American exceptionalism and ‘little green men.’
If something goes wrong, it must be a supernatural power beyond a western country’s control. It must be some kind of force of nature, right? It can’t be predictable social decay following self-serving greed and gluttony, or that institutions fail to protect and serve us or keep a balance over the financial make-up of a community, especially not when there is a more pressing need for a real estate mogul to threaten the life of a dog.
What good is the best American product when it can kill you all the same. What good is innovation for beside conning people with stuff no one asked, that breaks and causes friction when what said innovation wants to solve is a solved problem? What good is the news when it omits and twists a story to soothe that sense of normalcy we’re supposed to act as if it isn’t going to kill a bunch of us eventually.
It all boils over into the gremlins letting loose and dishing poetic justice to those of their ilk while causing even more untold harm, costing innocent lives and necessitating destruction of spaces that provide us the greatest respite for our souls.
None of that survives the light of day though nor the power of a camera. Literally. Art, teamwork, newfound empathy, and the most basic but most generously giving building block of nature give us far more powerful collectively than that which hungers for resources, empty amusement, and power. The ones who terrorize us all have only two goals at the end of the day: to multiply their own to rule beyond and wield violence to get their way and maintain it. And they will not stop unless they are stopped.
Don’t forget, more importantly, to reorganize society anew to prevent the incentive, conditions or draw for the ‘Gremlins’ to feast upon and delight in our communal decay.
Also the sequel is a contender for greatest film of all time. ókei bæ!
PS: Some of the stunts in this look so damn dangerous that it makes me wonder if Spielberg was given a literal get-out-of-jail-free card with The Twilight Zone movie , since both are his productions and some shots and stunts in this involve the actual actors in scenarios people today wouldn’t dare to even pitch.
PPS: The name Chris in Chris Columbus’ name is an abbreviation for Christmas, as he has been involved with numerous Holiday-themed films. Let’s count the ways for funsies: Gremlins, The Christmas Chronicles movies, Rent, Christmas Vacation (which he quit, as any sane person working with Chevy Chase would), Home Alone, Christmas with the Cranks, Jingle All The Way and prob more
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