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Gremlins #1
Gremlins
Eccentric inventor Rand Peltzer returns to Kingston Falls from a business trip, bringing his son Billy an extraordinary, furry little creature called Gizmo the Mogwai, a wondrous pet that transforms Billy from a mild-mannered bank teller into a hero
77 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1984
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 116 reviews
September 1, 2020
Gremlins is one of my all time favourite movies EVER and I was hesitant to read this because I thought it would spoil the movie for me. But it only gave me a new appreciation for the movie and the story that both it and the book tell. The book is absolutely phenomenal and I couldn’t have loved it more, I absolutely devoured it! I could just picture certain scenes in my head and it was such a blast to read. I think what I love about Gremlins so much is that it’s a little scary, a little silly and a little heartwarming all at once and it makes for such a perfect combination!
May 6, 2018
Gremlins is a movie that I've seen many times. Of course I have, I'm a kid of the 80s and this movie was HUGE. Like everyone else, I fell in love with Gizmo and have collected Gizmo merch/toys for years.
I might or might not be wearing my Gremlins tee right now. *whistles*
Anyway. Let's get back to this book. A book I had no idea was written. Not until I read an article about it a few months ago, which is kinda strange because when I was a kid, I went out of my way to read movie novelisations. LOL.
Hubby found a copy on ebay for me, and I couldn't wait to get stuck into it as soon as it arrived. You know, for a book published in 1984 it's in pretty good shape. This makes me happy because it's always lovely to see well-loved books.
We know how the story goes...
An adorable Mogwai lives a quiet and content existence in a store in Chinatown, but when the store owner's grandson sneaks the little creature out and sells it to a travelling salesman, the trouble begins.
Rand Peltzer takes Gizmo and gives the Mogwai to his son Billy as a Christmas present. And so we meet the residents of Kingston Falls, where Billy (with the help of young Pete) accidentally breaks all the rules essential to keeping the Mogwai from becoming something truly horrifying...
I had a total blast reading this book! It's pretty much the same as the movie, but with much more detailed insight into the characters because it's told in multiple POVs. It also focuses on the gremlin phenomenon to a much greater degree, which was really cool.
There's a lot to like about this book, but my favourite bits include the casual writing style, how different each POV is, and that both Gizmo and Stripe get a chance to tell their stories. I loved how we found out the origins of the Mogwai, who created them, why they're on Earth, why there are rules, and that whether Mogwai or Gremlin, they're highly intelligent.
I also liked Billy and Kate, and how well they worked together before and after the green terrors start their crusade. Kate was an especially smart, kind, strong and hardworking character, and this book totally conveys that. Billy is a nice shy guy who likes to do the right thing, but gets himself into trouble without intention. Pete's great as the pesky kid who sets the bad stuff rolling and then mysteriously disappears when everything goes to hell.
Yeah, this was a great book. Whether compared to the movie or not, either way the story worked for me. Actually, I think it added a deeper appreciation for the movie because the nitty-gritty details revealed in the narrative add to the experience.
I'm so glad we found a copy, because this is going on my Keeper Shelf.
I might or might not be wearing my Gremlins tee right now. *whistles*
Anyway. Let's get back to this book. A book I had no idea was written. Not until I read an article about it a few months ago, which is kinda strange because when I was a kid, I went out of my way to read movie novelisations. LOL.
Hubby found a copy on ebay for me, and I couldn't wait to get stuck into it as soon as it arrived. You know, for a book published in 1984 it's in pretty good shape. This makes me happy because it's always lovely to see well-loved books.
We know how the story goes...
An adorable Mogwai lives a quiet and content existence in a store in Chinatown, but when the store owner's grandson sneaks the little creature out and sells it to a travelling salesman, the trouble begins.
Rand Peltzer takes Gizmo and gives the Mogwai to his son Billy as a Christmas present. And so we meet the residents of Kingston Falls, where Billy (with the help of young Pete) accidentally breaks all the rules essential to keeping the Mogwai from becoming something truly horrifying...
