Here Come the Munsters   Starring: Edward Herrmann, Veronica Hamel, Christine Taylor, Robert Morse, Sean O'Bryan, Mary Woronov and Max Grodenchik Distributor: Fabulous Films Ltd / Fremantle Media Enterprises RRP: £12.99 FHED3360 Certificate: PG Release Date: 27 July 2015

All is not well for the Munsters. Their peaceful home in Transylvania is under siege from confused and bigoted local peasants. The Munsters are misunderstood and decide to leave Europe for America. There they find Herman's brother-in-law Norman Hyde, has vanished and no one has any idea where he is, not even Brent Jekyll, who is running for congress...

Here Come the Munsters is a 1995 TV movie that acts as a sort of prequel to the '60s TV series. The movie starts in Transylvania, where the Munster family are being persecuted by the locals, who are scared of their strange looks and ways. They receive a letter from their cousin Marilyn, who is living in America. However, the letter is partly destroyed, but Herman can make out from the remaining fragments, that it appears that Marilyn is asking the Munsters to come to America as a matter of urgency.

So, they pack everything up and fly to California. When they arrive at 1313 Mockingbird Lane, they discover that Marilyn's father, Norman Hyde, has vanished, and her Mother (Herman's sister), Elsa Hyde, has slipped into a non responsive state through all the worry. It's down to Herman, Lily, Grandpa and Eddie to work out what has happened to uncle Norman.

The most notable thing about this movie is how much trouble the producers have gone to to make everything look and feel like the original The Munsters TV series. All of the actors look and sound like the original show's cast, especially Edward Herrmann, whose Herman Munster impression is spot on.

The film also includes cameos from the then surviving cast members of the original TV show (Yvonne De Carlo, Al Lewis, Butch Patrick and Pat Priest) sadly Fred Gwynne had died two years earlier in 1993.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine fans will no doubt spot Max Grodénchik (who played ferengi Rom on DS9) as Norman Hyde.

This is only really a movie for children or those that grew up loving The Munsters. There's not much here to keep the attention of adults or older children. But for its intended audience this will be a blast.

6

Nick Smithson