Customer Reviews

Gremlins (Widescreen Special Edition)

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Don't expose them to sunlight. Don't let them get wet. And under no circumstances feed them after midnight.

Those are the rules for the now-legendary mogwai, adorable little fuzzballs who transform if you break the last rule. And "Gremlins" is a gloriously unconventional Christmas movie -- a postcard-pretty view of suburban middle-America, splattered with gore, nasty little gremlins and a truly wicked sense of humour (expressed often in movie send-ups).

Randall (Hoyt Axton) spots a tiny adorable creature -- a mogwai -- in a small Chinatown shop, and wants to buy it as a Christmas present for his son. The owner refuses, but his grandson secretly sells it to Randall.

Randall's son Billy (Zach Galligan) is delighted by the fuzzy lightphobic mogwai, whom he names Gizmo. But it soon becomes clear that Gizmo is full of surprises: when water is accidentally splashed on him, he spontaneously generates a litter of NEW mogwai. The ringleader "Stripe" tricks Billy into feeding them after midnight, transforming them into scaly, dangerous "gremlins.

And after a gremlin tumbles into a pool, Billy realizes that the town is about to be swarmed with them -- attacking vicious old Mrs. Deagle, ramming snowplows, murdering kindly teachers, and trashing a tavern with Billy's love interest Kate (Phoebe Cates). As the town descends into gremlinized chaos, the two humans (and Gizmo) must find a way to wipe out the horde... and if they miss only one, it'll start all over again.

Personally I find most Christmas movies a little too sappy and sentimental. So for people who feel that way, a Yuletide horror/comedy is simply ideal -- it's sort of a mad hybrid of early Peter Jackson splattergore, Frank Capra snow-sprinkled Christmastime, and a bunch of sly movie homages and send-ups ("Forbidden Planet," "Wizard of Oz" and "Snow White" amongst others).

But the real fun is in watching the movie's balance between nasty and cuddly -- Joe Dante happily veers between sweet moments and grotesquely funny violence (such as Billy's mom messily killing gremlins with a variety of kitchen implements), with the best example being the malevolent Mrs. Deagle being flung out an upstairs window by fa-la-la-la-LAing gremlins. Completely sick, and gutsplittingly funn.

And Dante sprinkles it with more G-rated comedy that borders on cartoonish without quite crossing, such as the kid in the Christmas tree costume ("Don't ask!") and the gremlins destroying a local pub when they aren't watching Disney movies (is this a message about Disney?). It all climaxes in some literally explosive showdowns with the gremlins -- and particularly with Stripe, their ghastly little leader.

Galligan and Cates are thoroughly solid as the teenage heroes, especially when Cates gives her heartbreaking speech about the horrible experience that made her hate Christmas. In fact, all the actors do a solid job -- the evil old landlady who serves as a sort of Wicked Witch of the West/Scrooge hybrid, the cranky old veteran, the crackpot inventor and the wise old Chinese guy.

But the showstopper is Gizmo -- tiny, round, fuzzy and wide-eyed, with a babyish squeaky voice and a liking for toy cars and 3-D glasses. Rarely has a puppet been so bloody cute and endearing. His complete opposite is Stripe, a gremlin amongst gremlins -- malevolent and gleefully sadistic, he seems smart enough to revel in the idea of destroying the town.

"Gremlins" is a brilliant horror/comedy that infuses a perfect American town with a little mayhem and gore, as well as some wickedly funny little nasties. Definitely a must-see.

i liked "Gremlins" a lot.i thought it was well acted and funny.it also
had some black humour,which i liked.i liked the look of the
gremlins.they would probably be scary for some children.they are quite
freaky looking.i thought the puppetry was amazing.for the most part it
really looked like these creatures were doing what the movie showed
them doing.the gremlins were hysterical at times in what they said and
how they acted.this is my idea of a good horror/comedy.it balances both
elements well.it think the potential was there for the movie to be
really awful,but good writing makes all the difference.anyway,i really enjoyed
the movie.for me,"Gremlins" is a 4/5

Gremlins is the funny story of a young man named Billy whose inventor father gives him a small, furry, adorible critter called a mogwai. But there are rules to owning a mogwai wicth are, in a string of mistakes, broken, and Billy's gotta get those evil little green things out of his hometown. Every one will love "Gremlins"!

