‘Ghostbusters’ and ‘Gremlins’ at 40: How One Day in the Summer of 1984 Defined a Childhood [Retrospective]

To a budding cinephile growing up in the 1980s, there was no better place for family outings than the drive-in theater. All comfortable and cozy in our footie pajamas, grazing on the treats Mom packed and laughing while Dad fiddled with a temperamental window speaker, we waited eagerly for the first movie to start. Back then, they were always double features and if we timed it right on the way back from the restroom between shows, we could usually convince our parents we really needed popcorn for the second one.

Our spot was Montclair, California’s Mission Drive-In where we watched big releases like Raiders of the Lost Ark, Superman II, and The Great Muppet Caper. The theater was eventually renamed the Mission Tiki and would become a bright light in the moviegoing darkness of the Covid era. Sadly, the Mission Tiki closed its gates forever in 2023 and for this SoCal kid, it truly felt like losing a piece of my childhood.

One of the most memorable nights we ever spent at the Mission Drive-In was June 8, 1984. For one ticket, we got to see two of the biggest movies of the year, horror comedies which would give me nightmares for weeks while also spawning my love for the best subgenre. Ivan Reitman’s Ghostbusters and Joe Dante’s Gremlins both celebrate their 40th anniversaries this year, and the double Ruby Jubilee is a perfect time to look at these two iconic films and their parallel legacies.

Premiering in the top two spots at the box office that weekend – the Barbenheimer of its time – Ghostbusters and Gremlins would hold their places for weeks, fending off The Karate Kid, Top Secret!, and The Neverending Story. They would go on to become two of the highest-grossing films of 1984, leading to sequels, spin-offs, and animated series.

Written by Chris Columbus, directed by Joe Dante, and co-starring 1980s It Girl Phoebe Cates, Gremlins takes place in the sleepy, idyllic town of Kingston Falls. Despite its June release, this can reasonably be called a Christmas movie since the holiday plays an essential part in the plot. Eccentric inventor Rand Peltzer (Hoyt Axton) surreptitiously buys an unusual pet as a gift for his son Billy (Zach Galligan). After the sweet, cuddly mogwai named Gizmo accidentally multiplies, the new creatures become troublemaking demons who metamorphose into little green monsters and run amok, destroying Kingston Falls on Christmas Eve.

Everything about this movie is wonderful and terrifying to an eight-year-old from the suburbs. Who didn’t want their own Gizmo? At least until the realization hit of just how easy it would be to accidentally spawn a horde of mischievous, sharp-toothed menaces who could strap the dog to a light pole, turn all the electronics into deathtraps, and commit a few casual murders.

Taking inspiration from Frank Capra’s 1946 Oscar nominee It’s a Wonderful Life, Gremlins introduces Billy as a less grumpy George Bailey, stuck in the small town he’s always known, even though he has big dreams of going out into the world. But Billy stays in Kingston Falls to help keep the family bills paid while his father, who is absent during most of the chaos he inadvertently causes, still harbors the dream of fame and fortune via his wacky inventions.

The gremlins are obviously the villains here, but we have a secondary monster in wealthy Mrs. Deagle. Played by Polly Holliday, who starred in TV’s Alice and spin-off series Flo, Mrs. Deagle is a blend of Henry F. Potter from It’s a Wonderful Life and Miss Gulch from The Wizard of Oz. Mrs. Deagle is mean and demanding, her list of sins against her fellow townsfolk is long, but she especially deserves the fate that befalls her for the unforgivable crime of threatening Billy’s sweet, harmless dog Barney.

There are a lot of recognizable faces around town. Billy’s long suffering mother Lynn is played by everyone’s 80s movie mom, Frances Lee McCain (Back to the Future, Footloose, Scream). Phoebe Cates plays Kate, Billy’s Christmas-hating love interest. Corey Feldman (The Lost Boys, The Goonies) is Billy’s clumsy friend Pete. Dick Miller (A Bucket of Blood) is old neighbor Mr. Futterman, written off as a goofy WWII vet even though he is the only one who senses impending danger. Glynn Turman (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom) is a science teacher, Jonathan Banks (Breaking Bad) is a police deputy. Howie Mandel voices Gizmo. Judge Reinhold, who co-starred with Cates in 1982’s Fast Times at Ridgemont High, is Billy’s sniveling work nemesis, Gerald.

