Gremlins and the many imitations

Gremlins. I think it's a beautifully made film. It's original, well made, funny, and just great (In my opinion). Although I love Gremlins and Gremlins 2, the real treat for me is seeing the cheap and often nasty knock offs!

Gremlins: www.youtube.com...

I was wondering if anyone has had the same thought as me about all the rip offs, cause Gremlins was such a technically accurate film, something that lower budget B-movies can't realistically recreate.

Critters: www.youtube.com...

I would imagine that it's done for the money, and they fact that there are people like me who will watch them purely for the link with Gremlins.

Ghoulies: www.youtube.com...

For me the best one has to be Critters, because it's the closest to technical accuracy out of the many copies. Next for me is Ghoulies. I love Ghoulies because it's soooo 'bad' that it's just fantastic. Following Ghoulies is Troll, and then finally Spookies, Munchies, and Hobgoblins.

Troll: www.youtube.com...

Personally I think that Critters is the better series of films, as all four of them seem to maintain a certain standard, whereas the Ghoulies films get worse with time (well, they all do, but Ghoulies gets exceptionally bad). Troll 2 is good, but Michael Moriarty is sadly missing... For celebration I would like to trailerize the thread! If I can.

Hobgoblins: www.youtube.com...

Munchies: www.youtube.com...

I know that Gremlins didn't exactly make anything up (from nothing), as little creatures have been apparent human life for many, MANY years, but it did spark everything off (Unless someone can prove me wrong and show me something I haven't seen? Please!). I hope all of these links work, and I also hope that there is nothing in their content that may offend anyone in any way.

If anyone knows of any other films of this kind that I have not mentioned, please, do not hesitate to let me know! And I'm sure most users of this fantastically diverse site have better things to do with their time, but this is Art student fodder, and I've been feasting on these films for some time, so forgive me for the nerdiness

Thanks for reading

Rama D. Filofax on little monster films

I used to love gremlins, but I have had to endure it so many times that I actually don't want to see it again!

Now the critters well I don't think i've seen them all, but yeah, really good movies

I loved Critters... The two bounty hunters were great...(shapeshifters....one used a centerfold to go by, and had to pop the staple out of her stomach....priceless...)

Think porcupine balls with lots of teeth, and shooting poisoned quills...Yikes!!!

reply to post by Gazrok


Ah yes, the late Roxanne Kernohan; that was Critters 2. I had to wait ten years to see that (after I'd seen 1,3 & 4). I loved the baby Crites, especially when they got the Sheriff (was it the Sheriff? Or the deputy? it was the Sheriff I think) who was dressed up as the easter bunny Also you got the massive Critter ball in the climax, brilliant film! Alhough I do think it is nowhere near as good as the first, it's a million times better than 3 & 4, although I still love them.

Rama D. Filofax on Critters 2

reply to post by valiant


Yes, I've seen Gremlins many times over the years, and I know how you feel. You can ALWAYS have too much of a good thing and that's a fact! Hehehe, but I have to tell you i can still sit there glued to Gremlins. The shot I love in Gremlins is the bit where stripe comes out of the shadows in the street, quickly followed by hundreds more. Gizmo has to be IT for me, my favourite cinematic creation of all time!

Critters (the first one) is the closest to Gremllins in terms of believable effects. The puppets have real character and life, just like Gremlins, but yet there's a lingering sense of cheapness that's quite uplifting for me as a viewer; although, thinking about it, I have no idea of the budget they were given for Critters.

Rama D. Filofax on the magic of these cinematic creations

TROLL 2

When I created this thread, I had only just seen Troll 2, and after I'd seen it I thought it was good, but nowhere near as good as the first. I would like to change my opinion now, as I started watching it again and I realised that it really is quite terrible. Has anyone else seen it?

If so, do you think, like myself, that those that made it just weren't bothered at all? I mean, the first one is very cheap, but you know that those who made it were into it because it is quite a good film. Troll 2 is more like a film made by a couple of kids with some halloween masks.

What I reckon what they did, taking on board the fact that it's nothing like that which preceeded it, was called it 'Troll 2' so that 1. those that liked the first film would be interested in buying and seeing it, & 2. They could bring it out on DVD with the first one, preventing it from being forgotten with time.

I think that watching it through again, without being impared mentally by alcohol, was a let down. :shk:

Rama D. Filofax on suffering with a pretty poor film...

The first Troll movie marks the first appearance of a young boy aspiring to be magical, named "Harry Potter", lol.... Seriously, that's the character's name...and way before JKR...

Sure, it's 80's and campy, but still entertaining....and it has Ann Lockhart...(who is a very nice lady in person, I should add...just a genuinely nice person). Most remember her as Sheba from the original Battlestar Galactica....

[edit on 12-1-2010 by Gazrok]

reply to post by Rama.D Filofax

Gremlins. I think it's a beautifully made film.

Joe Dante is an amazing director.

Hobgoblins is awesome, especially when given to the Mystery Science Theater 3000 gang.

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