Hobgoblins (1988)

Kevin (Tom Bartlett) takes on a job as a security guard at a studio after another one was mysteriously killed and opens a vault that was locked for 30 years and releases a bunch of alien creatures known as hobgoblins whom kills people that make their fantasies come true.

A real impressive beginning with a young employee goofing around outside while working as a security for a building along with his manager McCreedy getting on his case with them walking inside the building with this employee wandering off when he hears something and asks who's there as this leaves a nice chill down your spine that it isn't something good as well as a nice green light flashing on him leaving this a perfect touch for a horror beginning. Then some nice flashing shots on him making out that he's performing in a rock band which stood out greatly as well as an accident about to happen. Then a good moment with McCreedy looking for him and finding him lying there dead which is a perfect horror touch to the story as well as making these moments mysterious as to how this all happened.
Also a nice add into the story when McCreedy tells the owner Mr. Comstock what had happened and to find a new employee which is a good touch to a horror story.
Then alot of cheesy but fun touches with the young adults hanging out in their home and having a good time as well as one of them whom is Kyle making a call sneakily to a sex phone line and we see the person whom is Fantazia answering along with her later on trying to take another person's call too which offers off the wall comedic timing but not really funny I have to admit.
Then we have a cocky masculine Nick entering the home as well as him challenging Kevin to a match fighting with garden tools which looked cheesy to watch but yet this moment draws you in as well as Nick acting like a bit of a bully towards him which offered effective moments in this scene.
Impressive situations when Kevin is starting his shift as a security and working with McCreedy and they spot a thug trespassing in the area along with a good moment on the trouble this punk is causing which looked mysterious as to who this person is and looking strong for the storyline which can we well remembered.
Also a good moment when Kevin enters an area where he hears something going on as well as a good shot on a green light shining on him when he opens a vault as well as what he spots which leaves a mysterious feel since we don't spot on what is running by. Also a good moment on what McCreedy tells him what he released as well as a flashback memory taking place years ago which is a nice moment to put in the story but we see a toy like spaceship landing with three hobgoblins coming out of them as the space ship should've looked larger. Of course that been said it's hard to take a moment like that seriously.
Perfect moments at night with the young gang having a party with flashing coloured lights which makes you want to join in on the fun. Also good shots on the hobgoblins watching giving it a nice low budget horror feel to it all as well as Daphne hearing her boyfriend Nick's car horn which is caused by one of the hobgoblin's tricking her which looked mildly funny to watch as well as one of them attacking her and she wrestles with this critter which also looked hilarious to watch.
Also a perfect moment when Kyle calls up the sex line and then spots Fantazia outside with mist floating around her which looked impressive and creepy like. A moment that looked entertaining for a horror flick for sure.
Then afterwards the gang go to a bar as well as some mildly funny moments when a waitress finds they're under age and the bouncer Rosdrash gives them fake IDs in front of her which is slapstcik like. Plus we see a band the Fontalles perform which looked a bit rough but yet passable as the moments looked almost gothic which suited the moments. Then later on cheesy shots on the hobgoblins invading the bar which didn't look too threatening.
But then we spot a great scene with Kevin being pitted against the thug which looked almost intense with this goon beating him up and then interesting moments on him fighting back along with what we spot later on which looked very strange.
Bottom line is that the film is pointless and so bad it's good but I dug it and enjoyed watching it so call me kookie. The creatures didn't look convincing as they looked like stuffed rubber toys but this was due to a lack of a budget that it carried. Some neat effects here and there which was cool. It was almost a take on those other horror flicks like Critters, Gremlins and even Ghoulies with a much less of a budget. I found this to be the best Sloane flick ever.

The acting is quite cheesy with many virtual unknowns but not too terrible in which Tom Bartlett (Kevin) seemed to pull his weight quite good as an employee of a studio in which he showed some good energy into all that he did here as well as having a convinced frusterated attitude too. He also seemed okay by springing into action whenever he needed to behave this way as well as having an okay nervousness here and there which looked nicely done.
Paige Sullivan (Amy) had a decent girl next door persona as well as showing a nice calmness to her behavior. Also she does a nice job acting turned off by certain things which she knew on how to behave that way. Shows off a good versatality when she does a stage act just getting into a different character acting lustful which made you think that this was a different actress portraying this. Also does well calling out of fear when she sees someone being beaten up as she shows good energy within this as well.
Steven Boggs (Kyle) shows off a convincingly dorky type of behavior as someone who likes to use the sex line in which he shows alot of enhtusiasm while doing all of this. Seemed to try the best that he could possibly do throughout his part. He didn't stand out as much as the rest of the cast.
Kelley Palmer (Daphne) stood out the most as a stuck up bimbo type showing a ton of spunk just getting with her part in it springing into action and acting joyful when her onscreen boyfriend comes for a visit. She seemed to show off a nice bubbly type of attitude as well as having a perfect partygirl type of look and appeal too. She was hilarious battling off a hobgoblin showing off a good temperamental type of behavior.
Billy Frank (Nick) came across nicely with his cocky and macho behavior but sometimes gets carried away with it all but not too much. He for sure shows off an energetic performance when using a garden tool as a weapon as well as being convincingly forceful to his fellow actor. Seemed to be powerful in certain spots and needed improvements in others.
Jeffrey Culver (McCreedy) is probably the best out of the cast in which he made his role truly likeable as a kind hearted employer in which he really knew on how to act uplifting but other spots troubled when a terrifying incident happens. Plus shows a good firm attitude whenever he had to behave this way. He was a decent character actor and deserves fair credit to what he had to do here.
Daran Norris (Club Scum M.C.) seemed to do a fine job at the club hosting events in which he really brought into all that he had to do standing off sharply with everything that went on around him. I liked his part and seemed to help the story a bit as the club scene was a bit of a drag but he spiced it up.
Tami Bakke (Fantazia) showed it off nicely with her lustful attitude while talking on the phone for the phone sex ads. She also got into her sequence well while tempting someone standing outside as well as showing a good evil and powerful attitude near the end of her role. Seemed to bring it all together nicely.
Duane Whitaker (Roadrash) has a gruff speaking and forceful attitude in which he came across clearly as a club bouncer but at the same time I've seen him in better performances than in this as he didn't seem to really get into his part too well here. Maybe he wasn't keen on his part in it since I heard stories he wasn't proud of this film.
Don Barrett (Comstock) played the owner of the studio in which I thought he was worth mentioning. Shows a good seriousness and no nonsense attitude to his speaking along with being straight forward and stern too on stuff. He seemed to draw in well with his businessman type of attitude. Proved he can portray another role than his demented type in the slasher flick Slaughterhouse.
Ken Abraham (Thug) I often found to be a bad actor with just his brawny looks doing the talking but however he seemed to do okay as an obnoxious punk just doing a good job being rough or handling a weapon. Also was decent while swinging his punches towards someone else along with his cruel and coldness in his speaking.

Alan DerMarderosian is often trashy with his composing but this time he is right on the ball for a low budget horror action such as this one composing some nice adventureous music for the suspenseful moments which gives out quite powerfully. Also nice creepy tones with the synthesizer for the opening credits sounding icy and chiming sounds packing a great punch. There are odd slapstick sounds which sounded corny so he still added moments like those in the story but everything else sounded great and making it sound enjoyable.

Nick: [Amy, Daphne, and Kyle are "fighting" the hobgoblins] Must be a new dance... pretty kinky.