‘Gremlins': The Unseen Rough Cut Joe Dante Finally Revealed
The unique 1984 Christmas movie showed a father, Rand (Hoyt Axton), bringing home a creature that came with three important instructions. Of course, those rules were broken and his son, Billy (Zach Galligan) had to deal with his town overrun with Gremlins.
Gremlins director Joe Dante revealed a secret cut of the movie at a screening. Here is how it's different from the released hit.
Why Kate's ‘Gremlins' Monologue Was Almost Cut
Dante screened a two-and-a-half-hour cut of Gremlins for horror filmmakers, according to The Hollywood Reporter. This version still had pencil drawings of scenes, while other moments were missing. Some characters weren't in the final version like an elderly Chinese woman who helps Rand before he goes to our familiar store owner (Keye Luke).
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It doesn't take long for Gizmo to accidentally get wet with spilled water and form Gremlins. The secret version introduces the mischievous version of the creature after an hour. The iconic bar scene in which Kate (Phoebe Cates) serves the gremlins runs about 10 minutes longer.
Kate tells Billy that her father was found with a broken neck inside her chimney dressed as Santa Claus as a child. That's why she doesn't like the holiday. This scene isn't in the secret version and it almost didn't make the final cut.
"Studio almost made us cut that initially, but it was Joe Dante and I's favorite scene in the movie," screenwriter Christopher Columbus said, according to Yahoo. Cartoonist Gahan Wilson drew a skeleton in a chimney wearing a Santa Claus outfit, which inspired the morbid backstory. Dante and Steven Spielberg fought to keep it.
The only available copy of the early version was given to The Gremlins Museum. The website details more of the cut scenes.
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