Joe Dante's horror-comedy Gremlins is one of the 1980s' most seminal films. It strikes the perfect combination of big laughs and scares, making it one of the few films that entertains both adults and kids in equal measure. Its legacy has endured for over forty years, not only as a perennial favorite Christmas movie, but also through a sequel, toys, a recent animated Max spin-off called Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, and a place in cinematic history as one of the films that led to the creation of the PG-13 rating.

Gremlins follows Billy Peltzer, who receives the world's strangest Christmas gift — Gizmo, a furry creature called a Mogwai that comes with very specific instructions. Naturally, Billy ignores the rules, unleashing chaos as Gizmo spawns into other, more sadistic Mogwai who wreak havoc on Billy's town. One of the main reasons why Gremlins works so well is simple; Gizmo,...