(1984)
Director: Joe Dante
Writer: Chris Columbus
When Billy receives a strange creature called a mogwai as a Christmas present, it comes with three rules. One- Don't expose him to bright light, especially sunlight. Sunlight will kill him. Two- Don't get him wet. And three- No matter how much he begs and pleads, never, ever feed him after midnight. Billy instantly forms a bond with his new pet, which is named Gizmo. After accidentally getting him wet, Billy finds himself with several more mogwais that are not quite as friendly. When they manage to trick Billy into feeding them after midnight all but Gizmo turn into savage little monsters that set out to terrorize the pleasant little town of Kingston Falls. It's up to Billy, his girlfriend Kate (the lovely Pheobe Cates), and Gizmo to stop the gremlins from destroying their town.
Gremlins was one of my favorite movies when I was a kid and it still is. It's a nearly flawless horror-comedy and probably one of the most influential films of the eighties. Eighties mainstays like Judge Reinhold, Pheobe Cates, and Corey Feldman all make appearances in the film. As well as Joe Dante regular Dick Miller as grumpy veteran Mr. Futterman. The practical effects and creature designs are fantastic and still hold up today. What child of the eighties didn't want their own Gizmo? Gremlins stays cohesive despite the fact that it swings wildly between serious and comical moments. Amidst the action-driven plot lie dark moments and genuinely tense scares, only to be followed by moments that still make me laugh out loud. While Gremlins has been such a large part of my developmental years that it's hard for me to fathom that there are people that haven't seen it, it was released thirty years ago and I'm sure that there are some younger people who are completely unfamiliar with it. Gremlins is essential viewing not just for fans of horror movies, but for fans of movies in general. Gremlins receives an enthusiastic 5 1/2 beers.
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