{"id":11278,"date":"2014-05-28T22:19:22","date_gmt":"2014-05-29T04:19:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bmovienation.com\/?p=11278"},"modified":"2014-05-28T22:19:22","modified_gmt":"2014-05-29T04:19:22","slug":"the-gremlins-trend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bmovienation.com\/?p=11278","title":{"rendered":"The Gremlins Trend"},"content":{"rendered":"

There\u2019s no better sign of success for a horror movie than it inspiring multiple shameless rip-offs. By that measure, the creature feature Gremlins<\/em>, which came out 30 years ago next month, ranks among the greatest scary movies of all time.<\/p>\n

The Steven Spielberg-produced horror story follows a small-town teenager who lands a cute, furry critter named Gizmo as a pet, only to discover that his sweet new pal hatches evil green monsters when three key rules are broken. (As, of course, they are. Early and often.) Gremlins<\/em> made almost $150 million at the box office and studios immediately saw a blueprint for box-office gold, rushing out their own tiny-monster movies. \u201cIt\u2019s a grand cinematic tradition,\u201d Gremlins<\/em> director Joe Dante tells Yahoo Movies. \u201cI started my career with a rip-off \u2014 Piranha<\/em>, which was a rip-off of Jaws<\/em>. So I don\u2019t have much street cred to complain about people ripping me off.\u201d While the Gremlins<\/em>‘ thirtieth birthday is grounds for celebration, it’s also a good opportunity to pay homage to every Ghoulie, Troll, and Hobgoblin that followed in its wake. Here’s our roundup of the imitators, with commentary from Dante and a special Gizmo rating of how well they transcended the charade.<\/p>\n

Ghoulies<\/em> (1985)<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Creature:<\/strong> Ancient demons \u2014 some bald, some hairy, all gross.
\nThe Story:<\/strong> After performing a ritual in his creepy basement, a man becomes possessed by a powerful force that gives him control over a handful of hideous monsters.
\nRip-off Rating: <\/strong>2 out of 5 Gizmos. Empire Pictures couldn\u2019t even wait a full year to offer up the first in a long line of Gremlins<\/em> Xeroxes. Though producer Charles Band began developing his pint-sized demon flick before Gremlins<\/em> hit theaters, Ghoulies<\/em>\u2019 quick arrival and low production values made it look every part the knock-off. And it certainly has some leftover Gremlins<\/em> glow to thank for its $35 million box office gross.
\nDante says:<\/strong> \u201cPretty low budget and low rent in a lot of ways.\u201d<\/p>\n

Critters <\/em>(1986)<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Creature: