Gremlins (1984)
By Jess Skinner
Ponder on whatever supremely unfortunate Christmas gift you’ve received in your life, and take pleasure in the probable truth that it never tried to claw your face off. This cannot be said for Zach Galligan’s holiday, circa 1984, which resulted in nothing less than vicious monsters running amok in his once-idyllic town. This is Gremlins, a movie beloved by many but analysed probably only by me. I find it one of the most curious of movies, one of those pop-culture artefacts that seem designed for nobody; in this case too grotesque for children, too cartoonish for adults. I love it for precisely this reason; it is a self-conscious middle finger to any potential mass market. But it was successful anyway, proving once again that moviegoers are sometimes smarter than I think they are.
Gremlins takes place during Christmas but has little to do with the holiday, instead cheerfully exploiting it as a counterpart to the mayhem of the creatures. This is a particular kind of mayhem, as unlike a lot of movie monsters, these ones are conscious and articulate in their destruction. I particularly enjoy the scene in which they drive a snowplow into a house. Or when they ambush a mall Santa and (presumably) slay him. So inappropriate, and yet sublime. Another reason why I should never have children: I’d probably make them watch this annually.
Favourite Films of 2007:
10. Juno
09. Ratatouille
08. Ils (Them)
07. Paris, je t’aime
06. Rescue Dawn
05. Once
04. Michael Clayton
03. Zodiac
02. No Country for Old Men
01. I’m Not There
