USA, UK, 1986
82m
35mm film, colour
mono, English
An American/British science fiction film directed by Stephen Herek.
Plot Summary
Furry little monsters from space escape captivity and land on Earth to terrorise a small, mid-western town, eating everything in their path. They are pursued by a pair of bounty hunters and angry locals who decide that enough is enough and it’s time to fight back.
Credits
Crew
Director: Stephen Herek
New Line Cinema, Sho Films, Smart Egg Pictures
Executive Producer: Robert Shaye
Producer: Rupert Harvey, Barry Opper
Script: Domonic Muir, Stephen Herek, Don Keith Opper
Story: Domonic Muir
Director of Photography: Tim Suhrstedt
Editor: Larry Bock
Music: David Newman
Costume Designer: Hilary Wright
Special Make-up Effects: R. Christopher Biggs, Bill Foertsch
Special Critter Effects: Chiodo Brothers Productions (Charles Chiodo, Edward Chiodo, Stephen Chiodo)
Production Designer: Gregg Fonseca
Cast
Dee Wallace-Stone (Helen Brown)
M. Emmet Walsh (Harv)
Billy Green Bush (Jay Brown)
Scott Grimes (Brad Brown)
Nadine Van der Velde (April Brown)
Don Keith Opper (Charlie McFadden)
Billy Zane (Steve Elliot)
Ethan Phillips (Jeff Barnes)
Terrence Mann (Johnny Steele/Ug)
Jeremy Lawrence (preacher)
Lin Shaye (Sally)
Michael Lee Gogin (Warden Zanti)
Art Frankel (Ed)
Douglas Koth (bowler 1)
Montrose Hagins (organist)
Roger Hampton (Jake)
Chuck Lindsley (pool player 1)
David Stenstrom (pool player 2)
Adele Malis-Morey (woman 1
Corey Burton (critter voices)
Links
Sequels
Critters 2 (1988)
Critters 3 (1991)
Critters 4 (1991)
Critters: Bounty Hunter (2014)
Critters: A New Binge (2019)
Critters Attack! (2019)
Extracts included in
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987)
See also
Gremlins (1984)
Munchies (1987)
References
Periodicals
- Films and Filming July 1987 p.13 – credits, review
- Premi̬re September 1986 p.15 Рreview (by Jean-Philippe Guerand)
- Scream no.89 (March/April 2025) pp.46-47 – illustrated blu-ray review (Horror Reviews: Critters: A Four Course Feast! by Steven West)
- Video the Magazine August 1987 p.17 – video review
- Video World August 1987 p.26 – review
Books
- Comedy-Horror Films: A Chronological History, 1914-2008 by Bruce G. Hallenbeck pp.147-149; 221 – review; credits
- Elliot’s Guide to Films on Video by John Elliot p.178 – credits, review
- The Films of the Eighties by Robert A. Nowlan and Gwendolyn Wright Nowlan p.117 – credits, synopsis
- Hoffman’s Guide to Science Fiction, Horror and Fantasy Movies 1991-1992 pp.83-84 – credits, review
- Horror Films of the 1980s by John Kenneth Muir pp.485 – credits, synopsis, review
- Horror and Science Fiction Films IV by Donald C. Willis p.98
- Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Film Sequels, Series, and Remakes by Kim R. Holston and Tom Winchester p.103-104
