... Deagle was legend and Polly Holliday will always be remembered as the villainous from “Gremlins” as she tries her hardest to make her presence known in the Peltzer’s lives and the rest of the community, but it is the gremlins who prove that they’re also going to make ... Read review
When his absent-minded father gives young Billy Pelzer (Zach Galligan) a new pet, he warns ... more
him to abide by three rules. The rules get broken, of course, and the pet--a cute Mogwai named Gizmo--unwittingly gives birth to the vicious Gremlins who proceed...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Don't ever get it wet. Keep it away from bright light. And no matter how much it cries, No ... more
matter how much it begs...Never, EVER feed it after midnight. With these instructions, young Billy Peltzer takes possession of his cuddly new pet. Billy will get...
Goonies: A thrill-a-minute adventure film produced by Steven Spielberg! When brothers ... more
Mikey and Brand learn that greedy developers are forcing their family to move they and their friends decide to have one last precious adventure together. With the help of a treasure map they've found in the attic the group known as the Goonies go in search of buried gold hoping against hope that if they find it Mikey and Brand will succeed in keeping their home... (Dir. Richard Donner 1985) Police Academy: The call went out. The recruits came in. No longer would police cadets have to meet standards of height weight or other requirements. Brains were optional too. Can't spell IQ? Don't know the number 911? No matter. Police Academy grads are ready to uphold law and disorder! (Dir. Hugh Wilson 1984) Gremlins: Don't ever get it wet. Keep it away from bright light. And no matter how much it cries no matter how much it begs--never ever feed it after midnight. With these three instructions young Billy Peltzer takes possession of his cuddly new pet. Billy will get a whole lot more than he bargained for... (Dir. Joe Dante 1984)
Postage & Packaging:£0.00 Availability:3-5 working days
Production Year: 2000 - Horror - Director: Keenen Ivory Wayans - Original Language: English - Classification: 18 years and over - Starring: Carmen Electra, Anna Faris, Kurt Fuller, James Van Der Beek, Keenen Ivory Wayans
Advantages: A Comedy/Horror To Be Adored! Disadvantages: None
...to him to destroy the gremlins and the film goes from strength to strength as Billy comes to a showdown with the fiendish gremlins in the cinema, but there’s always a nasty sting in the tale and it is there that Billy almost loses his life to the gremlin leader, Stripe, but due to an unexpected chain of events, it is an unexpected hero that saves the day and Billy can finally lay the ghosts to rest and his family is chastised by the angry Mr. ... ...community, but it is the gremlins who prove that they’re also going to make their mark on the town and the sequence leading up to her demise are amusing indeed. One cannot resist a laugh and a cheer as she finally departs from the film in a memorable sequence which sees the gremlins tamper with her electric stair chair. Then, Barney won’t have any more sleepless nights, at least. No only joking.
Mr. Peltzer (Hoyt Axton) is desperate to buy his son that all new, impressive christmas gift, but being on holiday and in Chinatown, he doesn’t have much choice, so he goes down into a chinatown shop, owned by a curiously eerie Mr. Wing, played with great skill by the actor who plays him. His grandson is also played with good skill. Mr. Peltzer notices a visibly unseen animal that Mr. Wing won’t sell him (reasons which become obvious throughout the film) and his grandson objects to his grandfather and his callous ways so he tells Mr. Peltzer he will sell him the animal because they need the money. The grandson tells him to adhere to three rules in order to fully appreciate the present he has brought for his son.
Cue Kingston Falls and a film title which makes you think this won’t be your average family film. Next, we see the delightul Mr. Futterman (played by the legendary Dick Miller) and then the equally as good Billy (played by the now not-so-well-known Zach Galligan). Billy’s car is a mess but he still manages to get to work, only to be cruelly exposed to the devious Mrs. Deagle, who has a grudge against Barney, Billy’s dog, for destroying her snowman. This is where Kate, Billy’s-to-be love interest works, though you can’t help thinking that somewhere down the line that she may have one or two screws loose because of all the horrific things which have occurred throughout her life. Both roles are played well by Zach Galligan and Phoebe Cates.
