The Boogens (1981)

Otherworldly creatures are released from the bootleg tunnels underneath a small-town mining community, and begin chomping on the locals.

Director:

James L. Conway

Writers:

Thomas C. Chapman (story by) (as Tom Chapman), David O'Malley (story by)

Stars:

Rebecca Balding, Fred McCarren, Anne-Marie Martin

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Rebecca Balding	...	Trish Michaels
Fred McCarren	...	Mark Kinner
Anne-Marie Martin	...	Jessica Ford
Jeff Harlan	...	Roger Lowrie
John Crawford	...	Brian Deering
Med Flory	...	Dan Ostroff
Jon Lormer	...	Blanchard
Peg Stewart	...	Victoria Tusker
Scott Wilkinson	...	Deputy Greenwalt
Marcia Dangerfield	...	Martha Chapman (as Marcia Reider)

Storyline

The "Boogens" are scaly monsters that look somewhat like giant turtles with lots of sharp, nasty teeth. They are released from an abandoned, boarded-up silver mine in Colorado and proceed to do away with character after character

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Plot Keywords:

mine | monster | creature feature | female nudity | abandoned mine | 

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Taglines:

Some Things Shouldn't Be Disturbed...

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Genres:

Horror

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 September 1981 (USA)

Also Known As:

Engendros macabros

Filming Locations:

Park City, Utah, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$600,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Taft International Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Veteran character actor John Crawford's last film.

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Goofs

When the police officer is asking about the missing woman, Roger is shown buttoning up his shirt twice in two different shots during the scene.

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Connections

Featured in Trailer Trauma 3: 80s Horrorthon (2017)

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Soundtracks

She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain
(uncredited)
Traditional folk song
Performed by Anne-Marie Martin
[Sung by Jessica in shower]

User Reviews

You Had To Let 'Em Out, Didn't Ya!

This is a must-see late-night popcorn muncher that I first saw on HBO when I was about twelve. For years and years, I searched for the video. How excited I was a couple of years back when I found a copy! How can you not love that title? This movie is slow, many questions are left dangling, and the ending could have been stronger. However, it definitely has its moments! Best watched in groups, preferably while drinking. "Boogens" are killer monsters who are released from a closed land mine after mine workers blast it open after a 100 years. (One of the promo tag lines was "After 100 years, someone has reawakened The Boogens!) Some college-age kids rent a house in the woods, and the Boogens seem to have taken over the basement. Everyone hears noises coming from the basement but think nothing of it. One of my favorite characters was the old, old man whose great-grandfather was killed by Boogens. He approaches the miners and nervously rambles, "Boogens...Boogens...Ya had to let 'em out, didn't ya! Couldn't leave well enough alone, could ya!" The Boogens remain unseen until the last few minutes of the movie, and you will hit the floor laughing once you see a Boogen. (There are supposedly hordes of Boogens running loose, but perhaps because of budget problems, we see only one.) The Boogen looks like a giant turtle shell with elephant trunks for legs and the face looks like a Muppet on a crystal meth binge. One of the funniest scenes is when a Boogen is chasing a girl through the house and she tries to defend herself by throwing a tea pot and newspapers at it. Yep, that'll stop 'em! This is sooooo early 80's that it will most be enjoyed by thirty-somethings who fondly recall the kind of drive-in horror flicks they used to make. Fun for a bad movie/horror night. Fact: This is actually one of STEPHEN KING'S FAVORITES! He gives glowing reviews on the video box.