Gremlins (1984)

A boy inadvertently breaks three important rules concerning his new pet and unleashes a horde of malevolently mischievous monsters on a small town.

Director:

Joe Dante

Writer:

Chris Columbus

Stars:

Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Hoyt Axton

8 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Hoyt Axton	...	Randall Peltzer
John Louie	...	Chinese Boy
Keye Luke	...	Grandfather (Mr. Wing)
Don Steele	...	Rockin' Ricky Rialto (voice)
Susan Burgess	...	Little Girl
Scott Brady	...	Sheriff Frank
Arnie Moore	...	Alex
Corey Feldman	...	Pete Fountaine
Harry Carey Jr.	...	Mr. Anderson
Zach Galligan	...	Billy Peltzer
Dick Miller	...	Murray Futterman
Phoebe Cates	...	Kate Beringer
Polly Holliday	...	Ruby Deagle
Donald Elson	...	Man on Street (as Don Elson)
Belinda Balaski	...	Mrs. Joe Harris

Storyline

Minature green monsters tear through the small town of Kingston Falls. Hijinks ensue as a mild-mannered bank teller releases these hideous loonies after gaining a new pet and violating two of three simple rules: No water (violated), no food after midnight (violated), and no bright light. Hilarious mayhem and destruction in a town straight out of Norman Rockwell. So, when your washing machine blows up or your TV goes on the fritz, before you call the repair man, turn on all the lights and look under all the beds. 'Cause you never can tell, there just might be a gremlin in your house.

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Plot Keywords:

chinatown | dumb cop | shady businesswoman | greedy banker | 1980s | 

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Taglines:

They didn't obey the rules

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Genres:

Comedy | Fantasy | Horror

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

Near the beginning, as Randall Peltzer makes his way to the curio shop in Chinatown, a wrecked car is seen with the hood up and smoke coming out of it. That car is an AMC Gremlin. In real life, the AMC Gremlin logo (located on the gas cap) bore a striking resemblance to the Gremlins featured in this movie, except for a more grotesque, reptilian appearance.

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Goofs

The night after Gizmo multiplies, forming five new Mogwai, he can be seen sleeping in bed next to Billy. In the next shot, a box with the remaining Mogwai next to the bed shows six Mogwai, including Gizmo who can be seen lying next to Stripe. Additionally, a moment later when Billy gets out of bed, Gizmo has vanished from the box.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Randall Peltzer: Friends, let me introduce myself. Peltzer's the name, Rand Peltzer. That's me on the corner. I'm an inventor. I have a story to tell. Yeah, I know. Who hasn't got a story? Well nobody's got a story like this one. Nobody. It all started here in Chinatown. I was hitting the shops, trying to move a little merchandise, maybe even find a present for my kid. I tried this one place.

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Crazy Credits

The film title logo when end credits are finished

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Alternate Versions

The HBO Family version deletes 3 scenes involving Gremlins dying.

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Connections

Referenced in Vintage Video: The Happy Hooker Goes Hollywood (1980) (2020)

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Soundtracks

Make it Shine
Performed by Quarterflash
Provided courtesy of Geffen Records
Written by Marv Ross (uncredited)
Produced by John Boylan (uncredited)

User Reviews

Ugly Bunch Of Creatures Causing Chaos

Gremlins was a fantastic comedy film from 1984-the best year ever in my opinion for great movies.

Basically, a guy called Billy Peltzer picks up a new pet called Gizmo and after breaking a few rules he shouldn't have, ends up spawning a bunch of ugly creatures called Gremlins who proceed to terrorize the town.

The film is a success because it succeeds at producing both a comedy and a horror in one go which can't be easy. Most comedy horror films are a joke (such as some of the Ghoulies films which emulated the Gremlins series) but Gremlins is both funny and scary. 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.

Gremlins deserves a look from anyone interested in seeing a good comedy horror movie.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

8 June 1984 (USA)

Also Known As:

Gremlins

Filming Locations:

Colonial Street, Backlot, Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$11,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$12,511,634, 10 June 1984

Gross USA:

$153,378,102

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$153,629,189

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., Amblin Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) Dolby Stereo (35 mm prints)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1