Friends, let me introduce myself.
Peltzer's the name. Rand Peltzer. That's me there on the corner.
I'm an inventor.
And I have a story to tell.
Yeah, I know, who hasn't got a story?
Well, nobody's got a story like this one. Nobody.
It all started here in Chinatown.
I was trying to move some merchandise, maybe find a present for my kid.
I tried this one place.
Wait a minute.
-What's down here? -This is it.
This is your grandfather's store?
Yeah, come on.
No wonder you got to drag people in off the street.
Go ahead, mister, look around. See if there's something you like.
-Are these things real? -I told you, everything is real.
You do have interesting artifacts here, but there's one thing you don't have.
And what's that?
Well, let me show you. I'm an inventor. I made this.
The Bathroom Buddy. It's the invention of the century.
It eliminates the need to carry heavy luggage and things when you travel.
You got your shaving mirror, you got...
...your toothbrush, your toothpick, you got your toenail clippers...
...a nail file, and you got your dental mirror.
This is going to revolutionize traveling.
Let's just say for the sake of argument...
...that you're on a bus, plane or train.
You forgot to brush your teeth.
You got yourself a bad case of dragon breath.
Bad breath. Now, what do you do?
No problem, friend. All you do is, you take your toothbrush out...
...and you push this button.
That's absolutely no problem.
It cleans up easily.
What I'd like to do, sir, is give you my card.
Rand Peltzer. Fantastic ideas for a fantastic world.
I make the illogical logical.
I can get you these. I can get them by the dozen if you'd like.
What do you think?
Where is that coming from?
What is that?
Mogwai.
What's he doing?
Singing.
He does that sometimes.
I've got to have him. He's incredible.
I'll give you $100 for him.
I've got to have him. It's a present for my son for Christmas.
It's exactly what I've been looking for, and I've been everywhere.
I'll give you $200.
That's $200!
I'm sorry. Mogwai not for sale.
I thought you said everything in the store was for sale.
With Mogwai comes much responsibility.
I cannot sell him at any price.
Wait outside, I'll be right out. Just go.
-Okay, mister, here it is. -Great.
What about your grandfather?
He's crazy. We need the money.
-Now, come on. Do you want it or not? -I want it.
Look, mister. There are three rules you've got to follow.
Yeah? What kind of rules?
Keep him out of light. He hates bright light...
...especially sunlight. It'll kill him.
And keep him away from water. Don't get him wet.
But the most important rule, one you can never forget...
...no matter how much he cries or how much he begs...
...never, never feed him after midnight. You got it?
Sure, kid, whatever you say. Thanks. And have a Merry Christmas.
You're rolling with Rockn' Ricky Rialto, the voice of Kingston Falls, U.S.A.!
Looks like you'll get stuck with a lot of trees again this year.
I thought I'd be seeing you about this time.
What the hell is this?
What are you doing in there?
Don't ask.
Alex, I came to get my tree.
Pete, take that tree to Mr. Anderson's truck.
Come on, you can spare one for the boys down at the sheriff's station.
I paid for mine, Frank.
Billy, what's the matter? You need a jump?
No, thanks. I'm late for work as it is.
Goddamn foreign cars, they always freeze up on you.
You don't find American machinery doing that. Our stuff can take anything.
See that plow?
In 15 years it hasn't given me any trouble. You know why? Kentucky Harvester.
It ain't some foreign piece of crap. That's a Kentucky Harvester.
If I want to keep my job, I think I should be going now.
How's that comic strip of yours coming?
I expect to see it in the funnies any day now with Smilin' Jack and Li'l Abner.
-They don't run those comics any more. -They don't?
Say hello to your wife for me, okay?
Goddamn foreign cars.
-You just made it. -Again.
Billy, will you sign this petition?
Sure. What's it for?
To save Dorry's Pub. Mrs. Deagle is trying to take his lease away.
His, too?
Yeah, she says it's a dive, a public nuisance.
That's where my dad proposed to my mom.
That's where everybody's dad proposed to their mom.
Good morning, Mrs. Deagle.
What's good about it?
Watch it, watch it!
$40, $60, $80.
Two, $200. Thank you.
-Mrs. Deagle? -What?
I just wanted to let you know that Joe got another job.
