“Shrunken Heads and Modern Vampires are my often misunderstood yet dearly cherished bastard children.  Both films were somehow classified as straight-ahead ‘horror’ genre when released. (Modern Vampires was even given absurdly deceptive cover art to seem like a Blade follow-up).  In fact, both films were written by Matthew Bright (Freeway) as darkly comic social satires; subtle, twisted humor tinged with dollops of absurd pathos.  So take out your garlic and voodoo charms, my friends, tuck your tongues firmly in cheek, and please enjoy these quirky little movies.” - Richard Elfman

Shrunken Heads is Walt Disney meets West Side Story meets Dead End meets Richard Elfman.
The good kids are bullied by the bad kids in what seems like a family-film drama…until notorious dyke crime boss Big “Mo” orders the bad kids to slaughter the good kids.  Local newsvendor, Mr. Sumatra, a former colonel in Haiti’s fearsome secret police, is so incensed that he severs the victim’s heads, then shrinks and reanimates them as mini-superheroes bent on justice and revenge.  Simple enough, except that Tommy, now a wizened little flying head, is still in love with Sally — gang leader Vinnie’s girlfriend!  Shrunken Heads is ultimately a story about love overcoming adversity.

“Kind of like a Walt Disney movie until the bad kids kill all the good kids” — Film Threat

Shrunken Heads 1995, 86 min. Starring:  Julius Harris (Mr. Sumatra), Meg Foster (Big “Mo”), Aeryk Egan (Tommy), Rebecca Herbst (Sally), A. J. Damato (Vinnie), Bo Sharon (Billy), Darris Love (Freddie), Bodhi Elfman, (Booger), Troy Fromin (Pud), Leigh Allyn Baker (Mitzi).  Music by Richard Band, main title theme by Danny Elfman with additional music by Oingo Boingo.

Download web version / print version

Download web version / print version

Download web version

Download web version / print version

SWOLLEN HEADshot of director Richard Elfman

Download web version / print version

SHRUNKEN HEADS first time on DVD.  Cool extras!