Editorials
Christmas Around the World: 6 Must See International Holiday Horror Films
Christmas is celebrated as a major holiday all over the world, with each country bringing their own unique traditions and holiday folklore to the fold. For example, Santa Claus may be huge stateside, inspiring homicidal Santa Claus’ in horror stateside, but Central Europe scares its children into behaving with tales of Krampus, creating holiday horror of its own. Moreover, these unique holiday traditions are no longer residing solely within their originating region, inspiring new takes on old folklore. All of this to say that the sub-genre of holiday-themed horror is nowhere near as small as it was once upon a time, and it only seems to be growing momentum. If you’re tired of watching the same holiday horror films year after year, then these six bring new perspectives on yuletide terror from all over the world.
Dial Code Santa Claus
Also known as 36.15 code Père Noël and Deadly Games, this French horror film was doomed to obscurity as it was only available on hard to find bootleg VHS. Until now that is, thanks to a brand-new restoration by American Genre Film Archive. As for plot, it follows young computer loving Thomas, a boy stuck at home alone with his grandpa on Christmas Eve. It’s a quiet evening until a twisted, bloodthirsty Santa Claus crashes through the chimney. Released a year before Home Alone, there’s an eerie similarity in plot as Thomas booby traps his house to ward off the intruder. The key difference, though, is that Dial Code Santa Claus leans hard into horror, bringing the pain and bloodshed that Home Alone wouldn’t dare. If you happen to live near an Alamo Drafthouse cinema, look for special screenings of this one early December.
Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale
This Finnish dark tale of holiday folklore revolves around the Joulupukki, a pagan tradition literally translated as Christmas goat. The Joulupukki is essentially the Scandinavian counterpart to Santa Claus, complete with red robes and reindeer, but this figure is far more frightening for children who misbehave. In Rare Exports, a research team unearths the long-buried Christmas figure, unleashing holiday filled horror for the nearby village. It’s up to young Pietari to save Christmas Eve from the horrors of Santa Claus. A darkly humorous, yet twisted take on a holiday fairy tale, Rare Exports brings a Christmas horror film the whole family can enjoy. If you’re not bothered by a lot of nude Santa’s helpers, that is.
Don’t Open till Christmas
For those that love Silent Night, Deadly Night, but need a change of pace, this slasher from the U.K. should be right up your alley. Instead of a homicidal maniac dressed as Santa, though, this slasher has its killer targeting those who dress as Santa. It’s up to the Scotland Yard to stop him before Christmas is ruined. Fans of gory ‘80s slashers will recognize lead actor Edmund Purdom, who also directed this feature, from his memorable role as the Dean in wacky slasher Pieces. While Don’t Open till Christmas never quite reaches the same level of gore and insanity, there are still plenty of inventive deaths to various Santa Clauses, like the poor soul who gets his chestnuts roasted over an open fire. In a sub-genre inundated with homicidal Santas, this slasher offers a pleasant change of pace.
Saint
Also known as Sint, this Dutch horror comedy focuses on Sinterklaas. Only this version isn’t the benevolent patron saint of children, but a ghost that kidnaps and murders children on the night of a full moon that coincides with his annual celebration. Saint is over the top in gore and silly humor; writer/director Dick Maas doesn’t seem to take himself too seriously here and delivers on a holiday horror film that aims to offend as well as entertain. Sinterklaas is a corpse-like entity atop a horse, and his Black Pete helpers are problematic in their own right. There’s not much depth here, just a fun sleigh ride full of carnage and mayhem.
The Day of the Beast
Alex de la Iglesia is a Spanish director whose genre work often defies easy categorization, and his underseen Christmas horror comedy is no exception. Set on Christmas Eve, a Catholic priest teams up with a metalhead and a television occult specialist to stop the birth of the Antichrist, which will trigger the apocalypse. The lengths the trio is willing to go to thwart the end of the world really brings the laughs, but the humor is equally matched by the horror, too. This film is so all over the place it shouldn’t work, but it really does. De la Iglesia will creep you out one moment and have you spit-taking your beverage in laughter the next. A sort of spiritual cousin to the earlier works of Sam Raimi but with de la Iglesia’s unique sense of humor, this should have a bigger audience than it does. The Day of the Beast also made evil goats trendy long before The Witch.
