ROTTEN TOMATOES: Ho-ho-horror! 10 Scary Christmas Movies Featuring GREMLINS!

Heyas all!

This is a very unique video featuring some original puppetry for the Gremlins 2 NES Video game.

I apologize if the Video Vault has been running slowly as of late, in the near future I plan on splitting the Video Vault into sections to speed up the load time on those pages, as well as aid in organization.

In the meantime check out this video!

• Gremlins 2 NES Industry Promotional Video (Official)
  This is a quite rare promotional video that was given to potential retailers and vendors for the NES Gremlins 2 video game. This type of promo video is actually quite common in many industries, especially the video game market. The biggest difference is the distribution method, this video was originally a videocassette mailed out with the flyer shown at 1:35, whereas most companies simply host a video on their website and then send an email out to prospective retailers or vendors telling them where to find it.
  Very nice find by Sacha Feiner!
  

Just a heads up for those who aren’t interested in any of the Football games on TV right now, Gremlins is playing RIGHT NOW on WGN America!

It will be playing again on October 28th at 7pm Central Standard Time.

Great Halloween movie, but it is always an even better Christmas movie! Look for it showing on your TV this winter as well!

“Gremlins” To Hit Blu-Ray In Target-Exclusive Release | AHN

Posted using ShareThis

There has been a lot of rumors and discussion regarding Gremlins 3 actually being a remake or reboot instead of a sequel, and looking at the current Hollywood climate, it sure seems likely, but why?

Logically a remake would attract more theatregoers than Gremlins 3 would.
Fans of the gremlins franchise will see anything Gremlins in the theatre, be it Gremlins 3 or a remake/reboot. So those are guaranteed customers and do not factor in to the math.

However, as it has been nearly 20 years since we have last seen Gremlins in any form (commercials, games,  and DVD releases not withstanding) there is an entire generation of potential ticket sales that have never even seen Gremlins in the media.  Those customers are unlikely to see a sequel to a movie they never have seen before. Sure some might rent the previous films but they frankly do not have the legacy that other long-dormant movie franchises (like Ghostbusters) do.

Let’s try it this way:

Say there are a million people who are guaranteed ticket sales. They love the previous movies, and would absolutely see a new one in the theatre, regardless of it being a reboot or sequel.

Remake: 1 Million
Sequel: 1 Million

Now let’s take the rest of the moviegoing poulation, and pretend it is 10 million more people. They are undecided.

Undecided: 10m
Remake: 1m
Sequel: 1m

Of that 10m undecided a good number are going to be under the age of 18, as most people who make up the bulk of ticket sales are youth. Let’s number them at 7 Million.

Undecided Adults: 3m
Undecided Youth: 7m
Remake: 1m
Sequel: 1m

Here is where we diverge.

(more after the jump!)
You can still assume healthy ticket sales for a sequel since those adults that are undecided on what movie to see this week are at the very least aware of Gremlins in a general sense. But there is a major catch here. Not all of those adults will want to see Gremlins 3, for whatever reason, be it they didn’t enjoy the prior movies, or simply lost interest in the franchise over the years. That 3 million people will split into a much smaller number at least three ways and we may see something like this:

Undecided Adults: 1m
Lost Adults: 1m
Undecided Youth: 7m
Remake: 1.5m
Sequel: 1.5m

Most people who are undecided on a film will end up simply not going at all rather than spend 10$ a ticket on a gamble, hence the Lost Adults figure being so high.
Let’s take a look at the youth now.
Most of the under 18 crowd will be uninterested in a movie that hasn’t been touched or hyped in 20 years, unless they have older brothers/sisters that have an interest in the franchise. There have been no high profile video games, books, comics, cards, board games or toys in at least 15 years. While some may dig the “retro 80’s” scene, the vast majority are going to pass a sequel for a movie they haven’t seen up before giving it a shot.

