Exclusive: Joe Dante Shares Gruesome ‘Gremlins’ Deleted Scenes

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Following the 40th anniversary celebration in 2024 and rumors about a fresh installment in development, there’s been a lot of buzz surrounding the popular comedy-horror Christmas film once more. Fans of the movie directed by are eagerly waiting – not for the first time – to see if a third film in the series will materialize. Interestingly, the director himself has brought up the nearly darker movie that almost was, namely 1984’s Gremlins, before producer Steven Spielberg changed its course towards a more family-friendly direction. As part of a new documentary on this topic, Dante has unveiled an unseen image showcasing what could have been if the R-rated monster movie had been released as planned.

As a cinephile, I’d say “Gremlins” is practically flawless, blending humor, chills, suspense, and a unique festive twist of kitchen carnage and melted monster remains – quite the cheerful mix! If the film’s PG-13 rating was stretched to its limits due to the darker scenes, it might have easily earned an R-rating with some of the original, more sinister ideas. Even certain scenes that survived test screenings were trimmed back to meet the (former) MPAA’s approval, such as a more elaborate demise for character Glynn Turman.

The YouTube documentary titled “How Horror Influenced the PG-13 Rating” delves into several movies that stretched the boundaries of the rating system, and it includes an exclusive, never-before-seen shot of the gruesome death scene of the science teacher from “Gremlins“, which director Dante provided to creator Kyle Conley. This scene occurs when the teacher regretted giving a “small scratch” to one of the Mogwai during blood sample collection.

How Was ‘Gremlins’ Darker Cut Different to the Theatrical Version?

In the documentary, it’s revealed that significant alterations were made to the depiction of Turman’s death scene on screen. Instead of the widely known version where a single syringe protrudes from the teacher’s backside with most of his body hidden under a desk, Dante clarifies in the video that there might have been different visuals presented.

In the storyline, the science teacher is initially targeted by the Gremlins due to a past altercation where he poked one of them with a syringe. In response, the mischievous creatures retaliate by pricking him with a syringe. This scene in the movie involves a syringe protruding from his backside, but we filmed an additional sequence where his face was entirely covered in syringes. This latter scene was quite unsettling and was included in the preview screening. However, it was decided that it would be more suitable to exclude this scene from the final movie. I can’t help but feel a sense of loss knowing that such a scene didn’t make it into the film.

One scene that was ultimately cut from the movie “Gremlins” due to its high-risk nature involved a more detailed portrayal of the gremlin killed by Lynn Pelzer in her kitchen. In the final version, we only see the gremlin thrashing from afar after being stabbed, but the original script included a closer look at the dead gremlin following the attack. Although these alterations may seem insignificant to the storyline, it’s intriguing to examine how the movie transformed into its final form, especially since the director himself often discusses this process. Dante has frequently mentioned that Steven Spielberg rescued “Gremlins,” and while some might have preferred a darker, more violent conclusion, his sentiment is hard to dispute.

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2025-01-24 18:31