I had a total blast reading this book! It's pretty much the same as the movie, but with much more detailed insight into the characters because it's told in multiple POVs. It also focuses on the gremlin phenomenon to a much greater degree, which was really cool.
There's a lot to like about this book, but my favourite bits include the casual writing style, how different each POV is, and that both Gizmo and Stripe get a chance to tell their stories. I loved how we found out the origins of the Mogwai, who created them, why they're on Earth, why there are rules, and that whether Mogwai or Gremlin, they're highly intelligent.
I also liked Billy and Kate, and how well they worked together before and after the green terrors start their crusade. Kate was an especially smart, kind, strong and hardworking character, and this book totally conveys that. Billy is a nice shy guy who likes to do the right thing, but gets himself into trouble without intention. Pete's great as the pesky kid who sets the bad stuff rolling and then mysteriously disappears when everything goes to hell.
Yeah, this was a great book. Whether compared to the movie or not, either way the story worked for me. Actually, I think it added a deeper appreciation for the movie because the nitty-gritty details revealed in the narrative add to the experience.
I'm so glad we found a copy, because this is going on my Keeper Shelf.
May 16, 2025
Little known fact: I kinda dig novelizations. Now, I realize most of them are crap. They are, generally, just rewritten screenplays into novel form. Occasionally, the author may add some creative flourishes, but they are essentially stories that someone else wrote. The best thing a novelization can do, in my opinion, is make one want to watch the movie again. This is the whole marketing concept behind novelizations.
Occasionally, a novelization can be cleverly-written and memorable on its own. Alan Dean Foster, the Father of Novelizations (not an official title, btw), has written dozens of them, many of which are actually decent.
I remember reading George Gipe's novelization of the film "Gremlins" years ago, probably when the film came out (1984), and I'm beating myself up for not still owning the paperback copy, so I can re-read it and give it to my daughter. My daughter just discovered the film, and it is now one of her favorites.
The book didn't deviate from the film's story, of course, but I remember that Gipe included several chapters which alluded to an extraterrestrial origin of the gremlins, which was NOT mentioned in the film at all. Mind you: it has been over thirty years since I read this book, so my memory is spotty.
If anybody can confirm this memory, I'd appreciate it. Also, if anybody has a copy of this paperback that is still in fair to good condition, let me know. I may be willing to negotiate a price...
Occasionally, a novelization can be cleverly-written and memorable on its own. Alan Dean Foster, the Father of Novelizations (not an official title, btw), has written dozens of them, many of which are actually decent.
I remember reading George Gipe's novelization of the film "Gremlins" years ago, probably when the film came out (1984), and I'm beating myself up for not still owning the paperback copy, so I can re-read it and give it to my daughter. My daughter just discovered the film, and it is now one of her favorites.
The book didn't deviate from the film's story, of course, but I remember that Gipe included several chapters which alluded to an extraterrestrial origin of the gremlins, which was NOT mentioned in the film at all. Mind you: it has been over thirty years since I read this book, so my memory is spotty.
If anybody can confirm this memory, I'd appreciate it. Also, if anybody has a copy of this paperback that is still in fair to good condition, let me know. I may be willing to negotiate a price...
May 13, 2025
I guess I owe it all to nostalgia, but I loved this book. I actually learned a lot about where Gizmo came from and got a lot of insight into the motivations and actions of his along with the gremlins as well. Some might say that this is a corny little book but I really enjoyed it.
August 20, 2023
A fun reread (I originally read this when the movie came out as I was too going to go and see it). For the most part it captures the fun, slightly nostalgic feel of the movie well, although the author makes some strange decisions in terms of Gizmo’s back story.
