Music like Gizmo

Gremlins is a 1984 American comedy horror film written by Chris Columbus and directed by Joe Dante. The story follows a young man who receives a strange creature called a mogwai as a pet, which then spawns other creatures who transform into small, destructive, evil monsters. It draws on legends of folkloric mischievous creatures that caused malfunctions — "gremlins" — in the British Royal Air Force going back to World War II. The film stars Zach Galligan and Phoebe Cates, with Howie Mandel providing the voice of Gizmo, the main mogwai character. Steven Spielberg was the film's executive producer, with the film being produced by Michael Finnell and released by Warner Bros.

It was followed by a sequel, Gremlins 2: The New Batch, in 1990. Unlike the more satirical tone of the sequel (which parodies Hollywood sequels), Gremlins opts for more black comedy, balanced against a Christmas time setting. Both films were the center of large merchandising campaigns.