1987 · Atlantic · PG
The Garbage Pail Kids Movie
Atlantic bought the film rights from Topps in April 1987, started shooting in Los Angeles the same month and had the film in cinemas by August 21. Rod Amateau, a sitcom veteran of Mister Ed and Gilligan's Island, wrote, produced and directed it, with seven of the kids played by performers in rubber suits. Dodger, a teenager working in an antique shop, finds them living in a garbage can. Critics hated it, it took about $1.6 million on a $1 million budget, and it still turns up on lists of the worst films ever made.
The facts
- ReleasedAugust 21, 1987 (US)
- Directed and produced byRod Amateau
- Written byRod Amateau and Melinda Palmer
- DistributorAtlantic Releasing Corporation
- ShotLos Angeles, April 27 to June 26, 1987
- Running time97 minutes, rated PG
- MusicMichael Lloyd
- BudgetAbout $1 million
- US gross$1,576,615
The kids in the film, and their cards
Every kid in the movie started as a sticker. Here is the card each one came from.
Cast
| Anthony Newley | Captain Manzini |
| Mackenzie Astin | Dodger |
| Katie Barberi | Tangerine |
| Phil Fondacaro | Greaser Greg |
| Bobby Bell | Foul Phil |
On home video
MGM put the film on DVD in 2005, Scream Factory released a Blu-ray in 2015, and Vinegar Syndrome issued a 4K edition in November 2025.
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What comes next
A new Garbage Pail Kids animated series has been announced for HBO Max from David Gordon Green and Danny McBride. We will cover it here when there is something firm to report.
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