It's day 283 of the year and my project, therefore it's Day 9 of the 31 Days of Hallowe'en challenges. I'm starting with my own 31 Days of Hallowe'en challenge, which I've talked about back in August; and the mini theme today is Troll/Goblin/Leprechaun/Ghoulie/Munchie Type Creature. That's a mouthful. I picked the original Gremlins.
When his dad brings home a new pet for a Christmas gift, a teenager and his friends find themselves dealing with an unknown monster, who terrorizes their neighbourhood.
By this point, I'm going to assume everyone has seen Gremlins. It plays on the fears of what if your pet turns on you (remember Day 2 and Cujo) or about how something isn't always what it seems. This movie takes place at what is suppose to be the safest time of the year, but it shows the dark side of not just the creatures, but of society. Right off the bat, the second we're taken to the quiet little neighbourhood, we are introduced to a very vicious character as she threatens a dog. It really shows us that nothing is truly safe. Each of our main characters have abandonment issues, or trauma that seems to intensify with the holiday season. The Christmas season is infamous for drawing out the worst in people.
Speaking about holidays bringing out the worst in people. The other movie today in this challenge is for the 31 Days Horror Movie Challenge being hosted by Nightmare on Film Street. Their mini theme today is Blumhouse Movies. I picked The Purge Anarchy
The yearly day when society is allowed to become monsters, doing their worst and legally getting away with it. One man finds himself at a crossroads as he stops to save a few people while still being on his own mission to purge. The group are captured and taken to a private event where it's them or their purgers.
This franchise so far as been good. It's message is disturbing, and you really should not come away liking it, but you do. This one particular, blurs the lines between right and wrong to the point you're not sure who you should be invested in?
As I write this, I just realized that both movies I've picked today have a common theme of the nature vs nurture theory/debate. What makes a monster a monster? If everyone/every creature is born with the need to survive when does that turn into something dangerous?
In the case of Gremlins, the character of Gizmo who wouldn't hurt anyone, births a society that creates it's own downfall, but he doesn't do it on purpose. It's just the evolution of his species. Where as in the Purge Anarchy, half of humanity has well, lost their humanity. Deciding to destroy everything around them out of lust and greed.
Don't forget to follow along on my Letterboxd lists, as I am doing not just these two challenges this year, but I'm also still doing my One Movie a Day for 2024 and I'm part of the #100HorrorMoviesIn92Days challenge.
Come back tomorrow to see what's on the slab.
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