Editing Gremlins (section)

== Reception ==
=== Box office ===
[[File:Joe Dante 66ème Festival de Venise (Mostra) 2.jpg|upright|thumb|Director [[Joe Dante]] acknowledged some parents were upset after taking their children to see ''Gremlins'' in theaters.]]
Financially, ''Gremlins'' was a success. Produced on an $11 million budget, it was more expensive than Spielberg had originally intended but still relatively cheap for its time.<ref name="DVD" /> The [[Trailer (film)|trailer]] introduced the film to audiences by briefly explaining that Billy receives a strange creature as a Christmas present, by going over the three rules, and then coming out with the fact that the creatures transform into terrible monsters.<ref>{{Citation |title=Gremlins (1984) Official Trailer #1 - Horror Comedy |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBEVwaJEgaA |access-date=2023-12-25 |language=en}}</ref> This trailer showed little of either the ''mogwai'' or the gremlins.<ref>{{cite AV media |date=2002 |title=Steven Spielberg presents ''Gremlins'' Special edition: Theatrical Trailers |medium=DVD |publisher=Warner Home Video}}</ref> In contrast to this, other advertisements concentrated on Gizmo, overlooked the gremlins, and made the film look similar to Spielberg's earlier family film ''[[E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial]]'' (1982).<ref name="PG-13">{{Cite news |last=Breznican |first=Anthony |date=March 31, 2011 |title=PG-13 remade Hollywood ratings system |work=[[Seattle Post-Intelligencer]] |url=https://www.seattlepi.com/ae/movies/article/PG-13-remade-Hollywood-ratings-system-1152332.php |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201128223908/https://www.seattlepi.com/ae/movies/article/PG-13-remade-Hollywood-ratings-system-1152332.php |archive-date=November 28, 2020}}</ref>

''Gremlins'' was released into North American theaters on June 8, 1984, the same day as Ivan Reitman's ''[[Ghostbusters]]''. ''Gremlins'' ranked second, with $12.5 million in its first weekend, $1.1 million less than ''Ghostbusters''. By the end of its American screenings on November 29, it had grossed $148,168,459 domestically. This made it the fourth highest-grossing film of the year, behind ''[[Beverly Hills Cop]]'', ''[[Ghostbusters]]'', and ''[[Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom]]''.<ref name="box office">{{cite web | title=Gremlins | url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl3126298113/weekend/ | work=[[Box Office Mojo]] | access-date=April 30, 2006 | archive-date=December 13, 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181213083855/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=gremlins.htm | url-status=live }}</ref> In August 1984, it opened in Argentina and Spain, and in October it premiered in [[West Germany]]. Screenings began in Mexico, Australia, and much of the rest of Europe in December.<ref>"[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087363/releaseinfo Release dates for Gremlins] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170317015755/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087363/releaseinfo |date=March 17, 2017 }}" [[IMDb]].com, URL accessed May 11, 2006.</ref>{{Better source needed|reason=IMDb is insufficiently reliable ([[WP:NOTRS]]).|date=May 2023}} Since ''Gremlins'' had an international audience, different versions of the film were made to overcome cultural barriers. Mandel learned to speak his few intelligible lines, such as "Bright light!", in various languages, including German. Regional music and humor were also incorporated into foreign-language versions. Dante credited this work as being one of the factors which helped to make ''Gremlins'' a worldwide success.<ref name="DVD" /> However, many critics questioned the summer release date of the film in America, as the film takes place during the Christmas holiday season, causing them to comment that it should have had a Christmas release date instead.{{Citation needed|reason=you should cite a critic that made this comment|date=January 2022}}

In addition to this, there were also complaints from audiences about the violence depicted in the film. These complaints were particularly present in people who had brought their children to see the film, many of whom walked out of the theater before the film had ended.{{Citation needed|reason=where is any evidence anyone walked out of the film let alone that many did|date=January 2022}} Dante admitted to reporters later that "the idea of taking a 4-year-old to see ''Gremlins'', thinking it's going to be a cuddly, funny animal movie and then seeing that it turns into a horror picture, I think people were upset... They felt like they had been sold something family friendly and it wasn't entirely family friendly".<ref name="PG-13" />

The film became available to audiences again when it was brought back to theaters on August 30, 1985. This additional release brought its gross up to $153,083,102, making it [[Warner Bros.]]’ most successful film at the time, a record that stood until ''[[Batman (1989 film)|Batman]]'' surpassed it in 1989.<ref name="box office" />

By February 1985, the film had grossed $59.6 million internationally, including $17 million in Japan.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Daily Variety]]|title='Gremlins' Hits In Int'l Marts|page=43|date=February 15, 1985}}</ref> It grossed a further $0.2 million in 2019,<ref name="box office" /> taking its worldwide gross to over $212.9 million.