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December 29, 2021i am in shock this is widely enjoyed by goodreads users which again proves my rule that this site sucks and is for idiots cuz this bok fully insane. gizmo's interiority is off the charts INCORRECT!!! HE WOULD NEVER "MUSE SADLY"??? gizmo would not have INTERIORITY at all he's a little empty head qt not a super genius from who fantasizes about strolling along his home planet's molten rivers???????????? what the FUCK. this must've been based off a previous version of the original film script?? or this mfer decided to take a darker approach on his own lol. this was terrible. lunatics
February 5, 2018
بطل الرواية يحصل على هذا الكائن اللطيف و يفع في حبه و من لا يحب هذا الكائن المبتسم ذا الفراء الناعم و لكن لكي تربيه هناك ثلاثة شروط :
الا تعرضه للماء و لا للشمس و لا يجب ان يتناول الطعام قبل منتصف الليل. لكن الخطاء وارد و تظهر عشرات الكائنات الشريرة التي تضحكك ترعبك في نفس الوقت
خيال خصب بهذه الرواية الخفيفة و تصلح لمحبي الفانتازيا
الا تعرضه للماء و لا للشمس و لا يجب ان يتناول الطعام قبل منتصف الليل. لكن الخطاء وارد و تظهر عشرات الكائنات الشريرة التي تضحكك ترعبك في نفس الوقت
خيال خصب بهذه الرواية الخفيفة و تصلح لمحبي الفانتازيا
January 20, 2025
This was a blast. Loved the movie, of course, but this had a ton of more stuff going on. Imagine each scene but with a little more depth. Each character gets more of a story, and the gremlins are a little more mischievous, too.
They never seemed out and out evil to me. It was always like they were just having fun.
Yeah, I've got myself book 2 as well, although I did think the second movie got a little too silly at times. See how it goes, though.
They never seemed out and out evil to me. It was always like they were just having fun.
Yeah, I've got myself book 2 as well, although I did think the second movie got a little too silly at times. See how it goes, though.
July 13, 2011
Gremlins was just a blast to read. I have never seen the movie but I heard enough about it to want to read a novelization of it and I really thought that this book was a perfect blend of amusing horror and thrilling scenes. I laughed out loud several times while reading, especially when the old woman met her end when one of the gremlins messed with her chair lift. This is one of those books that sounds absolutely terrible if you read the plot summary on the book before starting. I usually do this after I finish just to see how stupid it sounds and most of the time I think it does. This one somehow pulled off the ridiculous story but only if you aren’t big into serious stuff. I had a feeling that Gipe probably had a good time writing the story out and that cheerfulness comes through the book in a way that almost makes it feel like a YA novel. I didn’t even bother to check if it is one. I can say that the language is mild and it lacks pointless sex scenes so perhaps it is, but that is no reason not to join the gremlins in their random trouble-making.
May 9, 2010
If you want to keep a Mogwai as a pet, please remember these three warnings:
1. Do not expose them to light.
2. Do not get them wet.
3. Above all, no matter how they cry, no matter how much they beg, never, never feed them after midnight.
Well, the rules are created to be broken. If no one break the rules, there is no story about gremlins.
I've watched the movie a long time ago and it scared me a lot. And this book reminded me how a cute little thing could be a clever, mischievous, intelligent, and dangerous monters (read aloud: MONSTERS, 'coz one Mogwai can replicates to many, many Gremlins).
1. Do not expose them to light.
2. Do not get them wet.
3. Above all, no matter how they cry, no matter how much they beg, never, never feed them after midnight.
Well, the rules are created to be broken. If no one break the rules, there is no story about gremlins.
I've watched the movie a long time ago and it scared me a lot. And this book reminded me how a cute little thing could be a clever, mischievous, intelligent, and dangerous monters (read aloud: MONSTERS, 'coz one Mogwai can replicates to many, many Gremlins).
July 8, 2020
Such an enjoyable read, such a funny story blended with a bit of horror, sweet creatures transformed into nightmarish creatures that are dangerous and a threat to society. Such an imaginative storyline. Well written, interesting context throughout the story. No editorial errors, the book cover could have been inproved in my opinion (but that is a small issue). A classic storyline, well written, the pace of the story is good and allow the reader to easily absorb at their own pace what is happening without being oversatated with too much info all at the same. A very good book.
