We’re Here for the Krites: The Making of Critters
Published by Harker Press, 2025. 339 pages.
By Matthew C. DuPée

The great thing about these types of books is that you learn so much about what happened behind the scenes, on every aspect. Whether it’s how the actors brought their character to life, how the sets were built, the other technical stuff like prop building, the monster, even the sets, it really helps give you more of an appreciation of the work that went into it, from the very beginning to the end. Not to mention showing you just how much work does go into a film, even if it’s a low budget film. Harker Press continues to put out books that are a wealth of information that eager film fans can devour and will make you look at the subject matter with more of an educated and often different view going forward.

This new title covers the Critters franchise, from the original 1986 feature, the sequel, and the two straight-to-video follow-ups. Then we finally get the 8-episode series, Critters: A New Binge, and the last entry, Critters Attack!, both of which came out in 2019. There is a lot more focus on the first feature, and then a little less with each film, but that doesn’t mean you’re still going to learn so much of what went on during these productions. The best thing about this is that we get to hear from so many people involved, from the actors, directors, writers, special effects crews, detailing some of the issues that came up, how things were laid out and designed, and all the fun stuff that goes into filmmaking!

Plus, the book is filled with plenty of photos and illustrations, from behind-the-scenes shots to early designs of the Critters and other creatures.

I’ve always found that hearing from those in the trenches is where you get the really good stories. They were the ones out on the set at 2am, after the temps have dropped, while lying under the set with your hand sticking up through the floor while trying to operate a Critter puppet! What a glorious life, right!

You’ll hear about sudden changes in the story, when producer Bob Shaye says he wanted a huge Critter in the film, like a man-size one, where the effects team had to try and figure all of that out with very little time. You’ll learn about all the details that went into something seemingly simple, like the bounty hunters fancy-looking blasters, and the detailed work and design that went into creating them. You’ll understand the kind of work and hours involved in productions like these, where new scenes would be added at the last minute, or shots that the effects team spent hours developing, only never to be used. As effects artists Chris Briggs stated, “Mechanical makeup effects are always held together with duct tape and toothpicks.” When you learn that the family’s house in the first film was completely built for the film, or that the entire town from Critters 2 was built from scratch in record time, it is all part of that movie magic.

While you’ll read about some of those on-set frustrations and friction, you’ll also read about some of the excitement and fun times had on the set, giving a really good insight into these kinds of productions. And in the end, when you watch the final result, that all goes away, and they hope you walk away entertained.

Author DuPée has done a fantastic job covering a series of films that, while they all might not be classics, are part of an entertaining series. And while learning more about them might not make those later sequels better, you’ll at least have a little more respect for them knowing what went into making them.