Gremlins

By Alex Haworth

A great movie choice for the months between Halloween and Christmas, “Gremlins” makes for the perfect seasonal movie without attaching itself too strongly to any particular holiday. The film, from director Joe Dante, follows Billy Peltzer (Zach Galligan) after he receives a mogwai  (a small, fluffy and magical creature) named Gizmo as a gift. However, Gizmo comes with a strict set of rules: no water, no bright, no food after midnight. When broken, these rules unleash mayhem into the town as gremlins start destroying everything in their path.

“Gremlins” is an odd mix of fantasy, comedy and horror, but the combination works out well. Comedic moments lighten the horror movie mood, and the small, fluffy Gizmo makes the movie a bit more light-hearted. The film still falls victim to classic tropes which take away some of the movie’s legitimacy: Peltzer’s romance with his girlfriend Kate Beringer (Phoebe Cates) comes off as forced, and her emotional revelation while hiding from gremlins seems ill-placed and almost humorous. Additionally, the movie enforces negative stereotypes, such as the only Asian character having no personality aside from being Asian.

Despite its flaws, “Gremlins” is still a fun-filled holiday movie which can be enjoyed by people of most ages. The elements of a horror movie eventually give way to a more heart-warming resolution. The fun soundtrack, comedic moments and wintery setting make for a movie that’s sure to bring cheer to viewers looking for the right movie to watch for the holidays. 4/5

(Scroll down to watch trailer)

The Nightmare Before Christmas

By Kyle Bender

This Oscar and Golden Globe-nominated film is perfect for the holidays, or anytime of the year. Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas” captures both the spirits of Halloween and Christmas in one jolly fright fest. Burton’s famous story- writing and world building is in no shortage in this film as it models just what would happen if Christmas were a little bit more spooky.

“The Nightmare Before Christmas” follows the story of Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King (Chris Sarandon) with Danny Elfman singing the musical portions. The film follows Skellington and his need to find something more interesting outside of his unfulfilling, Halloween focused life. After one fairly successful Halloween celebration, Skellington travels out of Halloween Town in a depressive state and wanders into a forest that hold portals to the various holiday towns. Skellington travels to the North Pole after his eye is caught by a Christmas tree shaped portal. The rest of the film follows Skellington’s efforts to turn Christmas into the freakiest holiday ever,  stealing Santa’s place and possibly ruining Christmas forever.

Given the claymation style and the whimsical story, “The Nightmare before Christmas” is a classic movie for all ages to enjoy. The creepy animation style and the even more creepy characters give something for horror-lovers to enjoy and horror-haters to squirm at. “The Nightmare before Christmas” is a classic holidays movie for anyone to enjoy, any time of the year.

(Scroll down to watch trailer)