Undecided Adults: 1m
Lost Adults: 1m
Undecided Youth: 5.5m
Remake: 1.5m
Sequel: 3m

Let’s try adding in the possibilty of a remake again. A remake is an interesting beast. While you will lose a percentage of hardcore devotees, it is nearly insignificant as most people who were fans of the film that is being remade will see it simply to see what they think will be a train wreck, and confirm their opinions.The thing to remember is that a remake will also bring in new younger fans and people on “date nights” that might otherwise be turned off to the concept of a sequel.

Undecided Adults: 0
Lost Adults: 1m

Undecided Youth: 0
Lost Youth:1.5m
Remake: 6.5m
Sequel: 3m

So we have a guesstimate total of 9.5 million people going to see a gremlins movie from a sample of 12 million people. Pretty nice, but we aren’t done yet.
This is what the studios look at. They don’t want to make a movie that only 25% of potential (read: those that aren’t in the “Lost” category) customers will pay to see. They want to get every one of  them they can. Our logic here also assumes that there are two films showing at the same time, one remake, one sequel. As we know that doesn’t happen, why would a studio invest in what is a clear loss of potential sales? They know that there is money in both a remake and sequel, but if only 25% of potential customers or less will come see it, they will just throw it on DVD for a fraction of the cost and take what they can get rather than go for a full theatrical release.

This brings us to the studio’s likely reasoning to consider a remake.

Let’s look at some factors.

• We are dealing with a 25 year old franchise that has had little exposure in 15 years or more.
• The original film’s cast and crew, while phenomenal in their performances are really not household names and will not draw people to a theatre
• The issues associated with a sequel and the continuity set forth, could hamper creative new ideas for the film.
• The money in merchandising Gremlins is not what it was in the 80’s.

A sequel would limit the film to those that are aware of the previous movies, and the only way to re-ignite the interest is re-release the originals (as is being done with Toy Story)

So it looks like a sequel is a bad idea on paper. Remember the goal of the movies is to sell tickets, then DVDs later on, so they don’t want to take risks on something that could be a poor seller.

A remake, however, has the potential to attract ALL the aforementioned possible customers. The people who would give the sequel a shot would probably try out a remake in hopes that it leads to a great franchise, and more interesting Gremlins stories or merchandise.The studios know this and I think in the end they look at it like this:

If there is a sequel, it will be direct to DVD
If there is a remake/reboot it will be a major theatrical release.

While I am sure many of you are unhappy to consider the concept of a direct-to-dvd sequel, the reality is Gremlins is not Ghostbusters.

How many people who saw The Hills Have Eyes or The Last House On The Left knew that they were both based on older films? While people know about Friday the 13th, Halloween and Nightmare On Elm Street, they are all seen as stupid 80s slasher flicks, or “corny”, “campy” or whatnot. They were not taken seriously. The remakes and reboots are an attempt at regaining the interest that was once there but from a new generation. For the most part, both Halloween and F13 have succeeded at this.
Granted, there are many remakes that have bombed horrendously, The Mist, Planet Of The Apes, Godzilla, and too many more to name.
The remake trend seems to be continuing with a Karate Kid reboot, Neverending Story remake and a few others in the pipeline.

The beauty of a remake is it entices new viewers into becoming fans, who then often gain an interest in the older films, spurring additional revenue in rentals/purchases. It also courts the old fans into spending money in the theatre, so the potential for profit is immensely larger than a sequel.

What are your thoughts? What are your reasonings behind your support of a sequel or remake?

A few new additions to the Video Vault today, thanks to Lucifer Sam, including his own contribution featuring his incredible drumming abilities taking on the Gremlins Rag! Check them out, and tell us what you think!

• Hot Cold Sodas and Cold Hot Popcorn (Fan Made Video)
  This is a clever fan-made video featuring the Hulkster in a techno remix with a bunch of Gremlins 2 clips, reinventing Hulk Hogan’s famous cameo in Gremlins 2: The New Batch. After a few viewings this track actually gets in your head pretty nicely. Thanks to Lucifer Sam for the heads up!
  