I ordered a DVD through this seller. It has been over a month and now they tell me it's coming from Italy. It better not be a PAL DVD!

Don't expose them to sunlight. Don't let them get wet. And under no circumstances feed them after midnight.

Those are the rules for the now-legendary mogwai, adorable little fuzzballs who transform if you break the last rule. And "Gremlins" is a gloriously unconventional Christmas movie -- a postcard-pretty view of suburban middle-America, splattered with gore, nasty little gremlins and a truly wicked sense of humour (expressed often in movie send-ups).

Randall (Hoyt Axton) spots a tiny adorable creature -- a mogwai -- in a small Chinatown shop, and wants to buy it as a Christmas present for his son. The owner refuses, but his grandson secretly sells it to Randall.

Randall's son Billy (Zach Galligan) is delighted by the fuzzy lightphobic mogwai, whom he names Gizmo. But it soon becomes clear that Gizmo is full of surprises: when water is accidentally splashed on him, he spontaneously generates a litter of NEW mogwai. The ringleader "Stripe" tricks Billy into feeding them after midnight, transforming them into scaly, dangerous "gremlins.

And after a gremlin tumbles into a pool, Billy realizes that the town is about to be swarmed with them -- attacking vicious old Mrs. Deagle, ramming snowplows, murdering kindly teachers, and trashing a tavern with Billy's love interest Kate (Phoebe Cates). As the town descends into gremlinized chaos, the two humans (and Gizmo) must find a way to wipe out the horde... and if they miss only one, it'll start all over again.

Personally I find most Christmas movies a little too sappy and sentimental. So for people who feel that way, a Yuletide horror/comedy is simply ideal -- it's sort of a mad hybrid of early Peter Jackson splattergore, Frank Capra snow-sprinkled Christmastime, and a bunch of sly movie homages and send-ups ("Forbidden Planet," "Wizard of Oz" and "Snow White" amongst others).

But the real fun is in watching the movie's balance between nasty and cuddly -- Joe Dante happily veers between sweet moments and grotesquely funny violence (such as Billy's mom messily killing gremlins with a variety of kitchen implements), with the best example being the malevolent Mrs. Deagle being flung out an upstairs window by fa-la-la-la-LAing gremlins. Completely sick, and gutsplittingly funn.

And Dante sprinkles it with more G-rated comedy that borders on cartoonish without quite crossing, such as the kid in the Christmas tree costume ("Don't ask!") and the gremlins destroying a local pub when they aren't watching Disney movies (is this a message about Disney?). It all climaxes in some literally explosive showdowns with the gremlins -- and particularly with Stripe, their ghastly little leader.

Galligan and Cates are thoroughly solid as the teenage heroes, especially when Cates gives her heartbreaking speech about the horrible experience that made her hate Christmas. In fact, all the actors do a solid job -- the evil old landlady who serves as a sort of Wicked Witch of the West/Scrooge hybrid, the cranky old veteran, the crackpot inventor and the wise old Chinese guy.

But the showstopper is Gizmo -- tiny, round, fuzzy and wide-eyed, with a babyish squeaky voice and a liking for toy cars and 3-D glasses. Rarely has a puppet been so bloody cute and endearing. His complete opposite is Stripe, a gremlin amongst gremlins -- malevolent and gleefully sadistic, he seems smart enough to revel in the idea of destroying the town.

"Gremlins" is a brilliant horror/comedy that infuses a perfect American town with a little mayhem and gore, as well as some wickedly funny little nasties. Definitely a must-see.

