Gremlins: half-assed b-movie or classic (or both)?

I watched Gremlins the other night and thought I’d riff on it since we’re officially into the holidays — although is the iconic 1984 horror spoof even a holiday movie in the first place? Play my video and find out!

I applaud director Joe Dante and executive producer Steven Spielberg for parodying the b-movie template and blending that parody with wholesome comedy (as well as a critique on consumerism), but my issue is that I don’t think they hit those notes nearly as well as they could have. Had I thought to say so on-camera, I’d have said: There’s a fine line between parody and SELF-parody, and Gremlins unintentionally falls into the latter category too much for its own good.

For me, the film doesn’t even work on the level of nostalgia. Much to my shock, in fact, Gremlins didn’t spark any nostalgia when I watched it again, even though I saw it in the theater way back when it was first released. I had a lot more fun watching it this time, but even still I noticed that Dante and his film crew didn’t capture the vibe or aesthetic of the ‘80s much at all.

Watching other films of the period — E.T., The Goonies, The Terminator, or just about anything else — the aura of the time practically oozes off your screen. That’s not the case here. I can’t tell if that’s because Dante was tipping his cap to a previous era of cinema — which is clear in his nods to both It’s A Wonderful Life and the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers — or if poor execution is to blame. My guess is that it’s a little of both.

But hey, what do I know. My boys here obviously disagreed at the time:

I ALSO RECOMMEND:

I Watched ‘Gremlins’ w/ My Kids and Totally Forgot About THAT Scene

The Original Script For Gremlins Was A Gory, Violent, R-Rated Horror Movie

Nobody Told Me How Mean Gremlins Is

Watching ‘Gremlins’ as a Kid Prepared Me for a Life of Loving Movies

American Cinematographer on John Hora

Joe Dante on Why Gremlins Is The movie He’ll Be Remembered For

Pauline Kael's original review from 1984

Gizmo: The Model Minority

For 35 Years ‘Gremlins’ Has Warned of the Dangers of Cultural Appropriation

And watch more Siskel and Ebert, they’re good for your health!

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