My husband, Joe Harris. And I've taken up some sewing on the side.
Mrs. Harris, what are you telling me?
Neither one of us will be paid...
...for two weeks. Couldn't you get Mr. Corben...
...to just give us a little more time?
The bank and I have the same purpose in life: To make money...
...not to support a lot of deadbeats.
Mrs. Deagle, it's Christmas!
Now you know what to ask Santa for, don't you?
Mommy, I'm hungry.
Yes, honey. So am l.
This is what's left of my imported...
...Bavarian snowman. Your dog broke it this morning.
I'm sorry. Just tell me how much I owe you and I'll be happy to--
I don't want money!
I want your dog.
Barney?
Give him to me. I'll take him to the kennel.
They'll put him to sleep.
It will be quick and painless, compared to what I could do to him.
What could you do?
I'll catch the beast myself.
Then he'll get what he deserves:
A slow, painful death.
Maybe I'll put him in my spin dryer on high heat.
That would do it all right.
My dear lady, are you all right?
I have a very weak heart. I can't stand a shock like that!
What is that dog doing in here?
This is a bank, not a pet store.
Very good, Gerald.
Barney wouldn't have hurt you.
You're just like your father. I've listened to his miserable excuses...
...for ten years, the loser!
As for you, you're a mangy cur.
I'll get you...
...when you least expect it!
Oh, my heart! Oh, my heart!
You putz.
The old bat never looked better. It's great. You're doing fine.
If it isn't Captain Clip-on.
Guess who almost applied for unemployment today?
-I give up. -You.
But Mr. Corben had second thoughts.
He gets so sentimental about the holidays.
Imagine that.
I would have fired you in a second.
Merry Christmas to you, too. Excuse me, Mr. Jones.
Look, I'm a junior vice-president at 23.
By the time I'm 25, I'm going to have Mr. Corben's job.
By the time I'm 30, I'll be a millionaire. Look at you.
You're practically supporting your whole family.
The world's changing. You got to change with it. You got to be tough.
Tough? And no one's tougher than you, eh, Ger?
Don't call me that. My name's Gerald.
Can I get you a drink?
Give me a vodka martini. Shake, don't stir.
You're working here?
Weeknights, so Dorry doesn't have to pay an extra waitress.
That's great.
That's real swell, if you like working for nothing.
Two more rounds for the pool table, on the house.
Kate, you haven't seen my new apartment.
I haven't seen your old apartment.
Come on, we're talking cable. Can we have dinner tomorrow night?
I'm working.
Why don't you tell Dorry you're sick? He can't dock your pay.
-Billy, is that you? -Yeah, Ma, it's me.
I'm in the kitchen.
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas, movie house!
Merry Christmas, Emporium!
Do you need any help?
Yeah, you could do the eggs.
Dad's machines, they work so well the first couple of weeks, then....
Use the sink.
Mom, is something wrong?
No, it's a sad movie.
How was your day?
It was fine.
What is it? What's wrong?
Mrs. Deagle called again this afternoon.
Let's not talk about it right now. Don't say anything to Dad.
Fine with me.
-I'm glad you're back. How was the trip? -lt was great.
The Miracle Company, who have the Kitchen Companion...
...might be interested in the Bathroom Buddy.
You're going to like this.
What is it? A bird cage?
No, don't shake it. Open it now, it won't wait until Christmas.
It's a puppy, isn't it?
Yeah, it is. I can tell.
It's a new car.
Honey, would you dim the lights, please?
Dim the lights? Does it glow in the dark?
It's important. Trust me.
What is it?
It's your new pet.
Barney, be a good dog.
Dad, it's really neat.
Where did you get this?
In some little junk store in Chinatown.
Can I pick him up?
Sure, go ahead. Just be careful. You've got to be gentle.
I hope he's housebroken.
Isn't he cute?
Has it got a name?
Yeah, Mogwai.
Some Chinese word. I just call him Gizmo.
He seems to like it.
Gizmo, look up here a minute.
Hey, we're going to have our picture taken. Smile.
Bright light. Bright light.
He hates bright lights.
I forgot to tell you some important things.
Number one: He hates bright lights. You've got to keep him out of the sunlight.
Sunlight will kill him.
Number two: Keep him away from water.
Don't give him any water to drink. And never give him a bath.
