The Garbage Pail Kids Movie (1987)

Dodger must confront the struggles of life as he is visited by the Garbage Pail Kids and intimidated by some older bullies.

Director:

Rod Amateau

Writers:

Linda Palmer (as Melinda Palmer), Rod Amateau

Stars:

Anthony Newley, Mackenzie Astin, Phil Fondacaro

4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Phil Fondacaro	...	Greaser Greg
Anthony Newley	...	Captain Manzini
Mackenzie Astin	...	Dodger
Katie Barberi	...	Tangerine
Ron MacLachlan	...	Juice
J.P. Amateau	...	Wally
Marjory Graue	...	Blythe
Debbie Lee Carrington	...	Valerie Vomit
Kevin Thompson	...	Ali Gator
Bobby Bell	...	Foul Phil (as Robert Bell)
Larry Green	...	Nat Nerd
Arturo Gil	...	Windy Winston
Susan Rossitto	...	Messy Tessie
John Cade	...	Bartender
Lynn Cartwright	...	Fashion Show Host

Storyline

Seven disgusting kids but nevertheless of interesting personality are being made of the green mud coming out of garbage can. Once alive their master gives them rules to obey although they think that life is funnier without following stupid regulations like no television or no candy. Naturally this will cause some conflicts.

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Plot Keywords:

trash bin | garbage can | trash | rubbish | shop | 

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Taglines:

Out of the garbage pail and into your heart

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Genres:

Adventure | Comedy | Family | Fantasy | Musical

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

Nominated for Worst Picture at the Hastings Bad Cinema Society's 10th Annual Stinkers Bad Movie Awards in 1987 alongside Ishtar (1987), Leonard Part 6 (1987), Spaceballs (1987), and Who's That Girl (1987). Spaceballs "won" the award instead.

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Goofs

(unless Juice had a separate company vehicle), midway in the movie, a couple of the GPK stoled a truck and accidentally ran over Juice' van and polverized it flat. Later in the movie, his van is completely fine.

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Quotes

Ali Gator: [looking at stuffed alligator, gasps] My God! It's Cousin Charlie!

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Alternate Versions

The UK video version was cut by 26 secs for a PG certificate with edits to imitable techniques and to remove all shots of Greg's flick knife. The DVD features the same cut print.

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Connections

Referenced in Nostalgia Critic Real Thoughts: The Haunted Mansion (2017)

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Soundtracks

Not a Soul Around
Performed by Ed Kuepper
Produced by Ed Kuepper

User Reviews

And what...in the world, was THAT?!!

As a lover of movies, I sat down to see The Garbage Pail Kids Movie after hearing from so many people how bad it was. Sometimes when I see "bad" movies, they are not so bad if mediocre,or movies that are so bad they're good, but there are other times when the movie that is supposed to be bad IS bad. This garbage belongs in the latter, it was so awful(in my opinion that is) that I didn't know whether to vomit or cry. I will give credit and say it is not quite the worst movie I have ever seen, but that isn't saying much.

Firstly, I do have to agree with other reviewers that this is one of the poorly written kids movies out there. I know this movie is supposed to be bad and mindless trash, but the dialogue alone makes it not only bad, it makes it garbage. The dialogue is mega lame and not quotable at all, and I didn't laugh once. The humour was also very grotesque, I know the cards are quite grotesque, and movies like Freddy Got Fingered had grotesque and very unsubtle humour, but The Garbage Pail Kids Movie takes the whole meaning of the word "grotesque" to a whole new level and in a bad way. Plus the pranks are very mean-spirited, as is the knockabout violence.

Then there is the story. What was the story again? To me, it had those talentless hacks Friedberg and Seltzer written over it, it is one of the most poorly constructed stories in a movie, with drawn out scenes, plodding pace you name it. Next, the production values, am I the only person who thought they were appalling? The sets were poor, the lighting was dim, the camera work was like direct to video quality, the special effects were laughable and the costumes were horrible. Don't get me wrong, I like 1980s fashion, it is funky and cool, but the costumes here made me want to gouge my eyes out.

Even the soundtrack was awful. Generic, lifeless and uninspired, even worse than the music in Disaster Movie, which sounded like it had been made up on the spot at last minute. Not to mention it is the epitome of cheesiness. And the acting was atrocious. Anthony Newley was wasted as Captain Manzini, and MacKenzie Astin is a bland and inept child protagonist. Juice and Tangerine are underdeveloped and clichéd, and Ali Gator, Greaser Greg and Nat Nerd are unlikeable and I think ugly characters with voices that have haunted me in my sleep since seeing the movie last night. And they wasted Jim Cummings completely here, the immortal voice actor who gave us Darkwing Duck, Dr RobotNik and Don Karnage has sounds utterly embarrassed here, it makes me want to cry.

Overall, absolutely awful. When I finished watching it, yes I watched the whole thing, I was like what was that? 1/10(and that is being kind, I could tell even from the title it wasn't going to be good). Bethany Cox

Details

Official Sites:

MGM [United States] Topps [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 August 1987 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Garbage Pail Kids Movie

Filming Locations:

Sherman Oak Van Nuys War Memorial Park - 14118 Huston Street, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$661,512, 23 August 1987

Gross USA:

$1,576,615

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,576,615

Company Credits

Production Co:

Atlantic Entertainment Group, Topps Chewing Gum Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1