Gremlins
[4K-Blu Ray Combo Pack]
You know how some people like to have an argument about how Die Hard is a Christmas movie? It was cute back when it first happened, but now it’s just seems tired. I could say the same thing about the movie Shazam! What it boils down to is that people seem to need an excuse to watch Die Hard, and they shouldn’t need the Holiday season to do that. On the other hand, there are movies like Gremlins, which is a true Christmas movie, and a truly terrifying one. It took me all these years to figure that out. Let me tell you the tale…
I was a little kid when I first saw this movie. Not in the theatres, mind you, because we didn’t have theatres where I grew up. My first time seeing Gremlins was dubbed in Spanish on TV. And it terrified me. All the scary moments are still clear as day in my mind. But, watching Gremlins all these years later it’s truly sunk in what an adult movie this is and how no kids should watch it. While nowadays we dwell on nostalgia and need things like Krampus to “allow” adults to feel like kids, Gremlins seems to dare adults into letting their children watch it. Rewatching it as an adult, it’s a complete blast. Of course I had a crush on Phoebe Cates when I was a child and those feelings resurfaced very easily. But these Gremlins are lovable scamps to the point where they literally get away with murder and we are still amused by their hijinks. It must be because they’re so in touch with pop culture. They were spawned by Gizmo and immediately understand how to use weapons, card game rules, sexuality and gender norms, social cues and contracts, and many other complex concepts. The Gremlins become smarter than a 10 year old human in a matter of hours, and the movie just keeps topping itself time and time again, pushing boundaries, and getting away with it easily. That’s what great characters they are. It’s just a wild roller coaster ride.
This 4K release comes loaded with extras, like audio commentary tracks with both cast and filmmakers, behind the scenes and making-of featurettes, added scenes, photo galleries and more. It’s truly a complete package that elevates a movie that has delighted and scared us as kids and will probably continue to do so for decades to come.
