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

7 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 | voice over narration | 

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Taglines:

Cute. Clever. Mischievous. Intelligent. Dangerous. [Crossed Out] We're Here!

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Genres:

Comedy | Fantasy | Horror

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

8 June 1984 (USA)

Also Known As:

Gremlins

Filming Locations:

Universal City, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$11,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$12,511,000, 10 June 1984, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$148,170,000

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

Did You Know?

Trivia

Keye Luke had remarkably young-looking skin, and had to be made up to look older than his real age. At the time of filming, he was in his mid eighties.

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Goofs

When Mr. Hanson is calling the gremlin to come out from under the desk, his mouth does not move with the words being said.

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Quotes

[Concession Stand at Movie Theater, Stripe pears his head inside the empty popcorn bin, sniffing around]
Stripe: Yum?
[looks across the street and sees the candy store]
Stripe: AH. Yum. Yum.

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Crazy Credits

At the very end of the closing credits, once the theme has ended, you can hear the sounds of gremlins laughing.

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Alternate Versions

The NBC TV version adds one scene deleted from the original film, where Billy and Kate discover Gerald locked in the bank vault after the Gremlin rampage.

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Connections

Referenced in Rewind This! (2013)

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Soundtracks

Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
Written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich and Phil Spector
Performed by Darlene Love
Produced by Phil Spector
Courtesy of Phil Spector International

User Reviews

What a blast!

Joe Dante's "Gremlins" is an absolutely, amazingly fun time. The concept of the Gremlins themselves being so intriguing and fun, and face it, Gizmo is one of the cutest creatures in cinema history. While this movies first 20 minutes are a bit boring, once the story and absolute fun insanity begins you'll be having such a good time that the run time of the film will completely slip by. I have loved this film since a young age, and sure it may be nostalgia, but god do I really love this movie. I highly recommend watching this on a cold winter night, with hot chocolate, and a warm bowl of popcorn. I guarantee that you will have a fun time with this. It's not a thought provoking film, it won't change your life, but it is a fun ride , completely worth it's length