Brace for ‘Gremlins’ tonight at UPAC
“Gremlins,” the classic comedy fantasy horror movie, will be shown as part of the Friday Film Series at the Ulster Performing Arts Center, 601 Broadway, Kingston, on Friday, April 20, at 7:30 p.m.
“Don’t expose him to bright light. Don’t ever get him wet. And don’t ever, ever feed him after midnight.” This sage advice is ignored midway through “Gremlins,” with devastating results.
The 1984 film is set in a Norman Rockwell-esque small town at Christmastime. Seeking a unique gift for his son, an erstwhile inventor (Hoyt Axton) purchases a cute, fuzzy little “Mogwai” from a Chinatown shopkeeper’s (Keye Luke) grandson (John Louie), who dispenses the abovementioned warning before closing the deal.
Meanwhile, young bank clerk Billy Peltzer (Zach Galligan) must suffer such antagonists as rich shedevil Mrs. Deagle (Polly Holliday) and priggish Gerald (Judge Reinhold), while pursuing his romance with Kate (Phoebe Cates).
These and a variety of other plot strands are tied together when the lovable mogwai, (named Gizmo, is exposed to bright light and gets wet. In short order, the town is invaded by nasty, predatory Gremlins, who lay waste to everything in sight as Billy and Kate try to contain the destruction. Like most of director Joe Dante’s works, “Gremlins” is chock-full of significant cameo appearances. In this instance, such pop-culture icons as Dick Miller, Jackie Joseph, Chuck Jones, Scott Brady, Harry Carey Jr., Steven Spielberg (the film’s executive producer) and even Robby the Robot all show up briefly on screen/
All seats for Gremlins are just $6 and are general admission. Free admission for people who come as a gremlin.
Tickets may be purchased at the UPAC box office or by calling (845) 339-6088. They are also available at the Bardavon box office, 35 Market St., Poughkeepsie, or by calling (845) 473-2072. In addition they are available by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 or by visiting ticketmaster.com.