1 00:00:20,760 --> 00:00:23,439 Speaker 1: Welcome, good people of Hollywood Land to a bonus, special 2 00:00:23,440 --> 00:00:27,680 Speaker 1: bonus episode all about the offbeat, oddball, misfit Christmas movies. 3 00:00:27,680 --> 00:00:30,160 Speaker 1: They're very much in our lane here at Double Elvis, 4 00:00:30,720 --> 00:00:34,680 Speaker 1: less love actually, and more gizmo creature feature. Unlike last 5 00:00:34,720 --> 00:00:36,720 Speaker 1: week's episode, in which Jake and I talked about a 6 00:00:36,760 --> 00:00:40,280 Speaker 1: handful of Christmas movies, these grimy and grimy Christmas movies, 7 00:00:40,320 --> 00:00:42,680 Speaker 1: that is, this time, we're going to focus primarily on 8 00:00:42,680 --> 00:00:46,200 Speaker 1: one film, and that film is Gremlins, the original nineteen 9 00:00:46,240 --> 00:00:49,519 Speaker 1: eighty four Joe Dante movie. And here to talk with 10 00:00:49,560 --> 00:00:52,120 Speaker 1: me all about this movie. Make sure you keep them 11 00:00:52,120 --> 00:00:53,840 Speaker 1: out of the light, you keep them away from water, 12 00:00:53,880 --> 00:00:56,760 Speaker 1: and whatever he says, don't feed him after midnight is 13 00:00:56,840 --> 00:00:59,000 Speaker 1: head of production here at Double Elvis. Matt Boat and 14 00:00:59,000 --> 00:00:59,640 Speaker 1: what's happened in. 15 00:00:59,640 --> 00:01:03,280 Speaker 2: Matt Yeah, not much. How's it gone? I like that intro. 16 00:01:05,040 --> 00:01:07,160 Speaker 1: I had originally thought about just talking about a handful 17 00:01:07,200 --> 00:01:09,880 Speaker 1: of like just like weird, strange Christmas movies with you, 18 00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:11,720 Speaker 1: but I like kind of getting into these like deep 19 00:01:11,720 --> 00:01:13,959 Speaker 1: dive conversations with you about one particular thing, and it 20 00:01:14,040 --> 00:01:15,880 Speaker 1: just seemed like I know you and I talked about 21 00:01:15,920 --> 00:01:18,000 Speaker 1: it off Mike, but this seemed like this was the 22 00:01:18,000 --> 00:01:18,560 Speaker 1: one to go with. 23 00:01:19,040 --> 00:01:21,479 Speaker 3: Yeah, Yeah, this is a really fun movie. I thought 24 00:01:21,480 --> 00:01:23,800 Speaker 3: we could have a great conversation about it awesome. 25 00:01:23,920 --> 00:01:25,920 Speaker 1: Before we get into it, I just want to set 26 00:01:25,959 --> 00:01:28,959 Speaker 1: the scene really quick for people who maybe weren't there, 27 00:01:29,120 --> 00:01:31,320 Speaker 1: or just to remind you this movie came out in 28 00:01:31,400 --> 00:01:34,360 Speaker 1: nineteen eighty four. Recently, Matt, I don't know if you've 29 00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:37,080 Speaker 1: heard it, but there was a really interesting episode of 30 00:01:37,160 --> 00:01:40,880 Speaker 1: the Hit Parade podcast, which talks about music history through 31 00:01:40,880 --> 00:01:43,880 Speaker 1: the lens of the charts, and it was all about 32 00:01:43,880 --> 00:01:47,720 Speaker 1: this thesis that nineteen eighty four was the greatest year 33 00:01:47,760 --> 00:01:50,760 Speaker 1: of pop music of all time, and I was thinking 34 00:01:50,800 --> 00:01:53,440 Speaker 1: about that, thinking about nineteen eighty four through the lens 35 00:01:53,480 --> 00:01:57,320 Speaker 1: of movies. These were the top grossing movies of nineteen 36 00:01:57,360 --> 00:02:01,680 Speaker 1: eighty four. Okay, Beverly Hills Cop, Ghostbusters, Indiana, Jones and 37 00:02:01,680 --> 00:02:06,600 Speaker 1: The Temple of Doom, Gremlins, The Karate Kid Police Academy, Footloose, 38 00:02:07,120 --> 00:02:10,359 Speaker 1: Romancing The Stone, Star Trek three, The Search for Spock, 39 00:02:10,880 --> 00:02:15,240 Speaker 1: and Splash Now. Also coming out in that year, Amadeus 40 00:02:15,400 --> 00:02:18,720 Speaker 1: the Terminator, Nightmare on Elm Street. Jim Jarmish had his 41 00:02:18,840 --> 00:02:21,679 Speaker 1: debut Stranger Than Paradise, and the Coen Brothers had their 42 00:02:21,680 --> 00:02:25,240 Speaker 1: debut Blood Simple as well. What's really fascinating to me, 43 00:02:25,320 --> 00:02:29,480 Speaker 1: Matt about this list, especially the top grossing movies. Many 44 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:33,520 Speaker 1: of these became IP. Beverly Hills, Cop, Ghostbusters, they Karate, 45 00:02:33,639 --> 00:02:36,760 Speaker 1: Kid Police, I mean they literally, I think all of them, 46 00:02:36,880 --> 00:02:39,720 Speaker 1: almost all of them became IP. Star Trek three was 47 00:02:39,840 --> 00:02:43,240 Speaker 1: really the only existing IP. You could argue Indiana Jones 48 00:02:43,280 --> 00:02:45,360 Speaker 1: as well, but that was such still such a new franchise. 49 00:02:46,280 --> 00:02:48,399 Speaker 1: I feel like it's this moment in time where we're 50 00:02:48,440 --> 00:02:51,160 Speaker 1: sort of seeing the shift we're about to go into 51 00:02:51,240 --> 00:02:54,680 Speaker 1: where we're no longer getting served all this original conto. 52 00:02:54,760 --> 00:02:59,480 Speaker 1: This so much original ideas, original stories, original characters, still 53 00:02:59,520 --> 00:03:02,920 Speaker 1: in this year, and just thinking about it in this way, 54 00:03:02,960 --> 00:03:04,519 Speaker 1: I think kind of an important framework. 55 00:03:06,080 --> 00:03:07,640 Speaker 3: I made a little list of all the films from 56 00:03:07,720 --> 00:03:10,120 Speaker 3: nineteen eighty four too, and I was just thinking about, Wow, 57 00:03:10,160 --> 00:03:12,279 Speaker 3: you could go to the theater and I mean Ghostbusters 58 00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:15,400 Speaker 3: opened the same day as Gremlins, Oh no way. Yeah, 59 00:03:16,320 --> 00:03:20,360 Speaker 3: just the number of films, huge, huge movies. And again 60 00:03:20,560 --> 00:03:23,040 Speaker 3: with the Terminator, you know that became a huge IP 61 00:03:23,200 --> 00:03:23,519 Speaker 3: as well. 62 00:03:23,560 --> 00:03:26,679 Speaker 2: So yeah, I think you're onto something there. 63 00:03:27,360 --> 00:03:30,120 Speaker 1: And the other thing too, is just it's present in 64 00:03:30,120 --> 00:03:31,560 Speaker 1: so many of these movies as well, and so many 65 00:03:31,560 --> 00:03:34,280 Speaker 1: the movies around this time, just this idea of there 66 00:03:34,360 --> 00:03:38,800 Speaker 1: was so much magic, mystery, creatures, aliens happening at this time, 67 00:03:38,920 --> 00:03:42,480 Speaker 1: like you know, whether it's ET or the Goonies or 68 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:45,960 Speaker 1: I don't know what it was about that kind of obsession. 69 00:03:46,160 --> 00:03:48,640 Speaker 1: I guess that's still something that movies provide us. But 70 00:03:49,240 --> 00:03:51,400 Speaker 1: being alive at that time and going to the movies, 71 00:03:51,520 --> 00:03:53,760 Speaker 1: I feel like, I don't know, I'm gonna sound like 72 00:03:53,800 --> 00:03:55,520 Speaker 1: an old person saying this, but it just seemed much 73 00:03:55,560 --> 00:03:57,600 Speaker 1: more transportive right than it is now. 74 00:03:58,400 --> 00:04:01,000 Speaker 3: Well, I think it's probably fair to set the context too, 75 00:04:01,000 --> 00:04:03,080 Speaker 3: that you know, you and I were seven eight years 76 00:04:03,120 --> 00:04:06,800 Speaker 3: old this time and kind of just becoming aware of movies. 