I don't normally post reviews on Mondays any more, but I wanted to provide a bonus blog instalment for Xmas Day. You just have to promise not to expose it to bright light (especially sunlight) or to water, or to feed it after midnight.
Yep, it's Gremlins, a film to this day associated with Steven Spielberg even though he neither wrote nor directed it (he was an "executive producer", which mostly means he was a money man, though to be fair it appears he had some input to specific script elements and to casting).
Billly's dad buys Billy a mogwai named Gizmo as a Christmas present. Mogwai are cute, intelligent, musically-inclined little dudes, but it's very, very important that you follow the three rules I mentioned above when you're looking after them. If you break them, there will be consequences.
Surprise surprise, it really won't be too long before Billy's managed to goof up the whole trifecta. But let's be fair, watching what happens once he goofs up is kind of the whole point of the film, isn't it?
So yeah, when you break all the rules, Gremlins happen. I don't think I'm exactly spoiling anything by saying that: it's right there in the title and the cover image, after all. The little beasties are going to make this a holiday season Billy is never likely to forget ... assuming he survives!
Gremlins is a horror-comedy, with the emphasis much more on the latter than the former. It's anarchic and silly and despite its body count I doubt its villains will give any but the most timid audience member any really chills. In fact, the most unsettling scene has nothing at all to do with little green monsters. But it's a fun romp, and if you're in the mood for something slightly dark and very goofy, you should have a good time.
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