When Mr. Peltzer arrives home from his trip, he gives his son the animal which is called a mogwai and Mr. Peltzer names it “Gizmo,” as it’s a name he likes. When a family photograph, seemingly innocent, is shot, Gizmo hurries into Mr. Peltzer’s arms and that’s when he explains the three rules that they must all adhere to in order to fully appreciate the animal and the environmental dangers that are against it. Later, a visit from Billy’s friend means that Gizmo is exposed to water (something that seems to be anybody’s only weakness) and he spurns offspring. Later, Barney is found tied up outside and Billy rescues him and he feeds the mogwai, but the next morning, they’ve all formed coccoons due to an innocent mistake made by Billy and its up to Billy to face the nightmare that comes from the multiplied mogwai, their evil counterparts, the gremlins.
With his family and the entire town in danger, only Billy can really appreciate the responsibility that comes with the mogwai and it is up to him to destroy the gremlins and the film goes from strength to strength as Billy comes to a showdown with the fiendish gremlins in the cinema, but there’s always a nasty sting in the tale and it is there that Billy almost loses his life to the gremlin leader, Stripe, but due to an unexpected chain of events, it is an unexpected hero that saves the day and Billy can finally lay the ghosts to rest and his family is chastised by the angry Mr. Wing at the end, but all is not at a loss because Mr. Wing truly believes that maybe Billy might be ready for the responsibility one day that the mogwai bring.
The script in the film is very good indeed – well written and the actors all handle the sequences very well. The inclusion of the evil and deliciously twisted Mrs. Deagle was legend and Polly Holliday will always be remembered as the villainous from “Gremlins” as she tries her hardest to make her presence known in the Peltzer’s lives and the rest of the community, but it is the gremlins who prove that they’re also going to make their mark on the town and the sequence leading up to her demise are amusing indeed. One cannot resist a laugh and a cheer as she finally departs from the film in a memorable sequence which sees the gremlins tamper with her electric stair chair. Then, Barney won’t have any more sleepless nights, at least. No only joking.
Characters – The characters are indeed memorable in their own ways. Billy is interesting and he seems to come over as the family man who remains very loyal and does his bit for his family and in turn, tries to sort out their problems and it is his proven loyalty which manages to save his family from the green gremlins as they find themselves into the Peltzer’s house. The ingenious scene in the kitchen is truly magnificent and makes for good comedy. Why this film was rated a 15 is beyond me, but it is quite mercilessly violent in parts which is why it would may have gotten the classification that it did. Kate, played by the gorgeous Phoebe Cates, plays the shy girl who takes a shine to Billy Peltzer and eventually they get together and their relationship together is truly warm. Hoyt Axton and the actress who plays his wife have a good chemistry and they all make it seem like a real family environment. Now onto the villains. The gremlins must come first and the puppetry is amazing. The sinisterness that they give out all makes them look like devilish creatures and they seem to be the no-nonesense invaders of the town, making sure that they’re supreme over anything else. Next up on the villains list is Mrs. Deagle. Although not in the film so much, the scenes she does appear in are memorable and Barney truly kicks butt in the bank and the gremlins then prove to be her downfall. They pretend to be carollers and when she goes to chastise them and scare them, another gremlin decides to become an electrician and give Mrs. Deagle a friendly ride outside…
This being set around the christmas time, its not a very christmassy film, but then again, it does convey quite an important message, which at first, might not be as obvious as it might like to make out. Not all christmasses are good for everyone and it tries to give us an idea that whilst some might be having a great christmas, others might be having a terrible christmas. In this respect, Joe Dante, (film director) does a good job showing us the darker side of christmas and Tim Burton also did just a good a job on his sketch, “The Nightmare Before Christmas.”
Now onto what really made Gremlins a standout film – the music. Indeed, the music in the film is quite memorable and I have quite a mind that I can actually play part of the theme on the piano. Although the theme throughout the film is generally consistent, it never bores and serves as an entertaining melody rather than a musical piece – Gremlins must be considered a horror/comedy if it is to be given the credit it deserves.
The next part I want to talk about specifically are the special effects – although they are good, you can tell that perhaps not that many special effects were used in the film, except in the finale when the gremlins are all killed by Billy, Kate and spectator Gizmo. The effects used there are quite well done and I do not believe that the effects in this movie were too expensive, but at the end of the day, it’s a prime example of special effects not being the catalyst that makes a film work all the time. The effects do not play a major part in the story and the film itself is a masterpiece. If only the same could be said about the sequel. However, the sequel is a good film in its own right.
A Digital Versatile Disc edition of Gremlins is available to buy and to be honest, is a major, major disappointment to all movie-goers who liked Gremlins and where’s the second film? The first disc offers nothing except the film itself. Maybe a theatrical trailer and commentary could’ve been thrown in? Although I am one for deleted scenes, I have a strong feeling that they wouldn’t have done the disc justice as most deleted sequences do not. The only deleted scenes to date that I have noted worth seeing are in Terminator 2, the extended edition, which is one of the best dvd’s I have ever seen. But no, the disc is a major disappointment, but its still one to add to your collection if you like Gremlins, like me.
