Joe Dante’s 1990 film “Gremlins 2: The New Batch” is possibly one of the best of its decade. Just as a whimsical, well-paced slapstick comedy, it’s head and slimy shoulders above its peers, and boasts some of the greatest practical monster effects in cinema history. Additionally, however, it may stand as a glorious meta-text on the disintegrating state of cinema itself. The gremlins on screen frequently break the fourth wall, addressing the camera directly. The bulk of “Gremlins 2” takes place in a tower, where multiple low-rent, low-intelligence TV shows are filmed. The gremlins merrily break into the TV station and take over the airwaves. Gremlins are monsters who tinker with the machinery of media.
In the film’s most brilliant sequence, Joe Dante stages a fake film break, making it look like the film projector itself is malfunctioning in real time. After the film burns through, though, and the screen goes to white, the gremlins can be seen in silhouette, having invaded the projection booth. “Gremlins 2” just destroyed “Gremlins 2.”
Earlier in the film, though, the fabric of reality was already dissipating. After the gremlins have already started running amok, the action cuts to the set of a TV film criticism show called “Movie Police,” hosted by the venerable and respected Leonard Maltin. Maltin, perhaps infamously, disliked Dante’s original “Gremlins” in 1984, and can be seen in “Gremlins 2” giving the home video release of “Gremlins” a bad (and honest) review. At that point, gremlins pop up behind Maltin and strangle him to death with a strip of 35mm film.
This cameo was a fun little no-hard-feeling handshake between the critic and the filmmaker. Dante got revenge, and Maltin got to be murdered by creatures. Maltin talked about his cameo in a 2013 episode of “Doug Loves Movies.”
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It’s a 10! It’s a 10!
Loenard Maltin about to be killed by Gremlins in Gremlins 2: The New Batch – Warner Bros.
For the record, Maltin disliked “Gremlins” for its dour, cynical tone and its horror. He said the film was undercut by “too-vivid violence and mayhem.” On Benson’s podcast, Maltin said:
“I had recently started working for ‘Entertainment Tonight’ in the early ’80s, and there was no alternate critic. I was the guy, and I was supposed to review all the big new movies, and I had to review the film ‘Gremlins,’ which was made by my friend Joe Dante. I’m not friends with filmmakers, but in this case I was. […] I had the unpleasant task of going on national television and giving a bad review to his movie. And it was not a pleasant thing to do, and it was tough to do. But I had to be honest. I didn’t like the movie.”
A critic, after all, is worth nothing if they’re not completely honest about their opinion. Maltin, however, got to essentially sacrifice himself to Dante in return for the negative review by agreeing to appear in “Gremlins 2.” He knew monsters would kill him, giving Dante some karmic payback. Maltin continued:
“So several years later, Joe’s then-producing partner, Mike Finnell, said ‘So, we’re doing “Gremlins 2,” and there’s a scene where the gremlins invade a TV network, and go in all these different studios and wreck all the shows. And we want to have a movie review show where you are doing the reviews.’ I said ‘Well, I think I owe you that.’ So that’s how I got in ‘Gremlins 2.'”
Maltin said that being directed on a fake film-review set was very surreal, and that Dante encouraged him to “Just use your own words.” Maltin had to lambaste Dante’s 1984 movie right to his face.
Maltin repeated his gag more recently
Loenard Maltin panning Witney Seibold and William Bibbiani on the Movie Trivia Schmoedown – Collider
Maltin’s self-sacrifice was not only deeply beloved by “Gremlins” fans, but by the critic’s fans as well. He had a sense of humor about his reviews and was happy to let Dante kill him. Maltin’s death became one of the more notable things about Dante’s movie.
Indeed, in the interests of full disclosure, I was personally involved in a reprise that Maltin gave to his “Gremlins 2” performance. Back in March of 2019, I competed on a YouTube program called “The Movie Trivia Schmoedown,” which was part of the Collider media grouping. It’s a trivia contest staged like pro-wrestling, and competitors were encouraged to stage elaborate entrances. My partner and I, William Bibbiani, entered our match being savaged by gremlin puppets. Maltin then, being very sporting, interrupted us and gave a negative review of our hackneyed entrance shenanigans. Our previous entrances were exciting, but this one, he said, will leave you disappointed. One can watch Maltin’s cameo online. He was very sporting and called out his own appearance in “Gremlins 2.”
Film critics may have a reputation for being negative Nellies, or film-hating killjoys, but know that no critic worth their salt is ever dishonest. Maltin came by his hatred of “Gremlins” honestly, and one can also see his point, even if they love Dante’s 1984 film. And, to his credit, Maltin gave a positive review to “Gremlins 2” overall, giving it three stars. He did, however, have a mild criticism of the film’s shameless cameo appearances. One can read Maltin’s many, many reviews on his website, LeonardMaltin.com.
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