Gremlins
Directed by Joe Dante. Performances by Zach Galligan, Hoyt Axton, Frances Lee McCain, Phoebe Cates, Polly Holliday. Warner Bros., 1984. 106 min. Rated R. Dark Comedy / Holiday / Fantasy / Horror.
With its Christmas lights and dusting of snow, Kingston Falls is an idyllic small town--until the gremlins take over. A father returns from Chinatown with an unusual pet, a Mogwai--a gift for his son. The rules are simple: Keep your Mogwai away from water, bright lights and, most importantly, never--never--feed him after midnight. But the rules are inadvertently broken, and the consequences multiply at an alarming rate.