Gremlins Movie
Added 2/7/2010
I bought this movie because I loved it when it first came out although I enjoyed watching it again, it was different than I remember!
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"Monsters, John -- monsters from the id!"
Added 2/6/2010
"Gremlins" is one of the great guilty pleasures of motion pictures. It's an absolute classic, tremendous fun every time you watch it. As one reviewer said, it's "a hoot".
Though "Gremlins" comes across as a perverse take on "It's a Wonderful Life" (the dis-connection is explicitly made within the film), one cannot overlook "Forbidden Planet". Just as the "Great Machine" allowed the Krells' inner demons to take physical form, so are the gremlins a representation of our normally suppressed murderous impulses. Otherwise, why would Billy Peltzer * be so careless about the rules?
This is not as much of an interpretive stretch as it seems. Most of the scenes in which the "bad" or unlikeable characters are punished or killed were removed from the final cut. Mrs. Deagle (the film's equivalent of Old Man Potter) is murdered in a grotesquely comic manner, but the scene which "justifies" her offing (she's forcing the bank to foreclose properties on which a chemical plant will be built) was deleted. (Though the director's desire to keep the film moving along is justifiable, most of these scenes should have been restored for home video.)
There's an element of Hitchcockian voyeurism in this. One of the film's "pleasures" is watching punishment meted out to those deserving it, through an agency (the gremlins) whose behavior we are not responsible for. Our "murdering id" can be vicariously gratified without legal or moral consequences.
"Gremlins" anticipates films like "Puppet Master", "Hostel", and "Saw", which tittillate the audience with scenes of people being murdered or mutilated in a graphic, detailed fashion. **
"Gremlins"' iconic scene, in which Billy's mother kills three of the gremlins -- by grinding up one in a mixer, stabbing another repeatedly, and (classically) blowing up one in a microwave oven -- was the one that most aroused audiences (both pro and con), as it cuts close to the bone of how we would /sometimes/ like to handle our personal problems. Mrs. Peltzer isn't just killing rats -- the gremlins are sentient, consciously malicious beings. Like, your boss, maybe?
The Blu-ray transfer ranks a B -- "Gremlins" was not a sharply detailed film in the first place. (The image quality suggests an excellent projection print, rather than the camera negative.) On the other hand, one can better appreciate the beautifully complex lighting. And let's not forget Jerry Goldsmith's terrific score, one of his best.
Unhesitatingly recommended.
* The name suggests the verb "pelts", which the gremlins are very good at.
** It wasn't the first. "The Abominable Dr. Phibes" (and its sequel) were quite gruesome, but nothing much was said about it.
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Gremlins (Special Edition)
Added 1/22/2010
When Billy Peltzer is given a small creature called a Mogwai by his father, he is unaware of the carnage he is about to encounter. There is a huge responsibility in looking after Gizmo as there are certain rules which must be followed. The Mogwai must be kept away from bright light, never made wet and never, ever be fed after midnight. When an accident occurs involving Gizmo and water, the next evolution stage of the Mogwai appears, and it isn't nice at all. Gremlins is a fantastic comedy movir from 1984. It's funny seeing the Gremlins cause mischief but it's also scary throughout-they're not exactly pretty creatures and are quite scary as well. This was one of Joe Dante's first movies and you can tell that everything he grew up with and movies he studied as a child are on-screen in Gremlins. A perfect movie made by the right director.
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Good, but hard to say who it was meant for....
Added 12/14/2009
Ok, so it IS an entertaining film and has lots of laughs despite how corny it is at times. What I can't figure out, though, is who this movie is supposed to be for. It's definitely not for little kids - there is far too much violence and blood (even though the blood is green). Bad Gremlins doing adult things and exploding in microwaves mean this is not a 90 minute babysitter for the little ones. Gremlins was one of the films that pushed the ratings board to create the PG-13 rating. On the other hand, teenagers & above will probably find it a bit too cutesy and childish to appeal to them. Whatever - at eight dollars, you're sure to find some use for it!