=== Critical response ===
[[Roger Ebert]] approved of the film, awarding it three out of four and declaring it to not only be "fun", but also a "sly series of send-ups", effectively [[parody]]ing many elemental film storylines. In his opinion, ''Gremlins'' did this partly through depictions of mysterious worlds (the shop in Chinatown) and tyrannical elderly women (Mrs. Deagle). Ebert also believed the rule in which a ''mogwai'' cannot eat after midnight was inspired by [[fairy tale]]s, and that the final scenes parody classic horror films. He connected Kate's speech about her father with "the great tradition of 1950s sick jokes".<ref name="Ebert">{{cite web |last=Ebert |first=Roger |date=June 8, 1984 |url=https://rogerebert.com/reviews/gremlins-1984 |title=Gremlins |work=Rogerebert.com |access-date=November 15, 2019 |archive-date=November 19, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191119191054/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/gremlins-1984 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Gene Siskel]] gave the film three-and-a-half out of four, describing it as "a wickedly funny and slightly sick ride", and "a most original work. We're aware at every moment that someone is trying to entertain us. Playfulness abounds."<ref>[[Gene Siskel|Siskel, Gene]] (June 8, 1984). "'Gremlins' rots the brain — delightfully". ''[[Chicago Tribune]]''. Section 5, p. 1, 2.</ref> [[Vincent Canby]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' was mixed, writing that the film "is far more interested in showing off its knowledge of movie lore and making random jokes than in providing consistent entertainment. Unfortunately, it's funniest when being most nasty."<ref>{{cite journal |last=Canby |first=Vincent |author-link=Vincent Canby |date=June 8, 1984 |title=Screen: 'Gremlins', Kiddie Gore |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/06/08/movies/screen-gremlins-kiddie-gore.html |journal=[[The New York Times]] |page=C10 |access-date=May 28, 2023}}</ref> ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' declared, "Make room for adorable 'Gremlins' dolls on the shelves and start counting the take for another calculated audience pleaser from the Steven Spielberg-Frank Marshall-Kathleen Kennedy team. But that's all that's here in this showy display of technical talent, otherwise nearly heedless of dramatic concerns."<ref>{{cite journal |date=May 23, 1984 |title=Gremlins |journal=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |page=12 }}</ref> [[Leonard Maltin]] disapproved of the film, and his view was made clear in remarks he made on the television show ''[[Entertainment Tonight]]''. He called the film "icky" and "gross".<ref name="Grant">{{cite journal |last=Grant |first=Edmond |date=October 1990 |title=''Gremlins 2'' |journal=Films in Review |volume=41 |issue=10 |pages=485–487}}</ref> He later wrote that despite being set in a "picture-[[postcard]] town" and blending the feel of ''[[It's a Wonderful Life]]'' (a clip of which appears in ''Gremlins'') with that of ''[[The Blob]]'', the film is "negated by too-vivid violence and mayhem"; giving the film two out of four.{{sfn|Maltin|2001|p=557}} Maltin later made a cameo appearance in ''Gremlins 2'', repeating his criticisms of the original on film, as an [[in-joke]], before being throttled by the creatures; he later gave the second film a more positive rating, three out of four.

While some critics criticized the film's depictions of violence and greed—such as death scenes, Kate's speech, and the gremlins' gluttony—for lacking comic value, scholar Charlotte Miller instead interpreted these as a [[satire]] of "some characteristics of [[Western culture|Western civilization]]", suggesting that Westerners may take too much satisfaction from violence. ''Gremlins'' can also be interpreted as a statement against technology, in that some characters, such as Billy's father, are overly dependent on it. In contrast, Mr. Wing is shown to have a strong distaste for television.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Miller |first=Charlotte |date=April 1985 |title=Using ''Gremlins'' to Teach Theme |journal=The English Journal |volume=74 |number=4 |page=69|doi=10.2307/817310 |jstor=817310 }}</ref> [[Kirkpatrick Sale]] also interpreted ''Gremlins'' as an anti-technology film in his book ''Rebels Against the Future''.{{sfn|Sale|p=240}}  Another scholar suggested that the film is meant to express a number of observations of society by having the gremlin characters shift in what they are meant to represent. At different times, they are depicted as [[teenager]]s, the wealthy establishment, and fans of [[The Walt Disney Company|Disney]] films.<ref name="Rosenbaum">{{cite journal |last=Rosenbaum |first=Jonathan |date=Autumn 1988 |title=Who Framed Roger Rabbit |journal=[[Film Quarterly]] |volume=42 |number=1 |page=37 |doi=10.2307/1212435 |jstor=1212435 |url=https://online.ucpress.edu/fq/article/42/1/33/39794/Review-Who-Framed-Roger-Rabbit-by-Robert-Zemeckis|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