January 31, 2019
This is a junior novel that I found for $0.30 that I just had to read. A fun little book about a boy and his Mogwai, where some rules were broken, tricks were played, and some people die. Fun 77 pages!
August 22, 2008
Who didn't enjoy those little Gremlins it's one of those horror stories almost everyone knew.
December 26, 2018
“Church bells rang and he could hear the slam of the door as it shut from behind him where he had come into the room.”
March 8, 2024
2.25/5
It surprised me how much more I enjoyed the movie compared to the novelization. They gave an origin of the mogwai, not a good one but they did. They also had Gizmo POVs and mogwai (English) conversations both of which distracted from the story.
It surprised me how much more I enjoyed the movie compared to the novelization. They gave an origin of the mogwai, not a good one but they did. They also had Gizmo POVs and mogwai (English) conversations both of which distracted from the story.
December 6, 2017
Damn, this has to be one of the greatest tie-in novels ever written. It goes into detail of the origin of the Mogwai, it answers numerous questions you probably didn't think to ask and others that probably annoyed you when you were a kid.
The beauty of the novel, apart from the exceptional writing, is the history of the Mogwai and more details of previous Gremlin assaults; we hear more of the events that hit Kingston Falls on that unfortunate weekend and above everything else it proves that both the Mogwai and the Gremlins were exceptionally intelligent.
A must for Gremlins fans and one that should be read after re-watching the film because the reader gets a lot more out of it.
The film is a perfect example of clever directing and editing because Joe Dante hid a lot of the plot holes with the perfection of a master magician.
The beauty of the novel, apart from the exceptional writing, is the history of the Mogwai and more details of previous Gremlin assaults; we hear more of the events that hit Kingston Falls on that unfortunate weekend and above everything else it proves that both the Mogwai and the Gremlins were exceptionally intelligent.
A must for Gremlins fans and one that should be read after re-watching the film because the reader gets a lot more out of it.
The film is a perfect example of clever directing and editing because Joe Dante hid a lot of the plot holes with the perfection of a master magician.
September 7, 2018
HI MY NAME'S ERIC AND I READ GREMLINS BY GEORGE GIPE. IN THE STORY THESE ALIENS WANT TO MAKE PRESENTS FOR ALL THE PLANETS AND THEY SEND THE PRESENTS OUT TO ALL THE PLANETS AND THEY'RE LIKE EWOKS BUT SOMETIMES THEY STAY UP TOO LATE AND GET MEAN LIKE MY SISTER LUCY WHEN SHE STAYS UP TOO LATE AND CRIES AND DAD SAYS STOP BOTHERING LUCY AND I SAY SHE TORE MY BASEBALL CARDS AND HE SAYS SHE'S TIRED AND LITTLER THAN YOU SO SHE DOESN'T KNOW BUT I KNOW SHE KNOWS. SO IF YOU LIKE STORIES ABOUT FRIENDSHIP AND ALSO HAVE A STUPID LITTLE SISTER YOU MIGHT LIKE THIS ONE. DAD SAID THIS IS A MOVIE. BUT DON'T TAKE MY WORD FOR IT.
May 5, 2019
This movie scared me so very badly as a little kid. I only watched it once and from then on I was petrified of going into my basement when my parents would ask me to get something. Lol. Never saw the movie again although the movie crossed my mind from time to time simply because of the childish fear it instilled in me .
Recently came upon the book and had to read it! It was very entertaining and suprising as to how evil these creatures were! I fell in love with Gizmo and really enjoyed all the characters.
Now, to see the movie for the second time as an adult! Maybe it will make me so scared to go in the basement that my husband will offer to do the laundry for me!
Recently came upon the book and had to read it! It was very entertaining and suprising as to how evil these creatures were! I fell in love with Gizmo and really enjoyed all the characters.
Now, to see the movie for the second time as an adult! Maybe it will make me so scared to go in the basement that my husband will offer to do the laundry for me!