77 00:04:06,840 --> 00:04:10,040 Speaker 3: I can remember really vividly going to see a bunch 78 00:04:10,080 --> 00:04:11,920 Speaker 3: of these movies in the theater, although I never saw 79 00:04:11,960 --> 00:04:13,000 Speaker 3: Gremlins in the theater. 80 00:04:13,200 --> 00:04:14,720 Speaker 2: Interestingly, yeah, I didn't either. 81 00:04:14,720 --> 00:04:16,760 Speaker 1: I don't think I saw. I think I think at 82 00:04:16,760 --> 00:04:20,600 Speaker 1: first I thought it was a scary movie, like a 83 00:04:21,040 --> 00:04:24,240 Speaker 1: true horror film, and then maybe later on when the 84 00:04:24,279 --> 00:04:26,640 Speaker 1: merchandising really hit, I thought it was like some stupid 85 00:04:26,720 --> 00:04:29,640 Speaker 1: kid's cuddly movie, and I never really like I don't know, 86 00:04:29,640 --> 00:04:30,880 Speaker 1: I don't know why. I didn't never really wrap my 87 00:04:30,880 --> 00:04:32,640 Speaker 1: head around it. And there's so many people involved in 88 00:04:32,680 --> 00:04:35,400 Speaker 1: this movie that I like, and I just I mean, 89 00:04:35,440 --> 00:04:36,839 Speaker 1: I didn't know this at the time when I was 90 00:04:36,839 --> 00:04:38,479 Speaker 1: seven or eight or whatever, I think, but I saw 91 00:04:38,520 --> 00:04:40,880 Speaker 1: this much later. Do you remember the first time you 92 00:04:40,920 --> 00:04:41,200 Speaker 1: saw this. 93 00:04:41,480 --> 00:04:43,159 Speaker 3: Yeah, I was an adult when I saw it the 94 00:04:43,160 --> 00:04:45,599 Speaker 3: first time, but I was I was very familiar with 95 00:04:45,680 --> 00:04:49,880 Speaker 3: the story through I had a Mad magazine from that 96 00:04:50,640 --> 00:04:53,440 Speaker 3: It had Alfredy Newman as Gizmo on the cover, and 97 00:04:53,480 --> 00:04:56,400 Speaker 3: it had a great parody of Gremlins, and it pretty 98 00:04:56,440 --> 00:04:58,799 Speaker 3: much followed the movie, you know, pretty beat for beat, 99 00:04:59,040 --> 00:05:02,080 Speaker 3: and of course, you know, just sitting around the playground, 100 00:05:02,160 --> 00:05:05,880 Speaker 3: you'd hear, you know, the lore of the movie, the 101 00:05:06,800 --> 00:05:09,560 Speaker 3: gremlin and the microwave and stuff like that. And yeah, 102 00:05:09,560 --> 00:05:11,000 Speaker 3: I think at the time I was thinking, well, this 103 00:05:11,080 --> 00:05:13,520 Speaker 3: is too scary for me. I didn't see it really 104 00:05:13,560 --> 00:05:14,480 Speaker 3: until I was an adult. 105 00:05:14,839 --> 00:05:18,560 Speaker 1: I forget that we had like Mad magazine and Cracked magazine. 106 00:05:19,279 --> 00:05:21,960 Speaker 1: You're totally right, all these movies that this wasn't one 107 00:05:22,000 --> 00:05:23,719 Speaker 1: of those movies, but like R rating movies that I 108 00:05:23,760 --> 00:05:27,480 Speaker 1: wasn't allowed to see, like Rambo or like whatever, Commando 109 00:05:27,640 --> 00:05:31,920 Speaker 1: or like we knew about them in the same way. 110 00:05:31,920 --> 00:05:34,080 Speaker 1: I guess that kids now can go online and look 111 00:05:34,120 --> 00:05:35,800 Speaker 1: on Reddit or whatever and learn about them or whatever, 112 00:05:35,839 --> 00:05:37,800 Speaker 1: listen to a podcast. But that's how we learned about 113 00:05:37,800 --> 00:05:40,160 Speaker 1: these movies back then was Mad Magazine. 114 00:05:41,320 --> 00:05:44,600 Speaker 3: I guess the other thing too that's important about Gremlins 115 00:05:44,839 --> 00:05:49,000 Speaker 3: and thinking about oh, it's a scary movie. And Gremlins 116 00:05:49,080 --> 00:05:51,880 Speaker 3: and Temple of Doom were both responsible for the PG 117 00:05:51,960 --> 00:05:52,760 Speaker 3: thirteen rating. 118 00:05:53,360 --> 00:05:54,840 Speaker 1: Oh I knew about Temple of Doom, but I didn't 119 00:05:54,839 --> 00:05:55,560 Speaker 1: know about Gremlins. 120 00:05:55,640 --> 00:05:59,640 Speaker 3: Yeah, they both of them were kind of the films 121 00:05:59,680 --> 00:06:02,359 Speaker 3: that people said, we need something in between PG and R. 122 00:06:02,440 --> 00:06:05,040 Speaker 3: And I think it's mostly because for Gremlins it's mostly 123 00:06:05,080 --> 00:06:07,440 Speaker 3: just the that, you know, big set piece in the 124 00:06:07,440 --> 00:06:08,840 Speaker 3: middle with the mother in the kitchen. 125 00:06:10,080 --> 00:06:12,160 Speaker 1: Not to get too far ahead of ourselves, but as 126 00:06:12,200 --> 00:06:14,800 Speaker 1: I was rewatching this, I was watching that scene, I 127 00:06:14,839 --> 00:06:19,200 Speaker 1: was like, shit, this is really violent for PG. So 128 00:06:19,279 --> 00:06:21,320 Speaker 1: I guess there you go, there you go. Yeah, back 129 00:06:21,320 --> 00:06:25,040 Speaker 1: when PG meant something different than it means now, right, Yeah, 130 00:06:25,160 --> 00:06:27,680 Speaker 1: what's should we set this up for like, I don't know, 131 00:06:27,720 --> 00:06:30,560 Speaker 1: maybe people who haven't seen this movie before. I'm sure 132 00:06:30,560 --> 00:06:32,360 Speaker 1: there's some listeners that haven't seen it, or maybe they 133 00:06:32,360 --> 00:06:34,120 Speaker 1: haven't seen it a long time or whatever. Should we 134 00:06:34,160 --> 00:06:35,960 Speaker 1: kind of just set up like what this what the 135 00:06:36,320 --> 00:06:37,320 Speaker 1: premise of this film is? 136 00:06:37,320 --> 00:06:37,600 Speaker 2: All? Right? 137 00:06:37,640 --> 00:06:38,960 Speaker 1: You want to you want to take a stab at this. 138 00:06:40,120 --> 00:06:40,320 Speaker 2: Well. 139 00:06:40,360 --> 00:06:45,080 Speaker 3: Gremlins is about a boy or a young man who 140 00:06:45,560 --> 00:06:48,080 Speaker 3: receives a Christmas present from his father, and it's this 141 00:06:48,320 --> 00:06:53,039 Speaker 3: cuddly little creature called a maguay. And there are these 142 00:06:53,279 --> 00:06:56,680 Speaker 3: very specific rules about the magua that you can't feed 143 00:06:56,720 --> 00:06:59,200 Speaker 3: it after midnight, you can't get it wet, and it 144 00:06:59,240 --> 00:07:00,919 Speaker 3: doesn't like right lights. 145 00:07:00,880 --> 00:07:02,520 Speaker 1: Great setup by the way, for the movie, you know 146 00:07:02,560 --> 00:07:04,200 Speaker 1: what I mean? Like, what a great setup because you 147 00:07:04,279 --> 00:07:06,480 Speaker 1: know that you know that those things are all going 148 00:07:06,560 --> 00:07:07,359 Speaker 1: to get violated. 