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Great Movie
Added 12/5/2009
I've been watching this movie for years and it never gets old. People seem to criticize this movie a lot because it wasn't what they expect or too violent for children. To me, this movie is amazing. It's one of those movies that doesn't get old because it's for younger and older. So you can grow with it and still like it. Also, I think it's one of the first movies that mixed funny with dark, cute and cheesy, some people have a problem with that, but I see it as a movie with many layers. Sometimes you laugh other times you're scared and it seemed the movie didn't take itself too seriously which too many movies do. When watching this movie don't expect an oscar award performance, just a entertaining movie.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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Gremlins Movie
Added 2/7/2010
I bought this movie because I loved it when it first came out although I enjoyed watching it again, it was different than I remember!
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
"Monsters, John -- monsters from the id!"
Added 2/6/2010
"Gremlins" is one of the great guilty pleasures of motion pictures. It's an absolute classic, tremendous fun every time you watch it. As one reviewer said, it's "a hoot".
Though "Gremlins" comes across as a perverse take on "It's a Wonderful Life" (the dis-connection is explicitly made within the film), one cannot overlook "Forbidden Planet". Just as the "Great Machine" allowed the Krells' inner demons to take physical form, so are the gremlins a representation of our normally suppressed murderous impulses. Otherwise, why would Billy Peltzer * be so careless about the rules?
This is not as much of an interpretive stretch as it seems. Most of the scenes in which the "bad" or unlikeable characters are punished or killed were removed from the final cut. Mrs. Deagle (the film's equivalent of Old Man Potter) is murdered in a grotesquely comic manner, but the scene which "justifies" her offing (she's forcing the bank to foreclose properties on which a chemical plant will be built) was deleted. (Though the director's desire to keep the film moving along is justifiable, most of these scenes should have been restored for home video.)
There's an element of Hitchcockian voyeurism in this. One of the film's "pleasures" is watching punishment meted out to those deserving it, through an agency (the gremlins) whose behavior we are not responsible for. Our "murdering id" can be vicariously gratified without legal or moral consequences.
"Gremlins" anticipates films like "Puppet Master", "Hostel", and "Saw", which tittillate the audience with scenes of people being murdered or mutilated in a graphic, detailed fashion. **
"Gremlins"' iconic scene, in which Billy's mother kills three of the gremlins -- by grinding up one in a mixer, stabbing another repeatedly, and (classically) blowing up one in a microwave oven -- was the one that most aroused audiences (both pro and con), as it cuts close to the bone of how we would /sometimes/ like to handle our personal problems. Mrs. Peltzer isn't just killing rats -- the gremlins are sentient, consciously malicious beings. Like, your boss, maybe?
The Blu-ray transfer ranks a B -- "Gremlins" was not a sharply detailed film in the first place. (The image quality suggests an excellent projection print, rather than the camera negative.) On the other hand, one can better appreciate the beautifully complex lighting. And let's not forget Jerry Goldsmith's terrific score, one of his best.
Unhesitatingly recommended.
* The name suggests the verb "pelts", which the gremlins are very good at.
** It wasn't the first. "The Abominable Dr. Phibes" (and its sequel) were quite gruesome, but nothing much was said about it.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
Gremlins (Special Edition)
Added 1/22/2010
When Billy Peltzer is given a small creature called a Mogwai by his father, he is unaware of the carnage he is about to encounter. There is a huge responsibility in looking after Gizmo as there are certain rules which must be followed. The Mogwai must be kept away from bright light, never made wet and never, ever be fed after midnight. When an accident occurs involving Gizmo and water, the next evolution stage of the Mogwai appears, and it isn't nice at all. Gremlins is a fantastic comedy movir from 1984. It's funny seeing the Gremlins cause mischief but it's also scary throughout-they're not exactly pretty creatures and are quite scary as well. This was one of Joe Dante's first movies and you can tell that everything he grew up with and movies he studied as a child are on-screen in Gremlins. A perfect movie made by the right director.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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