MovieChat Forums > Monsters (1988) Discussion > Honestly...not as good as I remember. :-...

Honestly...not as good as I remember. :-(

posted 10 years ago by VidaBoheme
10 replies | jump to latest

I first watched this series as a young teenager and I loved it at the time. I recently bought the DVD set and was so excited to revisit the series, but so far, I have been really unimpressed. I'm halfway through season 2 and none of the episodes have been amazing. A few have been sort of memorable like Holly's House and Glim Glim, but most of the episodes have been really lame and slowly paced.

I think as a teenager, this show was a treat because it aired late at night and was supposed to be irreverent, scary, sexy and ironically humorous. And it probably was for 1988-1991. But now, I don't think it holds up as well. Tales From the Darkside was a little better IMO. Oh well.

[–] vilkit 10 years ago

I don't know I'm really enjoying it. Now you can appreciate it for it's kitsch and camp value I guess. It's not like modern horror is any better

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[–] VidaBoheme 10 years ago

Yeah, I was about 14 or 15 when I watched this and I chalk it up to just having different standards of quality 25 years later. I think the show was actually geared towards a younger audience? Watching it now, I just have to say that the writing, acting, directing and pacing of most episodes is pretty weak. There are maybe 5 or 6 episodes in the entire series I would recommend. The majority are cheesy and make me eye roll (a lot).

I will say that watching it again has brought back the feeling of those fun late night Saturdays (combined with Freddy's Nightmares!) of the late 80s/early 90s.

And I agree, that even though I wish I enjoyed this as much as I did back then, I am glad it finally got the DVD treatment. Although I'm a lot less excited to revisit Freddy's Nightmares now. :-/

[–] MonteCarloMan 10 years ago

I got the set last weekend and so far it is hit or miss with me. The first episode I watched was Fever Man and it was just as good now as the first time I watched it in '88 when I was 15. I'm a big fan of horror genre shows from the 80s. Some of these Monster eps ARE annoying but it's not enough for me to go out and sell it back to re-coup my money, there are enough good ones to keep it on my shelf.

[–] Simplythebest11962 9 years ago

I think people's perceptions change as they get older.

It's just like "Friday the 13th" movies scared me when I was growing up in the 80's, but NOT, when I see one of them on cable tv, then it doesn't seem ALL that scary. 

Same with "Monsters." "Monsters" was slightly scary to me when I was growing up, but now it's hardly that scary @ all.

I still like it, though. The zombies on that planet is STILL SCARY & so is that movie where they're in the jungles underground.

Holly's House creeped me out, but it's NOT as scary now.

Happy Valentine's Day!



[–] delrioa 9 years ago

You're totally right. The show is amazing when it works well (which was less than I remembered when I went back to it). Episodes like Feverman, Pool Sharks and Glim Glim are worth wading through the rest.

When the show doesn't work, the limitations become really apparent; a bad story really makes the lack of production value and acting talent in some episodes really stand out.

That said though, I'll probably rewatch these (or at least the best ones) in another few years. It's up there with Unsolved Mysteries as the guiltiest of pleasures for me.

[–] Simplythebest11962 9 years ago

by delrioa » 7 minutes ago (Mon May 25 2015 03:29:17)
IMDb member since February 2005
You're totally right. The show is amazing when it works well (which was less than I remembered when I went back to it). Episodes like Feverman, Pool Sharks and Glim Glim are worth wading through the rest.

When the show doesn't work, the limitations become really apparent; a bad story really makes the lack of production value and acting talent in some episodes really stand out.

That said though, I'll probably rewatch these (or at least the best ones) in another few years. It's up there with Unsolved Mysteries as the guiltiest of pleasures for me.

Unsolved Mysteries was a great show too w/Robert Stack! 

I wish they'd release the ENTIRE series on DVD! 

It's a good thing!-Martha Stewart

[–] michael-watkins-laj7 9 years ago

i still love the Feverman episode. but, yeah, the writing on Tales from the Darkside was stronger. i remember having nightmares about Holly's House, the first time that i watched it, as a 10 yr old. i revisited that episode, years later, and found it kind of goofy. but nostalgia makes me a fan of the series.

[–] jjjones-64062 8 years ago

*beep* Its better than ever