It’s a big day for movie nerds, as both Ghostbusters and Gremlins opened 40 years on this date. I know, right? That would have been the most awesome double-feature ever (“Gremlinbusters”?). While Ghostbusters was obviously the bigger hit, becoming the top-grossing blockbuster of 1984, Gremlins was also huge, making $148 million at a time when that was a lot of money (remember, it’s a big deal when Mr. Peltzer is willing to spend more than $100 to buy Gizmo).
This is especially notable since Gremlins wasn’t expected to be nearly as successful as it ended up being, with it garnering controversy due to its comedic violence while still being targeted at kids. This along with the release of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom famously lead to the creation of the PG-13 rating. For my money, Gremlins isn’t nearly as sadistic as its reputation might suggest (only four people actually die in the movie), and ultimately I think it’s a very warm summer/Christmas outing, with a lot of genuine affection for its characters. But hey, I have no idea why parents were surprised when they took their kids to the theater expecting another E.T. for the family. No idea at all.
Unless, I dunno, they had seen this Hardee’s commercial, in which case, yeah, they were justified in being shocked…
First off, yes, there was a time when you could get records (or, as the cool folk call them these days, “vinyl”) at fast food chains. Second, did you hear that jingle? That sounds like it came straight out of an OshKosh B’gosh ad! What about this suggests “Gremlins exploding in microwave” to you? I mean, yeah, the warning flags are kind of there when you actually look at the books being promoted here, since they do kind of show “all of Gizmo’s friends” smoking…
These were all originally promoted as Hardee’s exclusives, however they apparently eventually appeared on book and toy store shelves. I guess not that many people were willing to subject their stomachs to charbroiled Gremlin meat at Hardee’s for them to have sold out.
Have a great day, y’all!