Celebrating the 40-year anniversary of both ‘Gremlins’ and ‘Ghostbusters’

By 1984, films like “Jaws” (1975), “Star Wars” (1977) “Raiders of the Lost Ark” (1981) and “E.T.” (1982) had firmly established the summer blockbuster craze, with Steven Spielberg productions leading the way. On June 8, 1984, two films were released simultaneously that continued the summer blockbuster trend, while also establishing new trends with their combination of horror/comedy and fresh marketing and merchandising strategies. Unsurprisingly, one film was produced by Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment, and his “Gremlins” battled for the number one box office spot with familiar faces from “Saturday Night Live” who were now “Ghostbusters.” Their quotable scripts and at-the-time unique blend of humor and gore have had long-lasting effects on the film industry and on pop culture that continue to resonate four decades later. Read on for more about the 40-year anniversary of both “Gremlins” and “Ghostbusters.”

“Gremlins” was conceived by aspiring filmmaker Chris Columbus, who was influenced by the sounds of mice skittering about his loft apartment during the night. Although Columbus wrote it as a sample script to aid his search for employment with no intention of it ever being filmed, Spielberg, impressed by its originality, bought the rights for his production company, and chose Joe Dante to direct. Dante’s resume at this point was fairly short, with “The Howling” from a couple of years prior his most recognizable project. For the lead role of Billy Peltzer, Spielberg championed unknown actor Zach Galligan, who tested well with Phoebe Cates as Billy’s girlfriend. Many of the supporting characters were actually more familiar to audiences than the lead, including singer Hoyt Axton, “Alice” star Polly Holliday and Howie Mandel, who provided the voice for Gizmo. Corey Feldman made one of his first film appearances as a friend of Billy’s.

On the contrary, “Ghostbusters” director Ivan Reitman had scored a couple of hits with “Meatballs” (1979) and “Stripes” (1981), both of which were cowritten by Harold Ramis and helped catapult “Saturday Night Live” comedian Bill Murray to film stardom. The “Ghostbusters” concept began with another “SNL” cast member’s lifelong fascination with the paranormal, with Dan Aykroyd conceiving the idea for a story about three men who chase and trap ghosts throughout time and space. With a rough draft, Aykroyd approached Reitman to direct. Reitman then connected Aykroyd with Ramis, who helped refine the script with a more realistic Earth setting and a little more humor than scares. Aykroyd originally intended for fellow “SNL” alums John Belushi and Eddie Murphy to be his costars, but Belushi’s untimely passing led to Murray’s casting, with Ramis added as the third Ghostbuster. Known for her more dramatic work, Sigourney Weaver overcame any doubts about her comedic abilities and was cast as the cellist whose apartment is haunted. Rick Moranis, Ernie Hudson and Annie Potts round out the cast.

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In addition to their live performers, both films required fantastical creatures who had to come to life in the days before CGI, and most were manmade puppets. Special effects artist Chris Walas designed the adorable Gizmo, whose frequent malfunctions frustrated the crew, as well as the mogwai who multiply throughout the film and evolve into the monstrous “gremlins” who rampage through town causing death and destruction. Meanwhile, “Ghostbusters” required multiple special effects gurus to create their various spirits and ghost-trapping effects. Ironically, Dante’s “The Howling” special effects artist Steve Johnson was responsible for creating some of the ghosts, including the Ghostbusters’ slimy and gluttonous green nemesis Slimer, then known as “Onion Head Ghost,” who is a homage to Belushi. Bill Bryan built and portrayed the iconic Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, who, much like the mogwai in “Gremlins,” proves that something adorable can turn dark under certain circumstances.

Following ad campaigns in which “Gremlins” focused on the cutesy Gizmo as opposed to the monstrous mogwai, and “Ghostbusters” teased their “No ghosts” logo without mentioning its title or stars, both opened nationwide on June 8, 1984, three weeks after Spielberg’s other summer blockbuster “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” had claimed the number one spot during its opening weekend. The two new releases captured the top two spots, with “Ghostbusters” triumphing at number one, where it stayed for seven weeks, until “Purple Rain” dethroned it. But “Ghostbusters” regained the top spot a week later, and dropped for another six weeks before earning one more week at number one at the end of September. It became the highest-grossing comedy of its time, until “Beverly Hills Cop” surpassed it later that year.

Both films captured the imagination and delight of a generation, and soon phrases like “don’t feed them after midnight,” “bright light!,” “he slimed me” and “who you gonna call?” became a part of our vernacular. Just a few years after “Star Wars” proved film-based merchandise could sell, Gizmo stuffed animals and Gizmo and gremlins action figures filled store shelves, while the “Ghostbusters” “no ghosts” logo was adorned on various products and a video game was released. Two years later, the animated “The Real Ghostbusters” led to a toy line. Novels, video games, comic books and trading cards are just a few of the products from these films that flooded the market to great success, proving the “Star Wars” merchandise phenomenon was not a fluke.

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“Gremlins” also led to a change in the movie ratings system. Parents took young children, based on the cuteness of the Gizmo advertising gimmick, thinking it was a fantasy akin to “E.T.” However, the humor of breakdancing gremlins and Gizmo’s sweet coos switches to the horror of a gremlin exploding in the microwave and Billy’s mom violently attacked by a gremlin-infested Christmas tree. Parental complaints, which had also occurred with “Temple of Doom,” led Spielberg to suggest changes to the rating system, and a few weeks later, the Motion Picture Association of America introduced the “PG-13” rating.

One of the challenges of “Ghostbusters” was finding the right theme song, and Ray Parker Jr. delivered. He had the difficult task of creating a tune incorporating the phrase “Ghostbusters,” and composed one of the catchiest, most original songs of all time. It spent three weeks at the top of the “Billboard” Hot 100, earned Oscar and Grammy nominations, won the BAFTA for Best Original Song and eternally gave the answer to the question, “who you gonna call?”

“Ghostbusters” also earned an Academy Award nom for its special affects, as well as numerous other nominations. Each film won a Saturn Award, “Gremlins” for Best Horror Film, and “Ghostbusters” for Best Fantasy Film. However, the real honors of these films are in the legacies they left behind.

Both films proved that blending comedy and horror will bring audiences to the theater – and to the stores! Their legacies are seen in films and TV shows such as “Goonies,” “Men in Black” and “Stranger Things.” Young moviegoers were captivated by these fantasies, and grew up to rediscover with them their own children, connecting generations. Which is why the franchises continue to grow, with the series “Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai” debuting in 2023, and film sequels “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” and “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” premiering in 2021 and 2024, respectively. Forty years after they battled at the box office, both continue to flourish.

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