24 Days of HorrorXmas- Gremlins (1984)

I will be posting Christmas themed horror films over the next 24 days, for the twenty first night I am listing 1984 horror comedy Gremlins.

Gremlins (1984)

Dir- Joe Dante

So many films are mentioned as Christmas films because one might find a Santa in the background or Christmas lights. Gremlins is a famous movie that was a huge hit when it was released and to this day is still a classic. The story is well known so not much needs to said. A struggling inventor gets his son a unique gift called a Mogwai, it is cute and playful but it comes with strict rules. Getting it wet causes more to be made, feeding it after midnight mutates them and exposing them to sunlight will kill them. When those rules are broken all hell breaks loose as an army of mutated Mogwai's takes over the town and causes all sorts of destruction. Joe Dante directed this classic film at a time when horror comedies were a popular trend. Despite being advertised as a family friendly movie, Gremlins is a dark and twisted movie that is quite violent. The original script was much darker yet the toned down end product is still too intense for young kids. Gremlins benefited from a great cast that includes Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Hoyt Axton, and Corey Feldman. The creature effects are top notch using puppets and marionettes to create the different and numerous creatures. Gremlins has long been considered a Christmas movie despite being released in the summer of 1984. The film had a sequel, a massive merchandise collection as well as a video game. In the three decades since its release Gremlins still remains one of the most popular holiday films ever made.