Gremlins (1984)

A young man gets an adorable creature as a Christmas present, breaks the three rules that come with it, and a small snowbound town is overrun by cackling, anarchic monsters. Joe Dante plays the mayhem as slapstick, and the gremlins singing along in a movie theater or wrecking a bar are pure Looney Tunes with teeth. It was rated PG, but its violence upset enough parents to help bring about the PG-13 rating, so treat it as a film for older children and up. One for anyone who likes their Christmas comedy with a nasty streak.