NG5 Arnold Dec/Jan 2022

GREMLINS
One of the most beloved Christmas movies,
involving cartoony violence and blenders,
Gremlins can be considered a project that strings
together many different fairy tale tropes into
one puppet-working package. A father buys an
odd animal from a mysterious shop as a gift to
his son, with the warning to never feed it after
midnight. After it reproduces and outwits the
family into a late-night feasting, the expressive
little creatures’ childish hunger turns into a
gleeful bloodbath, as they menace the local
sleepy town. Admittedly, the film may seem a
tad dated and childish with its cosy acting and
its abundance of harmless cliches, but this adds
to the film’s feel of a parodic take on a traditional
children’s Christmas movie formula.
If there’s anything worth praising, it’s director
Joe Dante’s creative decision for the Gremlins
themselves after their midnight snack. Their
colourful personalities remain entertaining to this
day. They’re bloodthirsty in a rather-contrastingly
childish and comedic way, like singing carols in
front of an old woman’s house before plotting
her explosive end. While Gremlins may seem
a little stale to older viewers, with its flat main
characters and overplayed cutesiness of the main
creatures, small bursts of morbid charm scattered
throughout its run makes it an entertaining ride.
Writer: George Neal
6/10
ARTHUR
CHRISTMAS
Over the years, I have watched Arthur
Christmas many times. Not only does
it always exceed my, admittedly, very
nostalgic view of it, but I’m always shocked
by how well it holds up every year. The
small gags and jokes hit even harder upon
every rewatch. It has an enduring charm
that truly captivates me as it perfectly
captures a very optimistic world view and
perspective on Christmas that can cheer
anybody up. Where a lot of animated
films feel like they pander to younger
audiences, Arthur Christmas is a film for
people of all ages, as its message and
heart is something that isn’t limited to
children of a young age. It has one of the
most endearing main characters of any
animated film I’ve seen, as he perfectly
encapsulates this giddy sense of optimism
that clashes well with a much more
grounded depiction of how people view
the festive season. Give this a watch if
you haven’t, it’s easily one of my favourite
Christmas films!
Writer: Sam Leary
8/10