The Trailblazing Tonal Shift of Gremlins – Film School Rejects

Welcome to The Queue your daily distraction of curated video content sourced from across the web. Today, were watching a video on how Gremlins set a precedent for tonal shifts in horror-comedy.

There are few films that can walk the tightrope of being a horror-comedy, let alone a horror-comedy thats actually horrifying. Which is to say nothing of the niche cool kids club of grisly genre blends that see fit to throw Christmas into the mix. Among which, it goes without saying, Joe Dantes Gremlins reigns supreme.

In case this devious festive classic has missed you, heres the gist: Billy, our intrepid teen hero, receives a somewhat unconventional pet, which he names Gizmo, as an early Christmas present. Gizmo comes with several specific, albeit simple rules. Namely: dont get him wet and dont feed them after midnight. Naturally, Gizmo gets wet, spawning progeny who then trick Billy into feeding them after midnight, transforming them into murderous, mayhem-loving monsters.

As the video essay below explains, Gremlins yuletide setting is no accident. It provides some darkly humorous context for the gremlins gluttony and celebratory gait. But, more importantly, the holiday spirit helps the film walk the line of its mid-point tonal shift from family fare to outright horror. In the warm glow of Christmas lights, Gremlins manages to frame its festive frights as joyful rather than sinister. A delightful perversion that, to be honest, probably upset parents a lot more than the second act horror elements themselves.

Ultimately, its a lesson other horror-comedies could stand to learn from: If youre going pull a tonal one-eighty, you have to have a good reason for doing so.

Watch The Art of GREMLINS: How Comedy & Horror Work Together:

This video is byRyan Hollinger, a Northern Irish video essayist who specializes in horror films. Hollingers analysis usually takes the shape of a personal retrospective. Indulging in a healthy dose of nostalgia, Hollingers videos are contagiously endearing, entertaining, and informative. You can also check out Hollingers podcast The Carryout on SoundCloudhere. And you can subscribe to Hollingers YouTube accounthere.

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The Trailblazing Tonal Shift of Gremlins - Film School Rejects

Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero