25 Greatest Warner Bros Movies Ever
20. Gremlins
Whether you think it's a Christmas film or not (it absolutely is), Gremlins is a curious blend of family-friendly critter entertainment mashed with pitch black, almost sadistic comedy. It is these adult flourishes - the infamous Santa story, the murder attempts, the torture of Gizmo - that actually add another depth to the film's enjoyment factor, particularly compared to its lighter, funnier sequel.
To think that it was originally a PG is just baffling (it was actually one of the film's that made the MPAA come up with the PG-13 rating).
Gremlins has that ineffable Amblin charm (it was a co-production with Spielberg's company), with Joe Dante's masterful eye for a monster flick and a deeply nostalgic edge thanks to a self-conscious thread of parody of established story tropes. it's also one of those beautiful dark Christmas films that adds poignancy to the positive festive message by putting you through an ordeal first.
Leonard Maltin may have famous criticised it for being a weird blend of It's a Wonderful Life and The Blob, but who wouldn't be utterly spell-bound by such a cocktail?!