149 00:07:07,480 --> 00:07:09,520 Speaker 3: Yeah, they tell they tell you the rules right at 150 00:07:09,560 --> 00:07:12,320 Speaker 3: the beginning, and so you so you're set up that 151 00:07:12,440 --> 00:07:14,880 Speaker 3: all of those are going to get violated, and of 152 00:07:14,880 --> 00:07:17,560 Speaker 3: course those rules get violated. It turns out that when 153 00:07:17,760 --> 00:07:22,280 Speaker 3: the maguay get wet, they turn into these lizard like 154 00:07:22,640 --> 00:07:27,200 Speaker 3: horrific creatures that I guess we're calling Gremlins and they 155 00:07:27,240 --> 00:07:31,440 Speaker 3: wreak havoc on this small town and the boy and 156 00:07:32,160 --> 00:07:34,440 Speaker 3: his pet Maguay have to save the day. 157 00:07:36,080 --> 00:07:39,240 Speaker 1: I was trying to figure out how old he is. 158 00:07:39,320 --> 00:07:43,000 Speaker 1: Billy is his name, Yeah, because it's funny, like at 159 00:07:43,080 --> 00:07:46,000 Speaker 1: first the first scene you see so you see hoy 160 00:07:46,120 --> 00:07:50,160 Speaker 1: Axton is playing the father. He's like this inventor. He 161 00:07:50,200 --> 00:07:53,240 Speaker 1: makes inventions that don't really work very well. I guess 162 00:07:53,320 --> 00:07:56,280 Speaker 1: he has this one he's pedaling around. He's like out 163 00:07:56,320 --> 00:07:58,680 Speaker 1: on the road like trying to you know, sell these products, 164 00:07:58,720 --> 00:08:00,920 Speaker 1: and he's pedaling this one called the back throm Buddy, right, 165 00:08:01,080 --> 00:08:02,920 Speaker 1: that's what it's called. And it's basically like a Swiss 166 00:08:03,000 --> 00:08:05,440 Speaker 1: army knife that has you know, a toothbrush and an 167 00:08:05,480 --> 00:08:07,400 Speaker 1: e raisor and like all the things you would need, 168 00:08:07,720 --> 00:08:09,400 Speaker 1: you know, to use the bathroom to get ready for 169 00:08:09,400 --> 00:08:12,600 Speaker 1: for the day or whatever. So he's in Chinatown in 170 00:08:12,640 --> 00:08:14,800 Speaker 1: some I don't know what city it is. He's talking 171 00:08:14,840 --> 00:08:17,200 Speaker 1: about buying a present for his kid, and you're in 172 00:08:17,200 --> 00:08:18,840 Speaker 1: my mind it's like, oh, it's a little kid, you know. 173 00:08:19,240 --> 00:08:20,720 Speaker 1: But then we get and it says a guy who's 174 00:08:20,760 --> 00:08:23,240 Speaker 1: got a job at a bank. So I wasn't really 175 00:08:23,280 --> 00:08:25,360 Speaker 1: clear on his age or what's going on there. He 176 00:08:25,400 --> 00:08:26,560 Speaker 1: still lives at home obviously. 177 00:08:27,280 --> 00:08:30,120 Speaker 3: Yeah, Well, it turns out, you know, we'll probably come 178 00:08:30,160 --> 00:08:32,080 Speaker 3: back to this a few times in our discussion, but 179 00:08:32,080 --> 00:08:33,520 Speaker 3: it turns out, you know, there were a lot of 180 00:08:33,520 --> 00:08:36,040 Speaker 3: different versions of the script and a lot of different 181 00:08:36,160 --> 00:08:37,240 Speaker 3: versions of the idea. 182 00:08:37,480 --> 00:08:37,880 Speaker 1: Interesting. 183 00:08:38,000 --> 00:08:40,560 Speaker 2: You know, at one point the film was much much 184 00:08:40,679 --> 00:08:42,600 Speaker 2: gorri or much more. 185 00:08:42,480 --> 00:08:46,280 Speaker 3: Of a horror movie with a little less comedy. And 186 00:08:46,320 --> 00:08:49,480 Speaker 3: there was also a version where Billy was, you know, 187 00:08:49,559 --> 00:08:53,400 Speaker 3: ten years old, which explains kind of the vestiges of 188 00:08:53,480 --> 00:08:57,280 Speaker 3: why he's like why his best friend is a kid. 189 00:08:57,320 --> 00:08:59,200 Speaker 3: It's like a ten year old kid dressed up as 190 00:08:59,760 --> 00:09:01,920 Speaker 3: a Christmas tree. That's a great point. They seem to 191 00:09:01,960 --> 00:09:04,680 Speaker 3: hang out all the time. It makes no sense because 192 00:09:04,679 --> 00:09:08,280 Speaker 3: Billy's probably twenty or something. We know he's graduated high 193 00:09:08,280 --> 00:09:10,920 Speaker 3: school at least, But I think that's one of the 194 00:09:11,000 --> 00:09:13,839 Speaker 3: vestiges of some of those things that got left out. 195 00:09:13,880 --> 00:09:16,319 Speaker 3: And there's a bunch of other threads in the movie 196 00:09:16,320 --> 00:09:18,000 Speaker 3: that they never pick up on too. 197 00:09:18,240 --> 00:09:20,040 Speaker 1: Wow. Shout out to that best friend, by the way, 198 00:09:20,360 --> 00:09:23,600 Speaker 1: Corey Feldman, who from the jump is just when he 199 00:09:23,640 --> 00:09:25,760 Speaker 1: comes in the house and he's dressed as the Christmas 200 00:09:25,800 --> 00:09:28,760 Speaker 1: Tree and he's like, oh Christ, Like he's already like, 201 00:09:28,760 --> 00:09:32,520 Speaker 1: that's the Corey filming character. Yeah, play throughout the whole eighties. 202 00:09:32,520 --> 00:09:35,280 Speaker 1: You know, he has a foul mouth. He seems much 203 00:09:35,280 --> 00:09:38,120 Speaker 1: older and wiser than his years, you know, all that stuff. Absolutely, 204 00:09:38,160 --> 00:09:40,120 Speaker 1: he's the kid that's seen all the R rated movies 205 00:09:40,160 --> 00:09:41,960 Speaker 1: and has seen all the newty mags and he's telling 206 00:09:41,960 --> 00:09:44,160 Speaker 1: you about it or whatever, right, yeah. Yeah. And so 207 00:09:45,080 --> 00:09:47,840 Speaker 1: at first this it really feels like a B movie. 208 00:09:47,880 --> 00:09:51,560 Speaker 1: So you know, hoy Axton songwriter first and then an 209 00:09:51,559 --> 00:09:53,320 Speaker 1: actor second? Is that? Do I have that right? 210 00:09:53,440 --> 00:09:54,360 Speaker 2: I believe so, yes. 211 00:09:54,400 --> 00:09:56,839 Speaker 1: But he acted in a lot of movies. I didn't 212 00:09:56,840 --> 00:09:58,840 Speaker 1: realize how many movies he was in. He has this 213 00:09:59,040 --> 00:10:01,800 Speaker 1: his face and his voice are so familiar to me. 214 00:10:02,640 --> 00:10:05,640 Speaker 1: But he wrote what songs? Did he write? Again? 215 00:10:06,160 --> 00:10:09,760 Speaker 2: Joy to the World for three dog Night and the. 216 00:10:09,679 --> 00:10:14,440 Speaker 3: Pusher, Oh, Steppenwolf for Steppenwolf, Yeah, wild. 217 00:10:14,760 --> 00:10:17,000 Speaker 2: He has had a very successful career as a songwriter. 218 00:10:17,440 --> 00:10:19,320 Speaker 1: I wonder he must have just been in so many 219 00:10:19,840 --> 00:10:22,000 Speaker 1: like movies and TV shows in the eighties and that 220 00:10:22,520 --> 00:10:23,880 Speaker 1: his voice in his face. 221 00:10:23,720 --> 00:10:27,360 Speaker 3: Just and I think this film is full of interesting 222 00:10:27,400 --> 00:10:30,840 Speaker 3: faces there's so many character actors, so many actors that 223 00:10:30,880 --> 00:10:33,240 Speaker 3: are pulled from you mentioned b movies, pulled from the 224 00:10:33,559 --> 00:10:38,440 Speaker 3: Roger Corman school. Yeah, and they're they're they're great. There's 225 00:10:38,440 --> 00:10:41,520 Speaker 3: so many great faces and voices in this movie. 226 00:10:41,640 --> 00:10:42,720 Speaker 1: Let's talk about some of those. 227 00:10:42,760 --> 00:10:43,040 Speaker 3: I know. 228 00:10:43,160 --> 00:10:45,959 Speaker 1: The one that comes to mind immediately is one of 229 00:10:46,000 --> 00:10:49,160 Speaker 1: the drunk cops, Jonathan Banks. 230 00:10:49,640 --> 00:10:51,800 Speaker 2: Yes, I was. I was shocked. 231 00:10:53,080 --> 00:10:54,880 Speaker 1: I had forgotten he was in this. I mean, I 232 00:10:54,920 --> 00:10:56,800 Speaker 1: know he was. He's in like Breaking Bad and everything, 233 00:10:56,800 --> 00:10:58,480 Speaker 1: But for me, he's one of the bad guys in 234 00:10:58,520 --> 00:11:01,760 Speaker 1: Beverly Hills Cop. He's got like the henchman vibe from 235 00:11:01,760 --> 00:11:03,320 Speaker 1: the eighties. That was kind of his thing. 