Critters 3 is a 1991 American science fiction comedy horror Direct-to-video film and the third installment of the Critters series, directed by Kristine Peterson. It was shot simultaneously (from February to July 1991) with its sequel, Critters 4. Unlike the first two films, it does not take place in the town of Grover's Bend. It marked Leonardo DiCaprio's film debut.
| Critters 3 | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Kristine Peterson |
| Screenplay by | David J. Schow |
| Story by |
|
| Produced by | Rupert Harvey Barry Opper |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Thomas L. Callaway |
| Edited by | Terry Stokes |
| Music by | David C. Williams |
Production company | Oh Films |
| Distributed by | New Line Home Video |
Release date |
|
Running time | 85 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Plot
editSometime after the events in Critters 2: The Main Course, Charlie MacFadden is tracking down the last of the Critters. A family of three – Annie (the main protagonist), Johnny (her little brother) and Clifford (the father) – stops at a rest stop when their car's tire pops.
At the rest stop, Charlie warns them and Josh, the stepson of a corrupt landlord, about the Critters. As this happens, a Critter lays eggs under the family's car and the family leaves, unknowingly taking the eggs with them. Soon after they arrive at their tenement, the Critters hatch and attack the sleazy maintenance man, Frank. When the landlord arrives, he too is eaten by the Critters. Josh locks the landlord in Clifford's room, unknowingly trapping his stepfather with the creatures.
Next, one of the residents is attacked and wounded. Annie, her family and five others (including Josh) try to get to safety in one piece by getting to the roof of the building. Charlie arrives and destroys the remaining Critters, saving the remaining tenants. The film ends in a cliffhanger as Charlie is about to destroy two Critter eggs, but is ordered not to and a containment pod sent from the Intergalactic Council crashes into the basement.
Cast
editCary Elwes mentioned on the commentary for the uncut edition DVD of Saw that he passed on the role of Josh.
- Leonardo DiCaprio as Josh
- Aimee Brooks as Annie
- Don Keith Opper as Charlie MacFadden
- John Calvin as Clifford
- Nina Axelrod as Betty Briggs
- William Dennis Hunt as Briggs
- Geoffrey Blake as Frank
- Christian and Joseph Cousins as Johnny
- Terrence Mann as Ug
- Jose Luis Valenzuela as Mario
- Diana Bellamy as Rosalie
- Katherine Cortez as Marcia
- Frances Bay as Mrs. Menges
- Bill Zuckert as Mr. Menges
- Stephen Chiodo, Charles Chiodo and Edward Chiodo as Critter voices[1]
- William Hanna as Critter's screams and shrieks
Release
editThe film was released as a direct to video by New Line Home Video on December 11, 1991. New Line Home Entertainment released it on DVD in 2003. The film was re-released in a set containing four films on DVD by Warner Bros. in 2010.
Scream Factory, a subsidiary of Shout! Factory, released the four films as part of "The Critters Collection" on Blu-ray. The set was available from November 27, 2018.[2]
Reception
editReview aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes gives the film an approval rating of 0%, based on reviews from seven critics, with an average rating of 2.8/10.[3]
References
edit- ^ "John Hardel on Twitter: "I finally found out after years of wondering the Chiodo Brothers themselves, Barry Opper who filmed the Crite scenes told me, they must've forgot they did them."". Twitter. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
- ^ "Shout Factory: Fourteen New Titles Coming Soon to Blu-ray". Blu-ray.com. 20 July 2018. Retrieved 29 July 2018.
- ^ "Critters 3 (1991)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
External links
edit