Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)
Directed by Joe Dante
Dante’s 1984 novelty hit poked fun at cutesy, sub-Spielberg entertainment, but its sequel aims at larger targets. In its first five minutes alone, it satirizes regurgitated sequels, gentrification, and the corporate takeover and subsequent exploitation of entertainment for mind-numbing profit. The rest of the movie only doubles down on the joke-per-second ratio, from Looney Tunes intrusions to a Persona-esque mid-movie meltdown that gets back on track with the help of Hulk Hogan. Set in a colossal, postmodern tower filled with kitschy color palettes, angular architecture and a host of ridiculous desk jockeys, the film resembles nothing less than Frank Tashlin’s version of Die Hard, and it remains the best self-spoofing sequel ever made. Jake Cole (Apr 5, 10, 9:15pm at Anthology Film Archives’s “Dick Miller on Screen and in Person”)