What does watching “gremlins” with a 4.75 year old boy have in common with watching “Ghostbusters” with the same boy? Well, both films take FOREVER to get to their respective good parts. But beyond that, I am only faced with questions. I watch these movies with my son because I want to remember something about what I felt when I watched them back in the 80’s. I like being a Dad, as well as a film nerd, so I have a good excuse to see them again.

And I’m aware of another motivation sneaking in the background. If I fill his empty canvas with Summer Blockbusters from 25 years ago, maybe he’ll develop into a rosetta stone by the time he’s six or seven. Twist his inevitable genius into a pop-cultuaral translator between our two generations’ story telling vocabularies.

In simple terms, it looks like he enjoyed “Gremlins” a lot more than “Ghostbusters,” but clearly neither had as much of an impact as the first “Star Wars.” I feel like we are working our way up to Jurassic Park. I hope by then we have a much bigger television.

Here’s how I tweeted "Gremlins” on 12-21-2010

I will now proceed to live blog my son’s first viewing of “Gremlins” #4yrolds1stGremlins

6:53pm

“Why can’t he get brung out in the light?” #4yrolds1stGremlins

7:14pm

Kiddo: “What happened?”

Dad: “There are five new ones.”

Kiddo: “They’re the Gremlins maybe.”

#4yrolds1stGremlins

7:21pm

“I know why that happened. Because they got water on them.” #4yrolds1stGremlins

7:22pm

Wow, I really missed all the racist subtext and orientalism when I watched Gremlins back in the 80’s

7:29pm

“When will it be the Gremlins part?” #4yrolds1stGremlins

7:31pm

with extreme longing: “When will the Gremlins come? Next scene? Which scene are they in?” #4yrolds1stGremlins

7:38pm

“That’s what happens when you feed them after midnight, they turn into Gremlins…WHY?!” #4yrolds1stGremlins

7:40pm

“When will the Gremlins be fighting Daddy? WHEN!?!” —- “will it be scary?” #4yrolds1stGremlins

7:41pm

I forgot how much fun it is to watch the Mom kill Gremlins. Kiddo says: “She killed 3 so there’s only 2 more to fight!” #4yrolds1stGremlins

7:50pm

“Is this movie real?” Looks at our expressions, “No, it’s not real.” #4yrolds1stGremlins

7:51pm

“The other man should be there to tell them that the Gremlins can fight.” #4yrolds1stGremlins

8:00pm

“Is that the Gremlins fighting Santa? It’s not real right? It’s just a man dressed up as Santa.” #4yrolds1stGremlins

8:04pm

“The stripe guy shot the other one. The Gremlins have guns now.” #4yrolds1stGremlins

8:08pm

“I’m not scared yet…It’s not scary.” #4yrolds1stGremlins

8:14pm

Watching Gremlins with my kid, I just realized that he hasn’t seen “Snow White” yet. #parenting2010

8:18pm

Wow. In “Gremlins” they all die in a movie theater fire, just like the Nazis in “Inglourious Basterds.” #didQuentinknow?

8:22pm

Kiddo: “Did they bring any weapons with them?”

Dad: “Nope. They should have though. Good point”

#4yrolds1stGremlins

8:30pm

“Was that real or just a story?” #4yrolds1stGremlins

8:40pm

That is all. Next up is “Goonies” since “Tron” isn’t available on Netflix.