Gremlins

Question: What exactly is meant by never feed them "after midnight". Every moment of time that does not happen right at midnight may be construed as happening after midnight...even 11:59PM which occurs 23 hours 59 minutes and 59 seconds AFTER the preceding midnight. I would assume that the afternoon hours are considered before midnight, but does anyone know the exact extent of "after midnight"?

Michael Westpy

Chosen answer: The precise cut-off point is never stated - I've generally assumed that the embargo on feeding finishes once the sun comes up.

Tailkinker

Question: I have the original VHS version and I've noticed that some cuss words have dubbed over on the DVD. Yet The original VHS is still rated PG any reason why, other than the fact to make it more of a family film.

Answer: The original film was released before the PG-13 rating existed (it was one of the films responsible for its creation). Producers decided to remove some of the language and violence for the DVD release to avoid complaints about the PG rating.

Question: Why does the video cover say "We're back"? It's the first film.

Answer: When the movie was originally released, the art work simply said "We're Here." After it's initially theatrical run, they waited a while and then re-released it and changed the "We're Here" to "We're Back"

ctown28

Answer: I have the VHS from the 80's. 100% it says we're back.

Answer: I just looked at the cover on cdcovers.cc and it actually says "We're Here", not "We're Back". On Gremlins 2 - The New Batch it says "Here they grow again".

Vernon Gilmore

Question: If Gizmo is not allowed to come in contact with water, then how is he so clean? Since they can't wash him, wouldn't he be smelly and covered in grime?

Gavin Jackson

Chosen answer: In the original script it was mentioned that mogwais could not reproduce if the water was below 25° (which is why the snow doesn't cause them to multiply). So it's feasible they could be washed with ice water. In addition, there are other methods of cleaning that don't require water (e.g. dry cleaning).

Bishop73

Answer: There's a possibility that Mr. Wing, Gizmo's first caretaker, used dry shampoo to keep him clean.

Answer: Google "dust bath" it's something a number of small animals do to keep clean in the absence of water (pet animals too, like chinchillas).

dizzyd

Question: According to imdb.com Jerry Goldsmith composed the music for the film. But I ran across a copy of the soundtrack which names Danny Elfman as the composer. I have also seen him credited for the music in both "Gremlins" films on several occasions, both on TV and online. Why is Elfman getting credit if Goldsmith composed the music?

Answer: It's hard to get a definite answer to this, as I've found conflicting answers online. However, by 1984 Danny Elfman hadn't done much composing, with his musical work largely restricted to songs as part of his band. As such I'd think it was unlikely he composed the Gremlins score. No music from the Gremlins films are on either of his compilation CDs either. The closest thing to a reason I can find for the mis-crediting is that on the Gremlins 2 DVD one of the deleted scenes apparently has some music from "Beetljuice" (which Elfman scored) used over it, which may have led to the confusion.

Jon Sandys

Goldsmith also had a cameo in the film (as did Steven Spielberg) as the man at the phone, while Spielberg rolls around on some sort of bicycle-type vehicle.

Scott215

Answer: I purchased the Gremlins theme on my iPhone, listed under Danny Elfman, and it's the original theme. I'm guessing Danny bought the rights.

Any Gremlin theme song you bought with Elfman's name attached was mislabeled. He didn't buy the rights to any of the songs Goldsmith created.

Bishop73

Question: Is the building used as the outside of the school in the film, the same one they used for the courthouse in Back to the Future 2? If so, how did they remove the lake? (the one Marty falls into during his escape from Griff's gang).

Answer: According to IMDB, the town sets for Gremlins and BTTF were both shot on the same set. But since Gremlins came out well before Future 2, they would have actually added the pond.

Question: Looking at the Gremlin-filled theater, there seems to be a definite line between the last row of white seats and first row if red seats in the middle, as if two scenes were super imposed. Is this a filming error?

Movie Nut

Chosen answer: There is a walkway in between those seats, hence why they are separated like that.

lionhead

Question: I have 2 questions. When Billy takes the mogwai to his science teacher to demonstrate how they multiply, is it Gizmo that he drips the water on? Or is it one of the first five? Also what happens to him when he changes into a gremlin? Is it safe to assume that he ended up joining with the others? I don't recall the movie ever explaining what happened to him when he escaped through the air vent.

Enchantress

Chosen answer: It is one of the first five. You can easily tell after he drops the water on it, the 2 gremlins are on either side of the box communicating with each other. They show them both and neither is Gizmo. As for what happened after it escaped in the air vent, it never shows so we assume it joined the others.

lartaker1975

Question: This movie is quite violent and carries a PG rating, further is is located in the "Family Section" of my local video store. Can someone explain the conflicting aspects of this?

Answer: The movie is famous for the uproar it created over its violent content, and was one of the films responsible for the creation of the PG-13 rating. As the PG-13 rating didn't exist at the time of Gremlins' release, but its content wasn't serious enough for an R, it was rated PG.

Question: I own a copy of the DVD, and the cover says "We're back". Why does it say this? It's the first film.

Answer: The movie was originally released in theaters in June of 1984. It was released again to theaters in August of 1985 with the "We're Back" ad campaign. When Gremlins was released on video in 1999, they used the more recent "We're Back" artwork.

Myridon

Question: Why does Billy not tell anyone about his teacher's attack?

Answer: Gremlins have hatched and are about to start attacking the town and he's trying to stop them. Reporting a corpse is relatively low-priority in comparison to that.

TedStixon

The gremlins didn't start attacking the town until late at night but Mr. Hanson's murder occurred during the daytime. There would still be plenty of time to call the police and inform them of Hanson's death.

Again, it's low-priority, and there is definitely not "plenty of time." Billy realises that the cocoons have hatched and has to rush home to save his mom, and then Stripe immediately escapes, so he has to follow Stripe and try to stop him... and then Stripe multiplies and Billy realises the town is about to be overrun. Reporting a corpse can wait. Would you stop and take the large amount of time needed to report a dead body when your mother is in mortal danger or the town is about to be overrun?

TedStixon

Gremlins mistake picture

Visible crew/equipment: When a gremlin attacks the Mum from a Christmas tree, and the tree falls on top of her, you can clearly see a member of the crew with eyeglasses, wearing a red shirt, standing behind the tree pushing it forward on top of her. (00:54:30)

More mistakes in Gremlins

Randall Peltzer: Well, that's the story. So if your air conditioner goes on the fritz. Or your washing machine blows up. Or your video recorder conks out; before you call the repairman, turn on all the lights, check all the closets and cupboards, look under all the beds. Cause you never can tell. There just might be a gremlin in your house.

More quotes from Gremlins

Trivia: At the beginning of the film, when Billy is late for work, you see two films playing at the movie theater: "A Boy's Life" and "Watch the Skies." The former was the original title for "E.T." and the latter was the original title for a proposed sequel to "Close Encounters of the Third Kind." Two films directed by executive producer Steven Spielberg. (00:08:30)

More trivia for Gremlins

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