31 Days of
Drafts and Darkness: VOL 2!
"Gremlins 2: The New Batch" (1990)
Can you believe that "Gremlins" is 30 years old?
The film was released in 1984, the year before I was born, and is still
considered a "holiday" classic. I put the word holiday in quotes
because, while the film does take place during Christmas, it's tone is far more
creepy than cheerful.
Though fondly remembered, "Gremlins" is seldom
given credit for how damn effectively it blended horror and comedy. Nowadays,
there are enough comedic horrors and horrific comedies that we don't think it
anything noteworthy. But in 1984, how many other films had been released up to
that point which pulled off such a blend of two seemingly-polar genres?
I'll talk about the original in more detail another day.
Tonight, my sights are focused on the sequel. "Gremlins" mixture of
scary-to-funny was about 50/50, with about equal parts scares and
goofiness. The film is dark, but finds a twisted glee in its macabre mentality.
Sure they're monsters, but they're having such fun.
"Gremlins 2: The New Batch" tones down the horror
and revs up the comedy factor. You might think this hurts the film, but you'd
be wrong. Instead, the sequel decides to embrace the absurdity of the concept
and make it as insane as possible. In place of raw scares, we get mad-scientist
level creativity and some sharp satire.
Plot:
"Gremlins" concluded with our teenage heroes
Billy Pletzer and Kate Beringer saving their small town from an invasion.
You see, Billy wandered into a mysterious antiques shop and therein was gifted
quite the exotic pet. Looking like a cross between a teddy bear and fruit bat, the
little critter is a Mogwai, mystical and near-extinct. Billy
happily accepts his new pet, "Gizmo", but is given a grave warning by
the shop owner. Taking care of Mogwai involve three very important rules.
Firstly, Mogwai hate direct sunlight. It'll actually kill
them if they're exposed for too long. Secondly, Mogwai reproduce via contact
with water. When they get wet, they'll actually spawn little Mogwai from wherever
the water landed. Finally, and most importantly, do not let a Mogwai eat after midnight. It
takes them from cute and cuddly to monster. It's where Gremlins come from.
"Gremlins 2" picks up years later in New York. Billy and Kate are now young adults trying to make careers for themselves
in the big city. Both work at Clamp Towers, a monstrous skyscraper that
houses a media empire. Everything in the building is new. High tech.
"Better".
All the more satisfying for the Gremlins to trash.
Soon into our
story, little Gizmo meets up with our heroes yet again, and try as they might,
he gets wet. Out pops a trio of new Mogwai. It should be noted that Gizmo's
kind-heart is a rarity among his species. Most of them are devilish tricksters.
Quickly escaping, the new pack of Mogwai soon chows-down past the witching hour
and start a whole new brood of nasty, reptilian Gremlins.
They're confined to a skyscraper for now, but if they manage
to escape, they'll be no stopping them.
The Flavor:
"Gremlins 2" is classified as comedy/horror, but
I'd like the add 'meta' to that
description. There are fewer films that are more self-aware, self-mocking, and forth-wall
breaking as "New Batch". Set in a massive, modern TV studio, the
little monsters find all sorts of creative ways to wreck havoc. Don't be
surprised to see numerous Gremlins wink at the camera or even damage the film stock.
The sequel even goes so far to make fun of one of the most disturbing scenes
from the first movie.
Because Clamp Towers is supposed to be all neo and modern,
the filmmakers just decided to throw whatever resources they wanted into it. So
alongside all the sets and props, there just so happens to be a genetics lab.
Gremlins aren't known for their forethought, so they chug all the colorful
vials of experimental liquid they can get their hands on. What results are some
seriously cool mutations.
As a creature feature, "Gremlins 2" really brings
it up a notch. The first film had more genuine scares while the sequel decides
to make some of the most funky and out-there Gremlin variations it can think
of. We get spider-Gremlins, bat-Gremlins, hyper-intelligent Gremlins. Hell,
there's even one made of pure electricity that gets to fry Christopher Lee! All
the effects and puppetry are phenomenal and really bring the creatures to life.
Despite whatever twisted form they take, though, these
Gremlins are still the same old pranksters at heart. Granted, their idea of
funny often involves widespread damage. But the dark glee they take out of
their handiwork is undeniably hilarious. The Gremlins aren't really malicious
creatures. They're just pure chaos, having fun with no thought to the
consequences.
For its over-caffeinated and ADD-addled attitude, it's
almost impossible not to have fun with this film. Just roll with the insanity.
Best Paired With:
I could recommend "Gremlins 2: The New Batch" as a
Halloween film based on pure creature effects alone. There are just so damn
many neat monsters to watch. But the film's tone is also worth mentioning. Walk
into "Gremlins 2: The New Batch" expecting anything. You never know
what warped direction the film and its own Gremlin-evolutionary path will take.
There are a few scares scattered throughout, but the overall tone is goofy mayhem.
The Gremlin's ultimate fate is rather gross, so bear that in
mind if you sit down to watch "Gremlins 2" with your family, but for
the most part, the film is tame. Unlike the original, this film decides to take
all the creature-feature conventions and have fun with them rather than scare
you.
Accompanying Brew:
Okay, let's lighten things up a bit. Tonight's film is more
fun than frightening, so I'll recommend a beer that's light and goes down easy,
yet still has all the seasonal vibe.
Name: Harvest Pumpkin Ale
Brewery: Blue Moon
Where Brewed: Golden, CO
ABV: 5.7%
Style: Pumpkin Ale
Color: A rich, deep
orange. Reminds me of a crackling fire.
Aroma: The usual pumpkin spices - cinnamon, nutmeg, clove -
are all present and very noticeable. They're at the front of each sniff. Behind
the spices is a nutty aroma that calls to mind the wheat contained in this ale.
Taste: The malt character is present, but mellow. The added
wheat provides nutty complexity to go along with the malts, mild as they are.
Like with many pumpkin beers, the array of Fall spices takes center stage,
here. The more restrained malt flavor means the spices have more zing. There's
a slight hop background that appears middle-to-late into each sip.
That tames down the intensity of the spices. I'm also aware of a mild tart
taste late into each sip. This isn't the first time I've picked this up with
pumpkin ales. Perhaps it's the pumpkin, itself?
Aftertaste: Potently flavorful, the spices stay with you
longest. They cling to the back of the tongue, so with each breath in you take,
the taste of cinnamon fills your mouth. The bitterness is very mild. Most of
the hop taste appears late into a sip and doesn't carry over very
strongly to the aftertaste.
Body: Very light, Blue Moon Pumpkin goes down like air. The
mild malt and hop characters make the beer very drinkable, especially if you're
not as used to heavy and/or hoppy brews.
Pair: This is more a kick-back-and-relax sort of beer than
it is a slow-sipper. I'd pair this up with any number of salty dinner entrees
like pizza, cheeseburgers, or buffalo wings.
No comments:
Post a Comment