Gremlins

'84

As far as I recall, the movie was pretty fun, but so many things I watched as a kid—even stuff I revisit now—just don't hit quite as hard as they did the first time...

Man, that movie is a total legend! Absolute madness from start to finish. Quick question though—was it released on DVD or just a DivX rip? (Asking because I’ve been out of town for three months now and it would be seriously awesome to hit up a video rental shop to grab Gremlin when I get back next week)

That was such a solid movie...
Honestly, you've totally sold me on it; I might just have to give it another watch sometime this week.
By the way, my dog's name is Gizmo 😁

If you're into those fuzzy little monsters, there's another movie out there that’s pretty much the same vibe, though I don't think it's nearly as charming as Gremlin...

Jose Miller17 said:If you're into those fuzzy little monsters, I think there’s another movie out there that’s kinda similar... though honestly? It’s nowhere near as charming as Gremlin.

Critters are absolute legends... I remember back when we saw them, the translation was all messed up and called them "Furry Monsters" or something equally lame.👍 😁

Even today, I find myself thinking back to that one Gremlin who was carrying a balloon and behaving in an incredibly, deeply rude manner!😁

Are you guys actually watching this stuff lately? 😍 😍

Of course, of course. 😍

Ah, those good old days. 😢
We first sat through the opening act back in elementary school, huddled around a TV at a friend's birthday party... then, from fifth grade all the way through eighth, we made it a bit of an annual tradition to pick out a different horror flick to watch every single year.
The horrors haunting Elm Street... Gremlin (1)... Friday the 13th (unknown part).

I feel like we all sat through *Gremlin* back in '87, didn't we? It feels like a lifetime ago. Honestly, looking back seventeen years from now, that whole era is going to seem absolutely prehistoric. 😲
I hadn't actually sat down to watch The Second part until yesterday.
All things considered, it serves as a rather convenient little vessel for nostalgia, I suppose.
It’s quite a different experience when you look back at things through the lens of being seventeen years older; everything takes on a completely different shade of meaning, haha.

feralhawk10 said:Even now, I can’t help but recall that one Gremlin with the balloon, acting like an absolute menace to society!😁

Ready?
I find myself quite taken by the comparison between both sequels, especially since I only managed to catch The Second one just yesterday for the very first time.
The exhibitionist made quite an appearance in The Second as well, though if you look closely at the Phoenix Face, you can practically see that "I already played this card in the previous installment" expression written all over it. 😁).
It’s essentially just a retread of that whole "this happened to me when I was a little girl" narrative she loves to lean on, which they’ve recycled once again for this sequel; honestly, watching Zach roll his eyes at the whole thing was probably the most relatable part. 😁

Stepping away from my usual cinematic nostalgia—specifically when it comes to how this ties into the broader landscape of American filmmaking—there’s a glaring issue here. If you look at the first installment, where we were essentially just dealing with Snow White, it felt cohesive, but this sequel? It was nothing more than a tedious, pedantic exercise in being difficult for the sake of it.
From the Dudley Do-Right comparisons and the studio politics—if I recall correctly, the first sequel wasn't actually a Warner Bros. production, which probably explains the chaos—to that ridiculous moment where the film strip physically snaps mid-scene, and then there’s the whole meta bit where they start referencing themselves, like seeing the movie Gremlin inside the movie Gremlin... it was all done with that distinct, manic Woody Allen flair. Honestly, despite how absurdly self-indulgent it felt, I found it absolutely, thoroughly entertaining. 😁

Honestly, when it comes to horror, there isn't even a shred of substance worth mentioning here.
Navigating Strava on Elm Street is an absolute nightmare.
Whenever I look back at what I used to watch growing up, it’s almost overwhelming how much things have changed. 😁)

The best part is definitely when the Gremlins are tearing into Futterman while those thugs just sit in the car, watching the whole thing without even lifting a finger.😂 😂 😂

Back in the late 80s, when VCRs and video rental stores first started popping up all over the States, it was such a massive phenomenon... Everyone was absolutely obsessed with Gremlin! For me, it felt like pure genius at the time.
Fast forward about 15 years later, though... I just rewatched it, and man, I was disappointed. It felt totally overhyped, not really funny, and honestly just kind of boring. Just... weak.
I'm giving it a passing grade only because of the nostalgia factor.

