directed by Joe Dante
Ho, ho, ho! Are you hoping for some overly cute romantic comedy for Christmas? Not this time, buddy. This year has been a real rollercoaster of unexpected events, so I’m about to stay in the mood and today, I have a horror for you. Well, it’s not much of a horror, rather a creepy comedy that’s happening around the Christmas time. But if you asked me about this film when I was yet a child, I’d probably hide under a blanket. So if you want to know what film kept me awake when I was a kiddo, keep reading. It all starts with a man named Randall (Hoyt Axton) who is looking for a Christmas gift for his son, Billy (Zach Galligan). In one store, he finds a cute little creature that looks like a mix of a teddy bear, monkey and Dumbo the elephant. It’s called “mogwai”, which in Cantonese means “devil”. Perfect Christmas gift if you ask me. The little furry devil comes with 3 rules to remember. One – never expose it to light because it may kill it. Two – never let it have any contact with water. Three – a true nightmare of overworked adults – never let it eat after midnight. As you might be already guessing, all those three rules get broken at some point – that’s the fun part of a horror, right? The little devil is given a new name – Gizmo, and step by step smart humans around him break the three rules. Gizmo is accidentally exposed to a bit of light, which doesn’t kill it, but hurts it. Then, Billy’s friend spills some water on Gizmo and… something happens, but it’s for you to see. That part is rather funny, but stay with me, because there’s still the third rule. And that’s the moment when you realise why this adorable creature was originally called “mogwai”… Not sure you want your children to watch the film, because I remember I was seriously scared of some of its parts. However, as an adult, I feel deep nostalgia and even recently I got myself a Gizmo toy. The cashier asked whether it’s for my child and I said: “no, it’s for me, but I promise not to shower it.” – the lady didn’t catch that. So if you grew up watching “Gremlins”, I bet you must be a great person with numerous traumas to discuss with your therapist. Anyway, if you feel some Spielberg’s vibes watching the film, you’re feeling them right because he’s the executive producer and his adventurous nature can be spotted there. However, rumours say he considered giving this project to Tim Burton, which is difficult to imagine for me. I mean, I adore both directors, but each of them is living in his own world. Not sure a mix of both would be such a success. Anyway, if you’re looking for some 80s vibes and something to see this Christmas which will put all the kids to bed immediately, then you know what to choose. And if you enjoy it, there’s also a sequel from 1990. I hope you’ll have a good time, but remember… don’t you dare eating after midnight…
My rating: 7/10
S.
I have nothing to watch 