February 28, 2014
Much better than the movie (duh, there are rarely exceptions to that rule).
I have always been a huge fan of The Gremlins movies, even as a child. This book answered many of my questions that the films provoked in me in my childhood years. Such as: Where did they come from (kinda answered) 2: Why didn't the snow melt beneath their feet and cause them to multiply. And more! Read this shizzzzzzzzzzzzz
I have always been a huge fan of The Gremlins movies, even as a child. This book answered many of my questions that the films provoked in me in my childhood years. Such as: Where did they come from (kinda answered) 2: Why didn't the snow melt beneath their feet and cause them to multiply. And more! Read this shizzzzzzzzzzzzz
June 10, 2015
As dark as the movie, maybe even a little darker. The author clearly tried to show off his vocabulary, though, which resulted in the characters (Billy and Kate, in particular) sounding much older than they were supposed to be. I liked the conversations between Gizmo and the Gremlins; they obviously weren't in the movie, but they added some depth to the novel.
July 23, 2018
I didn't know there was a book based on the movie screenplay! Not sure what to say other than what people who watched the movie already knows. I had a lot of fun reading it, what I liked the most was the interaction between the Gizmo and the Gremlins, it was hilariousss!! The way Gizmo is described was incredibly cute, made me fall in love with it all over again ♥
Read
November 7, 2007I couldn't put this book down when I read it!!
March 23, 2008
This book scared the you-know-what outta me. I had to be in middle school when I read this because I had graduated to Dean Koontz (full-on horror) by high school.
April 9, 2008
definitely the best book adaptation of Gremlins. Gipe's finest.
February 12, 2009
The movie, when first seen alone, late at night, scared the crap out of me as I eyed my own fireplace.
The book was equally creepy.
The book was equally creepy.
Read
August 22, 2009Back in the 80's I read many, many movie adaptations. I don't know why.
September 11, 2012
Loved this book! I really enjoyed reading the background info on Gizmo! He is my favorite! I highly recommend this book!
March 23, 2017
Great. This is an example of science gone awry to produce monsters who terrify a small community
December 27, 2018
This was a fun book to read! Gizmo is so cute!!! I remember seeing Gremlins in the theatre and hiding under the seat because I was so scared. I totally wasn’t even scared when I read the book.
February 27, 2024
Well, this was fantastic and such a breath of fresh air after the last two novelizations I read. I mean, this was like actual literature or something. However, it's not perfect and still not as good as the movie, but what is? After all, that has the best scene in cinematic history. (The book says Mrs. Deagle's chair was going 200 miles per hour and she was found an entire tenth of a mile from her home. I guess the Gremlins didn't appreciate it when she told them to kiss her grits.)
The movie is perfect as it is. It doesn't take itself too seriously nor is it so ridiculous that it's inane. It finds its sweet spot and stays firmly in it. The book gives background information that would've just muddied the waters in the movie and made it a groaner. The book also includes several deleted scenes that were filmed for the movie but were kept out, and the movie is better for their deletion. Most of them involve a subplot where Mrs. Deagle and the bankers were trying to foreclose on a lot of properties so they could sell the land. It was merely a vessel to make viewers hate Mrs. Deagle more, but the couple of scenes she was in makes her hateful enough (I mean, if you don't already hate her after she suggests killing Billy's dog by putting it in her spin dryer on high heat, then you never will), and the subplot was superfluous. However, it worked well in the book even if it didn't go anywhere in the end.
My reaction while reading the first chapter was "what the fuck is this shit," but I'm glad I stuck it out. We immediately find out Gizmo is actually an intelligent, 500-year-old, genetically-engineered alien, possibly even from another galaxy, but there are flaws in him such as not being able to communicate with other species though he can understand them. He's a minority Mogwai which basically means "morally good," and 99.9% of his children will be majority Mogwai who are basically agents of chaos and destruction. The majority Mogwai can only live so long even if they don't get killed due to their wanton recklessness, but minority Mogwai can live just about forever if they don't get killed by their children, sunlight, or anything else. Neato, eh? Still, that info doesn't belong in the movie, and I'm glad it was omitted.
