Years back, this movie appeared on MST3K. And, like usual, it was comedic gold. Truth be told, on it's own, the film is atrocious! On a typical dark and stormy night, a grandfather (Ernest Borgnine, the only real talent) and his grandson are stuck at home with the power off. So dear old gramps chooses to tell the kid a story he worked on years ago for television. Merlin, the mythical wizard, has come to our times to set up a shop of enchanted stuff. It's at this point that things get really, REALLY weird!
Story 1: Madeline has a problem. She's wants to have a baby, but can't. Her husband, Jonathan, is a self-centered jerk who reviews stores for the newspaper. They happen upon Merlin's Shop. And finally after Jonathan torments Merlin and his wife long enough, they give him an ancient book of spells to take home. Back at home, Jonathan decides to try out the some of the incantations. Know what happens? Yup, he comes to believe in magic. Oh, and he breathes fire. And he transforms his cat into a bloodthirsty monster. And even Satan show up in a cameo. The ending is just wrong in so many ways, I won't even bother mentioning it.
Story 2: A thief breaks into Merlin's shop one night and escapes with an evil toy monkey. The freaky-looking one with the cymbals. Merlin sets out, trying to find the toy before it falls into the wrong hands. Meanwhile, young Michael is having a birthday party. Guess what he's getting for a present! Yup, the toy monkey. But before you can say possessed toy, household plants and pets are turning up dead. Suspiciously, right after the monkey chimes its cymbals. David, Michael's father, tries to get rid of the toy. But it keeps coming back. Again. And again... And again!
The main problem with this film is that it's marketed as a family-oriented kids movie. But it's not. It's dark, and it's scary, and filled with pets dying horribly, demons and evil things. Without any redeeming qualities to it. It's an oddity, I'll give it that. But only watch it if the MST3K guys are riffing on it.
Story 1: Madeline has a problem. She's wants to have a baby, but can't. Her husband, Jonathan, is a self-centered jerk who reviews stores for the newspaper. They happen upon Merlin's Shop. And finally after Jonathan torments Merlin and his wife long enough, they give him an ancient book of spells to take home. Back at home, Jonathan decides to try out the some of the incantations. Know what happens? Yup, he comes to believe in magic. Oh, and he breathes fire. And he transforms his cat into a bloodthirsty monster. And even Satan show up in a cameo. The ending is just wrong in so many ways, I won't even bother mentioning it.
Story 2: A thief breaks into Merlin's shop one night and escapes with an evil toy monkey. The freaky-looking one with the cymbals. Merlin sets out, trying to find the toy before it falls into the wrong hands. Meanwhile, young Michael is having a birthday party. Guess what he's getting for a present! Yup, the toy monkey. But before you can say possessed toy, household plants and pets are turning up dead. Suspiciously, right after the monkey chimes its cymbals. David, Michael's father, tries to get rid of the toy. But it keeps coming back. Again. And again... And again!
The main problem with this film is that it's marketed as a family-oriented kids movie. But it's not. It's dark, and it's scary, and filled with pets dying horribly, demons and evil things. Without any redeeming qualities to it. It's an oddity, I'll give it that. But only watch it if the MST3K guys are riffing on it.