Gremlins

For other uses, see Gremlin (disambiguation).

Gremlins
Theatrical release poster by John Alvin
Directed byJoe Dante
Written byChris Columbus
Produced byMichael Finnell
Starring
CinematographyJohn Hora
Edited byTina Hirsch
Music byJerry Goldsmith
Production
companies
Distributed byWarner Bros.[1]
Release date
  • June 8, 1984 (1984-06-08)
Running time
106 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$11 million
Box office$212.9 million

Gremlins is a 1984 American fantasy comedy horror film directed by Joe Dante, written by Chris Columbus and starring Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Hoyt Axton, Polly Holliday and Frances Lee McCain, with Howie Mandel providing the voice of Gizmo, the main mogwai character. It draws on legends of folkloric mischievous creatures that cause malfunctions—"gremlins"—in the British Royal Air Force going back to World War II. The story follows young man Billy Peltzer, who receives a strange creature as a pet, which then spawns other creatures that transform into aggressive imp-like monsters that wreak havoc on Billy's town during Christmas Eve.[2]

The film was accompanied by a large merchandising campaign and juxtaposes black comedy with a Christmastime setting. Steven Spielberg was the film's executive producer, with the film being produced by Michael Finnell.

Gremlins was theatrically released on June 8, 1984 by Warner Bros. to critical and commercial success. However, it was heavily criticized for some of its more violent sequences. In response to this and to similar complaints about Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Spielberg suggested that the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) alter its rating system, which it did within two months of the film's release, creating a new PG-13 rating.[3][a] It was followed by a sequel, Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990).

  1. ^ a b c "Gremlins (1984)". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. Archived from the original on August 13, 2018. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
  2. ^ Wood, Jennifer (February 26, 2019). "20 Facts About Gremlins". Mental Floss. Archived from the original on December 8, 2020. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  3. ^ a b Parker, Ryan (May 23, 2017). "How 'The Temple of Doom' Changed the MPAA Ratings System". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 13, 2018.
  4. ^ "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)". Filmratings.com. MPAA. Archived from the original on January 28, 2019. Retrieved January 27, 2019. Rating: PG
  5. ^ "Gremlins (1984)". Filmratings.com. MPAA. Archived from the original on January 27, 2019. Retrieved January 27, 2019. Rating: PG
  6. ^ "History of Ratings". Filmratings.com. MPAA. Archived from the original on January 28, 2019. Retrieved January 27, 2019.
  7. ^ Lester, Dr Catherine (June 5, 2024). "Why Gremlins is still shocking audiences after 40 years". University of Birmingham. Retrieved September 15, 2024.
  8. ^ "BBFC Podcast Episode 52 - Gremlins (1984)". BBFC.co.uk. Retrieved September 15, 2024.


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