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‘Christmas Bloody Christmas’ and the Twisted Workshop of Joe Begos!
You better watch out because Santa Claus is coming to town. This time, Santa’s a killer robot with a mean streak.
Joe Begos (Bliss, VFW) is back with the holiday horror slasher Christmas Bloody Christmas, which will release day-and-date in theaters from RLJE Films and streaming on Shudder on December 9, 2022.
“It’s Christmas Eve, and fiery record store owner Tori Tooms (Riley Dandy) just wants to get drunk and party until the robotic Santa Claus at a nearby toy store goes haywire and makes her night more than a little complicated.
“Santa Claus begins a rampant killing spree through the neon-drenched snowscape against a backdrop of drugs, sex, metal, and violence, ultimately forcing Tori into a blood-splattered battle for survival against the ruthless heavy metal Saint Nick himself.”
Sam Delich, Jonah Ray Rodrigues, Dora Madison, and Jeremy Gardner also star in Christmas Bloody Christmas along with Jeff Daniel Phillips and Abraham Benrubi.
In our review, Daniel Kurland called it “deliriously bloody with a striking color palette and kaleidoscopic visuals.” Of the filmmaker, he wrote, “It’s exciting to see Begos’ growing ambitious accomplishments as a horror filmmaker and what he has in store for audiences next.”
In celebration of Christmas Bloody Christmas and Begos’ latest blood-drenched horror offering, we look back at the filmmaker’s films and his commitment to the genre.
Almost Human (2013)
Begos’ feature debut establishes his style and affinity for gore and practical effects straightaway. Playing like a cross between a John Carpenter film and Xtro, Almost Human sees a missing man (Josh Ethier) mysteriously return a few years after aliens had abducted him. His best friend (Graham Skipper) and girlfriend (Vanessa Leigh) are relieved to see him at first but soon realize there’s something deeply wrong with him as bodies pile up; he’s not quite human anymore. Almost Human introduces Begos’ ability to maneuver around and stretch budgetary limitations and an emphasis on style. The debut also introduces the long-running collaboration between writer/director Begos and editor/producer/actor/sound designer Ethier.
The Mind’s Eye (2015)
Zack Connors (Graham Skipper) and his girlfriend Rachel Meadows (Lauren Ashley Carter) were born with powerful telekinetic abilities that put them in the crosshairs of the nefarious Dr. Michael Slovak (John Speredakos). Slovak’s years of experimenting with Rachel’s DNA to give himself her abilities means he’s willing to retrieve the lovers at any cost when they escape his facilities. Begos channels his ’80s influences again here, infusing them with his commitment to gore and practical effects. It results in a feature that feels like a grittier, gorier Scanners sequel packed with an affable cast of horror mainstays.
Bliss (2019)
Bliss stars Dora Madison as Dezzy, a talented Los Angeles-based artist with a reputation for her dark artwork. Struggling for months to move past a severe creative block, Dezzy’s facing financial trouble and serious pressure from the art gallery to which her latest erstwhile masterpiece has been promised. When her agent drops her, Dezzy finds herself seeking solace from old friends and vices she once left behind in the city’s seedy underbelly. After a hallucinogenic drug binge on Bliss, Dezzy’s night of debauchery sends her on a downward spiral fueled by Bliss and an unquenchable thirst for blood. The gleeful approach to violence and gore is still there in spades, as are the overt cinematic influences that shaped this story. But now Begos is asking thought-provoking questions through his art, in his gratuitous no-holds-barred way, that indicates a director growing much more comfortable and confident.
VFW (2019)
A highly addictive drug called Hype has turned America into a war zone. The addicted are mutant-like and willing to kill or be killed for another dose. Local drug lord Boz (Travis Hammer) has taken up residence in a movie theater across the street from a VFW post, a bar, and a gathering place for friends who served in Vietnam together. Since the vets’ preferred vice is alcohol, Boz and his gang give them a wide berth. That is until a young woman named Lizard (Sierra McCormick) steals Boz’s stash and seeks shelter in the VFW. Boz and his horde lay siege to the VFW, and it’s a bloody fight to the death. Penned by Max Brallier and Matthew McArdle, VFW marks the first film for Begos that he didn’t write himself. While that means a less personal film for the director, it’s clear he was having a ball making it. Retaining much of the same crew as Bliss, including cinematographer Mike Testin and makeup effects artists John and Sierra Russell, VFW has that same stunning shot-on-film neon grit with all the glorious gore.
