The Christmas Setting
There is no film that can’t be enhanced by setting it against the backdrop of Christmas.
See Die Hard for details.
Stairlift To Heaven
Ruby Deagle meets the gloriously sticky the audience has been hoping for since the opening reel, as the Gremlins send her stairlift chair hurtling through a window.
Splat!
Phoebe Cates
While the film might have thrown up plenty of scares for younger children, its audience of teenage boys will have been too distracted by the “other” feelings conjured up by Phoebe Cates…
Demolition Men
The Gremlins set about inflicting maximum damage on the local neighbourhood when they manage to commandeer a massive truck, complete with snowplough attachment.
Naturally, their first act is to take said truck and drive it through the wall of the Futtermans’ house.
The Puppets
While the Gremlins caused no end of technical hitches, with shooting repeatedly delayed thanks to issues with the puppets, they really are charming.
Imagine the same film but with CGI creatures… it wouldn’t be half as good!
The Second Poster
The film’s sinister side is made more explicit, thanks to the intervention of the malevolent Stripe, complete with his trusty red marker.
The First Poster
The poster perfectly sums up the film’s blend of cutesiness and horror.
There shouldn’t be anything creepy about a new pet in a box, and yet…
A Sign Of Things To Come
Gremlins was the first film to be released under the Amblin Entertainment banner, with the opening credits revealing the first glimpse of that famous ET -referencing logo.
It was also the first to feature the Warner Bros shield logo.
Fancy…
Simple Beginnings
Part of why Gremlins works so well is the simplicity of the horror involved.
Screenwriter Chris Columbus first came up with the idea in his New York loft.
“What sounded like a platoon of mice would come out and to hear them skittering around in the blackness was really creepy.”
Simple stuff, and yet something we can all identify with.
The Rules
Memorable, iconic and easy to understand, the rules of caring for Gizmo should be etched on every movie-lover’s consciousness in indelible ink: never expose it to bright light, never get it wet and never, ever feed it after midnight.
