Chat! culturecrossfire.slack.com

Gremlins 2 is one of the most subversive studio pictures ever made.

Incandenza

Integral Poster
Messages
8,555
Reaction score
601
Points
218
Ostensibly made to capitalize on the success of the original, it ruthlessly satirizes both Gremlins and pretty much everything audiences expect from sequels. Gizmo, the "star" of Gremlins, gets very little screen time, and the human beings play second fiddle to the gremlins themselves. Outstanding film, and right now my choice for best sequel ever (until I rewatch The Godfather Part II).
 

Incandenza

Integral Poster
Messages
8,555
Reaction score
601
Points
218
I seriously love this film. Watching it last night brought home just how much went over my head when I first saw it as a child.

Everyone needs to see this. And the first Gremlins, too, which is good though flawed.
 

BlackFlagg

BlackFlagg
Messages
4,196
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Indeed a great flick, and of course John Glover owns the screen everytime he's on.
 

Mattdotcom

Integral Poster
Messages
25,132
Reaction score
7
Points
0
Fire. The untamed element. Oldest of man's mysteries. Giver of warmth. Destroyer of forests. Right now, this thread is on fire.
 

HarleyQuinn

Laugh This Off... Puddin'!
Staff member
Messages
22,077
Reaction score
1,990
Points
313
I love this movie and I love that it utterly shatters any 4th wall between movie/viewers with the Hogan/Wayne(?) cameo in the middle of the picture.
 

BorneAgain

Integral Poster
Messages
2,387
Reaction score
5
Points
88
The Lincoln's Birthday bit is a perfect little gag and great parody of the dark humor in the Santa Claus scene from the previous film.
 

Gary

Darker Handcraft
Messages
15,160
Reaction score
803
Points
253
Location
Perdition City
Everything about this movie is brilliant, and I say that without a hint of irony. Also, the Leonard Maltin cameo is great.
 

DMann1979

Integral Poster
Messages
1,676
Reaction score
0
Points
86
Location
OH
I think this film was my first introduction into the idea of 'meta-humor'
 

A.BUTCHERS HOUSE OF RIBS

Very Active Poster
Messages
55
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Great film, looking forward to watching it again. Speaking of John Glover, I finally watched 52 Pick Up. If you haven't watched it, please do so. Glover is amazing in it. Vice Squad and 52 Pick Up would be a great sleaze double feature.
 

DrVenkman PhD

You don't know me and you don't have to know me
Messages
29,106
Reaction score
5
Points
0
Location
Windsor, Ontario
I was happy when they finally released this on blu-ray.

John Glover deserves all the praise in the world for his work in this film, but don't let that overshadow the wonderful Dick Miller (and Christopher Lee, which goes without saying even though I just said it).

"Someone sat on it [the pie]" is such a small line but his delivery makes me laugh every time. Ditto for "Of course you heard it!".
 

Incandenza

Integral Poster
Messages
8,555
Reaction score
601
Points
218
Really pleased they didn't de-grain the blu, too. The blu for the first film looks as if someone went crazy with the sharpening tool in Photoshop.

I got the blus for both as part of a three-pack that includes The Goonies. Did you know I've never seen The Goonies?
 

Incandenza

Integral Poster
Messages
8,555
Reaction score
601
Points
218
I'm wondering how I managed to be a child of the 80s without ever seeing it.
 

DrVenkman PhD

You don't know me and you don't have to know me
Messages
29,106
Reaction score
5
Points
0
Location
Windsor, Ontario
The weird thing is I was completely familiar with the NES / Arcade games. You'd think that and being a child of the 80s, I would have found the movie on TV in my youth... but nope.
 

Incandenza

Integral Poster
Messages
8,555
Reaction score
601
Points
218
I vividly recall seeing the Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, Gremlins, Back to the Future, Teen Wolf, Explorers, and Flight of the Navigator all during their theatrical releases, but, for whatever reason, I did not go see The Goonies. I friggin' saw Explorers! Why did I skip The Goonies?
 

bps21

Integral Poster
Messages
26,984
Reaction score
0
Points
216
I prefer Monster Squad. I am in the minority.
 

tekcop

TSM's Finest
Staff member
Messages
6,959
Reaction score
1,407
Points
228
I was an adult before I saw The Goonies . I was pretty familiar with the game but no one ever made me aware off the movie before the internet.
 

Gary

Darker Handcraft
Messages
15,160
Reaction score
803
Points
253
Location
Perdition City
Any movie that uses Dick Miller in a prominent supporting role is great in my book.
 

Laz

Making dumb observations since 2002
Messages
19,837
Reaction score
2,572
Points
253
Location
Music City
Meta-humor. Chris Glover. Dick Miller. Slayer. Christopher Lee. All great reasons to love Gremlins 2.

But can we really forget this guy?
tumblr_m8iw0mNwyB1rawb5do1_400.png
 

Big Beard Booty Daddy

Canadian Destroyer213
Messages
16,207
Reaction score
1,036
Points
253
Location
College Point, NY
I remember seeing this in the theater and the spider gremlin scared the crap out of me. It was just a fun movie. I love the entire cast, as they did a great job getting all these great character actors.
 

Edwin

Integral Poster
Messages
5,367
Reaction score
5
Points
0
The first was on last night! It's been years since I saw the second. I wish to remedy this. Also, I played the hell out of the Gremlins 2 game for NES, which was crazy difficult. I mean, I guess everything is when you're 10, but this one seemed especially so.
 

strummer

Integral Poster
Messages
8,016
Reaction score
872
Points
218
I didn't like the movie as a kid. The satirical humor went over my head I guess. I haven't seen it in years so I would probably love it now.

Surprisingly the movie only pulled in 41 million on a 50 million budget
 

DMann1979

Integral Poster
Messages
1,676
Reaction score
0
Points
86
Location
OH
Grandpa Fred: [interviewing Brain Gremlin] Creature what is it that you want?
Brain Gremlin: Fred, what we want is, I think, what everyone wants, and what you and your viewers have: civilization.
Grandpa Fred: Yes, but what sort of civilization are you speaking of?
Brain Gremlin: The niceties, Fred. The fine points: diplomacy, compassion, standards, manners, tradition... that's what we're reaching toward. Oh, we may stumble along the way, but civilization, yes. The Geneva Convention, chamber music, Susan Sontag. Everything your society has worked so hard to accomplish over the centuries, that's what we aspire to; we want to be civilized.
[a Gremlin with a beanie cap acts goofy next to Brain]
Brain Gremlin: You take a look at this fellow here.
[Brain shoots the Gremlin in the head. The Gremlins in the bar laugh. Grandpa Fred and Kujitsu leave]
Brain Gremlin: Now, was that civilized? No, clearly not. Fun, but in no sense civilized. Now, bear in mind, none of us has been in New York before. There are the Broadway shows - we'll have to find out how to get tickets. There's also a lot of street crime, but I believe we can watch that for free. We want the essentials. Dinettes. Complete bedroom groups. Convenient credit, even though we've been turned down in the past.
 

Angle-plex

Integral Poster
Messages
3,401
Reaction score
29
Points
0
Just watched this again for the first time in probably 20 years. Jesus what a brilliant movie. The fake hipsters nowadays would love it. It definitely took balls to write/make a sequel to the original and decide to make it like THIS though.
 
Top