ASPHYXIUM ZINE

Wednesday, July 28, 2021

Film Review: Gremlins (Warner Bros., 1984) by Devin Joseph Meaney

Gremlins (1984)
Directed by Joe Dante
Written by Chris Columbus
Starring Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates and Hoyt Axton
Produced by Amblin Entertainment
Presented by Warner Bros.
Ah, late night television. There is normally never anything good on, but around one in the morning I was watching TV, and after a movie my mother was watching ended…Gremlins came on. Now, I didn’t get to watch the entire film before I went to bed, but as I have watched this movie a hundred times over I figured I would give it a review. Actually, I find it strange that I haven’t reviewed this film in the past. It is a monumental movie from my childhood, and I thoroughly enjoy it every time I watch it.
I don’t imagine I need to say what this film is about. It is right in the title! Gremlins (Wikipedia states that they are “folkloric mischievous creatures” that cause malfunctions within the British Royal Airforce) are let loose on a small town on Christmas Eve and all hell breaks out (we will leave it at that).
The story of Gremlins was thought up by Chris Columbus. Steven Spielberg was the executive producer and the film was produced by Michael Finnel. It was released by Warner Bros. and had outstanding success both critically and commercially. I am just finding out as I write this the movie Gremlins was the reason behind the PG-13 rating, due to the violent sequences which are dispersed throughout the film. The film’s score was done by none other than Jerry Goldsmith, and it has proven to be entirely monumental. He also wrote “Gizmo’s Song”!
Another thing that I have learned about this film is that Howie Mandel did the voice of Gizmo the mogwai (the lovable creature that “births” the gremlins in the first place). In my opinion, Howie did an amazing job on the voice acting and Gizmo’s voice has since been burned into my brain forever. He is an absolute movie legend!
Gremlins is a wonderful movie that blends horror and comedy perfectly and I would honestly suggest it to pretty much anyone. Due to the PG-13 rating and the “somewhat family friendly” vibe of the film, I suggest that it is a great film to help introduce younger viewers to horror…but again, I say that it could be enjoyed by anybody.
Gremlins has a sequel, “Gremlins: The New Batch”, which is also highly enjoyable. A third film is currently in production and I cannot wait to see if it holds up to the first two. These films were absolutely legendary! –Devin Joseph Meaney

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