55 Facts About Gremlins : Must Know Trivia For Any True Fan
Gallery
We are sure most of you who know about this movie remember it because of Gizmo's fuzzy, cute face.
In 1984, this film was considered to be the best film to be released. The plot line of the film follows a salesman who incidentally picks up 'Mogwai,' a cute creature from Chinatown, and names it Gizmo.
As a '90s kid, we are sure you might have come across the horror-comedy film, Gremlins? Written by director Chris Columbus of Harry Potter fame, this movie delves into monsters' funny and horrific details. Continue reading this article to learn more interesting facts about the movie's story, behind the scenes experiences, and cast.
Story
The gremlins' story involved many elements that were included in the movie and many that had to be dropped. Like any other movie, a story undergoes several edits before one can zero in on the one we finally watch on the big screen. Here are some crazy story facts about this movie.
During World War II the idea of the gremlin was born. The reason being, anytime anything went wrong on a plane, it was effortlessly blamed on little monsters called 'gremlins'!
In 1943 the book called 'The Gremlins' was penned by Roald Dahl, eventually leading to gremlins becoming a part of popular culture.
In the movie's original script, an attack scene on people in McDonald's was added instead of just an attack on burgers.
Gizmo and Stripe were supposed to play the same character in the original story.
The main gist of the story of the movie, however, revolves around a salesman who wants to gift his son a unique gift. He finds one in Chinatown, a 'mogwai,' but the shopkeeper warns the salesman to never feed it after midnight and also never expose it to bright light as Gremlins are scared of it.
However, none of these restrictions are followed, and one fine day a gang of gremlins takes over the town on Christmas Eve.
A scene that stands out is the department store scene where Strike and Fremline attack Billy with a chainsaw. Did you know that this scene wasn't in the original script?
Zach Galligan and Joe Dante added the department store scene.
The sequel to the gremlins, Gremlins 2: The New Batch, was released 30 years ago.
The sequel was released six years after the original movie was released, and the response wasn't as great as it was for its predecessor.
However, this sequel was one of the most promising movie sequels of all time.
Gizmo is given a tougher side in the sequel to help him get revenge on other evil gremlins.
This behavior is an inspiration from Stalone's character.
Many critics say, Gremlins 2 is a kind of parody of the original. Kate's (Phoebe Cates) depressing Santa speech is one example.
In her dramatic speech, Kate tells everyone how Lincoln's birthday has always been quite traumatic to her, but Billy (Zach Galligan) cuts her off before she can proceed.
The real name of the central gremlin is Gizmo and gremlins are created when a mogwai eats food after midnight.
Facts About The Cast
The cast of a movie is what makes half the movie unique and enjoyable, don't you think so? Here are some fun and interesting facts about the cast of this film.
Known voice actors were the voice of the Gremlins.
One of the hilarious moments on the set was when the entire cast slept during the night shoot.
The reason being the frustrating process of work with puppet gremlins.
In the sequel and the original film, Howie Mandel from America's Got Talent, and Deal, or No Deal, voiced one of the characters.
Mandel is a renowned actor who has voiced Animal and Skeeter in the '80s Muppet Babies.
Frank Welker voiced Stripe.
Welker is famous for voicing Megatron in Transformers, Kermit in Muppet Babies, and Fred Jones on Scooby-Doo.
It was the character of Gizmos that Mandel had voiced; however, the customary gizmos song was not sung by him.
Instead, a thirteen-year-old sang the song.
A large number of improvisations and riffing took place during the filming by several cast members who were voicing puppets and their movements.
Did you know that Emilio Estevez and Judd Nelson were considered for the role of Billy Peltzer? But the producers later considered Zach Galligan, who made his debut in this movie.
Zach was chosen due to his spontaneous chemistry with Phoebe Cates, who was essaying the role of Kate Beringe.
Leonard Maltin made a funny cameo in the movie, and although he didn't like the first film, he loved the sequel, similar to several critics.
Chris Columbus wrote the screenplay for Gremlins which was like a dream come true for him. Back then, Chris Columbus was not recognized in Hollywood as he is today.
Chris Columbus wrote the screenplay to get noticed by Hollywood, and he was successful in doing so. Later on, he went on to direct the first Harry Potter movie, which was hugely successful.
What worked out for Columbus was the movie being produced by Steven Spielberg, who was a notable name in Hollywood then.
Spielberg had given a big thumbs up to the script as he thought it was one of the very few original things he had seen after many years.
A fun fact: Phoebe Cates kept away from Gremlins as she was genuinely scared of them.
Joe Dante and Dick Miller marked their 9th collaboration during the making of Gremlins 2. Miller appeared later in 16 other films of Dante as well.