236 00:11:03,679 --> 00:11:03,880 Speaker 2: Right. 237 00:11:04,200 --> 00:11:06,400 Speaker 1: Who are some other people that you noticed? 238 00:11:07,920 --> 00:11:11,360 Speaker 3: I don't have all their names, but the sheriff was 239 00:11:11,400 --> 00:11:15,120 Speaker 3: in a lot of Corman movies. The guy who plays Futterman, 240 00:11:15,120 --> 00:11:20,440 Speaker 3: who's one of my favorite characters. He's this xenophobic World 241 00:11:20,440 --> 00:11:23,240 Speaker 3: War two vet who's he sort of introduces the idea 242 00:11:23,240 --> 00:11:28,520 Speaker 3: of gremlins as a thing that messes up your machinery 243 00:11:28,640 --> 00:11:29,760 Speaker 3: and that sort of thing. 244 00:11:30,120 --> 00:11:31,560 Speaker 1: In foreign made products. 245 00:11:31,840 --> 00:11:34,959 Speaker 3: Yes, in foreign made products, they put gremlins in there. 246 00:11:35,280 --> 00:11:37,800 Speaker 3: So he is His name is Dick Miller, and he's 247 00:11:37,800 --> 00:11:40,000 Speaker 3: in a bunch of I think Corman movies and things 248 00:11:40,040 --> 00:11:40,560 Speaker 3: like that too. 249 00:11:40,880 --> 00:11:42,920 Speaker 1: And didn't you tell me that he was in every 250 00:11:43,000 --> 00:11:46,160 Speaker 1: single Joe Dante movie? Was that the actor? I think 251 00:11:46,240 --> 00:11:49,640 Speaker 1: that's true. Yes, I believe that's true. Speaking of Joe Dante, 252 00:11:49,640 --> 00:11:51,120 Speaker 1: I want to talk about him, but maybe we should 253 00:11:51,120 --> 00:11:52,959 Speaker 1: take a quick break here for a second, and when 254 00:11:52,960 --> 00:12:11,439 Speaker 1: we come back, let's get into some Dante talk. O 255 00:12:11,640 --> 00:12:13,720 Speaker 1: ky dooak, We're back. Matt and I are here talking 256 00:12:13,720 --> 00:12:17,679 Speaker 1: about Gremlin's Joe Dante, the director of this film. He 257 00:12:17,679 --> 00:12:20,200 Speaker 1: made a couple of movies before this. It's a very 258 00:12:20,360 --> 00:12:23,360 Speaker 1: very interesting resume. His first film was a co direction 259 00:12:23,559 --> 00:12:26,880 Speaker 1: called Hollywood Boulevard. It was an exploitation film in nineteen 260 00:12:26,920 --> 00:12:31,680 Speaker 1: seventy six. Then he made you know about Piranha. Yeah, 261 00:12:31,720 --> 00:12:33,640 Speaker 1: he made Piranha in nineteen seventy eight. 262 00:12:33,679 --> 00:12:35,319 Speaker 3: This is like you know, in the Wake of Jaws. 263 00:12:35,400 --> 00:12:37,600 Speaker 3: I guess, yeah, And that was made for Roger Corman. 264 00:12:37,800 --> 00:12:40,319 Speaker 1: Okay, okay, got it. I guess. He did some scene, 265 00:12:40,400 --> 00:12:43,160 Speaker 1: some uncredited scenes in Rock and Roll High School, which 266 00:12:43,240 --> 00:12:46,920 Speaker 1: was the Ramones movie. Then he made The Howling in 267 00:12:47,000 --> 00:12:49,400 Speaker 1: nineteen eighty one, which is a horror film with a 268 00:12:49,440 --> 00:12:52,520 Speaker 1: script by John Sales, who was still, I believe, just 269 00:12:52,559 --> 00:12:54,800 Speaker 1: a screenwriter. He was trying to get on his legs 270 00:12:54,840 --> 00:12:55,760 Speaker 1: as a director at the time. 271 00:12:55,960 --> 00:12:56,160 Speaker 2: Yeah. 272 00:12:56,720 --> 00:12:59,400 Speaker 1: Then he does a segment for the Twilight Zone movie, 273 00:13:00,320 --> 00:13:04,200 Speaker 1: and then after that he does Gremlins Explorers. That's the 274 00:13:04,240 --> 00:13:09,160 Speaker 1: one with Ethan Hawk Innerspace, which was a treasured film 275 00:13:09,160 --> 00:13:11,320 Speaker 1: around the Lundy household when I was growing up. We 276 00:13:11,400 --> 00:13:13,320 Speaker 1: watched that many times. That's the one where they shrink 277 00:13:13,360 --> 00:13:16,960 Speaker 1: Martin Short and put him in No, they shrinked Dennis 278 00:13:17,040 --> 00:13:19,720 Speaker 1: Quaid and put him in Martin Short's body, right, Yeah, 279 00:13:19,800 --> 00:13:22,320 Speaker 1: so good. Then he did The Burbs, which is like 280 00:13:22,400 --> 00:13:26,400 Speaker 1: a dark horse favorite of mine, Gremlins two matinee that 281 00:13:26,440 --> 00:13:29,240 Speaker 1: was with John Goodman, and then Small Soldiers. He did 282 00:13:29,280 --> 00:13:30,959 Speaker 1: more after that, but that was sort of like the 283 00:13:31,200 --> 00:13:33,800 Speaker 1: that's kind of like his classic run from like eighty 284 00:13:33,840 --> 00:13:35,400 Speaker 1: four into the early nineties. 285 00:13:35,640 --> 00:13:37,640 Speaker 3: Yeah, and you'd have to say this is his most 286 00:13:37,640 --> 00:13:40,880 Speaker 3: successful film. I would say, right, I would definitely think so. 287 00:13:40,920 --> 00:13:44,200 Speaker 3: I think it's remembered more than anything else he's made, 288 00:13:44,200 --> 00:13:44,560 Speaker 3: for sure. 289 00:13:44,679 --> 00:13:44,920 Speaker 2: Yeah. 290 00:13:45,880 --> 00:13:47,760 Speaker 1: So let's talk a little bit about Joe Dante. I 291 00:13:47,840 --> 00:13:50,040 Speaker 1: know that we talked a little bit about his his 292 00:13:50,120 --> 00:13:52,720 Speaker 1: style and like the practicality of the effects and everything 293 00:13:52,760 --> 00:13:53,920 Speaker 1: like that, But I just wanted to kind of get 294 00:13:53,960 --> 00:13:54,640 Speaker 1: into that with you here. 295 00:13:55,400 --> 00:13:55,679 Speaker 2: Yeah. 296 00:13:55,679 --> 00:13:57,440 Speaker 3: Well, I mean one of the great things about this 297 00:13:57,679 --> 00:14:01,280 Speaker 3: film is the effects, the creature work, and you know, 298 00:14:01,320 --> 00:14:04,360 Speaker 3: it was done pretty on the cheap, because you know, 299 00:14:04,440 --> 00:14:07,079 Speaker 3: he knew how to make movies cheaply working for Corman. 300 00:14:07,720 --> 00:14:10,280 Speaker 3: So I think the budget was only fifteen million on 301 00:14:10,360 --> 00:14:14,600 Speaker 3: this picture, and the creature effects are really amazing, and 302 00:14:14,800 --> 00:14:15,800 Speaker 3: I think they really. 303 00:14:15,600 --> 00:14:17,000 Speaker 2: Hold up for the most part. 304 00:14:17,320 --> 00:14:20,960 Speaker 3: There's something that's so tactile and expressive about the puppets 305 00:14:21,720 --> 00:14:25,080 Speaker 3: that they feel alive. They feel real in a way 306 00:14:25,120 --> 00:14:27,440 Speaker 3: that cgi doesn't feel real. 307 00:14:27,520 --> 00:14:28,080 Speaker 2: It's interesting. 