The 1984 film Gremlins is a classic boy-and-his-dog (-thing) story about a young Billy Peltzer, played by Zach Galligan, and his pet Mogwai, “Gizmo.”
Gremlins was advertised by its director, Joe Dante, as a “black comedy,” a genre in which subjects typically considered serious are made light of. The movie, alongside Indian Jones and the Temple of Doom, is responsible for the existence of the PG-13 rating in film.
The movie’s main conflict starts when Billy’s neighbor and boss threatens to kill his dog, believing he had destroyed one of her Christmas decorations. In a deleted scene of the movie, it is revealed that his boss, Mrs. Ruby Deagle (played by Polly Holiday) closed down the town’s factory, foreclosing every resident’s mortgages.
After returning home, Billy’s father, after gifting him Gizmo as an early Christmas gift, instructs Billy that while caring for his new companion, he has to abide by three simple rules: Do not get him wet, keep him out of the sun and bright lights, and never, never feed him after midnight. And when Billy cannot comply, his quaint suburban town quickly becomes invaded by much larger, much uglier, much greener versions of his beloved pet who seek to destroy everything in their paths.
Working together, Kate (Phoebe Cates), Billy’s love interest, and Gizmo help Billy save their home through a mixture of crude and hilarious scenes.
Originally intended to be a lot darker, the film had scenes where Billy’s mom lost in her iconic struggle against the Gremlin counterforce and their leader, Stripe, in addition to them eating Billy’s dog; However, an equally controversial scene had been kept of the Kate describing in detail how her love for Christmas was soured by her father’s death, which involved him dressing up as Santa Claus, slipping while going down their chimney to deliver her and her mom’s presents and breaking his neck, killing him instantly and leaving him for Kate to find days later.
In short, Gremlins is a horror movie parodying a Christmas film, perfect for either Halloween OR Christmas holidays. It doesn’t shy away from crude or violence-heavy humor but maintains a touching storyline for the whole family.
