Joe Dante's irreverent horror-comedy GREMLINS was a surprise success in the summer of 1984. Then, despite many failed starts and a hesitant Dante, the director eventually returned to helm the zany, LOONEY TUNES-esque sequel GREMLINS 2: THE NEW BATCH. While a box-office flop when it was released in 1990, it has since gained considerable cult status – and regarded by many as possibly even better than the original – due to its irreverent and metatextual tone.
Now Consequence of Sound has compiled an oral history of the film, with some nice tidbits, such as how desperate Warner Bros. was for a sequel after the success of the original:
DANTE: They said, “We really, really want a sequel to Gremlins. We want it for this summer. And if you’ll do it, we’ll let you do whatever you want. As long as it has Gremlins in it, you can do it.” And that’s not an offer that you very often get. I’ve certainly never had it before or since. And enough times had passed that the technology had improved. So, the possibilities were expanded from what was possible to do with the first film — and so Mike Finnell and I agreed to go ahead and develop a sequel.
And the infamous scene between actor Robert Picardo and the female Gremlin:
PICARDO: That last scene, we did probably nine takes or 12 takes of that last shot. And the one that’s in the movie, I remember it distinctly because it was the kinkiest one I did, the kind of Aw what the hell look. The crew laughed and Joe said, “You expect me to print that?” Meaning it was so weird or disgusting. And then, of course, that’s the one that’s in the movie.
Again, you can read the whole oral history here.
So what do you guys think? Fans of the GREMLINS sequel? Either way, sound off below!
Meanwhile, here's the official synopsis:
The magical collectibles store that Gizmo calls home has just been destroyed, and the tiny monster finds his way into a newly erected skyscraper. Billy Peltzer (Zach Galligan) and his bride-to-be, Kate (Phoebe Cates), who have previously dealt with Gremlins run amok, discover that Gizmo and an impish legion of reptilian pals are inhabiting the downtown building. The couple tries to stop the creatures from escaping into New York City, but this new batch of beasts might be uncontrollable.
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