Gremlins

Gremlins is an American film carried out by Joe Dante, left in 1984.

Synopsis

A boy receives the day of Christmas a young animal, a mogwaï named Gizmo, that the ex-owner locked up in a cage. This one requires of him to respect three instructions:

  • never to put it in contact with water
  • not to nourish it after midnight
  • To avoid the contact with bright light

Gizmo appears an adorable companion until, by inadvertency, its new owner reverses water glass on him. Then taken convulsions, the Gizmo young person gives rise to five others mogwaïs, including one with a white wick. These prove much less friendly; that with the wick seems to be most malicious of the band. They disconnect the alarm clock of their owner and claim to eat. This last, misled by its stopped alarm clock, nourishes them after midnight. The five mogwaïs are transformed then into viscous cocoons, which give rise to diabolic the Gremlin S : beings which do not have anything any more the kindness of the first of them, Gizmo , which will undergo a rather violent hazing. These gremlins has only one idea at the head: to reproduce. And it is by sowing the discord in the city that they move towards the public swimming pool…

Data sheet

Distribution

Comment

Gremlins is the last big hit of Joe Dante, which then formed part (as Robert Zemeckis) of the setters in scenes which worked under the production of Steven Spielberg. Besides (the film contains many winks with Spielberg, the majority listed below, to which one can add the leader of Gremlins which pushes a cuddly toy of E.T extraterrestrial the in a shelf of department store to observe Billy, as well as the appearance of the director himself driving a small car to the living room of the inventors). Moreover, when Billy calls his/her mother to say to him to leave the house because Gremlins hatched, one of them the communication crosses by saying “telephone house”.

The film represents at the time a true feat of ingenuity on the level of the special effects (let us not forget that we are well before the appearance and the use of numerical). The animatronique one was remarkably used for this film and if the current use of the numerical effects allows a largely higher perfection, special effects " live" of Gremlins took with the years an unquestionable charm. This charm a little " vintage" , combined with the dynamics of the scenes of plundering (in the Pub, with the cinema, in city etc) and at the side very " politically incorrect" small beasts, make that the film still functions very well.

Joe Dante, troublemaker of Hollywood, obviously took much pleasure to organize the setting with bag of the small town. The authorities take some for their rank since the police force refuses to intervene and only thinks of fleeing when Gremlins seize the city. The message of the end, which had been rather badly perceived by criticisms in its time, like what " humanity is not ready for the mogwaïs, and that it treats them as it treated the other benefits of the nature" , seems to be now more relevant at the era when the environmental pollution by the human action involves true climatic upheavals.

Mogwaïs and Gremlins could be perceived besides like an anticipatory metaphor of the career of Dante to Hollywood:

  • perceived initially well by the system, (its phase " Mogwaï" let us say) it obtains a certain success (" Piranhas" , " Howls " , " Gremlins") before the somewhat subversive spirit or iconoclast which arises in its films (its phase " Gremlin") make that all the following productions will be commercial failures (" Explorers ", " the interior Adventure " , " Banlieusards" , " Gremlins 2, the new generation "). For these reasons it is regularly forced to stop the cinema for other activities (Pub, series and telefilms), but still does not finish returning there (as Gremlins which one exterminates but which always ends up reappearing).

It will realize for Dreamworks in 1998 " Small Soldiers ", at the origin intended for the promotion of toys. But its interesting vision of film, not promotional enough of the puppets precisely, and not enough " blockbuster" , makes that it enters in conflict with Dreamworks, and that moreover film will be a new public failure. It will be necessary for him to wait 5 years before being able to turn again for the cinema (" Looney Tunes pass to the action " - 2003).

Anecdotes

  • two visible film titles on the front of the cinema: “ has Boy' S Life ” and “ Watch the Skies ”, was the titles of work used respectively for the films E.T extraterrestrial the (1982) and Rencontres of the third type (1977).

  • Several film extracts are visible at various moments of film. It is about:
    • Snow-White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937): the cartoon which look at Gremlins with the cinema.
    • the Invasion of the profaners of burials (1956): Billy and Gizmo look at this film in the room while Gremlins are empiffrent. Gizmo seems to be enough frightened by film!
    • the life is beautiful (1946): the mother of Billy on TV looks at this film while making the kitchen, just before the father does not return with Mogwai.
    • to like its beautiful (1950): Gizmo is very moved by this film when it on TV looks at it in the room of Billy. At the end of film, it reconsiders there when it traverses the store of toys in the car.
  • Among the references to other films, one can note:
    • Howls (1980): when Billy goes down to the kitchen in order to seek food for Gremlins famished, a " is seen; souriard" on the door of the refrigerator. This one announced the arrival of the werewolf in " Hurlements" same realizer. Later, of the photographs of film are posted in the cinema where Gremlins look at “White-Snow”.
    • the Machine to explore time (1960): when Rand calls his wife since the congress of the inventors, one sees behind him the machine to explore time going up in power. Then the cocoons are seen, and when the camera returns to the congress, the machine disappeared, leaving perplexed visitors.
    • Flashdance (1983) In the scene of the bar, one little to see Gremlins in behavior dancer to imitate the choreography of the heroin of flashdance.
    • prohibited Planet (1956): one sees Robby the robot with the congress of the inventors, in particular in a phone conversation where he speaks with a hat on the head. Its words are drawn from the end of prohibited Planet when he discusses production of alcohol with the cook of the C57-D.
    • the magician of OZ (1939): the character of Mrs. Deagle is very close to Almira Gulch, the neighbor acariâtre of Dorothy. Mrs. Deagle comes besides to the bank to seek the dog of Billy which she shows to have demolished her snowman imported of Bavaria.
    • adventurers of the lost arch (1981): the giant billboard of the radio “Rockn' Ricky Rialto” is strongly inspired by the poster of the Aventuriers of the lost Arch , like that of Indiana Jones and the cursed temple left in 1984, two weeks before Gremlins .

Catalog of films of Gremlins

Derivative products

Novels

Récit of George Gipe, according to the scenario of Chris Colombus. At Avon Books there exists an edition which goes back to January 1984 English. Adaptation of the film Gremlins 2, the new generation . Ever translated from English.

Video games

Board games

Published by Golden delicious. From 2 to 4 players for one 30 minutes intermediate duration.

Card decks

  • Gremlins Card Range (1984)
Published by International Ranges, Inc.. From 2 to 4 players for one 20 minutes intermediate duration.

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