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‘Gremlins’: A different Christmas classic

Photo courtesy of IMDb
'Gremlins' debuted in 1984 and remains an interesting mix of horror and comedy.

Truth be told, all I remembered about “Gremlins” were the fuzzy, pointy-eared stuffed toys that showed up on store shelves after the 1984 movie was released.

Steven Spielberg’s “Gremlins” is a movie I first saw during its original summer theater run, and it’s a movie I watched countless times after it came out on VHS. But it has been years since I last sat down and watched it. So, I looked forward to seeing it again with a pair of fresh eyes.

The Miller Cinemas will show “Gremlins” during a 2 p.m. matinee on Tuesday as it offers a list of throwback holiday movies including “Planes, Trains and Automobiles,” “Frosty the Snowman,” “Willy Wonda” and “James and the Giant Peach.”

Forty years later, the hairstyles and special effects still look dated but the script for “Gremlins” remains an interesting mix of horror and comedy. Billy Peltzer (Zach Galligan) is an all-around good guy who works as a bank teller but aspires to be a comic book artist. He also has his eye on his co-worker Kate played by Phoebe Cates.

Just before Christmas, his father Randall (Hoyt Axton), a struggling inventor, stops in an old antique shop to get his son a Christmas gift before heading home. Tucked away in the back is a cute little furry critter — a mogwai named Gizmo.

Even more interesting than the pet’s looks are the rules for care that come with it: Never get it wet; never expose it to bright lights; and never, ever feed it after midnight. Within days, Billy has forgotten all three.

The Peltzers, along with the comical array of townsfolk we meet, have pretty normal lives. That is until those critical mogwai rules are broken. Soon Kingston Falls is overrun by devilish gremlins that begin to terrorize the town.

This PG-rated movie might seem like a family-friendly option, but “Gremlins” was released before PG-13 rating was instituted. Along with some mild sexual innuendo and a handful of profanities, the film contains some gory and violent depictions that would likely push it solidly into higher category, were it to be re-rated today.

When Billy’s mom discovers gremlins ransacking her kitchen, she turns on the blender with a creature inside. Another gets cooked in the microwave. In both instances, green slime splatters everywhere. In the midst of the ensuing mayhem, a character is beheaded with a sword, a woman is killed after being catapulted out of her window, cars crash and an explosion in a movie theater kills everyone inside the building.

The miniature monsters also bite, scratch and stab a man with a needle. And, in what may be one of the most disturbing scenes, the leader of the gremlins melts into icky goo.

Although Gremlins finds its way onto Christmas movie lists — thanks in part to the holiday season the story is set in — one family quickly discovers bringing a cute creature home for the holidays certainly didn’t turn out to be the ideal gift.

“Gremlins” was directed by Joe Dante in what would easily be the biggest film of his career. He worked from a script written by Chris Columbus.

Grade: B-

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Greg Williams is a reporter and Weekend Editor for The Sentinel. A Mifflin County native, he has been writing for The Sentinel since 1991.

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