Gremlins (1984)

Cast includes:
CHARACTER	ACTOR/ACTRESS	RATING
Billy Peltzer	Zach Galligan
Kate Beringer	Phoebe Cates
Randall "Rand" Peltzer	Hoyt Axton	½
Ruby Deagle	Polly Holliday	½
Lynn Peltzer	Frances Lee McCain	-
Gerald Hopkins	Judge Reinhold	-
Murray Futterman	Dick Miller	-
Roy Hanson	Glynn Turman	-
Mr. Wing	Keye Luke	-
Frank Reilly	Scott Brady	-
Pete Fountaine	Corey Feldman	-
Brent Frye	Jonathan Banks	-

Review

Written by Chris Columbus, executive produced by Steven Spielberg, directed by horror-comedy semi-master Joe Dante (Piranha, The Howling), and with groundbreaking special effects by Chris Walas (who had previously worked on E.T.) – Gremlins was more or less doomed for success in the crossover-segment of 1980s youth-culture where mainstreamers and the new geek generation could find middle ground. The frame narrative involves a couple of cute, kind-hearted youngsters, a struggling inventor and a xenophobic alcoholic, but none of that really matters, because this is all about the show put on by the "mogwai" Gizmo and his more mischievous relatives. The special effects are incredibly impressive considering the technical methods used; Gremlins is probably some sort of zenith in puppet-based SFX. Just a few years later, this would have been done with CGI, but what would probably have been lost in the process is the organic, timeless feel this film has retained. Granted, the filmmakers seem to have been just a tad too enamoured with their creations, resulting in a film that is more adorable and silly than it is enjoyable, but then again, that may have been the entire point.