Gremlins is a 1984 American comedy horror film directed by Joe Dante from a screenplay written by Chris Columbus. It draws on legends of folkloric mischievous creatures that causes malfunctions—"gremlins"—in the British Royal Air Force going back to World War II and stars Zach Galligan and Phoebe Cates, with Howie Mandel providing the voice of Gizmo, the main mogwai character. The story follows a young man who receives a strange creature as a pet, which then spawns other creatures who transform into small, destructive, aggressive monsters that all wreak havoc on a whole town on Christmas Eve.[2]
The film was the center of large merchandising campaigns and opts for black comedy, balanced against a Christmas time 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 both 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, which uses a more satirical tone and parodies Hollywood sequels, while a third film, Gremlins 3, is in active development.
The film was the center of large merchandising campaigns and opts for black comedy, balanced against a Christmas time 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 both 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, which uses a more satirical tone and parodies Hollywood sequels, while a third film, Gremlins 3, is in active development.