Another scholar drew a connection between the microwave scene and urban legends about pets dying in microwave ovens. He described the portrayal of this urban legend in the film as successful, but that meant it seemed terrible.<ref name="Doyle">{{cite journal |last=Doyle |first=Charles Clay |date=January 1988 |title=The Avenging Voice from the Depths |journal=Western Folklore |volume=47 |number=1 |pages=21–37 |doi=10.2307/1500053 |jstor=1500053 }}</ref> This is indeed a scene that is thought of as being one of the film's most violent depictions; with even Roger Ebert expressing some fear in his review that the film might encourage children to try similar things with their pets.<ref name="Ebert" /> Catherine Lester casts doubt on whether any children actually did attempt this as a result of seeing the film. Situating ''Gremlins'' in the children's horror genre, she argues that child viewers are invited to identify with the gremlins themselves, whose rebellious behaviour may function as a source of subversive pleasure.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lester |first=Catherine |title=Horror films for children: fear and pleasure in American cinema |date=2021 |publisher=Bloomsbury Academic |isbn=978-1-350-13526-0 |edition= |location=London |pages=51, 53}}</ref>

John Nubbin reviewed ''Gremlins'' for ''[[Different Worlds]]'' magazine and stated that "All in all, it is just another exploitation film. Trading on Spielberg's name and reputation, it is merely a money-maker - just another summer film which in the end has nothing to keep it in our memories past Thanksgiving."<ref name="dw36">{{cite journal | last = Nubbin |first = John | title = Film Reviews | journal = [[Different Worlds]] | issue = 36 | pages =44 |date=September-October 1984}}</ref>

[[Colin Greenland]] reviewed ''Gremlins'' for ''[[Imagine (game magazine)|Imagine]]'' magazine, and stated that "Two or three good jokes, three or four neat scenes, lots of detail, but overall, a manic melee of pyrotechnics that made random grabs for my sympathy and failed to hold my attention, A bit more coherent thought, and who knows, it might have been something good."<ref name="Imagine24">{{cite journal | last = Greenland|first = Colin |author-link=Colin Greenland| title =Fantasy Media  | type = review | journal = [[Imagine (AD&D magazine)|Imagine]] | issue = 24| pages =47 | publisher = TSR Hobbies (UK), Ltd. |date=March 1985| issn = }}</ref>

''Gremlins'' has been criticized for more than its depictions of violence. One [[BBC]] critic wrote in 2000 that "The plot is thin and the pacing is askew". However, that critic also complimented the dark humour contrasted against the ideal Christmas setting.<ref>{{cite web |last=Haflidason |first=Almar |date=2000 |title=Gremlins (1984) |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2000/12/15/gremlins_1984_review.shtml |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060617183903/http://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2000/12/15/gremlins_1984_review.shtml |archive-date=June 17, 2006 |access-date=April 29, 2006 |work=[[BBC]]}}</ref> In 2002, another critic wrote that in hindsight, ''Gremlins'' has "corny special effects" and that the film will tend to appeal to children more so than to adults; he also said the acting was dull.<ref>{{Cite web |last=French |first=Blake |date=2002 |title=Gremlins |url=http://www.filmcritic.com/misc/emporium.nsf/ddb5490109a79f598625623d0015f1e4/763408a278500cd788256c2b00838caf?OpenDocument |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060523182636/http://www.filmcritic.com/misc/emporium.nsf/ddb5490109a79f598625623d0015f1e4/763408a278500cd788256c2b00838caf?OpenDocument |archive-date=May 23, 2006 |access-date=May 3, 2006 |website=filmcritic.com}}</ref>

Despite the initial mixed criticism, ''Gremlins'' has continued to receive praise over the years and is considered by many critics to be one of the best films of 1984.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Greatest Films of 1984 |url=https://www.filmsite.org/1984.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100926221858/http://www.filmsite.org/1984.html |archive-date=September 26, 2010 |access-date=May 21, 2010 |website=[[AMC (TV channel)|AMC Filmsite.org]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The 10 Best Movies of 1984 |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/movies/features/story/10-best-movies-of-1984/15492765/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081204103324/http://www.film.com/features/story/10-best-movies-of-1984/15492765 |archive-date=December 4, 2008 |access-date=May 21, 2010 |website=[[RealNetworks|Film.com]]}}</ref>

