At what time can you start feeding Mogwai?

Question

You can't feed Mogwai after midnight because otherwise they turn into Gremlins.

But what time is safe again?

I think you need to wait for a long period of time. Just to be fully safe, 23 hours and 59 minutes is a good idea. — DVK-on-Ahch-To, Jan 16 '12 at 15:21
Mogwai operates on strict Greenwich Mean Time, that's what confuses most owners. — Mark Rogers, Jan 16 '12 at 15:26
I upvoted you. While I liked the movie as a kid, I don't think Gremlins makes any sense. It doesn't follow any sort of logic. I think Joe Dante was just screwing with us :) — Andres F., Jan 16 '12 at 15:38
I don't have anything to back this up, but my feeling would say dawn in when it becomes safe again. — eidylon, Jan 16 '12 at 16:27
+1 for you! We often debate on the topic...and I think the time is dawn. In the winter the Mogwai are hungry longer than in the summer ;) — Mentoliptus, Jan 17 '12 at 07:20
@Wikis - I didn't DW but considered to, precisely for the reason Andres up-voted. There's no info to properly answer it. — DVK-on-Ahch-To, Jan 17 '12 at 13:48
@DVK: then that's the answer! That "there is no answer" was not known at the time of asking the question, otherwise the question would not be asked. — Reinstate Monica - Goodbye SE, Jan 17 '12 at 13:54
@Mentoliptus: Mogwaii can't live above or below a certain point, or they'd starve after midnight (29 days until dawn!) — Jeff, Apr 23 '12 at 17:09
logically, it's always midnight somewhere so they should never eat :) — jwenting, Jun 14 '13 at 05:43
Technically the furthest from midnight would be noon. So assuming they can ever eat, noon would be the safest distance from midnight. — Anthony, May 13 '18 at 08:12

score 48 · Accepted Answer · answered Jan 16 '12 at 18:11

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There's no real explanation given, and in fact these questions are raised in the film series itself.

There's also no rational explanation given for the transition of a mammal into a reptile. It just happens.

The only possible explanation is magic.

Following the common themes of magic, I would assume it's a problem between the witching hour (midnight) and dawn - dawn being the typical start of a new day, with new beginnings, and generally presumed to have mystical significance.

answered Jan 16 '12 at 18:11

Jeff

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+1 for magic. Much better explanation than "Gremlins doesn't make sense!" – Plutor Jan 16 '12 at 19:58
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@Plutor - Gremlins DOES make sense... once you add magic! – Omegacron Jul 06 '15 at 21:09
Who said they were reptiles? Some mammals have scaly skin (armadillos?), and some of the gremlins still had hair (albeit in mohawk form...). – Kevin Workman Feb 01 '16 at 16:30
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@KevinWorkman: They're repeatedly described as 'reptilian' in the novelization and (I believe) the movies. Also, armadillos 'scales' (which are actually bony plates) don't resemble the Gremlin's skin in the least. I doubt very much they were actually reptiles, but it's the best correlation with real animal group (specifically, *Reptilia*) that can be drawn. – Jeff Feb 01 '16 at 19:47
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@Jeff Something can be described as reptilian without actually being a reptile- in fact, reptilian can also mean "repulsive" without talking about reptiles at all. My point with the armadillo is that not all mammals are soft and fuzzy. – Kevin Workman Feb 01 '16 at 19:57
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The traditional witching hour is 3 am. Some recent usage extends it to midnight to 3. – Anthony May 13 '18 at 08:11

score 6 · Answer 2 · edited Jun 14 '13 at 00:27

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Having seen the movies as an older person, (lol) my thought on it is that it was meant for kids. Therefore it is a warning against midnight snacks- no food after midnight. Just like children, they would be going to sleep and then eating in the morning. So, I think that's what makes them "safe"- a good nights sleep before eating.

edited Jun 14 '13 at 00:27

Adele- Nexus of Potlucks

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answered Jun 13 '13 at 23:21

Mike

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Hi there. I fixed your formatting because the answer was a little difficult to comprehend. If I changed the meaning of your answer too much, please feel free to change it back. – Adele- Nexus of Potlucks Jun 14 '13 at 00:28
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Gremlins was rated PG-13, had things like exploding creatures and talking about characters dying while stuck in a chimney and dressed as Santa. While the movie may have been family accessible, something tells me that this was not "meant for kids". – phantom42 Jun 14 '13 at 00:54
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@phantom42: eh, depends how you judge what's appropriate for kids. Old school German fairy tales were intended for kids, and were pretty grim. The idea was to scare them away from danger. Who's to say they were wrong? – Paul D. Waite Jun 14 '13 at 12:27
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You are so right, it was meant to teach kids lessons like "Don't snack late at night." and "Don't take baths, ever." – Jeff Jun 14 '13 at 12:52
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@PaulD.Waite: Would you even say those German fairy tales were Grimm? – Jeff Jun 14 '13 at 12:53
@Jeff: yeah I guess they are a bit, quite a downer really. Typo in your last word there, by the way. – Paul D. Waite Jun 14 '13 at 21:53
@PaulD.Waite seriously? – Mithical Feb 01 '16 at 12:16
@Mithrandir: serious about what? – Paul D. Waite Feb 01 '16 at 12:58
@PaulD.Waite Typo in your last word there, by the way. – Mithical Feb 01 '16 at 13:00
@Mithrandir: naw, that’s just my very dry sense of humour. – Paul D. Waite Feb 01 '16 at 16:23
@phantom42 - Gremlins wasn't rated PG-13. It was the reason why PG-13 was created. (Along with Temple of Doom and Poltergeist. Thanks, Spielberg!) – Anthony May 13 '18 at 08:08

At what time can you start feeding Mogwai?

2 Answers2