It’s nearly Christmas once again, and you can just tell by the festive sounds in the air. The echo of carollers, the laughter of children, the Ho Ho Ho’s of department store Santas, the crackling shrieks of little green monsters as they wreak havoc upon the neighbourhood. Wait, what was that last one again? Monster movies are usually not associated with Christmas for a good reason, there’s nothing particularly jolly about watching grotesque creatures attacking people. But this is where Gremlins differs from the norm. The film is as much an ode to the holiday season as much it is a fun monster flick. Early on the film uses Christmas as a cheery backdrop to lull audiences into a false sense of security, and it works! It’s hard not to feel that joyful nostalgic feeling in your stomach as you look upon all the attractive decorations while Christmas tunes soothe your ears. But just as you begin to feel comfortable, Gremlins takes a sudden 180-degree turn and finally begins to lead up to its mischievous name.
The plot of Gremlins sees teenager Billy (Zach Galligan) receive an exceptional early Christmas gift from his father, a Mogwai named Gizmo. An adorable little fuzzy creature like no other, the Mogwai is a complacent and friendly pet, although with it comes three simple rules. Rule number one; don’t expose the Mogwai to bright lights. Rule number two; never get the Mogwai wet. And rule number three, never, ever feed the Mogwai after midnight. Of course Billy proceeds to break all three of these rules, thereby releasing an army of angry, green monsters upon his small town of Kingston Falls on Christmas Eve.
The carnage these little green monster cause is probably too traumatic for very young viewers; trust me, I know from experience. Gremlins was one of the few films I had taped on VHS as a tiny tot, and despite how much each viewing absolutely terrified me, I would always go back for seconds. This is a film that traumatised me so much when I was younger that I was adamant there were Gremlins living under my bed, waiting to snatch me when the light went out. However even when watching it today as an adult, Gremlins is surprisingly intense for a ‘family’ film. The Gremlins attack their prey with intent to cause harm, all the while cackling with glee. One of their assaults sees an elderly woman launched out of her second story window, another has the beasts run a truck through a couple’s garage, while another sees a swarm of the creatures attack a man dressed as Santa. However all of these moments pale in comparison to the moment Spike, the leader of the mischievous Gremlins, attacks Billy with a crossbow, some circular blades and even a chainsaw.
All of this action is handled in a light-hearted and often humorous fashion, but there’s always something particularly grim lying underneath it all. As if to punctuate this, Phoebe Cates tells perhaps the saddest Christmas story of all time halfway through the film without an ounce of warning. It’s a miserable tale that reveals how her father died while trying to surprise the family on Christmas Eve, effectively changing the entire tone of the film from that point onwards. This story has no right to be in this film for many reasons, yet against all logic, it works. It adds depth to the film and more importantly, it fleshes out Cates’ character, further explaining why she is the way she is. It may be the definition of an anti-Christmas story, but hey, they can’t all end happily!
Despite its dark trappings and occasional bursts of slimy green monster gore, the spirit of Christmas is strong with Gremlins. Both visually and audibly the film is a cheerful celebration of the holiday, it just so happens that there is a small army of angry little critters ruining the festive cheer. If you can look past all of this carnage, there’s a fun natured film to be enjoyed. And like most Christmas films there are plenty of feel-good themes; friendships are made, love blossoms, evil is overcome and ultimately, Christmas is saved. This mix of dark and light subject matter makes Gremlins a radical alternative to pop on with the family this Christmas. The film may give any smaller children in the room nightmares for all eternity, but at least it will be a Christmas they’ll never forget!