Gremlins is rated PG, if you can believe it. It is one of two movies that caused the creation of the PG-13 rating in the US (The other being Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom) The comedy/horror elements had to find just the right balance, and most folks feel it did a pretty good job.
When I watched this movie as a child in the 80s, my biggest takeaways were: 1. Never attack someone in their own kitchen, because they know exactly what everything in there can do and there are multiple creative ways they can kill you. 2. Never try to go down a chimney. I loved Gremlins as a kid: I had both a toy Gismo and a toy Spike! The toy Spike used to sometimes get used as a rancor for my Star Wars toys...
And it counts for other genres, too! Ever see "Cloak & Dagger"? The E.T. kid intentionally mercs a guy, not some accidental trigger pull, WHILE in the middle of a psychotic episode. I took imaginary friends in stride as a kid, but the way the movie portrays his phantom sidekick is more like a severe break from reality than playtime, though played in fun. Goon to an 11-year-old: "I can turn you into shredded meat in about three seconds with this baby if I wanted to. But you've been a real pain in the neck, so I'm not gonna be that nice. You know what I'm gonna do to you, boy? I'm gonna blow both your kneecaps off. It won't kill you, but it will hurt worse than any dyin' you can imagine. Then you know what I'm gonna do to you? I'm gonna shoot you in the stomach. Then when you beg me for me to finish the job, I won't do it. I'm just gonna watch you die. Slowly." Elliott from E.T.: BLAM! I mean, WTF?! And one of my favorites from my childhood.
40 years later, and still, every time I turn on the bathroom light in the middle of the night, and it hurts my eyes, I mutter, ”Bright light! Bright light!”
The Gremlins were animatronic, and cost over $30,000 each. Security searched people's cars every day to make sure they weren't being stolen. The original idea was to use stop motion animation for the gremlins. Special effects wizard Chris Walas wanted to use puppets. Someone at Warner Brothers thought it would be a good idea to use spider monkeys dressed in gremlin costumes. They tested this in director Joe Dante's office, and it didn't go well. For some reason, the test monkey didn't like being dressed as a gremlin, and it went nuts, destroying Dante's office. After the animal trainer got the monkey back under control, Walas said, "So, puppets?" When Warner Brothers received the first cut of the movie, they sent a note to Steven Spielberg and director Joe Dante complaining there were too many gremlins. Spielberg suggested cutting them all out and renaming the movie to "People." At least one of Phoebe Cates' screams was real. In one scene, a big cockroach crawled out in front of her, and they used her reaction in the movie. "Gremlins" and "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" inspired the MPAA to create the PG-13 rating. These two movies were too violent for PG, but not enough for R. The original script was very violent, but Joe Dante and Steven Spielberg wanted to make it family friendly, so they changed the more violent scenes. Contrary to popular belief, there is no secret R-rated version of this movie. Near the beginning of the movie you can see a wrecked AMC Gremlin (back then, "AMC" stood for "American Motors Corporation," not "American Movie Classics.") These cars are scarce and collectible today, and are now seen as the beginning of the end for AMC. The company renamed itself "Jeep Eagle Corporation" in 1988, and merged with Chrysler in 1990, six years after the release of this movie. The dog's reaction on seeing Gizmo for the first time was genuine. It was truly startled by the appearance of the puppet. Keye Luke was 78 years old when filming began, but he looked so good they had to rely on makeup to make him look old.
The reaction is a little short, but it was great how you reacted to it as you got surprised so many times 🙂 I love this movie, this and "Die Hard" are my favorite Christmas movies. Looking forward to your reaction to the second one!
@Aliciae411.... Salt water doesn't work the same as fresh or spring water to make them multiply. The salt would be acidic to the mogwai and gremlins. It's part of a subcategory of rules called Rule 2A that was in the extended edition of the Gremlins movie. They just forgot to add it. 😂😂
Gremlins is an absolute classic, such a great movie reaction guys. I laughed so at your reactions and with this movie, it's so much fun. I hope you watch part 2, it's awesome 😂
If you want to see more of Phoebe Cates, check out "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" (1982), a very funny but at times very serious comedy about teenagers growing up in the 80's. A serious, R-rated comedy. Co-starring Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judge Reinhold Cameos by Forest Whitaker, Eric Stoltz and Nicolas Cage
"Joe Dante hasnt done much"... well, besides Piranha, Amazing Stories,The Howling, Explorers, Matinee, Innerspace, The Burbs, both Gremlins movies, producing and directing cult show Eerie Indiana, making one of the best Twilight Zone movie segments, Masters of Horror, Looney Tunes Back in Action, The Hole, and The Second Civil War. 😂🤷♂️
Along with a handful of movies in the late 70's and early 80's; this, Poltergeist and Indiana and the Temple of Doom, and others led to the PD-13 rating. No nudity or cussing but not really a movie you want to take you're 7yr old too without any warning. This was the days before internet and even most reviews. You got a picture in the newspaper and maybe a movie trailer on TV, but otherwise you went into these movies blind. Don't get me wrong. This is a fantastic movie, but not really for little kids.
