Gremlins: Don't Read This After Midnight

Gremlins is a 1984 American comedy horror film directed by Joe Dante and released by Warner Bros.

The film is about a young man who receives a strange creature called a mogwai as a pet

which then spawns other creatures who transform into small, destructive, evil monsters

This story was continued with a sequel, Gremlins 2: The New Batch, released in 1990

Unlike the lighter sequel, Gremlins opts for more black comedy, balanced against a Christmastime setting

Minature green monsters tear through the small town of Kingston Falls

Don't expose him to bright light. Don't ever get him wet. And don't ever, ever feed him after midnight

This sage advice is ignored midway through Gremlins, with devastating results. This comic Joe Dante effort is set in a Norman Rockwell-esque small town at Christmastime.

Seeking a unique gift for his son an erstwhile inventor (Hoyt Axton)

purchases a cute, fuzzy little "Mogwai" from a Chinatown shopkeeper's (Keye Luke) grandson (John Louie), who dispenses the above-mentioned warning before closing the deal.

Meanwhile, young bank clerk Billy Peltzer (Zach Galligan)

must suffer such antagonists as rich-bitch Mrs. Deagle (Polly Holliday) and priggish Gerald (Judge Reinhold) while pursuing his romance with Kate (Phoebe Cates).

These and a variety of other plot strands are tied together when the lovable mogwai (named Gizmo) is exposed to bright light and gotten wet

In short order, the town is invaded by nasty, predatory Gremlins, who lay waste to everything in sight as Billy and Kate try to contain the destruction.

So, when your washing machine blows up or your TV goes on the fritz

before you call the repair man, turn on all the lights and look under all the beds

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