The Masterful Mischief of Gremlins 2
Only in Hollywood: "In the commentary on the Gremlins 2 DVD, which has been ported over to its Blu-ray (out this week), [director Joe] Dante calls Gremlins 2 'one of the more unconventional studio pictures ever. And if it weren't for the fact that the studio was in dire need of another one of these movies to put into the cans and send to the theaters, I can't conceive of us getting away with this.' He took advantage of that dire need by taking the piss. On that same commentary, [producer Michael] Finnell recalls Warner Bros. head Terry Semel telling them, 'Just come up with something. Whatever you want. It doesn't matter. Between 90 minutes and two hours, call it Gremlins 2, and we'll make it.'" [Gawker]
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And about time that someone came out for it. Gremlins 2 is a waaaay underrated parody of its own predecessor - with a wide range of humour, all of it good-natured. Folks comparing it to the "Movie" series (Date Movie, Epic Movie etc) are way off; it's much better than that. And you've gotta love John Glover as "Donald Clamp" - he read the tone of the movie perfectly and hit all the right notes. "Has anyone ever talked to you about merchandising?"
[Kate pulls the fire alarm]
Speaker Voice: Fire! The untamed element! Giver of warmth! Destroyer of forests! Right now, this building is on fire! Leave the building! Reenact the age-old drama of self-preservation!
I went to see Gremlins 2 at the theater twice in the summer of 1990 (and what a great summer it was for movies). The second time I only saw half the movie. I'd sneaked in with a friend and we had to make a quick exit out of the fire doors.