In the 1984 film Gremlins, what feeding rule applies to a Mogwai?

In the 1984 film Gremlins, a Mogwai must never be fed after midnight.

The rule is one of three instructions given to Billy Peltzer when he receives Gizmo, a Mogwai. The other instructions are to keep the creature away from bright light and water. Billy's accidental violation of the feeding rule causes Gizmo's offspring to emerge from cocoons as dangerous Gremlins.

The wording creates one of the movie's memorable complications: “after midnight” sounds precise, but midnight itself begins a new day. The film treats the rule as a suspenseful household warning rather than explaining a scientific cutoff.

Gremlins was directed by Joe Dante and written by Chris Columbus. Released in 1984, it mixes Christmas imagery, horror, comedy, and creature-feature effects. Gizmo is generally gentle, while the Gremlins produced from other Mogwai are mischievous and destructive.