Who You Gonna Call? Gremlins. (A 40th Anniversary Retrospective)

June 8th, 1984. On this very day, two films that would have a great effect on pop culture as we know it were released, making it a significant day in film history.

Poster images from IMPawards

If you’ve been following this blog for any amount of time now, you know that Ghostbusters is very near and dear to my heart. Gremlins, I don’t have the same kind of sentimental value attached to it, but I still think it’s a highly enjoyable film, and its director, Joe Dante, has come to be one of my favorite directors of all time.

The reason Ghostbusters has become so important to me over the years is because it’s my earliest movie memory. It is the first movie I ever remember watching in my life, so you can say it paved the way to me becoming the movie maniac that I am today. I have fond memories of watching the film on VHS, or TV airings, usually of the French-dubbed version, titled S.O.S. Fantômes…

I will say without any hesitation whatsoever that Ghostbusters is the definition of “lightning in a bottle”. Everything just clicked, from the incredible performances of the cast (featuring many memorable improvisations), to the brilliant direction of Ivan Reitman, to the practical special effects, to the chilling musical score by Elmer Bernstein, and who can forget the catchy theme song by Ray Parker Jr.? Everything just worked in the film’s favor, so it comes as no surprise that the film is so beloved by fans and continues to find a new audience, 40 years later.

Speaking of the cast, we couldn’t have asked for better comedic greatness: Dan Aykroyd and Bill Murray are both veterans of the Second City improvisational comedy troupe, and original cast members of Saturday Night Live. Harold Ramis also comes from the Second City, was a writer for the National Lampoon comedy magazine, and has performed on the sketch comedy show SCTV. Ernie Hudson, while not having the comedy background of his co-stars, was perfect as skeptic/straight-man Winston Zeddemore. Add to the mix Rick Moranis (also an SCTV veteran), Sigourney Weaver and Annie Potts, and you’ve got yourself comedy perfection.

Four reasons why we love the movie as much as we do: Harold Ramis, Ernie Hudson, Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd. Source: CBS News.

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve seen the movie. I feel like I wouldn’t be exaggerating if I said I’ve seen it over 100 times. And even with so many viewings, I still have this sense of excitement whenever I watch it, anticipating what’s going to happen next, and mouthing all of the quotes I’ve come to memorize after all of these repeat viewings.

As far as Gremlins goes, I didn’t watch it as early on as I did Ghostbusters, but I was aware of it at a young age because my older sisters had Gremlins stickers in their sticker album. Actually, my earliest Gremlins memory would probably be when the sequel, Gremlins 2: The New Batch, was released in June of 1990. Stickers featuring characters from the film could be found in bags of Humpty Dumpty Potato Chips, so that’s really when my awareness of the Gremlins began. In fact, I think I saw the sequel first, in the very early ’90s (which makes sense, as it’s much more cartoony, dare I say “family-friendly”, and less dark than the first installment).

I didn’t watch the original film until the Winter of 1999 when it aired on the French-Canadian network TQS (watch the commercial for this airing here). I was now 13-years-old, and I remember the film taking me by surprise, as I didn’t expect it to be so dark (remember, I had only seen the second film, which is much more humorous). A scene that definitely stood out is the scene where Billy’s mother gets attacked by Gremlins while alone at home decorating the Christmas tree. A battle that ends with her destroying many of the Gremlins using kitchen appliances such as a food processor and, most memorably, a microwave. As much as this shocked me, I can safely say that it wasn’t scary enough to turn me off, and I became an instant fan. I think that the appeal of the film, at least for me, is that it presents itself as a family-friendly feature with cute and cuddly creatures, but in reality it borders on full-on horror. It’s an odd & interesting blend, executed perfectly by director Joe Dante.

It’s actually for that very reason that the Motion Picture Association of America established the PG-13 rating shortly after its release, due to this film and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (both PG-rated films that happen to have Steven Spielberg’s name attached to them) being a bit too scary for children, but not scary enough to warrant an R-rating.

Director Joe Dante posing with a Gizmo plushy. Source: Little White Lies.

Much like Ghostbusters, Gremlins features a great cast with Zach Galligan playing leading man Billy Peltzer, who receives an interesting gift from his inventor father (Hoyt Axton), in the form of a Mogwai – a cute and cuddly creature that becomes anything but cute and cuddly when fed after midnight or exposed to water. It’s also very sensitive to bright lights, which can kill it.

Also shining on screen are Phoebe Cates, Judge Reinhold (both hot off the success of Fast Times at Ridgemont High), a young Corey Feldman, and frequent Joe Dante collaborator: That guy Dick Miller.

I see these two films as two of the same, as they both bring the laughs, all while bringing the scares. It still blows my mind that both of these films that I’ve enjoyed for so long were released on the same day. Talk about making film history.

If you don’t know what to do today and you have some spare time, why not pop in one of these two films? Or both?? You might as well watch both, because it’s hard to pick just one.

HAPP Y 40TH!

Photo credit: Lise Hicks.

Explore more of my Ghostbusters-related content:

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024) | Teaser Reaction

Review | The Real Ghostbusters: The Animated Series DVD Set (2017, Sony Pictures Home Ent.)

First Impressions Review | Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024)

My Real Ghostbusters Toy Collection from Kenner (Past & Present)

“The Real Ghostbusters” Returns to Broadcast Television this Month