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I have a couple of reviews I forgot to repost here for some reason. Here is the first of them:
Original publishing date: October 9, 2023
Gremlins
For a long time, I didn't get all the hype about this movie. Sure I didn't think it was bad or anything, but I couldn't get into the Gremlin groove as much as everyone else.
The first time I rewatched it that largely remained true, though it had improved by a small margin.
This time, which I intended to serve as the final judge, it improved enough to the point where I can call it a good movie.
Joe Dante has created an imaginative world with memorable characters. The opening scene is immediately atmospheric and sets the stage for how the rest of the film will unfold effectively. Mr. Wing makes such an impression despite not appearing afterwards and only saying a few words. Keye Luke did an excellent job.
Hoyt and Lynn are both very likable parents, with Hoyt being the well-intentioned yet faulty inventor and Lynn being patient and kindhearted, but resourceful when necessary (More on this later). Corey Feldman doesn't quite get as much to do, but is solid for the limited screentime he has. The sequel completely does away with the family aspect, so enjoy these three people while you can.
Mr. Futterman (Easily one of Dick Miller's biggest roles) is your lovable old-timey bigot who hates foreign cars so much you wonder if he's really saying something else. It's implied that he and his wife Sheila get killed later on (Which New Batch reveals was a fake-out)..
The pacing is simultaneously a strength as well as a flaw. On one hand you don't want to get to the chase too quickly, as building up to the main threat slowly usually makes you take it more seriously whenever it arrives. On the other hand, there may be a little bit too much set-up in this case and even though I was enjoying it fine I found myself getting impatient after a while. When the antics finally start though it's still worth it, and I especially enjoyed seeing Mrs. Deagle reduced to a pathetic whining wimp after acting so tough before when threatening to maim Billy's dog.
The gremlins themselves are pretty funny and cool-looking, Gizmo of course being the one who's softer and less abrasive than the others. It's easy to fall into the trap of making cute characters feel like shallow marketing ploys, but he's absolutely lovable and he'll almost makes you wish he was a real pet (Without the horrible side effects naturally).
You know what I said about Lynn being resourceful? The whole sequence of her destroying gremlins in various ways, one being pushing one of them down in a mixer was freaking awesome and made her instantly badass. She still shows a visible fear on her face, but knows this is what she has to do to protect her family.
The romance between Bill and Kate is okay. The chemistry between the actors is good, but there's a noticeable stranglehold on time which makes the emergence of dating feel extremely rushed, especially since Bill asks her out right after they were arguing (Over something pretty dumb, mind you).
That being said, I still like them together and Phoebe Cates is sweet as sugar which helps too. Her line "While everybody else opens up presents, they're opening up their wrists." made me laugh out loud.
The cops are awful. The scene at the police station is my least favorite in the whole film, because it's one we have seen a MILLION times, whether it's a serious horror movie or a more comedic one. This is one trope that gets worse the further I'm exposed to it. Not only that, but when they finally see evidence of gremlins with one man trying to fight them off, the cowards just drive away not even trying to help at the least! I swear to God, I wish the gremlins would have crashed through the window and simply torn them to pieces.
Judge Reinhold's small part as the sarcastic ass hole is predictably entertaining. One of his more punchable characters, but Reinhold is so naturally funny you still enjoy watching him.
Overall, Gremlins is not the flawless holiday classic it's been touted as, but I have a little more respect for it now than I did before. It does its job of being a dark, amusing horror comedy.
Original publishing date: October 9, 2023
Gremlins
For a long time, I didn't get all the hype about this movie. Sure I didn't think it was bad or anything, but I couldn't get into the Gremlin groove as much as everyone else.
The first time I rewatched it that largely remained true, though it had improved by a small margin.
This time, which I intended to serve as the final judge, it improved enough to the point where I can call it a good movie.
Joe Dante has created an imaginative world with memorable characters. The opening scene is immediately atmospheric and sets the stage for how the rest of the film will unfold effectively. Mr. Wing makes such an impression despite not appearing afterwards and only saying a few words. Keye Luke did an excellent job.
Hoyt and Lynn are both very likable parents, with Hoyt being the well-intentioned yet faulty inventor and Lynn being patient and kindhearted, but resourceful when necessary (More on this later). Corey Feldman doesn't quite get as much to do, but is solid for the limited screentime he has. The sequel completely does away with the family aspect, so enjoy these three people while you can.
Mr. Futterman (Easily one of Dick Miller's biggest roles) is your lovable old-timey bigot who hates foreign cars so much you wonder if he's really saying something else. It's implied that he and his wife Sheila get killed later on (Which New Batch reveals was a fake-out)..
The pacing is simultaneously a strength as well as a flaw. On one hand you don't want to get to the chase too quickly, as building up to the main threat slowly usually makes you take it more seriously whenever it arrives. On the other hand, there may be a little bit too much set-up in this case and even though I was enjoying it fine I found myself getting impatient after a while. When the antics finally start though it's still worth it, and I especially enjoyed seeing Mrs. Deagle reduced to a pathetic whining wimp after acting so tough before when threatening to maim Billy's dog.
The gremlins themselves are pretty funny and cool-looking, Gizmo of course being the one who's softer and less abrasive than the others. It's easy to fall into the trap of making cute characters feel like shallow marketing ploys, but he's absolutely lovable and he'll almost makes you wish he was a real pet (Without the horrible side effects naturally).
You know what I said about Lynn being resourceful? The whole sequence of her destroying gremlins in various ways, one being pushing one of them down in a mixer was freaking awesome and made her instantly badass. She still shows a visible fear on her face, but knows this is what she has to do to protect her family.
The romance between Bill and Kate is okay. The chemistry between the actors is good, but there's a noticeable stranglehold on time which makes the emergence of dating feel extremely rushed, especially since Bill asks her out right after they were arguing (Over something pretty dumb, mind you).
WARNING: spoilers below
Kate revealing the backstory of why she hates Christmas is also awkwardly executed. She delives the monologue well, but Bill having having no emotional response whatsoever to what she's saying prevents it from hitting a full home run.
That being said, I still like them together and Phoebe Cates is sweet as sugar which helps too. Her line "While everybody else opens up presents, they're opening up their wrists." made me laugh out loud.
The cops are awful. The scene at the police station is my least favorite in the whole film, because it's one we have seen a MILLION times, whether it's a serious horror movie or a more comedic one. This is one trope that gets worse the further I'm exposed to it. Not only that, but when they finally see evidence of gremlins with one man trying to fight them off, the cowards just drive away not even trying to help at the least! I swear to God, I wish the gremlins would have crashed through the window and simply torn them to pieces.
Judge Reinhold's small part as the sarcastic ass hole is predictably entertaining. One of his more punchable characters, but Reinhold is so naturally funny you still enjoy watching him.
Overall, Gremlins is not the flawless holiday classic it's been touted as, but I have a little more respect for it now than I did before. It does its job of being a dark, amusing horror comedy.