I'm now an adult shoving, not pushing close to my 40's, and have a son who's ready to go to college in September. He's my world. If I could give him everything he wanted, the best gift I could give him is not to give him everything because I want him to feel that sense of accomplishment on his own and that power felt when you earned it yourself. I'm thankful that I have a son who doesn't drink, smoke or do drugs and is learning the value of a dollar. Just recently we were at a comic book store and found myself looking at a stuffed moguai doll from the movie "Gremlins" on the shelf. I wanted it so bad because it reminded me of my childhood. My lovely son bought it for me for that reason because he knew it would make me happy. I guess I'm still a little spoiled, but this time for the right reasons.
Gremlins is a darkly comic American horror movie directed by Joe Dante and released in 1984 by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is about a young man who receives a strange creature named Gizmo as a pet, which then spawns other creatures who transform into small, destructive monsters. This story was continued with a sequel, Gremlins 2: The New Batch, released in 1990. Unlike the lighter sequel, the original Gremlins opts for more black comedy, which is balanced against a Christmas-time setting. Both films were the center of large merchandising campaigns.
Steven Spielberg was the film's executive producer, with the screenplay written by Chris Columbus. The film stars Zach Galligan and Phoebe Cates, with Howie Mandel providing the voice of Gizmo. The actors had to work alongside numerous puppets, as puppetry was the main form of special effects used to portray Gizmo and the gremlins.
Gremlins was a commercial success and received positive feedback from critics. However, the film has also been heavily criticized for some of its more violent sequences. Critics alleged these scenes made the film inappropriate for younger audiences who could be admitted into theatres under its PG rating. In response to this and to similar complaints about other films, the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) reformed its rating system within two months of its release.
