Movie Debate #44: Gremlins

[Reed Rothchild | 9,521]

[Jeevan | 8,910]

Very good movie!  Waiting to figure out what I want to give it tho.  Will think about this one and get back to ya.

[Gloves | 11,776]

I love Gremlins.

[JamesRobot | 5,800]

Spielberg and Corey.  That's another 10.

Probably my first "horror" movie.  Also one of the movies that pushed the creation of the PG-13 MPAA rating.  Scared the crap out of me as a little kid.  I used to imagine the carpet moving as if gremlins were about to about to bust out from under the floor boards as I was going to sleep.  Good times.

[Hammerfestus | 3,836]

10.  Im struggling to think of a better xmas movie.

[Jeevan | 8,910]

Went with a 9, Can't quite give it a 10.

[Sumez | 2,949]

Fantastic movie, almost perfection. For what it is, anyway. I want to give it a 9/10, but ended at 8. Anything less would be a crime.

The sequel is great too, and a good example at both playing up typical sequel tropes while also taking it in a completely new direction with its slew of meta-jokes.

[arch_8ngel | 1,597]

It is definitely in the "everyone should watch it" category.  Doesn't even have to rank in your top 100, in terms of how much you like it -- but there is so much reference to the lore of this movie that people don't completely understand without having watched it.

[doner24 | 1,195]

8/10- loved it as a kid, still love it. Fun fact, the dad, Hoyt Axton, was an accomplished musical artist before acting! 

[arch_8ngel | 1,597]

Just now, doner24 said:

8/10- loved it as a kid, still love it. Fun fact, the dad, Hoyt Axton, was an accomplished musical artist before acting! 

That IS a fun fact.

[spacepup | 2,404]

Fantastic, classic movie.  I gave it a 9.  It was adorable, creepy, loving, intense and scary, just a huge mish-mash of things and just an all around fun movie.

[DoctorEncore | 3,691]

8/10. I'm still amazed by how dark this movie is despite starring Gizmo.

[Reed Rothchild | 9,521]

9 minutes ago, DoctorEncore said:

8/10. I'm still amazed by how dark this movie is despite starring Gizmo.

 

[DoctorEncore | 3,691]

7 minutes ago, Reed Rothchild said:

 

Gizmo's reaction at 1:09 pretty much sums up most parents' feelings after mistakenly taking their kids to see this movie.

I also love that they added the part about him breaking his neck and dying instantly to soften the blow. Slightly easier on the little ones than hearing he slowly suffocated as he screamed for help.

[doner24 | 1,195]

1 hour ago, arch_8ngel said:

That IS a fun fact.

I’ve picked up a couple of his albums on vinyl over the years from the cheap bins. It’s pretty good music, country/folk style. 

[RH | 4,903]

Supposedly, that scene was added to be funny.  That was an old urban legend.  I'd never heard of it, but they added that story to reference a legend that supposedly kids had told for years and were assumed to be familiar with.  It was big WTF to be back then, and it still is today, even with context.

[arch_8ngel | 1,597]

57 minutes ago, RH said:

Supposedly, that scene was added to be funny.  That was an old urban legend.  I'd never heard of it, but they added that story to reference a legend that supposedly kids had told for years and were assumed to be familiar with.  It was big WTF to be back then, and it still is today, even with context.

Yeah, this movie is the only place I ever heard it as a kid, and it was genuinely disturbing to where I will never forget it.

[PII | 1,885]

56 minutes ago, RH said:

Supposedly, that scene was added to be funny.  That was an old urban legend.  I'd never heard of it, but they added that story to reference a legend that supposedly kids had told for years and were assumed to be familiar with.  It was big WTF to be back then, and it still is today, even with context.

Just my opinion, but that "old urban legend" sounds like a cooked up story after one too many parents complained.

'And then my mom/dad finally agreed to take me to see Gremlins and that was how I found out there was no Santa Claus.'  

lol, I can totally imagine the producers trying to rationalize the scene as comedic though, for all those pissed off parents.

[RH | 4,903]

8 minutes ago, PII said:

Just my opinion, but that "old urban legend" sounds like a cooked up story after one too many parents complained.

'And then my mom/dad finally agreed to take me to see Gremlins and that was how I found out there was no Santa Claus.'  

lol, I can totally imagine the producers trying to rationalize the scene as comedic though, for all those pissed off parents.

Yeah... that probably is the real story.

[AstralSoul | 502]

No way I couldn't give this a 10. Iconic, one of my favorite movies ever. Infinitely rewatchable. It's just so good. I also think this is a movie that perfectly blends horror and comedy while not going overboard on either. Objectively speaking, probably more of an 8 or 9, but This movie is an easy top 10 for me.

[fox | 1,667]

So this thread gave me an excuse to pop in the 4k disc (otherwise I would have waited closer to xmas, oh well)

Gremlins is like a B-horror movie dressed up an A-family xmas movie.  I really get a Creepshow vibe, with some of the crazy angles and dark humor.  I love how everything is foreshadowed like the sword that keeps falling off the wall, and is seen in Billy's art, later becomes a weapon to fight the Gremlins.  There are some plot holes (I mean what happened to that Gremlin in the school?), but overall it is just a well made flick.

There is some message about technology being used against us, along with capitalism/consumerism during the holidays.  The leads are earnest and charming enough, but the Gremlins steal the show.  I'm still amazed that $20 puppets are 1000x better than millions of dollars worth of CGI creatures.

The sequel is good too.  It goes harder on the comedy, but avoids a lot of sequel trappings by going in a totally different direction.

Edited November 18, 2020 by fox

[AstralSoul | 502]

19 minutes ago, fox said:

The leads are earnest and charming enough, but the Gremlins steal the show.  I'm still amazed that $20 puppets are 1000x better than millions of dollars worth of CGI creatures.

The sequel is good too.  It goes harder on the comedy, but avoids a lot of sequel trappings by going in a totally different direction.

Hit the nail on the head about the puppets. Not just in gremlins but in general. Even the cheapest puppets are more endearing and believable than the best CGI. The Gremlins as characters are just top notch. In personality and design. Equally cute and charming as they are scary. Like a rabid puppy, you want to pet them but you know you shouldn't. And the sequel is equally entertaining I think but you're right they went way further into the realm of comedy. But I didn't mind that because it was genuinely funny.

[Brickman | 3,983]

9 but I can definitely see why people would rate it a 10. Not quite in my top 10 movies but it's probably not far off.

I know Spielberg is still doing great stuff but I wish he would direct more movies like this again. Ready Player One was a good return to some of the stuff he used to direct, so hopefully we see more of that.

I wonder if that Gremlins 3 project will ever happen.

[Kguillemette | 1,544]

It's been so long since I've seen this, I need to watch it again to give it a proper rating

[Reed Rothchild | 9,521]

15 minutes ago, Shmup said:

9 but I can definitely see why people would rate it a 10. Not quite in my top 10 movies but it's probably not far off.

I know Spielberg is still doing great stuff but I wish he would direct more movies like this again. Ready Player One was a good return to some of the stuff he used to direct, so hopefully we see more of that.

I wonder if that Gremlins 3 project will ever happen.

He didn't direct, Joe Dante did.  But, like Poltergeist and The Goonies, his fingers are all over it.