308 00:14:28,160 --> 00:14:31,440 Speaker 3: Dante said, you know, you would make this film with 309 00:14:31,440 --> 00:14:35,000 Speaker 3: a completely different approach now, and I guess we may 310 00:14:35,040 --> 00:14:40,120 Speaker 3: see that with the forthcoming Gremlins three R. The limitations 311 00:14:40,160 --> 00:14:43,520 Speaker 3: of what they had to do, they use those limitations 312 00:14:43,520 --> 00:14:45,400 Speaker 3: so well in this film, you know, in the same 313 00:14:45,480 --> 00:14:48,080 Speaker 3: way that Jaws did or something like that, where there's 314 00:14:48,080 --> 00:14:50,600 Speaker 3: all these things that are just out of necessity, but 315 00:14:50,680 --> 00:14:54,760 Speaker 3: they add to the story. So, for example, the scene 316 00:14:54,760 --> 00:14:57,640 Speaker 3: where the Gremlins first pop out of the pods in 317 00:14:57,720 --> 00:15:01,960 Speaker 3: Billy's room, Gizmo's there, he's he's shaking with fear, and 318 00:15:02,000 --> 00:15:04,880 Speaker 3: he's in a motorcycle helmet. The only reason he's in 319 00:15:04,920 --> 00:15:07,200 Speaker 3: that motorcycle helmet is because they couldn't show his legs 320 00:15:07,680 --> 00:15:11,200 Speaker 3: with that particular puppet didn't have legs to show, so 321 00:15:11,400 --> 00:15:12,320 Speaker 3: they put him in the helmet. 322 00:15:12,360 --> 00:15:12,760 Speaker 2: And it's great. 323 00:15:12,800 --> 00:15:15,800 Speaker 3: It makes him look so vulnerable. It adds to the 324 00:15:15,840 --> 00:15:18,640 Speaker 3: story and like that just wouldn't happen I think today. 325 00:15:19,440 --> 00:15:23,120 Speaker 1: Yeah, I totally agree with you. And also just the 326 00:15:23,160 --> 00:15:26,800 Speaker 1: tone that Dante strikes between horror and comedy. There are 327 00:15:26,840 --> 00:15:29,480 Speaker 1: all these great horror tropes, you know, like the mom 328 00:15:29,600 --> 00:15:33,360 Speaker 1: walking up the stairs slowly hearing noises or whatever. But 329 00:15:33,480 --> 00:15:36,640 Speaker 1: then there's there's great comedic elements that are thrown in there. 330 00:15:36,680 --> 00:15:40,040 Speaker 1: There's this amazing needle drop. What's the Christmas song that 331 00:15:40,080 --> 00:15:43,840 Speaker 1: starts playing when after the pods have Yeah? 332 00:15:43,960 --> 00:15:44,880 Speaker 2: Do you hear what? I hear? 333 00:15:45,240 --> 00:15:45,440 Speaker 1: Yeah? 334 00:15:45,440 --> 00:15:46,080 Speaker 2: Perfect? Yeah? 335 00:15:46,120 --> 00:15:48,360 Speaker 1: Oh man, It's so great because it's like it I 336 00:15:48,440 --> 00:15:51,600 Speaker 1: laughed when that hit at first, but then it also 337 00:15:51,600 --> 00:15:54,000 Speaker 1: fills you with the sense of dread as well. But 338 00:15:54,120 --> 00:15:57,520 Speaker 1: that scene in the kitchen, the mom goes like completely 339 00:15:57,560 --> 00:16:01,400 Speaker 1: like Rambo in the kitchen on these these gremlins, and 340 00:16:01,440 --> 00:16:04,280 Speaker 1: she's using kitchen to like the blender. 341 00:16:04,960 --> 00:16:07,840 Speaker 2: What else does she used to the microwave? One of 342 00:16:07,880 --> 00:16:10,120 Speaker 2: them just straight up shives with a knife. 343 00:16:10,720 --> 00:16:13,160 Speaker 1: It's so great. She's using all this kitchen shit to 344 00:16:13,240 --> 00:16:14,120 Speaker 1: kill the grevlins. 345 00:16:14,880 --> 00:16:16,640 Speaker 3: Yeah, and one of them, I guess is is one 346 00:16:16,640 --> 00:16:20,000 Speaker 3: of the Father's you know, lousy inventions, the one that 347 00:16:20,000 --> 00:16:21,320 Speaker 3: that's kind of the blender one. 348 00:16:21,480 --> 00:16:22,360 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, good point. 349 00:16:23,880 --> 00:16:24,160 Speaker 2: Yeah. 350 00:16:24,160 --> 00:16:27,400 Speaker 3: I like the way this movie has such a unique 351 00:16:27,480 --> 00:16:31,800 Speaker 3: tone because of that mixture of horror and comedy, and 352 00:16:31,840 --> 00:16:34,160 Speaker 3: I think a lot of that is intentional, and some 353 00:16:34,200 --> 00:16:36,200 Speaker 3: of it, I think is that thing I was talking 354 00:16:36,200 --> 00:16:38,880 Speaker 3: about before where the idea of the movie kind of 355 00:16:38,960 --> 00:16:39,680 Speaker 3: kept changing. 356 00:16:40,600 --> 00:16:42,520 Speaker 2: I love the way that it plays with. 357 00:16:43,960 --> 00:16:49,960 Speaker 3: Tropes from like fifties monster movies totally. The way some 358 00:16:50,000 --> 00:16:52,760 Speaker 3: of the shots are lit, they look like something out 359 00:16:52,760 --> 00:16:54,760 Speaker 3: of Invasion of the Body Snatchers or something like that. 360 00:16:54,800 --> 00:16:57,200 Speaker 2: It is just they really capture that look. 361 00:16:57,200 --> 00:16:59,760 Speaker 3: And of course, you know Invasion of the Body Snatchers 362 00:16:59,800 --> 00:17:01,160 Speaker 3: is is in the movie. 363 00:17:01,160 --> 00:17:03,800 Speaker 2: There's a lot of references to other films in this movie. 364 00:17:03,960 --> 00:17:06,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, you see, there's always like black and white 365 00:17:06,880 --> 00:17:10,200 Speaker 1: films playing on tiny TVs in the background that that 366 00:17:10,359 --> 00:17:11,520 Speaker 1: kind of give you like a little bit of a 367 00:17:11,560 --> 00:17:14,240 Speaker 1: wink or a nod as to what's going on. You 368 00:17:14,320 --> 00:17:16,760 Speaker 1: notice too, that every time like the shit is about 369 00:17:16,760 --> 00:17:19,760 Speaker 1: to hit the fan, the camera skews like it kind 370 00:17:19,760 --> 00:17:20,600 Speaker 1: of goes off kilter. 371 00:17:20,840 --> 00:17:24,720 Speaker 3: Yeah, he uses Dutch angles a lot, and yeah, and 372 00:17:24,760 --> 00:17:27,320 Speaker 3: it's always the one shot I can think of is 373 00:17:27,320 --> 00:17:30,320 Speaker 3: when they go into the bank, it's a normal shot 374 00:17:30,359 --> 00:17:33,159 Speaker 3: and then when they realize that there's a gremlin, you know, 375 00:17:33,240 --> 00:17:36,360 Speaker 3: everything tilts. I love those and that really has that 376 00:17:36,440 --> 00:17:38,840 Speaker 3: fifties monster movie feel as well. 377 00:17:39,040 --> 00:17:41,639 Speaker 1: Yeah, totally. You mentioned the budget. I was just looking 378 00:17:41,640 --> 00:17:45,160 Speaker 1: this up as you were talking. This says eleven million, 379 00:17:45,200 --> 00:17:48,200 Speaker 1: but whatever, whether it's eleven or fifteen million, it made 380 00:17:48,320 --> 00:17:51,439 Speaker 1: over two hundred million at the box office from that. 381 00:17:52,080 --> 00:17:56,280 Speaker 1: And it strikes me as kind of interesting that Joe 382 00:17:56,359 --> 00:17:59,600 Speaker 1: Dante has this huge success with this movie, and you 383 00:17:59,640 --> 00:18:01,280 Speaker 1: would think that they would just give him like a 384 00:18:01,280 --> 00:18:03,159 Speaker 1: blank check to do whatever the hell he wants. And 385 00:18:03,200 --> 00:18:05,600 Speaker 1: maybe they did, but it's interesting where like this was 386 00:18:05,640 --> 00:18:09,080 Speaker 1: executive produced by Steven Spielberg, and yet Joe Dante doesn't 387 00:18:09,119 --> 00:18:10,879 Speaker 1: go on to have this kind of career that Steven 388 00:18:10,880 --> 00:18:13,280 Speaker 1: Spielberg has, like, he's not a household name, and it 389 00:18:13,680 --> 00:18:15,919 Speaker 1: strikes me as odd that someone that had such a 390 00:18:16,000 --> 00:18:18,400 Speaker 1: huge success one of the top movies of the year 391 00:18:18,840 --> 00:18:21,320 Speaker 1: didn't follow the same the same lane. 392 00:18:21,800 --> 00:18:24,520 Speaker 3: Yeah, that's interesting. I guess the comp would be somebody 393 00:18:24,560 --> 00:18:28,320 Speaker 3: like Zamechis. Spielberg executive produced Back to the Future, and 394 00:18:28,400 --> 00:18:31,400 Speaker 3: Zamechis went on to have, you know, a pretty monster career. 