Most of the movie Gremlins are purely destructive, but in the book they're more methodical. For example, they put up detour signs which cause people to get completely lost and create huge traffic jams. The phones in the town are rewired so a call to the weather station goes to a sub shop, calls to the sub shop go to Gambler's Anonymous, calls to that go elsewhere, etc. On one dark road several cinder blocks were placed upright along the street for a block so anyone turning the corner would run into them. People get trapped in phone booths. At the mall, electric doors slam on people, the escalators suddenly take off at 70 miles per hour, and the muzak starts to play at an ear-splitting decibel level. Manhole covers are left open all over town for people to fall through, and that reminds me of the time I... actually, I don't guess that memory belongs here; I'm sorry I brought it up. This kind of activity is more in line with what a traditional gremlin is supposed to do. However, there's still plenty of straight-up destruction.
The cops are still pretty bad in the book, but they're not the worst cops in the history of the world like they are in the movie. While they're making fun of Billy's story, they actually ask several questions that have always been on my mind concerning the whole feeding after midnight thing. What about the time zones? If a Mogwai is chewing on some cud in Eastern Nashville, TN at 11:55 PM, then heads east and steps across the line, is it Gremlin time? Is the chewing or the digesting the determining factor? How much food? One mouthful or a meal? What if something is stuck in his teeth at 10:00 and falls out after midnight? Is it calories? If so, do drinks count? If so, what about Coke zero? And when is the midnight thing over? Sunup? And now that I know that the Mogwai are aliens, how does this work on other planets? What happens on Venus where one day lasts 5,832 hours (or 243 Earth days) and is actually longer than a Venusian year? 61 Earth days is a long time to go without eating something, but I guess you could just walk over to the next time zone for a snack. None of these questions are answered, of course, but it's nice to see someone posing them in the story.
Anyway, I enjoyed this book which has restored my faith in novelizations... such as it was. I highly recommend this if you want some extra depth to the story and some slight variances.
The rest of this is personal stuff related to Gremlins, though not really about the movie or the book. First off, look at what I got for Christmas this year!
Yes, it's the Hallmark Caroling Gremlin ornament. I believe it was the last one in Richmond, and mama was able to get the display model as they had just started selling those the very day she went to the store. They were sold out of them when I had been there a week or so earlier, and so were all the other Hallmark stores in town as well. That's right. Be jealous.
Do you remember when happy meals were awesome? In 1984, a Hardees happy meal and another $0.89 got you a Gremlins storybook with a record.
There were five to collect. My sister had part three, and I had part four, and we'd sit and listen to them on my Fisher Price record player. You could read along in the storybook and a ding would let the reading-impaired know when to turn the page. Of course these were condensed and some of the violence was toned down since it was a kid's product (the movie was one of two responsible for PG-13 being added to the rating system, after all), but they were great fun and an excellent reading aid.
And while I'm on the subject of fast food restaurants, do you remember when they sold collectible glasses with characters on them? I don't think there were any Gremlins ones (though there were some Gremlins plastic cups), but Godfather Pizza had Goonies glasses, and Burger King had some for Star Wars. I actually have one of those for Return of the Jedi. Things were cooler in the eighties.
The movie is perfect as it is. It doesn't take itself too seriously nor is it so ridiculous that it's inane. It finds its sweet spot and stays firmly in it. The book gives background information that would've just muddied the waters in the movie and made it a groaner. The book also includes several deleted scenes that were filmed for the movie but were kept out, and the movie is better for their deletion. Most of them involve a subplot where Mrs. Deagle and the bankers were trying to foreclose on a lot of properties so they could sell the land. It was merely a vessel to make viewers hate Mrs. Deagle more, but the couple of scenes she was in makes her hateful enough (I mean, if you don't already hate her after she suggests killing Billy's dog by putting it in her spin dryer on high heat, then you never will), and the subplot was superfluous. However, it worked well in the book even if it didn't go anywhere in the end.