• Michael Winslow Gremlin Prank Phone Call  (Live Stand Up Clip)
  The legendary man of a thousand voices (and even more sound effects) Michael Winslow in a stand up clip where he describes a prank phone call where he decides to be a Gremlin. Very hilarious clip! However, he claims he was Stripe in the movie Gremlins, but the credits claim that Stripe’s voice was done by Frank Welker. Possible mistake on Winslow’s part? or is there more to the story? Stay tuned! Thanks to Lucifer Sam for this great clip!
  

• Lucifer Sam Gremlins Drum Demo (Fan Made Video)
  Here, one of our regular readers, Lucifer Sam shows off his drumming skills by playing the surprisingly complex Gremlins Rag from the original Gremlins film! Quite an impressive display of drumming talent, and worth a viewing! More from Lucifer Sam can be found at his YouTube page.
  http://www.youtube.com/user/lucifersam01

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXD1Do0enZE]

Not much to post news-wise lately, so I figure I might just plug my store’s selection of Gremlins T-Shirts!

http://search.ultimatetshirts.com/search?x=0&y=0&keywords=gremlins

We have some great deals, and we are always keeping an eye out for awesome new Gremlins designs to offer you in the future!

Check out our site and tell them Jypsy sent ya!

Hopefully there will be some new Gremlins news in the near future, until then, Don’t feed them after midnight!!

Jypsy

While viewing Gremlins with a good friend who had not seen the film in its entirety before….(And still hasn’t, so if you are reading this, we need to set a date for the second half! bwahahah) I noticed that during the scene in which Billy takes Pete to his room to meet Gizmo, there is a rolled-up Twilight Zone: The Movie poster in the corner!

For those that are unaware of Twilight Zone: The Movie, it release in 1983, and contained a remade segment of “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet”. This was the story of a man afraid to fly who was played by John Lithgow in the film, and William Shatner in the original 1963 Twilight Zone episode.

The man quickly becomes terrified of the Gremlin he sees on the wing of the plane, which he believes will cause the plane to crash.

The short tale is one of the most famous Twilight Zone episodes and movie segments, so the poster’s appearance is yet another subtle “Gremlins” reference within the movie, chalked right up there with malfunctioning machinery, and an AMC gremlin appearing in the film’s introduction.

Another neat little connection, is the legendary Dick Miller (Mr. Murray Futterman in Gremlins) makes an appearance in another segment in Twilight Zone: The Movie

For those interested in checking out the original 1963 episode, here is the episode on youtube

Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFE-yMMWCvc
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYTOzbRBphw

The movie version with a genuinely creepy Gremlin creature….

Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwEclI_ffOA

So there you go!

Soon there will be a report of how it was to introduce Gremlins to my friend….and how long she can tolerate watching for every little detail that fascinates me with the movie. That would make her pretty awesome to be able to enjoy the movie while I point out neat trivia all over the place.

Finally, as always be sure to vote on MovieMob for a good friend of Gremlins Online: Andre Meadows! He has brought Gizmo on to the show with him a few times and is never afraid to show how awesome of a Gremlins fan he is. Keep up the great work Andre, and we always want to see more Gangsta Gizmo!

http://www.reelzchannel.com/moviemob

Check it out here folks!

http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/16031

…Dante believes GREMLINS 3 will happen one of these days, whether he’s involved or not. “I find it hard to believe that they won’t make a GREMLINS 3 because they’re remaking ADVENTURES IN BABYSITTING. I mean, they’re gonna remake everything.“

Great new info regarding the delayed 25th Anniversary release of Gremlins on Blu-Ray and why it may not featuring Sacha Feiner’s Fan made sequences! Let’s hope everything gets worked out so more can share in Sacha’s talent!

Keep posted here for new info as it becomes available!!

Heyas all!
For those interested, if you get the Cable station G4, Gremlins is now playing as part of their “Movies That Don’t Suck” series.