On [[review aggregator]] [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film holds an approval rating of 86% based on 81 reviews, with an average rating of 7.5/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Whether you choose to see it as a statement on consumer culture or simply a special effects-heavy popcorn flick, ''Gremlins'' is a minor classic."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/gremlins|title=''Gremlins'' (1984)|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|publisher=[[Fandango Media|Fandango]]|access-date=7 June 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210223143643/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/gremlins|archive-date=February 23, 2021|url-status=live}}{{RT data|edit}}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], the film received a score of 70 based on 13 reviews.<ref>{{cite web | url= https://www.metacritic.com/movie/gremlins |title= ''Gremlins'' (1984) |website= [[Metacritic]]| access-date= 30 July 2022 }}</ref>

=== Accolades ===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
|-
! scope="col"| Award
! scope="col"| Date of ceremony
! scope="col"| Category
! scope="col"| Recipient(s)
! scope="col"| Result
! scope="col" class="unsortable"| {{Abbr|Ref(s)|Reference(s)}}
|-
!scope="row" | [[Goldene Leinwand]]
| rowspan="1" | March 27, 1985
| Goldene Leinwand
| [[Joe Dante]]
| {{won}}
| rowspan="1" | <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.goldene-leinwand.de/filme/gremlins-kleine-monster/ |title=Gremlins – Kleine Monster |work=[[Goldene Leinwand]] |access-date=June 26, 2017 |archive-date=June 27, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170627000136/https://www.goldene-leinwand.de/filme/gremlins-kleine-monster/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
!scope="row" rowspan=9| [[Saturn Award]]s
| rowspan="9" | [[12th Saturn Awards|June 9, 1985]]
| [[Saturn Award for Best Horror Film|Best Horror Film]]
!
| {{won}}
| rowspan="9" | <ref>{{cite news |date=February 22, 1985 |title='Gremlins' leads Saturn Award nominations |newspaper=[[Reno Gazette-Journal]] }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.saturnawards.org/past.html |title=Past Saturn Awards |publisher=[[Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films]] |access-date=8 June 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070601200624/http://www.saturnawards.org/past.html |archive-date=1 June 2007}}</ref>
|-
| [[Saturn Award for Best Director|Best Director]]
| Joe Dante
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]]
| [[Dick Miller]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress|Best Supporting Actress]]
| [[Polly Holliday]]
| {{won}}
|-
| Best Younger Actor
| [[Corey Feldman]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Saturn Award for Best Writing|Best Writing]]
| [[Chris Columbus (filmmaker)|Chris Columbus]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Saturn Award for Best Music|Best Music]]
| [[Jerry Goldsmith]]
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Saturn Award for Best Special Effects|Best Special Effects]]
| [[Chris Walas]]
| {{won}}
|-
| Best Make-Up
| Greg LaCava
| {{nom}}
|-
!scope="row" rowspan=2| [[Young Artist Awards]]
| rowspan="2" | [[6th Young Artist Awards|December 2, 1984]]
| Best Family Motion Picture – Adventure
!
| {{won}}
| rowspan="2" | <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youngartistawards.org/pastnoms6.htm |title=Sixth Annual Youth in Film Awards 1983–1984 |work=[[Young Artist Awards]] |access-date=May 6, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160506135203/http://www.youngartistawards.org/pastnoms6.htm |archive-date=6 May 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|-
| Best Young Supporting Actor
| Corey Feldman
| {{nom}}
|-
|}

=== Home media ===
[[Warner Home Video]] released ''Gremlins'' on [[VHS]], [[CED Videodisc]], and [[Betamax]] on November 25, 1985.<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Daily Variety]] |title='Gremlins' Makes 4th Qtr. Three-Way Homevid Race|last=Birnbaum|first=Tom|page=1|date=September 16, 1985}}</ref> The film was released on [[DVD]] in 1997 in a bare bones presentation. It included both full screen and widescreen versions and the film's trailer. It was repackaged in August, 1999 with the same disc, but a different cover. On August 20, 2002, a "[[special edition]]" DVD was released, which featured [[Audio commentary|cast and filmmakers' commentary]] and [[deleted scene]]s. A 25th anniversary [[Blu-ray Disc|Blu-ray]] edition was released on December 1, 2009. The film was again released on home video in 4K Ultra HD on October 1, 2019.

The film grossed $15.2 million in home sales on DVD and Blu-Ray.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gremlins (1984) - Financial Information |url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Gremlins |access-date=2023-12-23 |website=The Numbers}}</ref>