A ReWatch of Gremlins

• Directed by Joe Dante
• June 8, 1984

When a young man accidentally breaks the rules with his new pet, chaos is unleashed on Christmas Eve in the small-town of Kingston Falls.

Sometimes all the right ingredients come together to not only make a good movie but an instant classic. Such was the case with Gremlins which is a movie that with this rewatch demonstrated itself to be as strong as it was the first time.

Dante uses dark humor, cartoon comedy, and elements of horror to create a holiday classic released in June. I think even in the world of the 80s that should have meant the movie was forgotten. How does a movie set firmly at Christmas released in the summer get remembered? Then again, the original Miracle on 34^th Street was released May 2^nd of 1947 so I guess Christmas films do not need to be released at Christmas.

It combines dark comedy with many of the traditional tropes of a Christmas film. A kid with a heart of gold. A crusty neighbor. The old wealthy person who completely lacks the Christmas spirit acting as the film’s personification of evil. That’s the formula for your basic generic holiday movie. Though this and Temple of Doom inspired the PG-13 rating, there is still a weird family friendly vibe throughout.

This set the template for so many imitators such as Ghoulies or Critters. Gremlins are a group of troublesome impish magical creatures that cause trouble. Sounds innocent enough by these creatures are lethal and kill in a way that make you chuckle even if you should not. There is even a certain level of cuteness in the secondary form.

Yet they kill almost casually. The deaths are not really gory or macabre. You never see blood or dismemberment or anything gross. The nastiness is implied with noise and takes place just off camera. The deaths are darkly comical and perhaps ironic. The grossest thing you see are the cocoons the bad gremlins are in as they change.

In my opinion Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi really opened up the use of puppetry in film to accomplish creatures to a degree that had not previously been seen. Without puppetry this movie could not of occurred been made and without of a good puppet it would not have worked. Gizmo (Howie Mandel) is a very interactive puppet. You can believe it is something alive. It even has veins in its ears!

Mrs. Deagle (Polly Holliday) shares as much in common with Ebeneezer Scrooge, as she does with the Wicked Witch of the West. In portrayal she leans much more towards the Wicked Witch than she does Scrooge. Music and lines humorously imply that such as her comment when it comes to rambunctious dog Barney (Mushroom). Her eventual disposition courtesy of the evil Stripe (it was the 80s so obviously Frank Welker voices one character here) is rather satisfying.

Gremlins is a very 80s movie. It’s heavy on the product placement and that product placement is stuff that was either well advertised or just everywhere during the time. Maybe it was everywhere because it was featured in this movie. I don’t know. The Jabba the Hutt toy really took me back.

Few movie themes are as catchy as the Gremlins theme. It’s posses a slightly off kilter feel like. Like all good themes it either gives you a feel for the movie or tells the tory in musical form. The jokes are darkly humorous. They set up the gag and deliver the punchline. And the truly terrible characters get their comeuppance.

Zach Galligan was play possibly the most boy next door boy next door actor of the 80s. His look and general performance screamed Middle America and he was absolutely perfect for the role of Billy. Phoebe Cates was every guy’s 80s crush. As girl next door is as you get. Who better to cast as Kate? It made her delivery of the Santa urban legend all the better.

This is a series of gags and comedic scares that build. Watching this, the events are not disconnected but tell the story and lead to the final conflict/confrontation. Billy may be the human but Gizmo takes a serious risk by exposing Stripe to light in a fashion consistent with his previous diet of TV.

If I had any complaints about this it’s a moment that a lot of movies have. After Gizmo’s rightful owner Mr. Wing (the legendary Keye Luke) reclaims him, the movie ends with Mr. Wing walking off into the distance. Was he walking all the way home? He didn’t come in a car?  How did he get to the house? 

Gremlins is one of those movies with a lot going on in it. Not just in the foreground, but in the background. Some of it is happening behind characters meant to give a little bit more depth. And some of it is nice nods tother things. Kenneth Tobey who was in the original The Thing is a smoking gas station attendant. There are even appearances by Robbie the Robot and the time machine which works.

And that’s one of the reasons this is around to this day and fondly remembered. It’s jampacked with so much. Great special effects, great acting, a great script, but also there is something always happening. It’s either important or just a minor treat. At no point is it overstuffed. Few movies or directors can accomplish that.

Gremlins is a weird Christmas classic I think you can watch it with most kids. It’s fun and funny and occasionally scary with a level of silliness. If you haven’t watched it, check it out.