Gremlins is a darkly comic American horror movie directed by Joe Dante and
released in 1984 by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is about a young man who receives
a strange creature named Gizmo as a pet, which then spawns other creatures who
transform into small, destructive monsters. This story was continued with a
sequel, Gremlins 2: The New Batch, released in 1990. Unlike the lighter sequel,
the original Gremlins opts for more black comedy, which is balanced against a
Christmas-time setting. Both films were the center of large merchandising
campaigns.
Steven Spielberg was the film's executive producer, with the
screenplay written by Chris Columbus. The film stars Zach Galligan and Phoebe
Cates, with Howie Mandel providing the voice of Gizmo. The actors had to work
alongside numerous puppets, as puppetry was the main form of special effects
used to portray Gizmo and the gremlins.