Published Oct 23, 2026, 5:00 PM EDT

Sam Hill is a news writer at Polygon covering gaming and entertainment. He's a Portland, Oregon–based journalist known for covering gaming, the outdoors, national parks, tech, food, and internet culture. He has written for a range of publications including Outside Magazine , Boston Magazine , Vice , the Seattle Times and Digital Trends.

A Christmas gift gone wrong turns into a creature-filled nightmare in this beloved '80s classic

Billy receiving a Christmas gift in Gremlins

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There was a time when horror movies weren't afraid to get a little weird. The 1980s gave us everything from the surreal nightmares of A Nightmare on Elm Street to the gooey, creature-filled chaos of The Blob .…