Featuring puppetry that still looks great four decades later, Gremlins is a clever and creative creature feature, perfectly paced from innocent beginning to chaotic end. It is also a fantastic entry point for parents who want to introduce their kids to safely scary movies. Although sometimes when using a blender or microwave, I still shudder at the memory of gooey gremlin guts covering the kitchen walls.

Dan Aykroyd had long since left his star-making gig on Saturday Night Live when he started working on a comedy script about paranormal investigators. The original project was much different before Stripes star Harold Ramis came on board to help turn the script into a story of three paranormal investigators in New York City.

In addition to Aykroyd and Ramis, the cast includes Bill Murray, who had previously worked with Aykroyd on SNL, and with Ramis and director Ivan Reitman on Meatballs (1979) and Stripes (1981). Together, the trio play Drs. Ray Stantz, Egon Spengler, and Peter Venkman, paranormal scientists enjoying comfortable jobs in a basement lab at NYU until an investigation at the New York Public Library goes awry and they are fired by a gleeful dean who has been looking for a reason to get rid of his kooky foes.

Our three main stars are all hilarious actors with a long list of memorable roles. But they would never play characters more ingrained in popular culture than perpetually enthusiastic Ray, too-smart-for-everyone Egon, and sarcastically apathetic Peter. For the movie to work, the audience has to be invested in all three and they each craft engaging, funny men we can’t help but love.

For the newly unemployed doctors, the library incident was a breakthrough. Thus, they sink all their money – including a hefty mortgage on Ray’s family farm – into their own company, dubbing themselves the Ghostbusters, and turning from paranormal investigators into exterminators. Soon, they’re busier than they could have imagined, hiring spitfire secretary Janine Melnitz (Annie Potts) and a fourth team member, Winston Zeddmore. The role was originally intended for Eddie Murphy, who turned it down in favor of Beverly Hills Cop. A much different and reportedly more minor version of Winston eventually went to Ernie Hudson, who doesn’t show up until an hour into the movie and still manages to be many kids’ favorite.

Across the city, Dana Barrett (Sigourney Weaver), a cellist in the New York Philharmonic is terrified by an incident in her apartment and turns to the Ghostbusters for help. Womanizing Peter is instantly smitten, using the case to get closer to her. Luckily for Peter but unfortunately for Dana and her neighbor Lewis Tully (an unforgettable Rick Moranis), they happen to live at the epicenter of an ancient plot that threatens to destroy humanity.

With two Oscar nominations (Visual Effects and Original Song, “Ghostbusters” by Ray Parker, Jr.), enthusiastic critical reviews, and a months-long theatrical run, Ghostbusters cemented itself as one of the greatest comedies of the 1980s. Every character has multiple memorable quotes, but the genius one-liners are part of an overall story that works as a comedy and a ghost/monster movie. It was the first comedy to broadly incorporate visual effects, expanding the idea of what was possible in storytelling.

Off screen, “Ghostbuster” was the most popular Halloween costume in 1984. The merchandising was inescapable. Over the next forty years there would be three sequels (and counting), a women-led adaptation, and two animated series. All these years later, Ghostbusters still holds a special place in the hearts of fans of all ages, forever cementing its place in cinema history.

It’s fitting that Ghostbusters and Gremlins should celebrate together. While Ghostbusters may have a bigger impact, both are significant entries for their directors, writers, and stars. Together they ushered in a new era of horror comedies including Beetlejuice, Tremors, and Death Becomes Her. The horror comedy is still thriving today in films like Jennifer’s Body and Freaky. In a time where movie fans debate the necessity of film history, these two 40-year-old movies are as relevant and revered as they ever were. There is every reason to believe they will still be beloved forty years from now.

Ghostbusters is currently available to stream on Peacock, E! and Bravo. Gremlins is available to stream on YouTube with a subscription or rent on Prime Video.