Gremlins Online!

(This guest article was written by Gremlins fan and amazing artist Aelia Petro. Check out and buy some of her incredible work at https://www.etsy.com/shop/ArtByAelia and visit her on facebook https://www.facebook.com/ArtByAelia/)

UPDATE 7/22: The documentary is now available through July 30th over at https://hollywoodtheatre.org/events/gremlins-a-puppet-story/

Today is a good day to be a Gremlins fan. A great day, in fact. Why? Because Chris Walas, father of the Gremlins has dug deep within his personal archives to bring us the behind-the-scenes documentary we’ve always wanted!

Although there is a featurette, (which dates to production and has been on most iterations of the DVD/Bluray), it doesn’t have much behind-the-scenes content. Additional features were released with the Diamond Luxe edition Bluray, with some new content, but that too was fairly limited. But now Gremlins: A Puppet Story gives us an entirely new look at what it took to make one of the most beloved movies of the 1980’s.

Focusing largely on pre-production, this documentary provides a spectacular in-depth look at the creative process that took the titular critters from words on a script page to a foam-latex reality. Whether you already know a lot about the production or not, this documentary is a wonderful viewing experience.

A lot of fans are familiar with the fact that making Gremlins was a stressful experience for the crew. In Gremlins: A Puppet Story, the viewer gets a first-hand look at the early puppets and their limitations. We get to see the various rigs which were each designed for a single, specific action. We get a sense of the toll of uncertainty on the crew. We get to see how much work was done before the movie was green-lit (and it’s a LOT!). Have you ever wanted to see the test footage which earned that green light?
Now’s your chance! Watching the evolution of the puppets is fascinating, and underscores the incredible advances made by certain puppets later in production, namely the “super arms” and the “super gremlin”.

A Puppet Story is an intimate affair. It explores the human aspect of Gremlins as much as it does the mechanical/technical. This is not a cold, impersonal exploration of a film. This is Chris Walas’s personal story of struggle and success. The story of a largely inexperienced crew that came together to create and puppet innovative monsters the likes of which had not been seen before. Walas welcomes the viewer into his home, to tell us his story… and what a story it is!

This documentary is currently streaming for a limited time. Tickets are just $10 and benefit Hollywood Theatre. It’s only available until July 23, 2020, so don’t miss your chance to witness the creation of these iconic 80’s monsters!