And probably the most important thing:
Don't ever feed him after midnight.
You cut yourself.
Light bright!
Just sit down there and don't fall off, okay?
Try not to move so much, okay?
Good night, Giz. See you in the morning.
I got a tree!
I just brought in your Christmas tree. What happened?
Slight problem with the Peltzer Peeler-Juicer.
I thought your dad fixed it.
I thought so, too.
You should just buy orange juice in cartons. It's a lot easier.
See, it works.
-I had to come. -So I see.
Now I can see. It takes...
...a certain kind of guy.
That guy needs a certain kind of dame.
No problem, you can leave it up here.
What will you tell him?
That a bunch of bikers stole it from me on my way home.
Wow! Hooded Menace. Issue No. 1!
Where did you get it?
Dr. Fantasy's, I think.
What's that?
I'll show you. This is my new pet. My dad gave him to me.
What's his name?
His name is Gizmo.
He's a Mogwai.
Cute.
Blink your eyes.
Go like that. Can you do that?
Watch. Maybe he'll sing.
Billy, where can I get one of those?
I don't know. This is the only one I've ever seen.
Can I hold him?
Sure. I don't see why not. He seems to like you.
What was in that jar?
Nothing, just water.
Why is he making that noise?
What is it?
I don't know.
Is it alive?
I don't know.
One, two, three, four, five new ones.
Now can I have one?
Look, that one's got a cute, little stripe on its head.
Isn't that incredible, Pete?
Don't you think this is.... This is incredible!
It really is neat.
I'm serious. It's neat.
Gizmo, what's the matter?
There's something I should tell you.
You're familiar with the Bathroom Buddy.
I have made an improvement.
Now let's say, you're late for the big meeting.
It's really important.
On your way in you reach up. You forgot to shave.
What are you going to do? Under normal circumstances, you are in trouble.
But not if you have the Bathroom Buddy.
Watch this. Voilą! What do you think?
That's pretty neat.
-What's this button-- -Don't touch that!
Sorry, Dad.
It's not your fault. I'm working on that. I'll get that tomorrow.
The reason I came up here is because there's a problem with the Mogwai.
What's that?
It multiplies with water.
Do you see what I mean?
I don't believe that. All that from water? They got wet?
Yeah, plain water.
You know, it's funny, the new ones aren't like Gizmo.
The one with the stripe seems to be the leader.
I bet every kid in America would like to have one of these.
They might even replace the dog as the family pet.
Think about it: "The Peltzer Pet."
This could really be the big one.
Barney, who did this to you?
Hold on, I'll get you down. Stay still.
Poor dog. Another minute and you would have been a "dogcicle."
All I know is that I'm positive that I closed and locked the door.
How else did she get to him?
We can't point any fingers, not even at Mrs. Deagle.
She's been threatening him for weeks. She'd love to get her hands on him.
We don't have proof. We can't even find any footprints leading up to the house.
I'm going to take Barney to your grandmother's...
...on the way to the convention. Christmas Eve, I'll pick him up.
He'll be here for Christmas. It'll be all right.
I don't think we can drink this.
Why not? What's wrong with this?
Is that a Mogwai?
Yeah, I'm going to have Mr. Hanson check it out.
And all of a sudden, there were five new ones like this one.
Now watch this.
Can I keep one of these here, run some tests on him?
I think I can spare one.
This is some Christmas, Katey, I tell you.
First the old bat closes the factory, and now it's my goddamn plow.
Mr. Futterman, it's time to go home now.
-How about one more beer? -No, it's late.
One more beer and I'll help you clean up.
No. Thanks, though, it'll be okay.
It will not be okay.
I brought my plow in for a tune-up and found it loaded with foreign parts.
Everything: Gaskets, pistons, the spark plugs. All of it's foreign.
Going home?
Gremlins!
Watch out for foreigners because they plant gremlins in their machinery.
The same gremlins that brought down our planes in "The Big One."
That's right: World War ll.
Good old W-W-l-l.
They're still shipping them over here.
They put them in the cars, the TV.
They put them in the radios you stick in your ears.
They put them in their watches. Little teeny gremlins.
I don't think it's a good idea to drive home. Why don't you walk?
You know, Katey, I think maybe I'll walk home.
