Highlights from Joe Dante’s Reddit Q&A; Director Talks Gremlins and the Problem with Remakes
Well timed with the VOD and limited theatrical release of Burying the Ex (review), legendary director Joe Dante took part in a Reddit “Ask-Me-Anything” session this past weekend, and we learned a few little interesting tidbits during the chat. So read on for highlights!
During the Q&A, which you can read in full over on Reddit, Dante was unsurprisingly asked mostly about Gremlins and The ‘Burbs, and perhaps the most interesting takeaway from the chat was a behind-the-scenes story he shared about the former.
“[Gizmo] was originally supposed to turn into Stripe before Steven Spielberg took a shine to him and decreed he should be the hero’s pal for the run of the story,” Dante told one fan. “That sent the FX people into a tailspin, as he was designed only for the first few reels. But then he ended up the star of the show!”
As for The ‘Burbs, Dante shared some words about star Rick Ducommun, who unfortunately passed away last week.
“Rick was at heart a stand-up comic with an edge,” Dante wrote. “He beat out SCTV stars like Dave Thomas and Rick Moranis for the role despite being relatively unknown. His character is the heart and soul of what’s funny about the movie, proving you don’t have to be likeable to be funny.”
On another ‘Burbs-related note, Dante was asked by one Reddit user if he had any funny stories to share from the set, and he did indeed have a little tale to spin.
“Well, there was the time that Michael Jackson’s chimp Bubbles visited Corey Feldman and pooped all over his trailer,” Dante recalled. “If that qualifies as funny…”
In addition to a handful of non-answers about a potential Gremlins remake, Dante imparted a pretty insightful thought about many modern day remakes, pointing to why they don’t quite work. And I can’t help but feel that his words will be echoing in my head when Gremlins finally gets the reboot treatment.
“People forget that sometimes movies work because of the era in which they were made and don’t necessarily translate to our times,” said Dante, hitting the nail on the head.
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