Gremlins 1984

The backdrop of a picturesque snow-covered town at Christmas offers maximum potential for villainous amusement, and the Gremlins don't miss a trick. They're obviously film buffs, and take great delight in poking fun at some of the classic fare we can expect to see on Christmas TV. Just hope that you don't find any Gizmos under the tree. Full review.

At the level of Serious Film Criticism, it's a meditation on the myths in our movies: Christmas, families, monsters, retail stores, movies, boogeymen. At the level of Pop Moviegoing, it's a sophisticated, witty B movie, in which the monsters are devouring not only the defenseless town, but decades of defenseless clichés. But don't go if you still believe in Santa Claus. Full review.

Without giving away too much, suffice to say the creature spawns a townful of evil, snarling, drooling, maniacal killer-creatures who are bound to cause a lot of woe before their predictable downfall. Full review.