Wolfman's Got Nards
Sure, the Wolfman himself has got nards, but Wolfman’s Got Nards – the documentary – doesn’t. This no-frills, glorified DVD featurette from actor André Gower takes on the cult status of The Monster Squad, an obscure 1987 horror-adventure flick made for kids but enjoyed by all. While Gower’s overly simplistic and much too structured informational video isn’t anything special in and of itself, it is sure to christen a whole new generation of fans for the 30-year-old movie and reignite the passions of old-timers.
In its first half hour, Wolfman’s Got Nards skims over the production of the movie to get to fan interviews and cast reminiscences. Gower either mangled the edit or thought his interviews would be far more interesting than they are because that first half hour is much more revelatory and fascinating than anything in the film’s back half, at least for Monster Squad newcomers. The behind-the-scenes glimpses are nothing special, but they are fun to watch, especially the bits about Duncan Regher (who played Dracula) and Ashley Bank (Phoebe). The low-budget aesthetic and lack of big-name talent goes a long way towards making the film seem charming and generating excitement about The Monster Squad. Unfortunately, that goodwill may be lost over the course of the rest of the film, as dozens of middle-aged super nerds are interviewed about their love for the film. They are clearly all avid fans, but Gower doesn’t dig that deep and the film is a shallow exploration of why the 1987 monster movie resonated so strongly with them.
What Gower and his subjects never really make clear is what separates The Monster Squad from other, similar movies that may have more widespread popularity. At one point, Gower – who shows up quite frequently in his own documentary – scoffs at the mere mention of The Goonies. His derision is evident, but he never communicates that to his audience. And the numerous fan accounts of the ways in which the film spoke to them, comforted them or changed their lives could just as easily be about any other 80’s kid movie, be it The Goonies or E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. Other than the fact that those films made a bigger splash at the box office, the differences are never articulated.
Regardless of its surface-level superficiality, there is a definite sense that all of the film’s subjects, fans and creators alike are more-or-less regular people who stumbled onto – or into – something unique. There’s no denying that The Monster Squad is a cult film, and it’s a bit odd that one segment in the movie seems to question that classification; the level of devotion in its fans is truly mind-boggling. Gower never discovers the source of that devotion, but he will inevitably lead many towards discovering the film for the first time and inspire many more to give it a rewatch.
