Gremlins review

Don't feed them after midnight

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Two years after E.T. , Steven Spielberg gave it a mischievous sibling in Joe Dante’s anarchic creature feature, a subversive parable on the dangers of irresponsible pet care that doubles as an antidote to small-town Americana and Yuletide sentimentality.

Built around a cutesy furball that spawns an army of uncontrollable ids when allowed to get wet, it’s as much a Freudian nightmare as a celebration of monsters behaving badly.

More than either, it’s a treat for movie buffs, Dante peppering it with filmmaker cameos, cartoonish slapstick and satirical swipes at Hollywood classics from yesteryear.

Freelance Writer

Neil Smith is a freelance film critic who has written for several publications, including Total Film. His bylines can be found at the BBC, Film 4 Independent, Uncut Magazine, SFX, Heat Magazine, Popcorn, and more.