Gremlins

1984's Gremlins is an interesting blend of horror and comedy which doesn't readily fit into either of those categories.  I consider it a comedy, but a lot of the humor is too dark for some; it has scenes of little creatures getting diced up and nuked in the microwave, but it's probably not going to keep you awake with nightmares.  It's the perfect blend of evil and cute, in other words, the movie equivalent of me.

Rand Peltzer (Hoyt Axton), an inventor whose inventions never quite work out the way they're supposed to, is on the hunt for that perfect Christmas present for his son Billy (Zach Galligan). He makes a deal with an antique store owner's (Keye Luke) grandson and leaves with a Mogwai, a cute little furry pet who looks like a Furby.

All is happy and well when Gizmo is introduced to the Peltzer household, that is until the three cardinal rules of Mogwai care -- keep him away from bright lights, don't get him wet, and never feed him after midnight -- are broken.  Things get really bad when Billy's friend (Corey Feldman) spills water on Gizmo, causing a bunch of Mogwai to pop out of Gizmo's back.  These new guys are different from Gizmo and deceive Billy into feeding them after midnight, causing them to go into a pupal stage from which they emerge feral Mogwai.

And these critters are bent on destruction. Stringing family dog Barney up with Christmas lights is nothing compared to plowing down the local nutcase who's insisted that there are gremlins in the machinery.  Or getting revenge on the teacher who took a blood sample from one of the critters by sticking a needle in a choice place.  That's one of my favorite things about this film -- there are so many deaths, but none of them feel scary; they're so appropriate and twisted that you just have to laugh.  Same goes for Billy's romantic interest Kate (Phoebe Cates), who relates to Billy how she stopped believing in Santa with a tale that's disturbing yet funny.

Now, Gremlins is not quite a perfect film.  There are some plot holes (if water spawns gremlins, why can they run through snow without multiplying?), and the majority of the actors are outshone by a group of animated creatures.  But it's easy to ignore these faults when you get to see the gremlins watching and singing along to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs or terrorizing the townspeople, including the local DJ ("You're not a Rockin' Ricky fan!").  Of course, a lot of the humor is dark, and there is quite a bit of violence (particularly the gremlin deaths), making its marketing as a kids' movie questionable, but it's an excellent film for anyone who likes the idea of a completely warped, evil version of It's a Wonderful Life.