Henry Bennett53 said:

Well, now.

It’s just uninspired—not particularly funny, quite dull, and frankly, just weak.

Thanks for coming out, everyone! I'll be back on stage all week long! 👋

Henry Bennett53 said:So, looking back at it about 15 years later, I was actually pretty disappointed. It just didn't hit the mark for me—not funny, kind of a drag. Honestly? Just weak.

I had that same feeling about the sequel, but man, was I wrong. It’s actually got some really great bits.

Like that bit with Batman, you know, when he's standing there on top of the cathedral, and then that whole automated building thing... or when the janitor starts calculating how much a single sip of water costs over at Clamp's 😂, those Rambo-style nuggets of wisdom, or even that version of Casablanca where everything turns out happy in color 😂... plus the foreign taxi drivers, that "review of the first movie" bit, the Hulk 😛...

Man, if that's how it goes, I don't think I can face an octopus attack anytime soon...

I have no idea who decided to put this on the schedule, but these Gremlin movies are nothing short of tragic... either the executives at PBS dropped the ball, or the problem lies entirely with me. I suspect it's the former.

For those of you speaking out against Gremlin... your biggest mistake is simply that you didn't experience the film when it mattered most—back when we were just kids...

I remember it as vividly as if it happened today—my old man bringing home a video in the mid-80s, and Gremlin was among the very first movies I owned on VHS...
That meant watching it constantly... I think I must have seen that movie hundreds of times... and every single time, my heart just melted for little Gizmo and that little melody (ta-na-nananaaaaaa) he used to hum...

My dad bought me a plush Gizmo for Saint Nicholas Day... ever since then, I've "officially loved him more than anyone else in the world"... along with my old man...🙂

Yesterday, when I sat down to watch a part of the film again... I almost found myself tearing up... seeing little Gizmo again, those childhood memories, my family... a better era, that sense of childhood innocence... things you just don't get back... and how can anyone stay indifferent after that?...

And now, trying to watch a film like this when you have all these Ring masters, The Matrix, and other modern tech novelties... after twenty or twenty-five years, it's clear you just can't conjure up the same feelings or memories as those of us who experienced Gremlin in such a way... soft, emotional, and right during the pre-Christmas season...

That is exactly what you were saying, Anthony! 👍

While the first installment feels more like a fairy tale, the second part shifts toward realism—or rather, it feels more contemporary because we’re looking at a fifteen-year gap between the two, spanning nearly two decades.

For those of us who were just kids back then—regardless of whether we were the small ones or the big ones—the experience hits completely differently.🙂
I remember one friend was among the very first to own a video player (I don't even have one sitting at home today 😬, but honestly, why would I need it when I have high-speed internet, DVDs, and digital files? 😁), so hosting birthday movie marathons became our little tradition.

Now, even though it might strike some people as odd, I’m not really the type to watch movies twice; once I’ve memorized the details, the magic tends to fade. However, there are certain exceptions I find myself revisiting—think James Bond, Back to the Future, and those other nostalgic classics—and even in Gremlin, that sense of nostalgia strikes a particularly resonant chord...

As for what’s new these days, I have to admit I’m not much of a fan of modern blockbusters; I rarely sit through them. There is something about that "Gremlin-esque" mentality of those classic family films that just feels much warmer and more relatable to me.

Oh, right... I went on a bit of a downloading spree yesterday; the sequel is already finished, and now I'm just waiting for the first one to wrap up. 😁

A small off-topicer, but it actually ties back into the theme:
I’m not sure if you all caught it, but there was a GfK survey published in the news today regarding infrastructure across CEE countries.
The US ranks near the top in most categories (unlike some of those newer EU members 🙄), but if I recall correctly, the one area where we truly hold the top spot is the sheer prevalence of video players and satellite dishes.
I suspect those classic "family movies" from the 80s—Gremlin being a prime example—played a significant role in fostering that culture back in the day. 🙂

Of course, we can't ignore the massive influence of our expatriates working abroad during that era, though that’s probably a conversation better suited for a different sub-forum...

I’ve always had a soft spot for Joe Dante and that wonderful, kitschy B-movie sensibility he brings to the screen—even if he never quite broke into the Major League Baseball of directors. It always felt like that Spielbergian shadow was just a little too large to step out from.