The toys you are thinking of are Furbies. They looked slightly similar but were definitely not Mogwais like Gizmo. Perhaps a design ripoff but unrelated to the movies.
The sequel is a very different movie to the original. It's worth watching once to appreciate the insanity, but it doesn't have anything like the rewatchability that this one does.
Shyam : "I think that's the craziest movie I've ever seen ." Well, park your expectations for 'Gremlins 2' then , as that one is not only twice as crazy, but it takes place ... in a New York tower ... , owned by a certain real estate developer ... , a certain real estate developer that is going to be sworn in this month, for the Presidency of the United States . Yes, it's an absolute parody of the Orange Man ... , who was a celebrity worthy of parody all the way back in the early 1990's . That's where you remember Gizmo from, as his first appearance in the movie you watched here was from the mid 80's . If you had a good time here, then Gremlins 2 is an absolute must watch . Clamp Towers & Mr. Clamp and all .
Hope I don't sound a prick, but are the guys a lot younger than I've been assuming, because this is one where I hear it's a fresh watch and just think, "How?"
Can't wait for you guys to see part 2.... one of the best movie sequels EVER!
It truly is! Gremlins is a gem but Gremlins 2 is even better.
Gremlins is rated PG, if you can believe it. It is one of two movies that caused the creation of the PG-13 rating in the US (The other being Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom)
The comedy/horror elements had to find just the right balance, and most folks feel it did a pretty good job.
Loved it
When I watched this movie as a child in the 80s, my biggest takeaways were:
1. Never attack someone in their own kitchen, because they know exactly what everything in there can do and there are multiple creative ways they can kill you.
2. Never try to go down a chimney.
I loved Gremlins as a kid: I had both a toy Gismo and a toy Spike! The toy Spike used to sometimes get used as a rancor for my Star Wars toys...
I had mixed feelings about that chimney story. It was so devastating for her but has to be one of the funniest way for someone to die.
I love the carolling gremlins
That's hilarious. And them in the theater.
This is why we Gen-Xers are the way that we are... this was our version of a kids' movie.
This right here. I hadn't watched in a very long until another reaction and I forgot how dark and unhinged it gets, LOL.
And it counts for other genres, too! Ever see "Cloak & Dagger"? The E.T. kid intentionally mercs a guy, not some accidental trigger pull, WHILE in the middle of a psychotic episode. I took imaginary friends in stride as a kid, but the way the movie portrays his phantom sidekick is more like a severe break from reality than playtime, though played in fun.
Goon to an 11-year-old: "I can turn you into shredded meat in about three seconds with this baby if I wanted to. But you've been a real pain in the neck, so I'm not gonna be that nice. You know what I'm gonna do to you, boy? I'm gonna blow both your kneecaps off. It won't kill you, but it will hurt worse than any dyin' you can imagine. Then you know what I'm gonna do to you? I'm gonna shoot you in the stomach. Then when you beg me for me to finish the job, I won't do it. I'm just gonna watch you die. Slowly."
Elliott from E.T.: BLAM!
I mean, WTF?! And one of my favorites from my childhood.
40 years later, and still, every time I turn on the bathroom light in the middle of the night, and it hurts my eyes, I mutter, ”Bright light! Bright light!”
😂😂😂😂
The Gremlins were animatronic, and cost over $30,000 each. Security searched people's cars every day to make sure they weren't being stolen.
The original idea was to use stop motion animation for the gremlins. Special effects wizard Chris Walas wanted to use puppets. Someone at Warner Brothers thought it would be a good idea to use spider monkeys dressed in gremlin costumes. They tested this in director Joe Dante's office, and it didn't go well. For some reason, the test monkey didn't like being dressed as a gremlin, and it went nuts, destroying Dante's office. After the animal trainer got the monkey back under control, Walas said, "So, puppets?"
When Warner Brothers received the first cut of the movie, they sent a note to Steven Spielberg and director Joe Dante complaining there were too many gremlins. Spielberg suggested cutting them all out and renaming the movie to "People."
At least one of Phoebe Cates' screams was real. In one scene, a big cockroach crawled out in front of her, and they used her reaction in the movie.
"Gremlins" and "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" inspired the MPAA to create the PG-13 rating. These two movies were too violent for PG, but not enough for R.
The original script was very violent, but Joe Dante and Steven Spielberg wanted to make it family friendly, so they changed the more violent scenes. Contrary to popular belief, there is no secret R-rated version of this movie.
