| A Gnome Named Gnorm | |
|---|---|
 Australian DVD cover | |
| Directed by | Stan Winston |
| Screenplay by | John Watson Pen Densham |
| Story by | Pen Densham |
| Produced by | Robert W. Cort Scott Kroopf Pen Densham Richard Lewis |
| Starring | Anthony Michael Hall Jerry Orbach |
| Cinematography | Bojan Bazelli |
| Edited by | Marcus Manton |
| Music by | Richard Gibbs |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | PolyGram Filmed Entertainment |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 84 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
A Gnome Named Gnorm (released in some markets asUpworld andThe Adventures of a Gnome Named Gnorm) is a fantasybuddy comedy film directed byStan Winston and written byPen Densham andJohn Watson.Gnorm was the second and final feature film directed by Winston, a celebrated special effects artist who continued to work in special effects afterward.
The film starsAnthony Michael Hall,Jerry Orbach, andClaudia Christian. Hall plays a Los Angeles police detective who teams up with a gnome to solve a murder.
Vestron Video releasedGnorm direct-to-video in the United Kingdom in 1990, but financial difficulties caused the film to change corporate hands several times before seeing a limited United States theatrical release in 1993 and a wide home video release in 1994. The film received generally negative reviews, with criticism focused on its heavy use of crude sexual humor.[1][2][3][4][5]
Casey Gallagher, a young and inexperienced police detective, is running a sting operation in a park attempting to catch the criminal Zadar in an illegal jewelry sale. Casey is knocked unconscious and one of Zadar's henchmen takes the jewels and then kills Casey's partner with a briefcase full of explosives.
At the same time, Gnorm, a gnome who lives underground, emerges in the park and witnesses the explosion. In an attempt to impress a female gnome, he has taken an artifact called the "lumen" aboveground (what the gnomes call Upworld) in order to recharge it by exposing it to the sun.
Investigating the crime scene afterward, Casey finds and takes the lumen and is followed home by Gnorm. Casey captures Gnorm, but then is attacked by one of Zadar's henchman, who steals the lumen. Casey and Gnorm team up to pursue Zadar with the help of the entire police department, including Casey's boss Captain Walton and Casey's love interest Samantha.
Casey and Gnorm become friends in their pursuit of Zadar, and Gnorm reveals a pronounced sexual interest in human women. Eventually, Casey and Gnorm return to the same park where the initial sting took place. Captain Walton arrives and reveals his intention to steal a briefcase of jewels, frame Casey, and flee to Mexico, but he is subdued by Casey and Gnorm.
As the sun rises, Casey gathers with Samantha and Gnorm to recharge the lumen. Gnorm kisses Samantha and prepares to return to the Underworld. Casey then kisses Samantha and shares a thumbs-up with Gnorm.
While working onThe Monster Squad, Winston was approached byPeter Hyams, a frequent collaborator of his, who brought forward a script then calledGnome. The idea was considered a special effects challenge, but with Winston's experience and expertise the project moved forward. He began concept work for the Gnorm character while on location during the filming ofLeviathan.[6]
The film was announced in 1988 asUpworld with Hall set to star. Winston had become famous for his makeup and special effects work on films such asThe Terminator andAliens, the latter earning him anAcademy Award, but he had yet to debut as a director. (Reports ofUpworld preceded the release of his first filmPumpkinhead.) The film was originally scheduled for Christmas 1989—a date which would shift several times in the next few years.[7]
The filmmakers' goal was to create a "straightforward action movie," described as a combination ofE.T. and48 Hrs. The Gnorm character was designed as an elaborate puppet with intentionally inhuman proportions so that audiences would not think it was an actor in a suit, although child actors were still used for some shots. Winston wanted the Gnorm puppet to be as lifelike as possible. He referenced the recentbox-office bombHoward the Duck in strong terms, wanting to avoid what he considered the "fucking embarrassing" special effects of that film.[1]
Shooting lasted 46 days, starting in late 1988 and ending early 1989. The film's original ending, described as a "heart-rending" scene where Gnorm returns to the underworld, tested poorly with audiences. Winston re-shot an ending intended to be more upbeat and humorous.[1]
The release ofA Gnome Named Gnorm coincided with the bankruptcy and eventual sale of Vestron Video, which would cause the film to be sporadically released in different markets over the next several years. Vestron could not find a buyer and so the company itself released the film asUpworld direct-to-video in the United Kingdom in the fall of 1990. In November 1990 Vestron also filed for bankruptcy protection, and the film saw no further release that year.[1][2][8][5]
Carolco acquired rights to the film and entered distribution discussions withNew Line Cinema, although reported release dates would be continually pushed back. Summer 1991, February 1992, April 1992, and November 1992 were all reported as potential release dates. None of these release dates were met, and neither Carolco nor New Line would be involved in the film's later releases.[1][9][10][11]
Newspapers continued to report onGnorm as an upcoming release. During this time, the film's actors discussedGnorm but were ambivalent about its success. Hall described the film asBeverly Hills Cop meetsE.T. "if it works. If it doesn't, it'sHoward the Duck."Mark Harelik, who plays a detective in the film, seemed to believe the film would not be released at all, stating in February 1992 "You'll never see that one."[12][13]
Eventually, the film had a limited theatrical release, with theaters in California and Florida showing what was now calledA Gnome Named Gnorm on November 5, 1993.[a] The film was released under the production company Lightning Pictures (a label of the now-defunct Vestron) alongsideInterscope Communications andTrilogy Entertainment Group.PolyGram distributed the film.[14][15]
Gnorm was released on VHS on April 20, 1994. In 2003,Lionsgate acquired the rights to Vestron's catalog. As of 2026,Gnorm is widely available on digital streaming platforms.[16][17][18]
The film received mixed reviews initially but its reputation declined throughout its staggered release. In its UKUpworld release, critics stated that the plot was typical for the era, comparing it to then-recent creature-focused films likeE.T. andGremlins. Opinions were split, however, on the film's quality: some critics called the film a family-friendly success and others believed the film "doesn't come together."[2][8][19]
American critics gave the 1993 release much harsher reviews. The film was considered an awkward and "peculiar" combination of elements intended for both children and adults. One reviewer gaveGnorm an F grade, calling the Gnorm character "gross" and "ugly" and deriding the family-oriented film for its use of profanity and sexual language.[3][15]
After the difficulty of releasingGnorm, Winston joked he was afflicted by a "Winston Curse" that caused the death of film studios.Pumpkinhead was delayed due to the financial collapse ofDe Laurentiis Entertainment Group, andGnorm preceded the bankruptcy of Vestron.[6]
Since its original release,A Gnome Named Gnorm has become acult film, in part because of what popular culture writerNathan Rabin called its "wildly incongruous sexual content." It was reviewed by the cult film magazinePsychotronic Video after its VHS release in 1994 and later included in the 1996The Psychotronic Video Guide. The film has been covered by cult film podcasts such asHow Did This Get Made? andThe Flop House.[20][21][22][23][24]