One Of Dante's Best!

Rating: 7/10 (18 March 2012)

Zach Galligan, Hoyt Axton, Phoebe Cates, Frances Lee McCain, Polly Holliday, Judge Reinhold, Corey Feldman and Dick Miller star in Joe Dante's 1984 horror comedy. This begins with inventor, Rand Peltzer (Axton) buying his son, Billy (Galligan) a cute creature called a Mogwai for Christmas. He learns the important rules of not getting it wet, keeping it out of sunlight and never feeding it after midnight. The rest of the film takes place in his town, Kingston Falls where we meet Billy who works as a bank teller and Cates (Fast Times at Ridgemont High) plays his co-worker & love-interest, Kate. Soon, Rand gives Billy the Mogwai named, Gizmo and explains the 3 rules to him. The rules are broken when Gizmo accidentally gets wet multiplying mischievous monsters led by their leader, Stripe that begin wreaking havoc. Billy, Kate and Gizmo try to stop them before they destroy the whole town. McCain (Back to the Future) plays Billy's mother, Holliday (Alice) plays ruthless, rich woman, Ruby Deagle, Reinhold (Beverly Hills Cop) plays Billy's obnoxious co-worker, Gerald, Feldman (The Goonies) plays Billy's young friend, Pete and Miller (The Howling) plays Billy's Neighbor, Murray Futterman. I've liked this since I was a kid, the cast is great, Chris Walas did a terrific job creating the Gremlins, Howie Mandel (Little Monsters) is great as the voice of Gizmo and who can forget Jerry Goldsmith's excellent score. I recommend this 80's classic that's one of Dante's best.