395 00:18:32,040 --> 00:18:35,640 Speaker 2: And yeah, I don't. I'm not sure. I think maybe Dante. 396 00:18:35,520 --> 00:18:39,199 Speaker 3: Is a he's a bit idiosyncratic, you know, in his 397 00:18:39,359 --> 00:18:41,640 Speaker 3: in his style maybe and his interests. 398 00:18:41,920 --> 00:18:44,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, I agree, I agree, Okay, And so to 399 00:18:44,800 --> 00:18:47,920 Speaker 1: get into the Christmas of it all here, I forget 400 00:18:48,040 --> 00:18:51,280 Speaker 1: every year how much of a Christmas film this really is. 401 00:18:51,359 --> 00:18:53,760 Speaker 1: I mean, not only does it take place at Christmas, 402 00:18:53,760 --> 00:18:56,919 Speaker 1: but there's there's Christmas stuff everywhere throughout this you know, 403 00:18:57,280 --> 00:19:01,440 Speaker 1: there's an amazing set piece in a or store near 404 00:19:01,480 --> 00:19:04,199 Speaker 1: the end when they're battling the Gremlins, and there's this 405 00:19:04,280 --> 00:19:06,639 Speaker 1: Christmas stuff everywhere. But I want to talk to you 406 00:19:06,720 --> 00:19:12,080 Speaker 1: about this film's place in Christmas movies, and specifically, using 407 00:19:12,119 --> 00:19:15,920 Speaker 1: the scene where Phoebe Kate's the Phoebe Kate's character has 408 00:19:15,960 --> 00:19:20,440 Speaker 1: this Bonker's story Christmas story that she tells, Yes. 409 00:19:20,280 --> 00:19:25,280 Speaker 3: The famously controversial Phoebe Kate's monologue and you want to 410 00:19:25,359 --> 00:19:27,520 Speaker 3: you want to say sort of what the monologue is about. 411 00:19:27,760 --> 00:19:30,560 Speaker 3: She's explaining why she doesn't celebrate Christmas and she's so 412 00:19:30,680 --> 00:19:31,880 Speaker 3: glum at Christmas. 413 00:19:31,600 --> 00:19:34,240 Speaker 1: Time, right, And that comes up earlier where she tells 414 00:19:34,280 --> 00:19:36,480 Speaker 1: Billy that she doesn't celebrate Christmas and he's like, he 415 00:19:36,520 --> 00:19:38,000 Speaker 1: says something like, what do you Hindu? Or whatever? 416 00:19:38,080 --> 00:19:38,479 Speaker 2: Is she right? 417 00:19:38,560 --> 00:19:43,480 Speaker 3: Yeah, one of the unfortunate uh, leftover things from the 418 00:19:43,520 --> 00:19:44,360 Speaker 3: eighties in this film. 419 00:19:44,400 --> 00:19:46,280 Speaker 2: There's some unfortunate things like that. 420 00:19:46,520 --> 00:19:48,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, of course, of course. And she talks about like 421 00:19:48,760 --> 00:19:50,560 Speaker 1: how many people commit suicide. It kind of goes in 422 00:19:50,560 --> 00:19:52,960 Speaker 1: this weird dark place for a minute, and then later 423 00:19:53,119 --> 00:19:58,480 Speaker 1: she's she's she's telling Billy why and it involves it 424 00:19:58,520 --> 00:20:02,800 Speaker 1: involves her father trying to surprise the family by coming 425 00:20:02,840 --> 00:20:05,120 Speaker 1: down the chimney as Santa Claus. 426 00:20:05,560 --> 00:20:09,439 Speaker 3: And he gets stuck and breaks his neck and dies 427 00:20:10,560 --> 00:20:14,119 Speaker 3: and they don't find out for three or four days. 428 00:20:14,119 --> 00:20:14,840 Speaker 2: He's just missing. 429 00:20:14,880 --> 00:20:16,560 Speaker 3: And then one day she goes to build a fire 430 00:20:16,600 --> 00:20:20,080 Speaker 3: and that's when she notices the smell, and she says, 431 00:20:20,119 --> 00:20:22,480 Speaker 3: that's how I learned there was no Santa Claus. 432 00:20:22,920 --> 00:20:26,479 Speaker 1: I'm sorry, I'm laughing at this, but I just seeing 433 00:20:26,480 --> 00:20:28,600 Speaker 1: that scene. I'd forgotten all about that scene when I 434 00:20:28,720 --> 00:20:31,800 Speaker 1: rewatched it this time. I just didn't know whether to 435 00:20:31,920 --> 00:20:35,320 Speaker 1: laugh of Like, how did you react to that? Well, 436 00:20:35,359 --> 00:20:36,080 Speaker 1: it's interesting. 437 00:20:36,119 --> 00:20:38,359 Speaker 3: I mean, first of all, God bless Phoebe Kate's because 438 00:20:38,400 --> 00:20:41,399 Speaker 3: she did a great job with that. I mean, I 439 00:20:41,440 --> 00:20:43,560 Speaker 3: have no idea how she could get to a place 440 00:20:43,960 --> 00:20:48,440 Speaker 3: to make this, you know, believable or whatever. It's I've 441 00:20:48,520 --> 00:20:53,240 Speaker 3: never really been a fan of that scene, but it's 442 00:20:53,240 --> 00:20:55,800 Speaker 3: interesting you say that you didn't know whether to laugh 443 00:20:55,920 --> 00:21:00,159 Speaker 3: or cry. And Dante really really went to bat for 444 00:21:00,200 --> 00:21:03,720 Speaker 3: that scene, and in his feeling is that that scene 445 00:21:03,800 --> 00:21:08,160 Speaker 3: encapsulates the whole tone of the movie that you're watching 446 00:21:08,200 --> 00:21:11,280 Speaker 3: these gremlins go crazy on this town, and it's really funny, 447 00:21:11,720 --> 00:21:14,480 Speaker 3: but if it happened to you, it would be completely 448 00:21:14,520 --> 00:21:17,239 Speaker 3: tragic and horrific. Right, Oh, I love that, And so 449 00:21:17,600 --> 00:21:20,000 Speaker 3: he felt that that was really essential to the tone. 450 00:21:20,160 --> 00:21:23,760 Speaker 3: And the studio hated it. Everybody on the set hated it. 451 00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:26,960 Speaker 3: Spielberg hated it no way, and I mean he took 452 00:21:26,960 --> 00:21:30,040 Speaker 3: a lot of advice from Spielberg, who proved the film 453 00:21:30,080 --> 00:21:33,200 Speaker 3: a lot. Yeah, and on this one's he really fought 454 00:21:33,240 --> 00:21:35,640 Speaker 3: with Spielberg, and Spielberg finally said, you know what, it's 455 00:21:35,680 --> 00:21:37,719 Speaker 3: your movie and if you want it in there, go 456 00:21:37,840 --> 00:21:38,119 Speaker 3: for it. 457 00:21:38,480 --> 00:21:38,920 Speaker 1: No shit. 458 00:21:39,320 --> 00:21:41,080 Speaker 3: So that's how it wound up in there. I don't 459 00:21:41,119 --> 00:21:44,119 Speaker 3: know that it's successful, but it's certainly one of the 460 00:21:44,119 --> 00:21:45,680 Speaker 3: most talked about parts of this movie. 461 00:21:45,920 --> 00:21:48,560 Speaker 1: You know, speaking of Spielberg, you can definitely tell that 462 00:21:48,680 --> 00:21:51,200 Speaker 1: Dante took notes from him, especially in the way that 463 00:21:51,960 --> 00:21:55,640 Speaker 1: the first Gizmo and then the Gremlins are revealed. There's 464 00:21:55,720 --> 00:21:59,720 Speaker 1: like that the et Jaws holding back the reveal of 465 00:21:59,800 --> 00:22:02,320 Speaker 1: the creature for a little while that I thought was 466 00:22:02,359 --> 00:22:02,840 Speaker 1: really cool. 467 00:22:03,359 --> 00:22:03,600 Speaker 2: Yeah. 468 00:22:03,600 --> 00:22:07,040 Speaker 3: Absolutely, And I think the biggest thing that Spielberg did 469 00:22:07,440 --> 00:22:11,080 Speaker 3: was he introduced the idea of Gizmo being in the 470 00:22:11,119 --> 00:22:15,919 Speaker 3: film the whole way. Originally Gizmo turned into Stripe and 471 00:22:15,960 --> 00:22:19,159 Speaker 3: you never saw him again way, and Spielberg had the 472 00:22:19,200 --> 00:22:22,359 Speaker 3: idea of keeping Gizmo and also had the idea at 473 00:22:22,359 --> 00:22:25,240 Speaker 3: the end of making him the hero that he finally 474 00:22:25,240 --> 00:22:26,520 Speaker 3: defeats the final Gremlin. 