My reaction while reading the first chapter was "what the fuck is this shit," but I'm glad I stuck it out. We immediately find out Gizmo is actually an intelligent, 500-year-old, genetically-engineered alien, possibly even from another galaxy, but there are flaws in him such as not being able to communicate with other species though he can understand them. He's a minority Mogwai which basically means "morally good," and 99.9% of his children will be majority Mogwai who are basically agents of chaos and destruction. The majority Mogwai can only live so long even if they don't get killed due to their wanton recklessness, but minority Mogwai can live just about forever if they don't get killed by their children, sunlight, or anything else. Neato, eh? Still, that info doesn't belong in the movie, and I'm glad it was omitted.
Most of the movie Gremlins are purely destructive, but in the book they're more methodical. For example, they put up detour signs which cause people to get completely lost and create huge traffic jams. The phones in the town are rewired so a call to the weather station goes to a sub shop, calls to the sub shop go to Gambler's Anonymous, calls to that go elsewhere, etc. On one dark road several cinder blocks were placed upright along the street for a block so anyone turning the corner would run into them. People get trapped in phone booths. At the mall, electric doors slam on people, the escalators suddenly take off at 70 miles per hour, and the muzak starts to play at an ear-splitting decibel level. Manhole covers are left open all over town for people to fall through, and that reminds me of the time I... actually, I don't guess that memory belongs here; I'm sorry I brought it up. This kind of activity is more in line with what a traditional gremlin is supposed to do. However, there's still plenty of straight-up destruction.
The cops are still pretty bad in the book, but they're not the worst cops in the history of the world like they are in the movie. While they're making fun of Billy's story, they actually ask several questions that have always been on my mind concerning the whole feeding after midnight thing. What about the time zones? If a Mogwai is chewing on some cud in Eastern Nashville, TN at 11:55 PM, then heads east and steps across the line, is it Gremlin time? Is the chewing or the digesting the determining factor? How much food? One mouthful or a meal? What if something is stuck in his teeth at 10:00 and falls out after midnight? Is it calories? If so, do drinks count? If so, what about Coke zero? And when is the midnight thing over? Sunup? And now that I know that the Mogwai are aliens, how does this work on other planets? What happens on Venus where one day lasts 5,832 hours (or 243 Earth days) and is actually longer than a Venusian year? 61 Earth days is a long time to go without eating something, but I guess you could just walk over to the next time zone for a snack. None of these questions are answered, of course, but it's nice to see someone posing them in the story.
Anyway, I enjoyed this book which has restored my faith in novelizations... such as it was. I highly recommend this if you want some extra depth to the story and some slight variances.
The rest of this is personal stuff related to Gremlins, though not really about the movie or the book. First off, look at what I got for Christmas this year!
Yes, it's the Hallmark Caroling Gremlin ornament. I believe it was the last one in Richmond, and mama was able to get the display model as they had just started selling those the very day she went to the store. They were sold out of them when I had been there a week or so earlier, and so were all the other Hallmark stores in town as well. That's right. Be jealous.
Do you remember when happy meals were awesome? In 1984, a Hardees happy meal and another $0.89 got you a Gremlins storybook with a record.
There were five to collect. My sister had part three, and I had part four, and we'd sit and listen to them on my Fisher Price record player. You could read along in the storybook and a ding would let the reading-impaired know when to turn the page. Of course these were condensed and some of the violence was toned down since it was a kid's product (the movie was one of two responsible for PG-13 being added to the rating system, after all), but they were great fun and an excellent reading aid.
And while I'm on the subject of fast food restaurants, do you remember when they sold collectible glasses with characters on them? I don't think there were any Gremlins ones (though there were some Gremlins plastic cups), but Godfather Pizza had Goonies glasses, and Burger King had some for Star Wars. I actually have one of those for Return of the Jedi. Things were cooler in the eighties.
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