Bright Light Blub Above

Rating: 7/10 (10 October 2013)

Back when I was a little tyke, I was never allowed to see Gremlins because the little critters were deemed "satanic" and it wasn't until I was in my 20s, or a decade or more past the movie's release, I finally saw it the first time.
This re-viewing is only my second time and I have to say, I wasn't/am not the biggest fan, but I sure did like and admire the attention to detail, creativity, humor and the fact it's an roundabout remake (or, homage?) to one of my favorite monster movies, The Blob.
The odd thing about this flick was that it started off as a comedy with tons of sight gags, cute and imaginative scenes and nods to multiple of movies, including producer Steven Spielberg's own movies. Butthen it turned dark, disturbing, actually gruesome and I'm shocked it only got slapped with a PG-Rating. Granted, in 1984, the PG-13 was just coming about, and though Rated-R would've been harsh and a box-office kill, PG was really generous.
A little Mogwai creature is brought home by a comically horrible inventor father and given to his way-older-looking-than-he-was son (the actor was 20, but looked 30,) but with three simple rules: it cannot touch water, it doesn't like bright lights or the deathly sunlight and don't feed it after midnight. Naturally, the (supposedly) teen son breaks all of these rules and after the water multiples the Mogwai, or the better and cuter name for him: Gizmo and they're all fed after midnight, with the exception of Gizmo, they metamorphose into what my mother referred to as little Satan demons, and attack the town. It's up to man-boy, his equally older-looking teen girlfriend and Gizmo to stop the madness.
Oh, those rules. While simple and a fun addition to this well-written script, the restrictions/instructions made no sense, with the exception of the bright light. Water is everywhere and in almost every – if not every, food and liquid. So what would you ever feed it? If they elaborated, like: Don't get water on or in it, but you can feed him dehydrated foods And about this midnight rule
Which midnight? (They actually bring this flaw up in the sequel, but for this movie's sake...) Is this a curse and is only good for the time zone the Mogwai's in? And it's never, ever, brought up "UNTIL WHEN." Again, elaborate: Don't feed it after midnight, to say, six in the morning.
I might be looking in too deep in a movie that was supposed to be half light/half horror, all entertainment, but I seriously couldn't get past those open-ended and vague rules.
Okay, fine, I could get past them – eventually, and I did have a good time in this totally 80s movie. Overall, it's not a bad flick, and the invention of both Gizmo and the eventual Satan's little evil fiends, was worth the watch. Especially, cute little Gizmo. Recommended if you haven't seen it, or if you want to experience 80s nostalgia. (That is, if you were alive thenOh, I'll shut up now.)
* * * Final thoughts: Many years following, and equally since, my only other viewing of this movie, I was with someone in a dark room and he flicked on the lights. Since my eyes needed and didn't get split second adjustment, without thought and only on instinct, I shouted out, but with a tiny voice: "Bright lights! Bright lights!" He couldn't stop laughing and though he remembered it, I couldn't even recall where I got that line. Now, I appreciate it more after seeing it a second time.