows.

Maybe you’re alone and saddened by the traits of modern cinema going worship and you still think “Goblin Horror” has a place in today’s society…

1. Munchies

A Roger Corman classic. We follow the band of creatures known as the Munchies who are discovered by a scientist in a cave in Peru. Of course, when attacked, they split up into more of the same and ensure plenty of on screen laughs, carnage and excitement. The DVD release of Munchies is getting consistently rarer and can now command a fair price online.

2. Thankskilling

Thankskilling is a film about a killer turkey that attacks a bunch of college kids during Thanksgiving. The film is shot on video, low budget excellence complete with hilarious one liners (from the Turkey) and brilliant puppet effects. Amazingly, the directors made a sequel called Thankskilling 3 (not 2) which ups the ante in the puppetry department.

3. Berserker – The Nordic Curse

The Berserker tells the story of a Viking serial killer loose in the woods. It’s unclear what the filmmakers were going for here as the character doesn’t really fit the mold of a typical slasher villain but hey ho. Kind of like wrestling crossed with Halloween.

4. Castle Freak

A genuinely terrifying tale about a man who inherits a castle from a distant relative, only to find himself and his family being terrorized by an out of control, hideously deformed monster or “freak” if you will. Underrated and often overlooked, the film was noted by fans for its unsettling visuals and haunting, often ultra violent scenes.

5. Dollman vs Demonic Toys

Continuing in Full Moon fashion (the production company who also brought us Castle Freak) Dollman vs Demonic Toys was certainly a strange mish mash of 2 of the labels cult successes. The company would film new footage and club together clips from both features (and others) to give the illusion of a new release.

6. The Deadly Spawn

The Deadly Spawn was your classic monster movie, aliens from space type shindig just with copious amounts of gore thrown in. The notorious Vipco (horror/bad movie label of the 90s) originally distributed the film which was later subsequently re -released on the Arrow label with some new cover art by Rick Melton to boot!

7. Rabid Grannies

The film follows a group of would be inheritors as they go to discuss the terms of a will at their older relatives mansion. A suspicious package arrives and all hell breaks loose. A German film put together by a group of special effects experts; the picture was originally picked up by Troma films and released onto an unsuspecting public. Rabid Grannies delivers in a tour de force fashion with hilarious, dark and often blood splattered results.

8. Mountaintop Motel Massacre

A killer granny flick that takes place in a creepy old motel. Killer granny films have been on my mind for the last ten minutes so I may as well get it out of my system. The film is an interesting slasher, that packs a brutal punch in its finale.

9. Skeeter

From its inception, Skeeter seemed to be more of a higher budget effort, kind of like a Die Hard film, but with giant mosquitoes flying about instead of terrorists. At the time of the films release, the industry seemed to be investing more and more money into the monster horror genre with other gems such as Rumplestiltskin and Leprechaun also seeing the light of day.

10. Neon Maniacs

A horror film that plays like an episode of Power Rangers; this bizarre concoction of thrills and spills captivated viewers way back in 86. The plot revolves around a group of monster type super heroes who live underneath The Golden Gate Bridge. Yeah