The original: 

Gremlins (1984)​

 

Directed by: 

Joe Dante (Piranha, The Howling, Innerspace)

 

Starring: 

Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Hoyt Axton, Dick Miller, Polly Holiday, Corey Feldman, Judge Reinhold, Scott Brady, Keye Luke and Jonathan Banks

 

When Billy Peltzer (Galligan) receives the gift of a small, furry creature called a Mogwai, little does he know what calamity and mayhem will soon be unleashed upon his sleepy hometown of Kingstown Falls.

 

After Billy fails to follow the three rules for keeping Mogwai  (keeping them out of bright light, which they hate; not getting them wet, which makes them multiply; and most importantly of all, not feeding them after midnight, which turns the Mogwai into green-skinned, cackling critters),  a wave of anarchic and often homicidal monsters soon run amok in the little town, causing carnage, chaos and death.

 

At once tinged with delicious horror, and liberally splashed with deep, dark moments of pitch black comedy, the end result is an almost perfect semi-family friendly horror/comedy/adventure film, with blink and you’ll miss em sight gags of genius levels, wonderful cameos ranging from producer Steven Spielberg to composer Jerry Goldsmith (providing a truly iconic score), to Looney Tunes legend Chuck Jones, to Dante’s usual staple of 50 and 60s b-movie veterans. 

 

Gremlins is a riot. Tight, tense and dangerous to know, for some the film remains a Christmas institution.

 

So lock the doors, check under the beds, and turn on all the lights…

This film has bite.​​

 

 

Randall Peltzer- “Rand Peltzer, Fantastic ideas for a Fantastic World, I make the illogical logical.”

 

Deputy Brent- “Let me drive.”

Sheriff Frank- “No, you're drunk.”

Deputy Brent- “You always get to drive.”

Sheriff Frank- “That's cause I'm the sheriff, asshole.”

 

Mr. Corben- “What is that dog doing in here?”

Gerald Hopkins- “Peltzer, this is a bank, not a pet-store.”

Mr. Corben- “Very good, Gerald.”

Gerald Hopkins- “Thank you, Mr. Corben.”

 

Gizmo- “Bye…. Billy.”