exactly 20 year ago today gremlin open in theater across the u. s. it go on to be one of the big smash hit not only of the summer of 1984 and but of the entire year . and in my opinion and it deserve to be a hit . i remember see this movie at a movie theater with some friend of mine right after it open 20 year ago and and i say afterwards and this be go to be a huge hit . and it be . gremlin be a story that play like a darker version of steven spielberg e. t. which be funny and because it be spielberg himself who have the vision of gremlin become a movie . spielberg and along with his then collaborator frank marshall and kathleen kennedy ( the trio found the production company amblin entertainment ) and serve a executive producer of the film . spielberg get a then up and come screenwriter name chris columbus to write the script ( columbus would go on to become the director of the first two harry potter movie as well a the first two home alone picture ) and and roger corman protege joe dante to direct the picture ( dante direct 1978 piranha and a witty spoof of spielberg first smash hit jaw and and a segment of spielberg twilight zone represent the movie a year earlier ) . what they create be a movie that be great fun from start to finish . gremlin be about a young man who receive a very unusual christmas gift from his inventor father . he get a little friendly creature call a mogwai and which be as cute a a button . but there a twist . there be three rule that must be follow in care for the mogwai represent rule # 1 keep them away from light while rule # 2 don not get them wet while and rule # 3 don not fee them after midnight . when the rule get break and all hell break loose a mean spirit little monster turn everything upside down . gremlin then turn into a super duper special effect picture and with the creature create exceptionally by chris walas ( oscar winner for the makeup job on the 1986 remake of the fly ) . these monster be scary to be sure and but also very funny with some of the antic they provide . even though the special effect monster steal the show and the acting by the human actor be very good too . zach galligan make the most of his film debut a billy peltzer and the young hero who try to stop the gremlin while phoebe cates be effective a his girlfriend while the late hoyt axton be a hoot a the inept inventor father ( some of his crazy invention be hilarious and especially when the invention backfire into slapstick catastrophe ) while france lee mccain be good a the mother and housewife ( who have one big scene with the nasty critter ) while polly holliday be wickedly funny a mrs. deagle and the mean woman in town while and dante regular dick miller be a riot a mr. futterman and the nice man who always complain about hand make product be make out of foreign part . judge reinhold and corey feldman have small role a billy bank co worker and good friend and respectively and and look for a quick cameo by spielberg himself . gremlin be such a big hit in 1984 that it get re release back in theater the following year before it make it debut on video . the movie gross over $ 153 million at the box office ( combine the original 1984 release and the 1985 re release ) . and it stand alone a a great creature feature . gremlin be also imitate many time shortly afterwards . follow in it footstep come 1985 ghoulies and and 1986 troll and critter . all these movie spawn sequel of their own and and none of them come close to capture the greatness of gremlin ( although the original critter come the close while it be the only movie out of that bunch that i mildly enjoy ) . six year later come the gremlin sequel gremlin 2 represent the new batch . it wasn not as good a the original and but it still a good movie sequel . i will take gremlin 2 as well a the original gremlin over ghoulies or troll anyday . ( out of five ) .