The film itself was released in the early eighties and runs for over 100 minutes. I suggest you don’t watch this at christmas, but as many times as you can because it’s a great film and people of all ages will enjoy it (over 15, that is!) Why this film is a 15, though, is beyond me. Sure, the Gremlins are a tad vicious, but its all harmless fun. Overall, a film I would definitely recommend to the public and people over 15.
Advantages: Little cute pets Disadvantages: They've taken over Ciao
...into scaly little beasts called gremlins which cause chaos.
Gremlins was made in 1984 and was one of the year's best comedies, and still a favourite of young and old today. Some Ciao users may even think that the Gremlins are still running havoc as we experience problems with our favourite website. What makes this film so good is the mixture of comedy with horror. Unlike the big horror movies which base there themes around vampires and demons, Gremlins ... ...comedy, such as when the gremlins are causing chaos in the kitchen and Billy has to sort it out with some very funny solutions (I don't want to spoil it for those who haven't seen it yet). The film is set in the Christmas period and in such uses many Christmassy songs in the sound track one of the most memorable is Johnny Mathis singing "Do you hear what I hear", it's the noisy gremlins.
=======
The Cast
=======
Zach Galligan .... Billy Peltzer
...
christianfilmcritic 07.02.2006
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Gremlins (DVD)
Advantages: Great puppetry & exciting action! Disadvantages: Simply none!
Gremlins is a cult movie, released in 1984, and directed by Joe Dante. The movie was written by Chris Columbus, produced by the legendary Steven Spielberg, and starred among others, Zach Galligan, in what has probably been his most famous role to date, and Phoebe Cates, who is probably mose well know for her role in Fast Times at Ridgemont High, certainly with the male population anyway.
Set in a small American town during Christmas, an amateur ... ...control, and must destroy the gremlins before it is too late, including their leader Stripe.
Gremlins is a fantastic film. It is a classic movie for all ages, and one that I love to watch time after time, especially come Christmas. I couldn't tell you how many times I have seen this film, but it just seems to get better each time I watch it. As a child, the movie seemed cute, exciting and scary, and used to get me excited for Christmas each year. ...
danmclovin 06.09.2008
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Gremlins (DVD)
Advantages: Great story and effects, great jokes Disadvantages: None
...Now if you think Gremlins fits into that category my friends, you'd be wrong, because the short creatures in this epic are very, very nasty indeed, and you're more likely to scream 'aaarghhhh' than 'aah'.
God, this is a good film - the blackest of black humour, and it manages the neat little trick of being very, very funny and quite scary (err for kids, you understand). That's a hard balance to strike.
The story is simple, although quite unusual. ... ...hilarious set pieces - the gremlins as carol singers, the gremlins fascinated by Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, the gremlins beating each other up at the pictures, the gremlins hidden in the living room while Harry Belafonte sings "Do you hear what I hear..." ... there's no end to their little adventures and the fuun just goes on and on.
I have never tired of seeing this epic and I must have seen it at least five or six times. The idea was stretched ...
dave27 20.05.2001 (10.01.2002)
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Gremlins (DVD)
Advantages: there's lots of scenes with Cute Gizmo in! Disadvantages: there is none!!!
...obviously I was wrong. Also Gremlins is a great DVD but I watched it about 1 month ago, and could not review it due to the fact that I had a massive pile of Books to review. Anyway those reasons aren't really reasons, they are excuses... I would have reviewed this yesterday, although my heart was not into it... the reason is that 3 days ago my grandma died unexpectedly. She was healthy for all we knew, but she had a minor heart attack so my heart ... ...Billy breaks a rule and Gremlins spur from all over the place... The gremlins becomes the bullies and bully poor cute Gizmo. All kids would cry at that bit. But what will happen after? Will Gizmo be happy again? Will the gremlins die? What havoc will they cause? Would Gizmo leave? Or will he die? I shall not answer these questions, but you must be eager to find out.
There are 2 different covers, there's the one that you would find nowadays which ...