475 00:22:27,119 --> 00:22:30,280 Speaker 1: I love that that's awesome. Yeah, Verry Spielberg, Yeah, I would. 476 00:22:30,080 --> 00:22:33,200 Speaker 1: I think I would take take advice from Steven Spielberger 477 00:22:33,280 --> 00:22:35,040 Speaker 1: house if he was helping me in my movie. 478 00:22:35,880 --> 00:22:38,640 Speaker 3: But you know, back to the Christmas of it, I've 479 00:22:38,640 --> 00:22:40,680 Speaker 3: heard people described this as sort of like an anti 480 00:22:40,840 --> 00:22:44,040 Speaker 3: Christmas movie or a Christmas movie for people who don't 481 00:22:44,080 --> 00:22:46,919 Speaker 3: like Christmas. I love Christmas and I love this movie. 482 00:22:46,960 --> 00:22:50,480 Speaker 3: But I think the other big Christmas connection is It's 483 00:22:50,480 --> 00:22:54,280 Speaker 3: a Wonderful Life. The film is very much playing on 484 00:22:55,040 --> 00:22:59,480 Speaker 3: the tropes in that film, So you know, It's a 485 00:22:59,520 --> 00:23:02,440 Speaker 3: Wonderful Life. You've got what Bedford Falls is the name 486 00:23:02,480 --> 00:23:05,520 Speaker 3: of the town, and here we're in Kingston Falls. The 487 00:23:05,920 --> 00:23:08,680 Speaker 3: first time we see the town, there's a tracking shot 488 00:23:08,720 --> 00:23:12,040 Speaker 3: that goes down main Street, following Billy as he goes down, 489 00:23:12,080 --> 00:23:15,560 Speaker 3: and it's exactly the same as the tracking shot at 490 00:23:15,560 --> 00:23:17,080 Speaker 3: the end of the film, you know, the you know, 491 00:23:17,200 --> 00:23:18,680 Speaker 3: Merry Christmas movie house. 492 00:23:18,480 --> 00:23:18,960 Speaker 1: And all that. 493 00:23:19,080 --> 00:23:23,040 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, yeah, And of course we see the mother 494 00:23:23,160 --> 00:23:25,879 Speaker 3: is watching It's a Wonderful Life at one point, so 495 00:23:26,000 --> 00:23:28,439 Speaker 3: I think that's again the tone of the film is 496 00:23:29,160 --> 00:23:32,200 Speaker 3: taking this Christmas movie. Well, we could talk about the 497 00:23:32,240 --> 00:23:34,200 Speaker 3: tone of It's a Wonderful life too. That's a real 498 00:23:34,280 --> 00:23:37,040 Speaker 3: mixture of tone as well, absolutely taking this sort of 499 00:23:37,280 --> 00:23:43,280 Speaker 3: slice of Americana and introducing these horrific creatures who are 500 00:23:43,320 --> 00:23:47,239 Speaker 3: also incredibly comedic. It's sort of that mashup that I 501 00:23:47,280 --> 00:23:48,440 Speaker 3: like so much about this film. 502 00:23:48,680 --> 00:23:51,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, definitely. And I kind of got a hint of 503 00:23:51,359 --> 00:23:56,040 Speaker 1: sort of like anti capitalism or anti commercialism with this movie. 504 00:23:56,080 --> 00:23:58,960 Speaker 1: But I think I have not seen Gremlins two, but 505 00:23:59,080 --> 00:24:02,119 Speaker 1: I believe that one's two goes harder in that direction. 506 00:24:02,320 --> 00:24:05,639 Speaker 3: Yes, much harder and much harder in the satirical vein. 507 00:24:05,800 --> 00:24:09,160 Speaker 3: I have only seen some of Gremlins too, and it's 508 00:24:09,240 --> 00:24:12,400 Speaker 3: on my list, but that's my understanding as well. 509 00:24:12,720 --> 00:24:14,080 Speaker 1: All Right, we'll have to check that out and talk 510 00:24:14,119 --> 00:24:16,560 Speaker 1: about that sometime. I want to take one more break here, 511 00:24:16,600 --> 00:24:18,240 Speaker 1: but I want to talk to you after the break 512 00:24:18,320 --> 00:24:22,280 Speaker 1: about these mini little revelations from this movie, about like, 513 00:24:22,320 --> 00:24:24,960 Speaker 1: oh it's that guy, or oh it's that song or whatever. 514 00:24:25,000 --> 00:24:26,880 Speaker 1: So hang tight, everybody, we'll be right back to get 515 00:24:26,880 --> 00:24:27,199 Speaker 1: into that. 516 00:24:41,920 --> 00:24:42,239 Speaker 2: All right. 517 00:24:42,280 --> 00:24:45,080 Speaker 1: Here we are hanging out in Hollywood Lands bonus episode 518 00:24:45,119 --> 00:24:48,200 Speaker 1: here talking about Gremlins with my guy Matt. Matt. Before 519 00:24:48,320 --> 00:24:51,240 Speaker 1: I let you go and I go back to my 520 00:24:51,480 --> 00:24:54,640 Speaker 1: procrastinated last minute Christmas shopping here. I wanted to talk 521 00:24:54,680 --> 00:24:55,880 Speaker 1: to you about just like, I don't know, a bunch 522 00:24:55,880 --> 00:24:58,280 Speaker 1: of like little mini revelations in this movie, things that 523 00:24:58,640 --> 00:25:01,280 Speaker 1: maybe people don't know about that I just enjoy finding 524 00:25:01,280 --> 00:25:03,560 Speaker 1: these kinds of things about, Like that's that there's a 525 00:25:03,600 --> 00:25:06,399 Speaker 1: cameo here, a cameo there, the songs in the movie, 526 00:25:06,800 --> 00:25:08,959 Speaker 1: the sets were used, things like that. The first thing 527 00:25:09,000 --> 00:25:12,160 Speaker 1: I wanted to point out was that in the bar 528 00:25:12,359 --> 00:25:14,960 Speaker 1: scene where Phoebe Kate, I think it's the bar scene 529 00:25:14,960 --> 00:25:18,200 Speaker 1: where Phoebe Kate's is serving all the drunk gremma, which, 530 00:25:18,200 --> 00:25:22,240 Speaker 1: by the way, what an incredible what an incredible scene, one. 531 00:25:22,119 --> 00:25:24,280 Speaker 2: Of the best scenes in the film, amazing. 532 00:25:24,320 --> 00:25:28,120 Speaker 1: All these that's that one gremlin's got like three cigarettes 533 00:25:28,119 --> 00:25:30,439 Speaker 1: in his mouth and she's trying to light them for 534 00:25:30,560 --> 00:25:32,840 Speaker 1: It's just like it's so great. And then they're playing 535 00:25:32,880 --> 00:25:36,520 Speaker 1: cards and that one shoots the other one dead or whatever. Yeah, Anyways, 536 00:25:36,640 --> 00:25:39,520 Speaker 1: in that bar scene, there's a Peter Gabriel song it's playing. 537 00:25:39,920 --> 00:25:43,359 Speaker 1: It's called out Out, and I believe it was recorded 538 00:25:43,440 --> 00:25:45,879 Speaker 1: with all the usual suspects at the time that were 539 00:25:45,920 --> 00:25:48,879 Speaker 1: in Peter Gabriel's orbit like Tony Levin's on bass and 540 00:25:48,920 --> 00:25:52,560 Speaker 1: Adrian Blues on guitar. It's this like seven minute funk 541 00:25:52,640 --> 00:25:55,800 Speaker 1: workout that was never ever released anywhere else. It was 542 00:25:55,840 --> 00:25:58,560 Speaker 1: I don't know if the soundtrack was actually released on record, 543 00:25:58,960 --> 00:26:01,399 Speaker 1: but you can't even stream that song on Spotify or 544 00:26:01,400 --> 00:26:01,960 Speaker 1: anywhere else. 545 00:26:02,040 --> 00:26:02,920 Speaker 2: Wow, that's interesting. 