When you hear the word “gremlin,” the first image that comes to mind may be the unassuming, fluffy little creatures that turn vicious when fed after midnight. The eponymous blockbuster movie—now celebrating its fortieth birthday—that introduced these beings to a wide audience is still celebrated as the quintessential horror-comedy. Hollywood gremlins are particularly interested in meddling with technological devices to cause serious accidents, and a voiceover at the end of the film ominously warns viewers that any unexplained problems with electrical devices in the home might be on account of a such a beastie lurking there. This tracks with their folkloric reputation.