For most people, vacations films consist of things like National Lampoon’s Christmas Holidays either It is a wonderful life. I tend to lean towards Christmas horror movies because I enjoy the change of pace from typical Christmas fare. However, I recently saw gremlins, and as an adult, it left me with more questions than answers. So here are several questions I have after my last viewing of gremlins.
What qualifies as ‘after midnight?’
Let’s start off with a bang and look at the bigger question surrounding Gizmo the Mogwai. When Rand Peltzer (Hoyt Axton) manages to get Gizmo home to his son, Billy (zach galigan), the little boy who sells the Mogwai under the table gives three instructions.
Don’t get it wet.
Keep it away from bright light.
Never feed him after midnight.
The first and second are quite simple, but the third is absurd. When is “after midnight”? Are there established feeding times? What happens if you change time zones? any time is technically after midnight, so when can the poor thing eat?
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Why was no one surprised to discover an entirely new species?
The lack of alarm from anyone in the entire Peltzer family at the discovery of a new species in gremlins baffles me. As an adult, if I bring home a new pet, it is No It’s going to come in the form of a creature I’ve never heard of before. What if it’s poisonous? Has rabies? Does it turn into a creature that can eat your face? That fool must be investigated by every possible source before handing him over to my son in any way.
And sure, Billy takes Gizmo to his high school science teacher for a test, but what qualifications does that man have? He certainly doesn’t seem prepared to take on a new species.
Were Gremlins immune to snow?
The second rule to keep Gizmo alive in gremlins it is not to wet it. Billy and his friend Pete, a very young corey feldman, responsibly obey that rule for about five minutes before Pete dumps a whole glass of water on Gizmo. Several fluffy balls break off and grow into smaller mogwai showing us how these guys reproduce. However, later, a whole army of Gremlins run down a snow-covered path, and not a single new Gremlin is born. Do we think director Christopher Columbus hoped no one would notice?
Did the Gremlins connect with the seven dwarfs?
Just two days after the Gremlins literally emerged, they’re getting drunk at the local pub and heading to the theater to see a Disney show. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. First, we saw the marquee outside the theater, and White as snow it was not listed as one of the films being shown. Second, how did the Gremlins know how to find the movie reel they wanted to watch? Listen, say what you want, but there’s never been an audience more excited to see a movie than the Gremlins to see. White as snow.
I need a better explanation of Kate’s dad’s fatal plan.
Towards the end of the film, we learn the real reason behind Kate’s (Phoebe Cates) disdain for Christmas. It turns out that when she was a child, Kate’s father dressed up as Santa and tried to get into the house through the chimney. She explains to Billy that her father disappeared on Christmas Eve. Days later, a smell began to emanate from the fireplace. Authorities found the remains of her father in the fireplace with a sack full of gifts after he fell and broke his neck. Ok, sure, a sweet feeling, maybe, but what was it his plan? Did he want Kate to arrest him while she was delivering the gifts? Why didn’t he tell his wife? Did no one hear this man fall down the chimney? I have a lot of problems with this plan, and it’s mostly the logistics of it all.
No matter, gremlins It remains one of my favorite Christmas movies to date, even with its many, many plot holes. Do you want to check it out for yourself? It is currently streaming on HBO Max. And if you have questions of your own, be sure to tell me in the comments below!
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