51 Reasons Why Gremlins Just Might Be The Greatest Film Of All Time...

6. The overall Intertextuality of the thing: ingeniously, Gremlins, and particularly its sequel The New Batch, knew that they were movies. This may sound like the most profoundly inane thing I or any other so-called critic has ever said, but one of the cleverest things a text (and a film is definitely a text) can be is self-aware of its own intertextuality; I mean, come on, Kristeva came up with the profoundly important theory of poststructuralism and the text based around the concept. So, basically, all of the cameos, and film references throughout the two films, as well as less visible mechanisms of intertextuality- Robert Ebert called it a "sly series of send-ups" seeking to parody many elemental film story-lines- point towards a film that is wonderfully aware of its own status within a canon of influential movie texts. And the cherry on that particular cake- the moment that confirms it all for me- is in the second film, where the Gremlins break through a wall and attack the projectionist of the film theyre actually starring in (the cherry on top of that cherry is of course the appearance of Hulk Hogan like an angry long-car-journey-Dad threatening to open a can of whup-ass if the Gremlins dont behave). 5. It pissed off the censors so much that they felt compelled to create a new classification. It is generally held that alongside Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom, Gremlins forced the MPAA to create the PG-13 rating, because of all the naughty violence and jiggery-pokery. And if you think about it, the PG-13 rating was the dip-stick check for the Summer Blockbuster for a while: any film hitting that particular market could now aim more specifically for the slightly older family dollars,and the Summer Family Season was inundated with newly classified films, and cinema going audience make-ups were changed for ever in the wake. 4. Iconic Moments: The best of the lot? Some might say the Rambo parody in The New Batch, but I have to say my personal faourite is the genious, and hilarious Texas Chainsaw Massacre reference that sees the joyful marriage of a Gremlin with a high-powered chainsaw. 3. The sequel really didnt suck. Although admittedly, the film-makers did fall for the age old temptation of giving the original film's best characters more screen time, despite their success being dependant on relatively fleeting appearances in the first one. And don't get me started on what happened to Gizmo between the end of Gremlins and the kick-off of Gremlins 2; he looks less Jim Henson and more Jimmy Saville. But all in all, it's a genius piece of film-making; especially the final pay-off scene where the Three Simple Rules come back into focus in one terrible, fantastic orchestra of green slime. 2.

Kate: What're they doing? Billy Peltzer: They're watching Snow White. And they love it.

1. And finally... Judge Reinhold is in it. Forget everything I have said so far if you want: all you need to know about the intense awesomeness of this film is the inclusion of the slightly lanky, uncool, awkward-looking movie deity that is Mr Reinhold. Case closed.