Also known as Upworld in some markets, A Gnome Named Gnorm' was a 1990 fantasy comedy film released January 17, 1992, directed by Stan Winston and produced by Interscope Communications, Lightning Pictures and PolyGram Filmed Entertainment.
So in the movie, Gnorm is just an average gnome—
Mm? Oh so it is, sorry. Okay, let’s try this again:
Wanting to impress some girl gnome he likes by committing a gallant deed, Gnorm steals the gnomes’ stones in order to recharge them via exposure to sunlight. Meanwhile, Manchild Detective Casey Gallagher is assigned to work on a sting operation with his partner that night at a park and is goofing off while waiting for the suspect to show. Upon arriving to the Earth’s surface where said sting operation is, Gnorm witness the murder of Detective Gallagher’s partner and the killer ends up with his stones. Detective Casey is blamed for the blotched sting and causing his partner’s death, so now he not only wants to clear his name but catch the killer, Detective Casey accidentally encounters Gnorm and both team up to get what they want along with Casey seeking the help of fellow detective, Samantha.
A Gnome named Gnorm stars Anthony Michael Hall, Jerry Orbach and Claudia Christian with Gnorm being played by (no joke) Mike Avery, Craig Caton, Greg Figiel, Eric Karlen, Eileen Kastner-Delago, Richard J. Landon, Frank Charles Lutkus III, Shane Mahan, Brandon Mason, Dave Nelson, Rob Paulsen, Jon Price, John Rosengrant, Will Ryan, Shannon Shea and Mike Trcic.
This movie provides examples of:
- Abandoned Playground: The sting operation takes place at the children’s playground at the old zoo.
- As Himself: AND INTRODUCING GNORM THE GNOME AS HIMSELF
- Being Watched: Casey gets this feeling when he’s walking back to his car to go home after the botched sting operation. He’s right that Gnorm is literally behind him, trying to get his stones back from Gallagher but also from Zadar sitting in his car undetected who also follows Gallagher home, believing the rookie has his gems to which the perpetrator has.
- The Bet: Kaminsky bets twenty bucks Gallagher will blow the sting operation with Sam. Though when the operation goes wrong, Kaminsky states he’s fifty bucks richer..
- Breaking the Fourth Wall: See Oh, Crap! below.
- Cassandra Truth: Casey telling Sam about Gnorm, to which she doesn’t believe. At first though.
- Cool Shades: Zadar
- Doesn't Like Guns: Gallagher says he doesn’t like guns when Sam gives him an extra one after he ‘forgot’ his. He reluctantly takes it when Sam tells him that she and Detective Kaminsky are the only two backing Gallagher up for the stakeout later that night, instead of thirty cops as he first believed.
- Donut Mess with a Cop: Casey says that’s what he’s gonna do after the sting operation with the guys when talking to his boss Walton.
- Freeze-Frame Bonus: If you pause the scene in which Gallagher gets knocked out on the carousel, you’ll see the perpetrator is Stan Walton.
- Market-Based Title: Upworld
- Oh, Crap!: Felig’s “oh no . . .” when he opens the briefcase thinking it’s full of money, finding out it’s a bomb.
- Our Gnomes Are Weirder: Gnorm’s immune to bullets.
- Protagonist Title: A Gnome Named Gnorm
- Saying Too Much: After Gnorm’s stone is stolen by Zadar who broke into Casey’s house, Casey exclaims “You think I’m gonna die for it!” when Gnorm demands the human to get it back to which the creature says “My people die!” and quickly covers his mouth when questioned “your people?”
- Stealth Insult: Stan Walton’s reasoning for sending Gallagher to do the sting operation? Nobody will mistake him for a cop.
- Tap on the Head: Gallagher is knocked out while on the carousel with a blunt object.
- Possibly subverted when Gallagher pistol whips Gnorm three times in order to knock the gnome from strangling him when the latter attacks the former in Casey’s garage.
- Tunnel King: Gnorm.
- We Hardly Knew Ye: Joseph R. Sicari’s character Ferni appears for no less than five minutes to hand delivers a bag of gems to Gallagher for the million dollars in the briefcase, only to be killed.
- Wolf Whistle: Gnorm does this whistle when on a stakeout for Reggie Small, Zadar’s right-hand man with Casey and sees some sexy babe in a tight mid-drift tank top with boobs through the fence.
