No 4: GREMLINS (1984)
Gremilns is without doubt the most unchristmassy Christmas film of all time. Directed by Joe Dante, produced by Steven Spielberg and wriiten by Christopher Columbus, Gremlins is the prefect antidote to all the saccharine sweet vomfests that we usually have to suffer.
An inventor (country great Hoyt Axton) buys his son (Zach Galligan) an odd little critter in a Chinatown junk shop who has a host of secrets up its adorable sleeve.
Gremlins is a gleefully nasty pop-culture Christmas movie, with a new loving reference around every corner of the backlot town where it unfolds. Dante’s creatures are class clowns, sneering at seriousness and the sanctity of holidays and good cheer. Little Bugs Bunnies with razor sharp teeth, the Gremlins are agents of chaos as learned from years of cartoons and movies.
In one scene, the melancholic Kate (Phoebe Cates) has a monologue about why she hates Christmas—turns out her dad dressed as Santa one year, got trapped in the chimney and died. "And that's how I found out there was no Santa Claus," she says as the camera cuts to Gizmo the very shocked Mogwai. Poor Gizmo just found out there's no Santa, too.
Gremlins may not be family-friendly but THAT’S why it is one of the greatest Christmas movies..ever!
...plus GIZMO IS THE CUTEST CREATURE TO EVER LIVE!
