Gremlins
Director: Joe Dante
Writer: Chris Columbus
Cast: Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Corey Feldman, Hoyt Axton, Frances Lee McCain, Dick Miller
Part of: /slash Filmfestival Creature Christmas

Plot:
In a weird shop in Chinatown Randall Peltzer (Hoyt Axton) finds the perfect Christmas present for his son Billy (Zach Galligan): a mysterious creature called a mogwai. Together with the mogwai, soon called Gizmo, come strict handling instructions: No bright lights. No water. No food after midnight. Billy is overjoyed at the gift, but unfortunately he soon discovers just what happens when you break the three rules. And it’s nothing good.

It’s been ages that I saw this film – it is one of my favorite childhood movies – and I was honestly surprised how much I still remembered of it. And I still love it, especially the first half.

Apparently I never noticed when I was a kid that this is actually a horror movie. I mean, I wasn’t a kid who tended to be scared anyway, but I could have at least noticed the gore. But I only ever saw the cute Gizmo and the funny parts – and they really are funny. Often as an adult you don’t think the stuff you loved as a kid is funny anymore (and you wonder how you could ever think it was), but in this movie that’s really not the case.

Admittedly the movie is pretty much written in clichés but it also has a whole lot of warmth to it that is incredibly nice. Despite being about a group of malicious gremlins, it gives you a strong sense of family and is quite Christmassy. [Though that just might by the nostalgia speaking.] And those inventions were wonderful. And did I mention that I totally want to get my own mogwai now? Again, yes. Welcome back, 10 year old me.

What is actually much better than I expected it to be is the music – by Jerry Goldsmith. I absolutely love it.

And the puppet work is astonishing. Both the mogwais and the gremlins felt very real. They have so many different expressions and their movements are pretty good, too.

I should watch it again. Soon.

Summarising: stands the test of time very well.