Near the beginning of the movie you can see a wrecked AMC Gremlin (back then, "AMC" stood for "American Motors Corporation," not "American Movie Classics.") These cars are scarce and collectible today, and are now seen as the beginning of the end for AMC. The company renamed itself "Jeep Eagle Corporation" in 1988, and merged with Chrysler in 1990, six years after the release of this movie.
The dog's reaction on seeing Gizmo for the first time was genuine. It was truly startled by the appearance of the puppet.
Keye Luke was 78 years old when filming began, but he looked so good they had to rely on makeup to make him look old.
Hmm 🤔Now I want to see the original script.
The reaction is a little short, but it was great how you reacted to it as you got surprised so many times 🙂
I love this movie, this and "Die Hard" are my favorite Christmas movies.
Looking forward to your reaction to the second one!
I came here to recommend Die Hard (as a Christmas movie), as well.
It was a longer edit originally 😭
Love Die Hard as well
"Thingy from Breaking Bad" is Mike (Jonathan Banks). 😂
THHAAAATTTTT's the one 😂
I specifically remember this movie as I watched it on New Year’s Eve 1999 when I was 6 years old😂
😂
If there's one movie that could have gotten you ready for the chaos promised by Y2K ... -- this was it .
The second movie is a fever dream.
Imagine the outcome throwing a gremlin in the middle of the ocean.
@Aliciae411.... Salt water doesn't work the same as fresh or spring water to make them multiply. The salt would be acidic to the mogwai and gremlins. It's part of a subcategory of rules called Rule 2A that was in the extended edition of the Gremlins movie. They just forgot to add it. 😂😂
We're finished if that happens 💀
Gremlins is an absolute classic, such a great movie reaction guys. I laughed so at your reactions and with this movie, it's so much fun. I hope you watch part 2, it's awesome 😂
If you want to see more of Phoebe Cates, check out "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" (1982), a very funny but at times very serious comedy about teenagers growing up in the 80's. A serious, R-rated comedy.
Co-starring Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judge Reinhold
Cameos by Forest Whitaker, Eric Stoltz and Nicolas Cage
So much fun and adventure in the 80s because of Spielberg. And this one's adorable. Knew it'd be fun watching you guys with it. 🥂
The issue is that it's always after midnight somewhere. I guess Mogwai bodies automatically adapt to time zones. 😂
I didn't even think of that 😂
"Joe Dante hasnt done much"... well, besides Piranha, Amazing Stories,The Howling, Explorers, Matinee, Innerspace, The Burbs, both Gremlins movies, producing and directing cult show Eerie Indiana, making one of the best Twilight Zone movie segments, Masters of Horror, Looney Tunes Back in Action, The Hole, and The Second Civil War. 😂🤷♂️
Well......shows how much we know ! 🤣
Along with a handful of movies in the late 70's and early 80's; this, Poltergeist and Indiana and the Temple of Doom, and others led to the PD-13 rating. No nudity or cussing but not really a movie you want to take you're 7yr old too without any warning. This was the days before internet and even most reviews. You got a picture in the newspaper and maybe a movie trailer on TV, but otherwise you went into these movies blind. Don't get me wrong. This is a fantastic movie, but not really for little kids.
The poster conned us 😂
Just don't feed after midnight 😂
😂😱
Deagle...DEAGLE DEAGLE DEAGLE!
😂
This was great you guys!!
Y'all need to see Goonies, if you haven't already. Same vibe. But even better imo.
Added to the watchlist 👍
The toys you are thinking of are Furbies. They looked slightly similar but were definitely not Mogwais like Gizmo. Perhaps a design ripoff but unrelated to the movies.
THAT'S the one 😂👍
Great kids movie.
We're too careful these days.
The sequel is a very different movie to the original. It's worth watching once to appreciate the insanity, but it doesn't have anything like the rewatchability that this one does.
Shyam : "I think that's the craziest movie I've ever seen ."
Well, park your expectations for 'Gremlins 2' then , as that one is not only twice as crazy, but it takes place ... in a New York tower ... , owned by a certain real estate developer ... , a certain real estate developer that is going to be sworn in this month, for the Presidency of the United States .
Yes, it's an absolute parody of the Orange Man ... , who was a celebrity worthy of parody all the way back in the early 1990's .
That's where you remember Gizmo from, as his first appearance in the movie you watched here was from the mid 80's .
If you had a good time here, then Gremlins 2 is an absolute must watch .
Clamp Towers & Mr. Clamp and all .
Hope I don't sound a prick, but are the guys a lot younger than I've been assuming, because this is one where I hear it's a fresh watch and just think, "How?"
When I was a kid I thought it was a horror movie and stayed well away from it. How wrong was I......or was I?