The menacing green puppets in Joe Dante’s 1984 classic, Gremlins, have long been regarded as some of cinema’s most beloved practical effects. But creating them took a lot of unruly animatronics, a massive crew of dedicated puppeteers, and plenty of guidance from Steven Spielberg himself. In this video essay, The Ringer’s Alan Siegel interviews director Joe Dante, Gremlins creator Chris Walas, and even the star of the film, Zach Galligan, to tell the story of all the madness that went into the making of Gremlins.

Subscribe to Ringer Movies for more video essays and episodes of The Rewatchables and The Big Picture.

Subscribe: YouTube

Alan Siegel

Alan covers a mix of movies, music, TV, and general nostalgia. He lives in Los Angeles and is currently writing a book about ‘The Simpsons’ that will be published in 2025.