Killer hand-puppets? Smells like delicious B to us!
Sid the Elf | North Pole | 06/25/2007
(3 out of 5 stars)
"Where to begin? Hobgoblins is the prototypical B movie. The killers were litteraly hand puppets who growled and apparently bit people but who's mouths never moved. Beautiful! And it was an 80's B, so the characters were so nerdy and annoying, we were rooting for them to fall victim to the terrifying hand puppets. Awful acting doesn't scratch the surface for these losers. But it takes special people to enjoy this kind of humor. And Sid the Elf and all our fans are those kind of people. Granted trying to follow the plot for this one would be about as easy as finding the Bermuda Triangle, but thats what B is all about. If it makes sense then it makes it to the big screen, which we have no interest in. If you want to see a real movie please don't go near this one! But if you are a real man then pick this one up and subject yourself to 88 minutes of hand puppets doing nothing more then violent shaking. This one gets a true recomendation from Sid himself. Please don't pay too much attention to the negative reviews for this one. Obviously B is way over their head."
The result of $135 and a home video camera
Jay | USA | 07/11/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)
"The year is 1988 and aspiring writer/director Rick Sloane feels he has created the film that will finally be the one to get him noticed. The film is Hobgoblins and yes it did win him notoriety. Unfortunately for Rick the notoriety he longed for would only come from cast Mystery Science Theater 3000 and their loyal b loving fans as they tore it to shreds for an hour and a half. I have seen both versions of this film, the regular & MST3K version, and found the regular version nearly unwatchable. The MST3K version however is a sheer masterpiece so that's the review I'm going with here (hence the 4 star rating).
The film, if you can call it that, starts out with a young security guard who just picked up the graveyard shift at a studio. His security mentor happens to be the 95 year old security master McCreedy, with Lee Marvin eyebrows, who will teach him the ropes to build a successful $5 an hour career. His major lesson is do not open a certain vault, which the young apprentice does, unleashing the devilish hobgoblin hand puppets. Once loose the hobgoblins hypnotize their prey allowing them to live out their fantasies and somehow kill you during the delusion. The only hope is to capture them before dawn or somehow they will destroy mankind. Not sure how since they can't move on their own, but ok we'll go with it.
To sum it up the film in itself is simply a disaster. I always say how much I love low budget b films but this on it's own is just too bad for words. However the Mystery Science Theater version is supremely hilarious and is one of my favorite things to watch. The commentary is spot on and they recreate the unwatchable film into something you will love. So I recommend Hobgoblins only if you can get your hands on the MST3K version."
Cult Classic, Ugly DVD Transfer
Rich Bradson | USA | 04/20/2008
(3 out of 5 stars)
"A great shlock masterpiece that is over ridiculded and too easily tossed aside. Well worth the $7 price tag, this ugly, grainy DVD transfer will have you howling all night long.
The sets are impressive (abandonned movie lot) and the monsters are farily amusing. The bouncer halfway through is none other than Maynard from Pulp Fiction. You won't be dissapointed, don't be fooled by the trashy cover art, this is indeed the 1988 classic. A great six-pack pizza party watch.
Get your copies now, because Hobgoblins part 2 is set to be released sometime in mid-2008..."