You may not be aware of this, but back in the 1984 Warner Bros released a film that caused sleepless nights and nightmares for many people currently between the ages of 28-32. It was first advertised with a cutesy poster in newspapers and theaters, that along with a PG rating, kid friendly TV ads, and adorable dolls available at a store near you made this a sure fire hit with the younger generation. My little sister Michelle was seven at the time and was "amped", along with all her friends, about going to see this film. In fact, my mum bought her a Gizmo doll before she had even seen it.
In all due respect to my mum, it is really my fault that little Michelle saw this film, as I went to see it first and did not really see the harm in it. In fact, I found the action quite amusing and laughable. After all, I was twenty one at the time and a veteran of movies such as Scarface and Mad Max, so this one seemed tame enough.
Unfortunately, my little sister did not see it the same way I had. She and most of her friends were scared out of their wits by the evil version of the Gremlins, and had nightmares for some time after seeing the film. Melody related to me that my stepdaughter Mandy, who is about the same age as Michelle, also was eager to see the film but was traumatized by it.
Needless to say, the Gizmo doll ended up in a bag on the top shelf of the closet for a considerable period of time. My understanding is that my little sister and stepdaughter were not the only two people jolted by this flick, as during this period of time between in the early eighties there was a lack of cartoon movies coming out and kids options were very limited. As a result of this film (and several others around the same period of time) we were introduced to the PG-13 rating, which let parents know that the contents will thrill your tween and teenagers but scare the living crap out of anyone younger.
