Vents MagaZine Music and Entertainment Magazine
Related Articles
It’s weird when people try to claim Gremlins isn’t a Christmas movie just because it came out in June. Yo, it’s set at Christmas! Gizmo is a Christmas present! The whole town, and the Peltzer house, are decorated for Christmas. Maybe you can quibble with Die Hard being a Christmas movie, but not Gremlins. If you are looking for a comedic Christmas film, or a Christmas horror movie, either way Gremlins is your best bet.
This is one of the top horror-comedies out there, and a perfect bit of Yuletide counterprogramming. It’s funny, indebted to pop culture, and generally a delight. And yet, it can also be gross, but in an entertaining way. Gizmo may don a little Santa hat and be all cute in his puppet glory, but also a gremlin explodes in the microwave.
The film doesn’t have any stars, but that’s because the stars of Joe Dante’s Christmas horror-comedy are the Mogwai and the gremlins. Dante is a deft hand for a movie like this, as he balances comedy and horror well, and he likes to work in a way where he can comment on the films and TV show he admires.
Gremlins can be dark, but it’s not in the vein of “Ugh, Christmas, right?” The film is really a delicate balance, while also being bonkers at times. In the best way! I’d also recommend Gremlins 2: The New Batch, while is the closest to a Looney Tunes horror movie we’ll ever get, but it has nothing to do with Christmas. Stick with the original when you are looking for your holiday movie fix.