The famous Santa speech in the movie was removed from the movie as the studio executives felt it to be too controversial and ambiguous.
Joe Dante was, however, hellbent on including the scene as, according to her, the Santa scene was a perfect representation of comic and horror elements, which was indeed the genre of the film.
Steven Spielberg was also against the inclusion of the scene but decided not to oppose Dante's role in the film and agreed to put the scene in the film.
Behind The Scenes Facts
Every movie has tons of behind-the-scenes footage, too, along with the actual film footage. Let's see some interesting behind the scene facts about the Gremlins movie.
The opening shot of the movie, which is actually an aerial shot of NYC, was, in fact, stock footage taken from Superman IV: The Quest for Peace.
The Kingston Falls scenes were also stock footage used from Back to the Future.
Gremlins movie is actually the last movie to be shot on specific film stock.
The film was scheduled to be a Christmas season movie owing to its many snow-clad backdrops.
Warner Bros, however, decided to bump up the release date of this film as it did not have any summer feature to compete with movies like Ghostbusters and Indiana Jones.
An interesting and peculiar fact to note is that the producers of the film initially used monkeys in gremlin costumes to film parts where creatures were moving or climbing, as back then, there was no CGI.
However, as funny as it sounds, this was no easy task. In their efforts to put a gremlin mask on a monkey, director Joe Dante's office almost got wrecked!
Monkeys were easily scared, and therefore this idea was dropped.
Thus, in the end, the filmmakers zeroed in on using puppets, but this also resulted in a lot of extra work for the cast and crew.
These Gizmo puppets were a frustrating business to deal with as they were tinier and were easily broken.
A parody scene from Rambo was requested during the filming of Gremlins, where the producers requested Sylvester Stallone to go to the necessary lawyers and studio executives to get their permission.
The shooting of Clamp Tower took place in Manhattan's famous 101 Park Avenue.
In fact, were you aware that Park Avenue was the filming location of several other movies such as Isn't It Romantic, The Fisher King, and Brewster's Millions?
Steven Spielberg was given a cameo, and you can see him in the film's opening scenes for a very short duration of time.
The scene is when Mr. Peltzer is on the phone, and Spielberg is wheeling around with his computer and big go-kart.
In fact, Steven Spielberg was given a self-cameo even during the theater scene, but later, Hul Hogan was called to play his part. These scenes were written for Gremlins 2.
FAQs
What time can Gremlins eat?
There is only one rule to be followed, which is to never feed mogwai at midnight.
What is the message of gremlins?
The message implied was that American culture, in general, cannot take mogwai, which is pure and sweet, without transforming it into a Gremlin.
Who is the main bad gremlin?
Stripe is the antagonist in the film.
Is Gremlins considered a horror movie?
Yes, many people do consider this film to be a horror-comedy movie.
What are female Gremlins called?
Female Gremlins are called Greta.
Do gremlins steal babies?
A: Yes, in one instance Gremlins steal Maude's baby.
We Want Your Photos!
More for You
See All
Bachelor of Science specializing in Botany, Master of Science specializing in Clinical Research and Regulatory Affairs
Sridevi ToletyBachelor of Science specializing in Botany, Master of Science specializing in Clinical Research and Regulatory Affairs
With a Master's degree in clinical research from Manipal University and a PG Diploma in journalism from Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Sridevi has cultivated her passion for writing across various domains. She has authored a wide range of articles, blogs, travelogues, creative content, and short stories that have been published in leading magazines, newspapers, and websites. Sridevi is fluent in four languages and enjoys spending her spare time with loved ones. Her hobbies include reading, traveling, cooking, painting, and listening to music.
Bachelor of Arts specializing in Psychology
Shreya YadavBachelor of Arts specializing in Psychology
Shreya has developed a diverse set of skills through her experience in client servicing, email marketing, content and e-commerce management, digital marketing, and creative content writing. Her educational background includes a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Indira Gandhi National Open University, Delhi. Shreya's passion for ongoing learning and development is a testament to her commitment to excellence.
Disclaimer
1) Kidadl is independent and to make our service free to you the reader we are supported by advertising. We hope you love our recommendations for products and services! What we suggest is selected independently by the Kidadl team. If you purchase using the Buy Now button we may earn a small commission. This does not influence our choices. Prices are correct and items are available at the time the article was published but we cannot guarantee that on the time of reading. Please note that Kidadl is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon. We also link to other websites, but are not responsible for their content.
2) At Kidadl, we strive to recommend the very best activities and events. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability. Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
3) Because we are an educational resource, we have quotes and facts about a range of historical and modern figures. We do not endorse the actions of or rhetoric of all the people included in these collections, but we think they are important for growing minds to learn about under the guidance of parents or guardians.