1) Buy GREMLINS. 2) Watch GREMLINS 3) Repeat #2 several times

Every time I surf the t.v. and I come across GREMLINS, I will put down the remote and watch it til the end. GREMLINS, for its time, was truly groundbreaking. It was E.T., except with really rotten friends and relatives. Well-paced and directed Joe Dante, with unique performances by Zach Galligan and the gorgeous Phoebe Cates, GREMLINS deftly treads in and out of suspense/horror and comedy. (Phoebe Cates' explication of how her father died is still outrageous.) And there are plenty of pitched battles between the good guys and the unruly gremlins to keep the plot moving. Just don't show this movie to young kids around Christmastime.

This special edition has a lot of goodies that true GREMLINS fans will enjoy, and the quality is top-notch. Just don't get it wet.

An inventor with a penchant for oddities that don't work (Hoyt Axton), while selling his wares in a sketchy section of Chinatown, comes across a young boy who promises to show him some wonderful things within his grandfather's shop. Once inside he does indeed find himself amongst the odd and wonderful. He becomes drawn to the singing of a cute furry little creature known as a Mogwai, and informs the shopkeeper that he simply must have the Mogwai, as he's in dire need of a Christmas present for his son. The shopkeeper hesitates, and finally says no to the inventor, Randall Peltzer, as with the Mogwai "comes great responsibility." Distraught, Mr. Peltzer turns to leave. However, knowing that his family needs the money, the young boy offers to help him out by selling him the Mogwai behind his grandfather's back. The adorable fuzzy little creature comes with three rules. He doesn't like bright lights, he can't get wet, and he can't be fed after midnight.

Billy Peltzer (Zach Galligan) is elated upon opening his present. He immediately becomes friends with the Mogwai, Gizmo, and makes sure he abides by all the aforementioned rules. When a neighborhood boy comes by to deliver a Christmas tree, he doesn't exercise quite as much caution and accidentally spills water on the Mogwai. This unveils a whole new trait for Gizmo, and a whole new world for Billy. The Peltzer family soon discovers just how much responsibility is necessary for a creature of this caliber, as does the rest of the town they live in. Bad things may come in cute, cuddly, furry little packages.

I rate the movie as five stars, and the DVD as three, hence the average of four stars. The acting is superb, and the effects are brilliant, even if they are a little gory (the whole kitchen scene comes to mind) for the rating given (PG). The gremlins themselves are superbly done, especially when you consider that these are puppets and are not computer-generated! Each of them has their own unique personality that comes out in little snippets throughout the duration of the film, proving that every minute detail was taken into consideration with the making of this movie. The soundtrack is classic eighties cheesiness in all its glory and splendor. Howie Mandel did a good job as the voice of Gizmo, even if it didn't consist of much. Chris Columbus, Joe Dante and Steven Spielberg prove themselves an excellent team, combining a humorous and witty script with some extremely good moviemaking. This movie has become, and will live on as, a cult classic adored by fans of monster and horror films and should not be missed.

However, the DVD package leaves something to be desired. Apparently "Special Edition" need not be very special at all, consisting of only a couple of commentary tracks and the trailer for the film. Both of which are appreciated, yet many DVD's offer much more than that these days. I would have hoped that this very special movie would be released with a little bit more bite, and perhaps someday it will. Until then, this DVD will have to suffice.

Director: Joe Dante
Cast: Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Hoyt Axton, Frances Lee McClain, Polly Holliday, Glynn Turman, Dick Miller, Keye Luke, Scott Brady.
Running Time: 106 minutes.
Rated PG for non-PG worthy-violence and some language; keep in mind that the MPAA Rating System created the PG-13 rating in 1985 largely due to this film and "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom".