See Santa paint the snow red in Christmas Bloody Christmas, available in theaters from RLJE Films and on Shudder on December 9, 2022.
A luxury team-building trip descends into a bloody fight for survival against a vengeful retreat leader in Corporate Retreat, out today in theaters. It’s the latest entry in a cathartic subgenre of workplace horror that examines every harrowing aspect of job employment.
No job is safe from horror, either, from babysitting to even the most white-collar gigs. But if you work an overnight shift? All bets are off. Vengeful co-workers and bosses aside, the night shift is likely to come armed with witches, creatures, demons, and all manner of things that go bump in the night. Even deadly outbreaks.
Corporate Retreat, along with these five horror movies centered around some of the worst night shifts, will make you glad the weekend has finally arrived.
The Autopsy of Jane Doe
Passenger director André Øvredal goes full throttle for the scares in this quiet little chiller that sees a father and son coroner team stumped over the bizarre mysteries contained within the body of an unidentified young woman during an unexpected night shift. Well-executed scares, clever twists, and earnest performances by Brian Cox and Emile Hirsch give this supernatural haunter serious heft. While the narrative bides its time unveiling the truth behind Jane Doe’s battered body, it’s heavily steeped in witchcraft. In other words, The Autopsy of Jane Doe presents a new take on the subgenre. More importantly, it’s seriously scary.
Cold Storage
COLD STORAGE, StudioCanal 2023
A lethal, mutated fungus breaks free from confinement deep within the bowels of a storage facility. At the frontlines of the madness are Teacake (Stranger Things’ Joe Keery) and Naomi (Barbarian‘s Georgina Campbell), two employees thrust into the middle of the chaos when they investigate an alarm beeping somewhere deep within the building. Director Jonny Campbell (Netflix’s Dracula), working from a script by David Koepp based on his novel, helms the goopy madness with workman efficiency. This lighthearted, goopy horror comedy romp makes the deadly night shift a bit more bearable.
Graveyard Shift
Graveyard Shift follows new hire Hall (David Andrews) tasked by his mean boss Warwick (Stephen Macht) to assist with the insane rat infestation beneath their mill. They find something much most monstrous as the cause. Though the film was panned, it’s a fun creature feature with an always welcome appearance by Brad Dourif as the intensely eccentric exterminator. The film also opts for a happier ending, whereas (spoiler), the story sees both Hall and Warwick getting devoured by the mutated rats, the crew in the upstairs mill none the wiser.
Last Shift
‘Last Shift’
Rookie Officer Jessica Loren (Juliana Harkavy) has been assigned to watch over a closing precinct on its final night of operation…alone. With nearly everything already moved over to the new station, including rerouted 911 calls, it should be a pretty quiet night as she waits for a Hazmat team to arrive to remove biohazardous waste. Instead, it becomes a waking nightmare as she’s forced to deal with unsettling visitors. Last Shift, co-written by Scott Poiley and director Anthony DiBlasi, brings the scares.
Intruder
The overnight stock crew of a local grocery store finds themselves falling victim to an unseen killer in this highly infectious late ‘80s slasher. The deaths are delightfully gruesome and inventive; look for this killer to make excellent use of grocery store items as weapons. Frequent Raimi collaborator Scott Spiegel directed this bloody slasher, which means a lot of overlap with the Evil Dead II. That means putting Sam Raimi in front of the camera for a change, along with Ted Raimi and Evil Dead II’s Dan Hicks. Look for a cameo by Bruce Campbell as well!
Corporate Retreat releases in theaters today; get tickets now.
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