I don't know what to say folks; I'm completely dumbfounded. When the DVD of a film called That Little Monster landed on my desk I didn't know what to expect (rest assured I was expecting the very worst). This was a film that I had never heard of AND was made by people I had never heard of. To top it all off it's also a short, ugh. I figured I was in store for a pretentious piece of crap made by no talents using mommy and daddy's money to satisfy their own super egos. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that I was wrong, not only wrong but DEAD wrong. Now that I know a bit of this films history and have experienced it first hand my only question is, "Where have you been my whole life?"

Originally, That Little Monster was to be an episode of a TV show called MONSTERS, which was a spin-off of another successful TV show called Tales from the Darkside. Through a bit of bad luck, That Little Monster was no longer needed as an episode of MONSTERS after it had already begun production. Filmmaker Paul Bunnell then decided to lengthen and finish the film himself (and I'm glad he did). Shot over a period of 3-years (?) it's simply amazing that continuity isn't nearly as much of a problem as one would expect.

I hate to say it folks, but this film defies description. It's best to go in knowing absolutely nothing, or very little at best (no description will do this gem justice). I know how hard it is to swallow (I've never heard of this film and he's not even going to tell me anything about it?). Less is more folks, trust me. Shot entirely in B&W That Little Monster chronicles the rise and fall of an "intergalactic" babysitter. Jamie (the very talented and very cute Melissa Baum) accepts a babysitting position, but has no idea how much trouble That Little Monster can really be. That's it folks, that's all I'm going to say about the plot.

The film itself is so wild, imagine if you will a combination of David Lynch and Tim Burton, and you may have an idea of what you're dealing with. Wholly original and just off the wall enough to not make you angry (it's not just wacky for the sake of being wacky), this film is a fascinating specimen from start to finish. I very rarely bear witness to short films that strike such a chord, but I have to admit that I really enjoyed the hell out of this film. Not just the film, but everything it stands for and the obvious love and care that went into its production. The entire cast and crew kept coming back over a 3-year period to shoot this film piece by piece. Unbelievable. This film is filled with great B&W photography, excellent sets, incredible performances and fun special effects. I can't imagine that anyone would sit down with That Little Monster for an hour and not enjoy him or herself. Added to the mix are cameos by Reggie Bannister (of Phantasm fame) and Forrest J. Ackerman (of Famous Monsters of Filmland fame) you just can't go wrong.

It appears as if the film was shot 16 mm, there is some grain but not nearly as much as one would expect. The B&W transfer is extremely pleasing with the occasional spec of dirt. Black levels are dead on with nice definition and shading. There is absolutely no evidence of digital artifacting. This is just and all around nicely produced DVD, kudos Elite.

Audio is presented in what appears to be a Dolby surround mix and is also extremely well done. With some subtle yet effective surrounds and crisp clear dialogue, the well executed soundtrack serves the film well.

Extras include a brief interview with writer/director Paul Bunnell from a circa I don't know when cable access type TV show. Also included is another 20-minute short film from Mr. Bunnell entitled The Visitant from 1981. While this film is nowhere near as effective as the feature, it's still an interesting view. The Visitant chronicles a fathers visit to his son's grave in which he's haunted by visions of his dead son, among
others. Finally, there's a feature length commentary over That Little Monster with Mr. Bunnell and editor/producer Carl Mastromarino. The commentary is just as impressive as the film. These guys go non-stop and cover just about every base. You can always tell from audio commentaries whether or not there is actual heart and soul in a production, and I'm here to tell you That Little Monster is all heart and all soul.

I have to give this DVD my highest recommendation. I expected a pile of shit believe me, but what I got was so much more. Considering that this DVD can be picked up online for less than 15 bucks, you really have no excuse. Genre fans should really do themselves a favor and give this disc a look.