546 00:26:03,119 --> 00:26:05,440 Speaker 3: That's this must be This is a couple of years 547 00:26:05,480 --> 00:26:07,919 Speaker 3: before Sledgehammer and Sew and all that. 548 00:26:08,000 --> 00:26:10,679 Speaker 1: Right, Yeah, that was what eighty six. I wonder if 549 00:26:10,680 --> 00:26:12,600 Speaker 1: it's like an outtake from that that those sessions. 550 00:26:12,680 --> 00:26:13,480 Speaker 2: Yeah. Possibly. 551 00:26:13,640 --> 00:26:16,120 Speaker 1: Also, I know you have told me about a couple 552 00:26:16,160 --> 00:26:17,159 Speaker 1: of things that I didn't know about. 553 00:26:17,600 --> 00:26:19,800 Speaker 3: Yeah, I picked up some stuff from watching the director's 554 00:26:19,840 --> 00:26:22,320 Speaker 3: commentary on this film, And one of the things I 555 00:26:22,320 --> 00:26:26,240 Speaker 3: thought was really fun is some of the cameos. You know, 556 00:26:26,280 --> 00:26:29,360 Speaker 3: we were talking about that the bar scene being so funny. 557 00:26:29,880 --> 00:26:31,920 Speaker 3: I mean, really, this whole second half of the film 558 00:26:32,000 --> 00:26:33,560 Speaker 3: is really just a series of gags. 559 00:26:33,560 --> 00:26:34,879 Speaker 2: It's a totally cartoon. 560 00:26:34,680 --> 00:26:37,160 Speaker 1: Totally and reminds me very much of Evil Dead too 561 00:26:37,440 --> 00:26:40,240 Speaker 1: that you and I talked about recently, how that second 562 00:26:40,240 --> 00:26:43,200 Speaker 1: half of that film was just like gag horror filmmaking. 563 00:26:43,240 --> 00:26:45,400 Speaker 2: You know, it makes sense that they would have. 564 00:26:45,960 --> 00:26:49,439 Speaker 3: There's a great cameo early in the film when Billy 565 00:26:49,560 --> 00:26:52,360 Speaker 3: goes into the bar and he's working on his comic sketch. 566 00:26:52,800 --> 00:26:56,119 Speaker 3: The guy who who is giving him feedback on the 567 00:26:56,200 --> 00:26:59,960 Speaker 3: drawing is Chuck Jones, the legendary Warner Brothers animator. 568 00:27:00,320 --> 00:27:03,760 Speaker 1: I knew he looked familiar. And doesn't he say like, 569 00:27:03,800 --> 00:27:04,840 Speaker 1: thank you, mister Jones. 570 00:27:05,760 --> 00:27:06,320 Speaker 2: I don't know. 571 00:27:06,400 --> 00:27:07,840 Speaker 1: I think you might actually say his name now that 572 00:27:07,840 --> 00:27:09,760 Speaker 1: you Oh, that's interesting, okay. Yeah. 573 00:27:09,800 --> 00:27:12,600 Speaker 3: And there's a couple of other cute cameos when the 574 00:27:13,119 --> 00:27:16,399 Speaker 3: father is at the trade show. Why they're having a 575 00:27:16,400 --> 00:27:19,040 Speaker 3: trade show on Christmas Eve? I have no idea, But 576 00:27:19,600 --> 00:27:22,400 Speaker 3: there's a guy riding around on a sort of recumbent bicycle. 577 00:27:22,440 --> 00:27:23,600 Speaker 2: That's Spielberg. 578 00:27:23,920 --> 00:27:25,680 Speaker 1: I didn't even I didn't clock that at all. 579 00:27:25,920 --> 00:27:27,960 Speaker 3: Yeah, once you see it, you'll you won't be able 580 00:27:27,960 --> 00:27:30,880 Speaker 3: to see it, okay, right, right. And in that same scene, 581 00:27:30,960 --> 00:27:35,760 Speaker 3: Jerry Goldsmith, the composer, is on the phone as well. 582 00:27:36,040 --> 00:27:39,000 Speaker 1: I love that. That's great. That's great. Didn't you mention 583 00:27:39,080 --> 00:27:41,760 Speaker 1: too that they used the same set from Back to 584 00:27:41,800 --> 00:27:42,240 Speaker 1: the Future. 585 00:27:42,480 --> 00:27:45,040 Speaker 3: Yeah, it's the same back lot, which is the same 586 00:27:45,040 --> 00:27:47,360 Speaker 3: back loot from Back to the future. You'll you'll definitely 587 00:27:47,359 --> 00:27:49,879 Speaker 3: recognize it. And that's one of the things I really 588 00:27:49,960 --> 00:27:52,520 Speaker 3: like about the movie is how it really looks like 589 00:27:52,560 --> 00:27:55,160 Speaker 3: it's shot on back lots and sound stages. 590 00:27:55,520 --> 00:27:56,800 Speaker 2: It looks unreal. 591 00:27:57,320 --> 00:28:01,920 Speaker 3: It looks old like again, a forties or fifties kind 592 00:28:01,920 --> 00:28:04,200 Speaker 3: of thing, and it kind of gives it this timeless 593 00:28:04,320 --> 00:28:07,680 Speaker 3: feeling for me, you know. Notwithstanding in the bar scene 594 00:28:07,720 --> 00:28:12,560 Speaker 3: there's some there's a some breakdancers and the flash dance 595 00:28:12,720 --> 00:28:15,520 Speaker 3: gremlin that kind of date the film, But other than that, 596 00:28:15,560 --> 00:28:18,520 Speaker 3: the film feels kind of timeless in that way. 597 00:28:18,800 --> 00:28:21,320 Speaker 1: Yeah, I agree. Also, I have one more question for you. 598 00:28:21,359 --> 00:28:24,560 Speaker 1: What was up with inventions in the in the mid eighties. 599 00:28:24,600 --> 00:28:27,320 Speaker 1: I Mean, You've got like Pee Wee's Big Adventure. His 600 00:28:27,400 --> 00:28:31,359 Speaker 1: house is full of these these house these items that 601 00:28:31,440 --> 00:28:34,680 Speaker 1: make your life easier supposedly, right, and then the dad 602 00:28:34,720 --> 00:28:36,560 Speaker 1: has all the inventions in this movie data and the 603 00:28:36,600 --> 00:28:39,400 Speaker 1: Goonies has all of his inventions. What was up with 604 00:28:39,440 --> 00:28:39,960 Speaker 1: that back then? 605 00:28:40,040 --> 00:28:40,200 Speaker 2: Right? 606 00:28:40,240 --> 00:28:43,880 Speaker 3: And then Doc Brown with his dog Ford machine. I mean, 607 00:28:44,160 --> 00:28:48,160 Speaker 3: I don't know, we were just people loved Rube Goldberg. 608 00:28:47,680 --> 00:28:50,240 Speaker 2: Machines or something back then. I don't know, So. 609 00:28:50,560 --> 00:28:52,600 Speaker 1: I want to I want to like write an essay 610 00:28:52,680 --> 00:28:55,480 Speaker 1: or a book about the history of like eighties cinema 611 00:28:55,520 --> 00:28:57,240 Speaker 1: through the lens of like you know. 612 00:28:57,200 --> 00:29:00,600 Speaker 3: Maybe maybe though, if you think about the generation of 613 00:29:00,640 --> 00:29:04,720 Speaker 3: film directors that was coming into power at that time, 614 00:29:05,000 --> 00:29:08,360 Speaker 3: they all grew up watching those Warner Brothers cartoons which 615 00:29:08,400 --> 00:29:10,880 Speaker 3: have tons of Rube Goldberg machines and things like that, 616 00:29:11,000 --> 00:29:14,960 Speaker 3: maybe that was an homage or or kind of getting 617 00:29:15,000 --> 00:29:16,440 Speaker 3: back to something from their childhood. 618 00:29:16,800 --> 00:29:20,320 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, it could be wild. Well, listen, dude, this 619 00:29:20,400 --> 00:29:23,320 Speaker 1: has been fun. I really appreciate you jumping on mic 620 00:29:23,360 --> 00:29:26,239 Speaker 1: and talking about this movie. People. You gotta make this, 621 00:29:26,880 --> 00:29:28,720 Speaker 1: Make this one of your one of your Christmas movies 622 00:29:28,760 --> 00:29:31,120 Speaker 1: you watch check out the Holidays because it's it's so 623 00:29:31,320 --> 00:29:31,840 Speaker 1: damn good. 624 00:29:32,040 --> 00:29:33,200 Speaker 2: Absolutely all right. 625 00:29:33,560 --> 00:29:37,760 Speaker 1: We will see you guys next week here in Hollywood Land. 626 00:29:38,040 --> 00:29:39,600 Speaker 1: Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas.