Joe Dante’s back with insanity and more gremlins
Looking at the tonal shift between the first Gremlins film and its 1990 sequel, it’s easy to think the studio was going off the rails trying to do something new. But when you look at the output of director Joe Dante and in particular his passion for Looney Tunes antics, plus his general disregard for the idea of a sequel to the first film anyway since he was it as providing a neat-and-tidy ending, Gremlins 2: The New Batch starts making a lot more sense. Is it perfect? No, but it is a lot of fun. Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we return to our on-and-off holiday series with a chance to close out Dante’s Gremlins franchise with a discussion about Gremlins 2: The New Batch.
Here’s a hint at what we talk about.
This film is wack-a-doo. It’s got plenty of problems, particularly if you liked the first film and genuinely wanted more of it. But it’s also full of self-referential jokes, references to other films, and amazing effects work. It comments on commercialized society of the late 80s, on real estate tycoons, on need for entertainment. It’s full of things to discuss from start to finish.
The movie’s far from perfect, but allows for a ton of conversation. We both had a great time revisiting it so check it out then tune in. The Next Reel – when the movie ends, our conversation begins!
Join the conversation with movie lovers from around the world on The Next Reel’s Discord channel!
Film Sundries
Learn more about supporting The Next Reel Film Podcast through your own membership.
- Watch this on Apple or Amazon, or find other places at JustWatch
- Script PDF
- Theatrical trailer
- Poster artwork
- Flickchart
- Letterboxd
This is a member bonus episode. We’d love it if you became a member to support our show, but you’d love it because of everything you get. We have monthly member bonus episodes that only members can access. You also get monthly Flickchart re-ranking episodes, access to members-only Discord channels, and early releases for every episode. We have a special episode we release at the end of each series called Retake during which we break down our overall thoughts of the entire season. Plus, you get to vote on the movies we discuss in our members only episodes! What can we say? It pays to be a member. Learn more about supporting The Next Reel Film Podcast through your own membership — visit TruStory FM.
