Gremlins Get a New Lease of Life in Fan Film
Set over 30 years after the original 1984 film, Ryan Patrick's Gremlins:Recall is a fan film that imagines what would happen if Mogwai were sold as high-end pets to the general public.
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Credits
powered by
- Editor Collin Davis
- Director of Photography Isaac Bauman
- Copywriter Ryan Patrick
- Executive Producer Jerad Anderson
- Director Ryan Patrick
- Producer Sarah Lilley
- Producer Nash Cubero
- Colourist David Torcivia
- Production Designer Eloise Ayala
- Executive Producers
- Composer
- Special Creature Effects
Credits
powered by
- Editor Collin Davis
- Director of Photography Isaac Bauman
- Copywriter Ryan Patrick
- Executive Producer Jerad Anderson
- Director Ryan Patrick
- Producer Sarah Lilley
- Producer Nash Cubero
- Colourist David Torcivia
- Production Designer Eloise Ayala
- Executive Producers
- Composer
- Special Creature Effects
Think of a Christmas movie and you might bring to mind The Santa Clause, Elf, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation or, on a far higher level, It's a Wonderful Life. But then there's also Gremlins.
Not your traditional Christmas fare, maybe, but the 1984 movie defintely counts as part of the Chrismtas canon and is a much-loved 80s hit. Gremlins 2, not so much. But now MindsEye director, Ryan Patrick, has shot a new fan film using the troublesome creatures. Called Gremlins: Recall, the 10-minute movie is set over 30 years after the original film and imagines what would happen if a company thought they could medicate and sell Mogwai as high-end pets to the general public.
Above: Ryan Patrick [left] on the set of the short film.
"I've had the idea to make a Gremlins fan film for a while now," says Patrick. "Actually, it’s been in my mind so long that I was worried they would have a sequel already done, or at least announce one going into production. Then, at the start of this year, I finally started to work on a draft of the script. It was always going to be about Mogwai being sold as pets and being recalled. But the storyline went through my iternations – at one point I think it even involved a character who thought the Gremlins were the second coming.
"I always wanted it to be a touch campy, a touch B-movie in feel," continues Patrick. "It’s a careful balance, because you don’t want to just make a 'bad' movie. The original Gremlins is a classic, but it was a constant discussion of how do we update the tone and feel of the movie while (hopefully) doing the original some justice.
"Certainly, the biggest obstacle was creating the puppets. I knew we had to do this all practically. I just couldn’t imagine a Gremlins film where they were all just CGI creations. I met Eric Fox, our special creature effects lead, on a music video I did for Tesla Boy [below] and asked him if he would be into making Gremlins. The answer was an immediate yes. And the same goes for almost all the cast and crew. Everyone just loves these characters – it’s crazy.
"Ultimately, I just wanted this movie to be a stylised and fun escape. And when I saw that the original Gremlins was being re-released in theaters this month, I knew it was the perfect time to get it out there. I hope it leaves people wanting more... and gives the studios a kick to bring a some kind of Gremlins feature to life again."
Connections
powered by
- Copywriter Ryan Patrick
- Director Ryan Patrick
- Composer Russ Howard
- Executive Producers MindsEye, London
- Special Creature Effects Eric Fox
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