It's a nice night.
Gremlins.
That was really good the way you handled Mr. Futterman.
I'm used to it.
He's been like that since he lost his job.
He's like a lot of people. He just wants somebody to listen...
...especially on the holidays.
Why is that?
It's when a lot of people get depressed.
I always thought everyone was happy during the holidays, no matter what.
Most people are, but some aren't.
While everybody else opens up presents, they open up their wrists.
Cheery thought.
The suicide rate's always the highest around the holidays.
Now I'm depressed.
Do you ever get depressed on Christmas?
I don't celebrate Christmas.
Are you Hindu or something?
No, I just don't like to.
What's not to like? I mean, it's a lot of fun.
Say you hate Washington's Birthday or Thanksgiving and nobody cares...
...but say you hate Christmas, it really makes you feel you're a leper.
-I'm sorry. -It's okay.
I'm sorry. I'm just a little tired and cranky.
-Thanks for walking me home, Billy. -No problem.
I was wondering, do you get any free nights off from Dorry's?
Thursdays.
Because I was just wondering...
...if you're free this Thursday night, maybe you'd like to go on a date?
I'd love to.
That's great!
We can talk about it on the phone and kind of...
...square everything away.
Give me your arm, boy.
Give me your arm. This won't hurt.
This won't hurt. Not a big guy like you. Come on.
Just a little blood test, pal. You'll never miss it.
They're like huge seed pods!
Having fun?
-Fun! -Pretty neat, huh?
How about shutting up for a change? I already fed you.
Well, it's not 12:00 yet.
Keep an eye on them, Giz. I'll be back in a second.
Now maybe you'll be quiet.
You guys are really hungry.
Giz, you want some?
Do you want some chicken?
That's it, good buddy. Call it a night.
Can't you see? They're after you!
They're after all of us! Our wives, our children, everyone!
They're here already! You're next!
You're next! You're next!
Mom, could you come up here, please?
Then I want you to bring the vacuum cleaner upstairs for me.
What are they?
Well, they're the Mogwai, I guess.
Except for Gizmo.
Did you get them wet or something?
Did you feed them after midnight?
I gave them some chicken, but I made sure that it....
No, wait a minute. I made sure.
What's going on here?
So what did you say this was called? A putrid stage?
Pupal. Pupal stage.
Like a butterfly.
Right. This is a cocoon, and inside he's going through changes...
...Iots of changes.
Like my mother.
No, that's different. This is called a "metamorphosis"...
...a change in form and in appearance.
No, I'm sure it works fine. I was just on the back porch.
The convention's great.
I said, it's great.
Actually, the competition...
...the competition is a little more advanced than I expected.
Some really neat things.
Oh, Rand. You've never been so far away on Christmas Eve before.
I know it's Christmas Eve.
I'll do the best I can.
If there was anything I could do, but it is out of my hands.
I'm under such terrible pressures with this.
Why don't you speak to Mrs. Deagle?
Speak to Mrs. Deagle?
Deposit this to my account.
Where's your psychotic canine of yours, still hiding under the counter?
No, I'm afraid he's on vacation.
Keep him locked up, because if I catch him, he's in for slow death!
Here's Mr. Bird's heart.
Small animals lose heat faster than large ones...
...so their blood must circulate faster to keep their bodies warm.
In small birds, their hearts beat 600 times per minute...
...cats, 130...
...man, about 75...
...and a big old elephant's heart, only 25 a minute.
Okay, pals, Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas.
If you want to bring me a present...
...a cassette deck wouldn't be bad, or tickets...
...to the Super Bowl would be very nice.
Mr. Hanson, wait. Let me talk to you for a second.
It just hatched.
I'll be right there!
Hey, there.
You remember me?
You remember me, don't you?
I went and got you...
...a candy bar.
I thought you might be hungry.
You hungry?
You should try one of these.
Come here. Don't be afraid. There's no reason to be afraid.
Where did you go?
Where are you? I know you're in there. I know you're under there.
You're not still angry about that little blood test, are you?
Come on out. Take a bite. Let me see you.
I just want to see you.
You try some of this now. I know you've got to be hungry.
There now, don't you feel better?
Gizmo caca!
Billy, are you okay?
They've hatched! Get out of the house!
Phone home, caca!