What The Hell Are Space Critters?
Image From IMDB
So… What Are Space Critters?
Not all Aliens are Xenomorphs or Little Green Men. They don’t have to be monstrous creatures from your worse Giger nightmare, or humanoid in a choose your own colour and facial accessories package. They don’t need to be ten foot tall, nor do they need to look like something Lovecraft would have dreamt up. Sometimes, especially in the eighties, they could just be small creatures. Furry, and kind of funny looking. Always hungry. And always causing absolute chaos.
The impending doom or suspenseful dread of their taller counterparts was often replaced with a silliness. A playfulness that often led to both their death, and yours. They wanted to torment and humiliate, while also scaring the living shit out of you in a funny manner. They weren’t overly interested in carefully stalking you in the dark, creating that sense of fear, instead, they want to watch you run and scream, maybe laugh amongst themselves about how funny it was to watch you squirm. Bastards.
These dangerous little fuckers often roamed in packs to make up for their lack of size. A swarm or siege mentality. Sometimes a leader would emerge, or an individual Space Critter would grow in size and become dominant, but often they stuck together with the sole purpose of causing as much distress as possible, and eating everything in sight… It wouldn’t be a Space Critter if they weren’t absolutely ravenous.
Image From IMDB
Rise In Popularity
The Space Critter genre became more prevalent in the eighties as a comedic take on the more serious Alien movies. Replacing some of the blood, guts and tension (although they had this too) with campy funny creatures, laugh’s, and little bite marks everywhere. They might look kind of cute, but it was also best to stay the hell away from them, especially if you were the family pet, a common target for the hyperactive extraterrestrial furballs.
While Gremlins brought the Space Critters to the mainstream, films like the Critter franchise and Ghoulies played their role too. These furry little creatures would eventually turn up in everything from Star Trek to Disney animations like Lilo & Stitch, becoming a mainstay in both Science Fiction and Horror, while also entertaining the kids. Although, while often blending elements of comedy with the Sci-Fi or Horror the Space Critters weren’t necessarily kid friendly outside of the aforementioned Stitch, no matter how adorable some of them might have looked.
The Space Critter movies from the eighties may have often had kids or teens as the leads, but these weren’t kid movies. Space Critters might not have been able to rip people apart as easily as their larger counterparts, but in packs they were no less dangerous with the kill count often being equal to and any other horror subgenre, even Slashers.
It’s a common misconception to think of Gremlins as a kids film, in fact, it was often cited as a movie that helped change the rating system, introducing a midpoint between kids movies and the more violent or sexy action flicks of the time. They were proof that cute little creatures didn’t have to solely be within the realms of fantasy or Disney, that they could be a part of the horror world too.
An argument could be put forth that films featuring Space Critters is a good way to introduce older kids to horror, and it’s one I completely agree with… but I don’t have kids and don’t mind seeing them scared shitless while watching a film so I’m probably not the right person to judge whether that argument holds waters or not.
I do however think most would agree that Space Critter movies tend to be fun. That whatever the body count or gory effects a big emphasis is always put on comedy, whether that’s through sight gags, funny deaths, or just watching the little fellows waddling around. The Gremlins frantic movements always make me laugh. The Critters rolling around like Sonic The Hedgehog is an absolute joy to see. The stop motion and puppetry of the Ghoulies is the stuff I live for. Space Critters just want to have fun… while also ruining your evening.
Image From IMDB
Space Critter Legacy
The Space Critter doesn’t have to solely be cute fluffy alien like creatures either. The Critters can be insects or bug like creatures (subgenres is their own right that I will no doubt cover at some point) They can be worms (like in the fantastic Slither) or little blobs (something like what you might see in the underrated Island of Terror) Spiders, or some kind of mutated ant. As long as they are small, and either come from space, or appear somewhat alien, they qualify.
As a subgenre Space Critters has slowed down over the years compared to its lofty heights in the eighties, but it’s also a subgenre where most people have a lot of fun memories. A nostalgic subgenre for any kids from the eighties, or parent who grew up on Gremlins and have been waiting for their kids to be old enough to show them the Joe Dante classic. Gizmo was our Stitch.
It’s a genre heavily tied to practical effects. All kinds of Puppetry, Stop Motion, and Animatronics brought these Critters to life. Gave them personality. Some of the biggest names in horror effects have worked with these pint-sized creatures. There was a freedom and creativity in designing and bringing to life these fun little creatures that would have been more difficult within the larger aliens and bigger monsters of the time.
Space Critters may fall alongside such genres as Creature Features and Monster Movies, but has it’s own little place for me due to the pop culture impact of Gremlins, and to a lesser extent Critters, both of which helped define it from the broader spectrum. They come from a time when Horror was at its most creative, and all that creativity was shown in these sort of movies.
Space Critters will forever be a part of cinema history.
Stephen