Anna and the Apocalypse
Arriving in limited theaters this week before expanding nationwide in the following weeks, Anna and the Apocalypse is Scottish holiday horror film that deftly blends the zombie apocalypse, comedy, and Christmas musical. Yes, musical. Trace reviewed this one favorably out of Fantastic Fest, saying it’s “Filled with solid performances, a fantastic score and buckets of blood, Anna and the Apocalypse is sure to find a sizable audience once it gets released.” I’d have to agree. This zombie musical isn’t afraid to let the blood flow, and it definitely doesn’t shy away from death. The bleakness of the zombie sub-genre intercuts well with the chipper cheer of holiday fare. It’s the holiday horror musical you didn’t think you needed.
Editorials
‘The Vampire Lestat’ Concert Event Launches New Season With The Ultimate Expression Of Fandom
There are thousands of passionate fans decked out in gothic chic and champing at the bit like feral creatures. They’re screaming for Lestat, a legendary vampire-turned-rock star, as if the entire crowd has been glamored into submission.
The entire experience is magic, but not because some supernatural thrall has been activated. What’s going on is even more special. It’s the power of the effusive fandom that’s been authentically assembled by AMC’s sublime Immortal Universe, namely Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire, now, The Vampire Lestat.
The Vampire Lestat is far from the first Anne Rice adaptation, and it’s not as if there’s been a lack of erotic vampire material for audiences to sink their teeth into. On June 2nd, during a one-night-only spectacle, New York City’s prestigious Beacon Theatre shook from Sam Reid’s bravado performance and an audience full of adoring fans who had already memorized Lestat’s songs.
It’s clear that The Vampire Lestat just hits differently than its predecessors. It’s become more than just a TV series at this point, and this opulent display of ego, swagger, and pure sex is the perfect way to premiere the new season and give back to the fans who helped make Interview with the Vampire/The Vampire Lestat such a breakout success. It’s exactly the sort of hyperbolized hedonism that would make Lestat cackle.
For all intents and purposes, AMC has successfully created the illusion that this concert/premiere is just one of the many destinations on Lestat and his band’s 54-stop tour that is simultaneously playing out on this season of television. It’s such a sophisticated and thorough level of interactive fan engagement that the audience doesn’t just understand, but also manages to accentuate through its involvement.
It’s a level of seamless synergy that’s not unlike the give-and-take relationship of vampire and victim.
Before the concert started, “LeStans” were sitting in the Beacon and flipping through a fake Rolling Stone issue with Lestat emblazoned on the cover, complete with interviews with the undead frontman inside. Other fans were admiring the vinyl pressing of Lestat’s EP as they walked past a section of undead band merch. Fandom and fantasy blur together, and it all becomes this elaborate, immersive experience. Fan celebration, erotic gothic fantasy, and a lavish rock concert transform into one beautiful thing.
To this point, AMC Global Media’s Chief Content Officer and President of AMC Studios, Dan McDermott, introduced the event by reiterating to fans, “You are the heartbeat of the series.” That’s abundantly clear on nights like this as that heartbeat collectively pulses to this performance. In terms of how AMC engages with The Vampire Lestat’s fans, it’s as bold a reinvention as the season itself.
This intuitive gamble speaks to AMC’s creativity in this department and a fandom that is eager to seize such opportunities. It’s the same innovation that led to zombie walks for The Walking Dead and real-life Los Pollos Hermanos restaurant pop-ups from Breaking Bad. It’s a great way to pump up the audience for The Vampire Lestat and then maintain that enthusiasm for the whole season.
For most series, a rock ‘n’ roll concert just doesn’t make any sense as a promotional tool. The Vampire Lestat finds itself in a very unique position where it can deliver an excellent concert at an iconic theater, but also use it to showcase The Vampire Lestat’s music by Daniel Hart (who was shredding on stage alongside Reid and the rest of their band) and, more than anything, Sam Reid’s endless charisma.
The way in which Reid feeds off of the crowd’s energy, modulating his performance and giving different sections of the Beacon life, is a perfect distillation of the series’ thoughtful relationship with its audience and how it’s become such a breakout success for AMC. AMC Studios President Dan McDermott emphasized that the fans are the reason that the show is still here and why an event like this is even possible. It’s rare to see a series in which every single cog in the machine is so perfectly attuned to its fans. Reid’s fans already cheer whenever they see him, so why not translate that to a concert setting?
It’s clear in this season of television that Reid was born to be a rock star, but it’s surreal to see him effortlessly command the stage — and the audience — at every step of the concert. He recites Shakespeare monologues and bitches out Armand between songs, all while the audience screams in support. For the duration of this concert, Reid is Lestat, and he’s given thousands of fans a memory that’s as immortal as any vampire.
Now bring on the encore and get this show on the road!
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