Jonni_boi 23.12.2008
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Gremlins (DVD)
Advantages: Classic family horror/comedy, cute gremlins Disadvantages: May scare young children, effects *slightly* dated, not great acting
...Nevertheless, there’s no denying the gremlins were cute…
Gremlins was actually released waaaay back in 1984 – making it the same age as my brother (now over 20!) but it was only recently I finally saw it on TV. I have to say I was impressed, and it certainly didn’t seem as dated as I’d feared. It’s a film that I think can appeal to a wide range of ages, and a sort of comedy/horror cross.
What exactly the gremlins are is never explained, but Gizmo ... ...a Christmas present. (Remember folks, gremlins – like dogs – are for life, not just Christmas!) There are three rules – which every ‘80s child should know even if, like me, they hadn’t seen the film and didn’t know why:
1 Keep it away from bright light (sunlight kills it)
2 Don’t get it wet (then it multiplies)
3 Don’t feed it after midnight (then it… changes)
Suffice to say that inevitably rules get broken, and what started out as cute furry ...
a-true-ben 27.12.2004
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Gremlins (DVD)
Did you enjoy it?
Story
Characters / Performances
Special Effects
How does it compare to ...
Similar reviews »
Reviews which might be of interest for "Gremlins (DVD)"
Advantages: Clever, imaganitive combination of scares and laughs Disadvantages: Some parents may deem it too violent, at least ones in 1984
History 201 >>>>>
Now, I would be lying if I didn?t say that I was one of many who grew up watching Gremlins, and even more so since my father (illegally) copied it when it debuted on videotape. I?ve seen this film literally dozens of times over the past 20 years, and I was more than pleased to see a Special Edition come out on DVD about a year ago. There were several deleted scenes, plus not one but two audio commentaries. The first one was by Joe Dante, producer Michael Finnell, and animatronics/creature designer Chris Walas (who later won an Academy Award for his work on THE FLY); and the second one had Dante, stars Zach Galligan and Phoebe Cates, co-star Dick Miller (who played Mr. Futterman), and finally Howie Mandel, who gave the voice of Gizmo. Both commentaries had literally so much info, insights, and trivia details ...
I will break this down into two films
Film 1 Gremlins
THE PLOT:
It begins with a typical Christmas eve in a typical small urban town
were every body nows every body. it is based on a bank clerk who is being threatened by the local busy body mis Beezly the bady of the piece we get to see a nice comical exchange between these two . And it is all normal until that is we meet his father an eccentric Inventor who has invented things around the house which of course don't work . So things are fairly normal that is until the father goes of to a convention and decides to make up for going away during Christmas by getting a present but not any present a unique present Mogwai. That has rules and if not followed can and do backfire what happens next is a comic horror movie that will have you jumping with fright and laughing out loud Don ...
Advantages: A fun, horror comedy Disadvantages: Takes a while to get going
here and are better than those in Gremlins, especially where the mutated gremlins are concerned and the sequence with the bat is well done and the final scenes in the film are with good special effects. Not the best ones, mind, but still, they are good in the film and deserve to be mentioned.
As far as I am aware, there is no current DVD version of Gremlins 2 currently available on the marketplace, so perhaps when one comes out, I will be inclined to change my review to put here what features the DVD version of Gremlins 2 has, though I’m not holding my breath after the disappointment of the first film.
Overall, a great film which I recommend. ...
robinsky 28.03.2004
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Gremlins 2
An absent-minded professor brings home an unusual present for his son, a small furry creature called a Mogwai. When this creature is fed after midnight it produces gremlins who threaten the whole neighbourhood.
"...A wiseacre mixture of movie-buff jokes, movie genres and movie sensibilities....An orgy of special effects..." (New York Times, p.C10, 08/06/1984)
"...Director Joe Dante is in full control of his extraordinarily realistic mechanical creatures..." (Variety, 23/05/1984)
DVD Description
Young Billy Peltzer's (Zach Galligan) everyday smalltown life is given a lift when his travelling salesman father Rand (Hoyt Axton) buys him the ultimate Christmas gift in a far-off Chinatown--the mogwai--an adorable little big-eared, furry, brown and white creature. But the old man who sold the creature gave three rules that must always be followed when caring for the mogwai: 1) no water 2) no food after midnight 2) no bright light. When Billy inadvertently violates these first two rules, the small town of Kingston Falls is turned upside down by a legion of green, nasty gremlins! The line between comedy and horror is deftly straddled by director Joe Dante (PIRANHA, SMALL SOLDIERS) in this modern genre classic. Produced by Steven Spielberg, from a script by Chris Columbus (GOONIES).
![Gremlins [DVD] [1984]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78545599.jpg)
