John Carl Buechler, who did the special FX for both previous installments of the GHOULIES series, takes the directorial reigns for this, his third GHOULIES movie. Buechler, apparently a fan of college frat flicks, takes the demonic puppets in a new direction this time out, removing them from their usually dreary settings and slapping them down in the middle of the Glazier College campus, where another classic "prank week" is underway. Not only are the title beasties larger this time around, but they're also animated better, showing far more facial features and bodily motions than in either of the first two films. Also, though the toilet theme remains a constant, it actually becomes part of the gag, acting as an actual portal through which the monsters surface.

It al happens "21 years ago", as some dork sends himself and 3 ghoulies into the "porceline portal" (a mystic crapper with demon faces carved into it... stolen from my garage sale) by reading a spell from a comicbook. Now, we jump ahead those 21 years to "the present", where the campus's rival frats try to out prank each other for the coveted "Prank Crown", during the campus's Prank Week. Basically, it's one of those Candian hats with the ear flaps with a bunch of debris and shiny things glued to it. But, just like being in the royal family, it's not the look that counts, but the notariety! In a campus men's room, where the demonic toilet has been used like any other porceline god, a victim of the Paulie Shore trend finds the previously mentioned magic comicbook in the wall. From here we meet stick-up-his-ass Professor Ragnar (played by UHF's Kevin McCarthy), who doesn't like the antics that come with Prank Week, and won't stand for them in his class. In other words, he's likely to become the evil villain who summons the ghoulies to use against the innocent smart-asses of Glazier. Sure enough, I'm right as always in matters of horror, and he gets his hands on the evil comic. For no real reason, he reads it and uses it to bring forth the larger-than-usual GREMLINS knock-offs from their cold white jail. Not only does it seem the little bastards have been eating their bovine growth hormones since their visit to the carnival, but they've also been taking speach lessons, gaining the ability to speak English. As with any creature who's given such an incredible gift, the ghoulies instantly use their new found speach powers to make dick and fart jokes...

Meanwhile, our hero Skip (no, I refuse to call anyone named "Skip" my hero) goes about his usual frat boy lifestyle, making and breaking up with his "on again, off again" girlfriends, fending off campus rent-a-cops, and attempting to prank out his Nazi-like nemesis frat. You know, the same crap we all saw in REVENGE OF THE NERDS. Well, this is all about to change, as Prof. Rag sets his new minion munchkins loose, ordering them to ruin the frats and bring a painful end to Prank Week! They first steal the sought after Prank Crown, then proceed to turn the frat houses into teenage wastelands, beer cans and pizza boxes everywhere, just like they usually are, only they also drink all the beer! Speaking of which, there's an amusing 2001: A SPACE ODESSEY gag here with the fridge. After hammering the household and killing a stray frat boy or two, the ghoulies head off to the campus to raise some Hell while the frats fight over who fucked up who's house. This pushes the pranks up a notch and Skip, who just wants out of the whole mess, gets into some deep trouble, with a pending suspension lurking in the shadows!

The Nazis turn the frat games deadly though, setting the helpless Skip up to witness a dangerous bomb prank gone bad. But, the good guy single-handedly fights the goose-steppers off, clocking them all into unconsciousness and breaking THROUGH a locked door in his quest to save the love of his life from Rag and his monsters. Long story made painfully short, due to loss of memory and waining blood-caffeine levels, Skip swipes the magic comic from Rag, stealing his control over the ghoulies as well. As soon as he has them under his power, Skip orders them to attack Prof. Rag and shred him to beefy spicy strips. But, thanx to a loophole in the summoning clause, when the fiends attack the person who summoned them, a lot of green strobe lights go off and the creatures merge with their ex-master to create... Prof. Ragnar with a big green face in his stomach! Understandably pissed by this whole ghoulie stomach merger, the transformed professor goes after our heroic couple, ultimately getting screwed out of his revenge when Skip stuffs the mystical comicbook into the demonic toilet, which sucks the amalgamated bad guy down into the depths of Satan's sewage system to spend an eternity swimming in demon shit and monster vomit. As for Skip, well, he gets the perfect ending, as he not only gets the girl and beats the villain, but his frat also wins the Prank Week and the glorious Prank Crown... despite a panty-raid gone wrong.

If you want a movie that's going to change your life forever, GHOULIES III is not it. If you have a sense of humor and you can forgive the brainless antics (just like every other GHOULIES flick), then you might like it. Simply put, it's like GREMLINS INVADE ANIMAL HOUSE. No, wait, not that big budgeted... more like PCU2: THE MUNCHIES CLASS! The Three Stooges antics deffinately improved on the usual GHOULIES fair, and the superior puppeteering and animatronics, though still very stiff, also helped me swallow down the pills. The acting was no big deal, though McCarthy always makes me laugh as a slightly disturbed megalomaniacal type. Besides, you never expect college frat boys to be in Shakespeare, so I wasn't exactly disappointed. All in all, I like pint-sized demons, I like the Three Stooges, and I like college frat prank movies, so yes, I like GHOULIES III!

Also Known As: GHOULIES GO TO COLLEGE; GHOULIES III

Sequels: GHOULIES IV

If You Liked This Flick, Check Out: MUNCHIES or CRITTERS 3