That Little Monster

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.

I finally saw this indescribable film tonight! What a splendiferous concoction of visual delights and laughs.

I most loved and appreciated the photography/lighting, the fantastic camera angles and all the imaginatives (the surreal scenes--this is a weak description for what I'm trying to describe).

Paul Bunnell has a good feel for the camera, and how what he sees in the camera will appear to the audience, and what effect if will have.

The humour in this black comedy reminded me of Joe Dante's

"Gremlins."

Of course, I see "Eraserhead" resemblances, from the industrial drone in the beginning, to the different use of time--painfully slow, detailed and bizarre--I love them all.

I liked the composed music (the last chord came to a "resolution," but with very disturbing notes in it). The two songs sung out of the blue by the father--is this what the DVD notes mean by a Gene Autry movie? And that 20's 78rpm record--I liked it.

Was there anything I didn't like? Let me think. Oh, I have more I liked. Forry Ackerman--beautiful lighting, macabre, his delivery was quite fitting. And I like the "heroine's" acting.

Even the length was good--a real "B" film length.

Isn't that funny? I can't think of any criticism. I'm serious. I'll leave it at that.

Wow what a weird coincidence! Every single 9-10 review here is from an account that has only reviewed this movie and no other. Sorry, no that's not quite true. There's one who has only reviewed every thing done by this same director. Hmm. And they all make the exact same comparisons to the Twilight Zone and Eraserhead. HOW ODD.

Spoiler alert: this "movie" is hot garbage. Any tiny shred of respect I might have had for what they were trying to do here (which already wasn't much for a project that's simply inept and unpleasant mimicry of the styles of various famous directors) evaporated when I saw their friends, family, and paid shills propping up the review scores (and wow that's actually especially weird when this movie came out in 1994)

Paul Bunnell has concocted a wonderfully stylish and surreal movie. "That Little Monster" has tones of David Lynch, Tim Burton, Ed Wood, classic cinema, and the wonderful old Twilight Zones. This film echos the best of stunning Black and White photography. Ranging from the feel of the German Expressionist cinema to the mystery of "Eraserhead". Incredible lighting combines with fantastic framing and camera angles. It is a unique mix of styles, complete with the musical overture of bygone days. The masterful introduction sets the tone. And Bob Hope is a great addition. The world is familiar yet off, adding to the mystery. Absurd, hip, and fun. Paul Bunnell is a talent to watch.

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!