Michael Winslow | Scott's Film Reviews-1,537 Reviews posted!!! RECENTLY LAUNCHED-MY TOP 250 FAVORITE FILMS AND TOP 40 HORROR FILMS!!!

Gremlins-1984

Director Joe Dante

Starring Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates

Scott’s Review #1,443

Reviewed September 28, 2024

Grade: B+

A mishmash of film genres such as black comedy, horror, and Christmas, Gremlins (1984) is one of the films responsible for the introduction of the new Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) PG-13 rating in the mid-1980s.

Too soft for an adult R rating, but too scary for a PG rating, many films fit better in the PG-13 category.

The film features a cute, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)- inspired creature named Gizmo. Since Steven Spielberg executive-produced Gremlins, there have been comparisons to the successful mega-box-office film.

But Gremlins is darker than E.T., especially when the spawn of Gizmo emerges in a fierce, aggressive manner and one dons a mohawk-style haircut. Many of the gremlins die, and a few humans are killed by the gremlins, giving it a scarier vibe.

This is thanks to director Joe Dante, who gives the film a 1950s B-movie look with a dark, campy tone.

A gadget salesman, Randall Peltzer (Hoyt Axton), is looking for a special Christmas gift for his son, Billy (Zach Galligan), and finds one at a store in Chinatown. The shopkeeper is reluctant to sell him the “mogwai” but does, and warns him never to expose him to bright light or water, or to feed him after midnight.

Naturally, when Randall returns to his home in the United States, all of this happens, and the result is a gang of gremlins that decide to tear up the town on Christmas Eve.

There are a couple of ways to view this film. The ‘message’ is a statement about the consumer culture that ran rampant in the 1980s. Wanting everything but not appreciating what you have is highlighted in the final scene.

The Chinese shopkeeper repossesses the “mogwai”, scolds the family for their negligence, and criticizes Western society for its carelessness with nature.

In a touching scene, Gizmo, having bonded with Billy, bids him goodbye. The touched shopkeeper concedes that Billy may be ready one day and, until then, Gizmo will be waiting.

Anyone with a pet will get a teary eye or two.

One can also view Gremlins as an entertaining popcorn flick with superior special effects and a fun story. The visual effects and the art direction are worth a pause. Impressive are the sequences in the town where the stores and homes are perfectly dressed for the holidays.

The Christmas lights, trees, snow, and other trimmings provide feelings of warmth and spirit.

Galligan and Phoebe Cates, who plays his love interest, Kate, have wonderful chemistry as a teen romance blossoms. This makes the audience more invested in their peril as they try to save the townspeople from doom.

Axton and Frances Mee McCain, who plays Billy’s mother, Lynn, are also rootable. They are believable as a lovely suburban couple who have a wacky side.

Corey Feldman and Judge Reinhold appear in small roles as a friend and Billy’s obnoxious boss, respectively. Neither role is developed or necessary, but familiar faces are always nice to see in the cinema.

Polly Holliday nearly steals the show as the dog-hating Ruby Deagle. In a clear nod to Mrs. Gulch in The Wizard of Oz (1939), she sneers and snickers in an ill-fated attempt to have Billy’s dog destroyed.

Delightfully, she gets a death scene where the gremlins terrorize her to death when her stair chair goes wonky and throws her out a window. Holliday is a hoot and must have had a ball playing the villain.

Other stock characters, like the disbelieving police force, are clichéd and only serve to hinder the main characters’ actions.

Gremlins (1984) is a darling film that holds up well. It’s mischievous without going full horror and can be enjoyed by the entire family on Christmas Eve. The quirky comedy elements and cool visuals make the film fun and impressive.

Police Academy-1984

Director Hugh Wilson

Starring Steve Guttenberg

Scott’s Review #1,442

Reviewed September 27, 2024

Grade: B+

Police Academy (1984) is a fun slice of nostalgia for me that oozes back memories of being a pre-pubescent boy, and it’s difficult to put my ‘critic’ hat on long enough to review the film adequately and impartially.

But I’ll try.

1980s cinema is filled with movies like Police Academy, featuring bumbling antics and situation comedy gags with little film integrity or artistic merit. The dimwitted and sex-crazed characters, usually male, go from one situation to another with the hopes of fun and sex.

The franchise relies on basic slapstick humor, typically grounded in simple characterization and physical comedy. As with many similar films, the theme centers on a group of underdogs struggling to prove themselves while various authority figures try to suppress them.

Thus, the audience adores and roots for them.

Yes, Police Academy is riddled with cliches, idiocy, and a disrespect for law enforcement, but only in the softest of ways. Filmmakers have no ill contempt and only intend to follow a well-used comedy formula to produce a hit.

Quite a hit, it spawned six sequels, culminating in 1994’s lame Police Academy: Mission to Moscow.

When the mayor of an unnamed crime-ridden city loosens the restrictions on entering the police academy to get more cops on the street, all manner of oddball characters enlist to join the force.

Among the cadets are sexy Carey Mahoney (Steve Guttenberg), hulking Moses Hightower (Bubba Smith), blonde Karen Thompson (Kim Cattrall), and sound effects-generating Larvell Jones (Michael Winslow), who all have to show initiative and courage when they are faced with tough situations out on patrol.

The law enforcement villains are Police Chief Henry Hurst (George R. Robinson) and Lieutenant Thaddeus Harris (G.W. Bailey), who scheme to make the training unbearable so the recruits will quit.

In predictable form, the good-looking Mahoney and Karen fall in love while the incompetent rookies manage to save the day and bust some thugs. They receive recognition for bravery and graduate from the academy.

Beneath the surface is the racial diversity of three prominent black characters who became popular staples of the franchise. There are a few ethnic slurs, but they’re used by villains who receive their comeuppance.

There are several LGBTQ+ situations, one of which involves two of the foils purposely being sent to a gay bar and dancing the night away with masculine leather men.

Later, Commandant Eric Lessard thinks Mahoney has provided him with fellatio (it’s a female prostitute), and thinks he sees Mahoney making out with a man.

The inclusion is a nice touch for the time, and it’s unclear whether the message is that the foils may be gay, that the situations are meant for laughs, or that being straight is better.

Nude scenes featuring female characters exist, and we do see male characters shirtless, but like many 1980s mainstream R-rated films, the females are nude, and the males are not.

An unfair double standard that has mercifully changed over the years.

A terrific and apt comparison is that the Police Academy (1984-1994) franchise is like the Friday the 13th (1980-2009) franchise. So many sequels follow a similar formula, so the audience knows what to expect and adores the redundancy.

I’ve seen both series numerous times and never get tired of them.

Police Academy (1984) is not high art, nor is it meant to be analyzed. For its pleasing entertainment and a chance to root for the underdog, the film is satisfying, provides a chuckle or two, and I won’t feel guilty about my enjoyment.