"Gremlins" gets its title from the nickname given during World-War II to mysterious malfunctions that took place on American fighter planes. No one could explain some of the break downs, so they determined that evil little monsters created by Japan were the culprits. The 1984 film which is directed by Joe Dante ("Piranha"), written by Chris Columbus ("Home Alone") and executively created by the one-and-only Steven Spielberg ("E.T.", "Close Encounters of the Third Kind"), inducing much media acclaim and criticism alike. It is an extremely violent film for the rating and especially dark, but overall is a touching, terrifying story that works on all levels and became one of the most popular formula-producing horror films of the entire decade.

A quirky inventor (Hoyt Axton) brings home a mysterious furry creature as a Christmas present for his son (played very well by newcomer Zach Galligan), not knowing the horrors that the purchase would later produce. The furball is named Gizmo, which looks like a cross between a Kuala bear and a Cabbage-patch kid, is not only unique in appearance-it multiplies when exposed to water, hates the sight of light, and creates horrific, flesh-eating creatures when it is given food after the clock strikes midnight. When Galligan accidentally feeds some of his pet's furry buddies, the little creatures morph into green, scaly little monsters that proceed to wreck havoc on the city and ruin Christmas.

Excellent special effects, a wonderfully hilarious script-writer Columbus, an exceptional musical score from composing genius Jerry Goldsmith, and top-notch direction from the veteran Dante-making "Gremlins" a ghoulishly scary comedic romp that is like no other. Phoebe Cates is very good as the love interest of Galligan and Dick Miller is humorous as a paranoid, cranky war veteran. A petrifying, splendid finish. Special Note: The film gives some special insight to the true spirit of Christmas-SHOULD NOT be viewed by children anyways, but especially those who still believe in Jolly Old Saint Nick.

This is an amazing movie. Zach Galligan and Pheobe Cates are a perfect pair. I love thi movie so much. It rocks! Gizmo is soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
cute!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Warners has previously issued GREMLINS on DVD twice in different packaging. Both releases featured the same contents, including a very lacking transfer and soundtrack. With the release of the new GREMLINS Special Edition DVD, fans are finally rewarded with a nice DVD.

A few nitpicks to start, however. First, the packaging on this release is too similar to the reissue DVD cover. This may prove confusing to consumers, as the old discs are still out there on shelves. The only difference (and hopefully this will be enough) is that the keyart is framed by four red streaks, and the disc is decreed a "special edition" below the title. The spine of the disc, besides the part number (which means nothing to the average consumer) is exactly the same.

On to the second gripe: the DVD menus. These menus are simply hideous. I know older titles need to be very budget conscious, but the menus on the disc are an altered reproduction of the original DVD's menus, which back in 1997 were too, simply hideous. Jerry Goldsmith's "Gremlins' Rag" has been added on the soundtrack of the menus for a little kick, but wouldn't an animated menu with gremlins wreaking havoc on the screen be a blast? Even if the budget wouldn't support this idea, a redesign for the new disc of still menus would have even been welcomed.

PICTURE
The video is from a brand new transfer created especially for this special edition DVD. While it is noticeably better than the original DVD, the picture is still not state-of-the-art, but fairly forgivable considering the film's age. GREMLINS is a very dark film visually, with a majority of its scenes taking place at night or in dark locations (remember, them critters hate light...). Cinematographer John Hora also gave the film a very stylized, comic bookish look, with lots of gelled lighting setups cutting through the darkness. A film like this cries out for a solid transfer that replicates the blacks, reds, blues and greens of Hora's visuals as deeply as DVD can reproduce, but sadly, film stocks and age haven't made this happen. Some shots can appear a bit grainy, a bit soft, but not as distracting as on the original disc. Overall, a better visual experience, and that's something.

SOUND
The sound, like the video, has been remastered as well, in 5.1 and 2.0 Dolby Surround. Like the original DVD's audio, the inclusion of a 5.1 track is fun, if not as dynamic as you could hope for considering the antics the gremlins could play with your surrounds. Overall though, the sound is solid enough and for an older film, sometimes that's all you can ask for.