Gremlins... does NOT live up!

 

The best thing to do with broken animatronics

We're counting the 1984 horror-comedy Gremlins as a Christmas classic - the characters battle the Gremlins using Christmas lights, gingerbread cookies, Christmas trees, and holiday sale items... and ultimately Gizmo arrived in this small town as Billy's Christmas present. After this viewing, Jess still likes it, but Grinchy Amanda said that it does not live up.

We do agree that the best scene in Gremlins is the first battle scene involving Billy's mother, Lynn Peltzer (played by ultimate 80s mom, Frances Lee McCain). She starts the film as a smiling, put-upon, long-suffering housewife who spends most of her screentime in the kitchen. She coddles her useless husband. She makes cookies. We have low expectations for her capacity for violence.

And yet! When Lynn Peltzer hears a strange noise upstairs, she grabs the biggest damn knife in that kitchen and goes head first towards the danger. She turns vicious! She grinds a Gremlin up in the blender. She throws a Gremlin into the fire. She blows up a Gremlin in the microwave. 

To quote the late, great Dikembe Mutombo, "Not in my house!"

This battle reminds us of the final scene in The Lost Boys... but Lynn Peltzer single-handedly causes all the carnage here. She fights up and down and all over the house. The blood and guts and goo spatter everywhere!

Our kudos to Lynn Peltzer - the best part of the movie!

For all of our thoughts on Gremlins, listen to the Live Up podcast below, on YouTube, or on your favorite streaming platform.