The good news is that there’s no shortage of Christmas horror available. This week’s streaming picks are dedicated to more underseen selections, horror movies that don’t receive the same level of attention as essential classics like Black Christmas (streaming on Screambox, Shudder, and beyond), Gremlins (HBO Max), or Krampus (Peacock or Shudder).

As always, here’s where you can stream these underseen holiday horror movies this week.

For more Stay Home, Watch Horror picks, click here.

A Christmas Tale – AMC+, Plex, Shudder, Tubi

Before Paco Plaza helmed international horror hits, including the [REC] franchise and Netflix’s Veronica, he directed an Amblin-like kids story that turns grim with the made-for-TV movie A Christmas Tale, as part of Six Films to Keep You Awake. The 1985-set story follows five twelve-year-old friends playing together in the woods when they come across a pit with an unconscious woman dressed as Santa Claus trapped at the bottom. The bored friends are split on whether to help or use her for gain, leading to grisly horror for all. It’s a mean little tale that separates the naughty from the nice.

Another WolfCop – Hoopla, Roku Channel

Lowell Dean’s follow-up to the raucous horror-comedy WolfCop is bigger, better, sillier, and more monster-filled. It also happens to be set over Christmas. The sequel’s central plot toe dips a bit into sci-fi territory as Lou, his partner Tina, and a few unexpected allies team up to solve a new evil plot involving a brewery. Dean’s love letter to Canada and B-movie fun delivers no shortage of wacky werewolf moments, including a certain alcoholic werewolf cop getting inappropriately festive for the holidays. There’s also the matter of Willie (Jonathan Cherry), who has a pesky new alien problem to deal with. This pick is for those seeking irreverent holiday fun.

The Day of the Beast – Fandango at Home, Fandor, Hoopla, Kanopy, Midnight Pulp, Pluto TV, Prime Video, Screambox, Tubi

A Catholic priest teams up with a metalhead and a television occult specialist on Christmas Eve to stop the Antichrist’s birth, an apocalypse triggering event. What does that entail? Racking up as many sins as possible. That creates no shortage of comedic moments amongst an unlikely trio, but the horror equally matches the humor. Alex de la Iglesia’s unique sense of humor and heavy metal spirit means this holiday horror movie should have a bigger following than it does. The Day of the Beast also made Satanic goats cool long before The Witch. While Christmas is vital to the plot, expect the wacky sinning hijinks to take precedence over yuletide theming.

The Sacrifice Game – AMC+, Shudder

Teens Samantha (Madison Baines) and Clara (Georgia Acken) are stuck at boarding school with chaperones for the holiday break, which is bad enough before the arrival of a murderous cult. What begins as something all too familiar eventually gives way to something more satisfying and charming in Jenn Wexler’s sophomore feature. Wexler’s instincts for pacing, tension building, and knowing when and where to pull the rug out from viewers elevate this holiday horror entry. While the ’70s set Christmas horror movie might be a grim downer for some of the unlucky characters, it winds up a charming treat for audiences. The power of friendship amidst a Satanic holiday invasion winds up a seasonal delight.

Silent Night – AMC+, Hoopla, Kanopy

Writer/Director Camille Griffin’s feature debut, Silent Night, begins as a typical family comedy centered around the stresses of the holidays. A large family attempts to celebrate Christmas while navigating personal conflicts, secrets, and usual holiday stressors. But it quickly becomes clear that there’s something sinister bubbling just beneath the surface of the yuletide festivities, something far more grim than any familial skeletons lurking in the closet. Griffin’s debut boasts a tremendous ensemble cast that leans into holiday cheer before delivering a bleak sucker punch reveal that shoves Silent Night firmly into genre territory. It builds to a somber finale, though not entirely without hope.

The post Five Underseen Holiday Horror Movies to Stream This Week appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

You better watch out, because a fresh reimagining of the ’80s cult classic opens this weekend, while the previous installments are streaming now.

Here’s where to watch all seven Silent Night, Deadly Night movies…

Silent Night, Deadly Night – Shudder, AMC+, Pluto TV, Philo

Released on the very same day in 1984 as A Nightmare on Elm Street, there’s a chance that Silent Night, Deadly Night would have been lost in the sea of slashers if not for its controversial marketing campaign. An early example of the Streisand Effect, commercials featuring a killer Santa provoked ire and protests among parents, which in turn fueled interest in the movie.

Directed by Charles E. Sellier Jr. and written by Michael Hickey, the holiday horror classic opens with a 5-year-old boy witnessing his parents being murdered by a man dressed as Santa. When he turns 18, Billy Chapman (Robert Brian Wilson) leaves the orphanage only to have his trauma triggered, leading him to “punish” the naughty as an axe-wielding Santa Claus.

Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 – Prime, Shudder, AMC+, Screambox, Tubi, Shout TV, Hoopla, Plex

The story behind 1987’s Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 goes that editor Lee Harry was hired to re-cut the original film so it could be repackaged as a sequel. Along with co-writer Joseph H. Earle, Harry persuaded the studio to allow him to shoot additional footage to be incorporated into the existing footage.

About one-third of the sequel consists of recycled footage in the form of flashbacks. The rest focuses on Billy’s equally disturbed brother, Ricky Caldwell (Eric Freeman), who dresses as Santa for a killing spree of his own. Despite its reputation as one of the worst sequels ever made, the charmingly ill-advised film has garnered a cult following with the rallying cry of “Garbage day!”

Silent Night, Deadly Night 3: Better Watch Out! – Tubi, Fandango at Home, Fawesome, Plex

In the wake of the critical and commercial failure of Part 2, the franchise was relegated to straight-to-video territory with 1989’s Silent Night, Deadly Night 3: Better Watch Out. Cult filmmaker Monte Hellman (Two-Lane Blacktop) was enlisted to direct from a script by Carlos Laszlo.

Horror icon Bill Moseley takes on the role of Ricky, trading in his metal head plate from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 for a brain-exposing device affixed to his skull. The mad Dr. Newbury (Richard Beymer, “Twin Peaks”) attempts to reach the comatose killer with the help of a blind clairvoyant (Samantha Scully). It’s not long before Ricky is awakened and continues his Yuletide killing spree.

Silent Night Deadly Night 4: Initiation – Tubi, Fandango at Home, Tubi, Fawesome, Plex

1990’s Silent Night, Deadly Night 4: Initiation saw the franchise eschew its established narrative in favor of a new tale of terror set around Christmastime. What it lacks in holiday spirit — Christmas is an afterthought, relegated to a handful of decorations in sunny, snowless Los Angeles — it makes up for in originality.

Society director-producer Brian Yuzna, writer Zeph E. Daniel, and special effects maestro Screaming Mad George reunite for what can best be described as The Craft meets Rosemary’s Baby by way of Junji Ito. Inspired by the myth of the primordial she-demon Lilith, it follows an aspiring reporter (Kim Levitt) who investigates a mysterious death, leading her to uncover a coven of witches with questionable intentions.

Silent Night, Deadly Night 5: The Toy Maker – Tubi, Fandango at Home, Tubi, Fawesome, Plex

Friday the 13th Part III and Friday the 13th: A New Beginning writer Martin Kitrosser made his directorial debut with 1991’s Silent Night, Deadly Night 5: The Toy Maker, which he co-wrote with Yuzna. Despite the Jason Voorhees connection, this bizarre outing plays more like Christmas’ answer to Halloween III: Season of the Witch.

In a twist of fate as interesting as anything in the movie, silver screen icon Mickey Rooney stars in the sequel, a mere seven years after publicly condemning the original. He plays Joe Petto (a cute Pinocchio reference, until you realize how much it sounds like pedo), an elderly toy store owner who, with the help of his son Pino (Brian Bremer, Pumpkinhead), designs toys to kill their customers’ children.

Silent Night – Tubi, Fandango at Home, Plex, The Roku Channel

Released in 2012 — the tail end of the remake trend that dominated Hollywood for the better part of a decade — Silent Night slashed the franchise back to its roots, with a killer Santa, festive kills, and tongue-in-cheek humor. Steven C. Miller (Escape Plan 2: Hades) directs from a script by Jayson Rothwell (Polar).

The reboot sees a killer dressed as Santa picking off citizens of a small Midwestern town on Christmas Eve. This time around, the homicidal Saint Nick adds a mask to his costume, turning his identity into a mystery for the first time in the franchise. Jaime King (My Bloody Valentine 3D), Malcolm McDowell (Rob Zombie’s Halloween), and Donal Logue (“Gotham”) lead the cast.

Silent Night, Deadly Night (2025) – In Theaters

Billy Chapman is back in a new take on Silent Night, Deadly Night from writer-director Mike P. Nelson — who previously rebooted Wrong Turn in a refreshing way, did some of the most interesting work in V/H/S/85, and revived Jason Voorhees in Sweet Revenge. It sees the return of original Silent Night, Deadly Night producers Scott Schneid and Dennis Whitehead after more than four decades.

Rohan Campbell plays Billy, channeling a pathos similar to his work in Halloween Ends. Drawing comparisons to “Dexter” and Venom, the new version of Billy is something of an antihero — including a crowd-pleasing seven-minute sequence in which he takes out over 20 Nazis. Ruby Modine (Happy Death Day) adds an interesting dynamic as Billy’s muse.

The post Where to Watch All 7 ‘Silent Night, Deadly Night’ Movies appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Yet women occupy prominent roles in the Silent Night, Deadly Night World. As the series grows increasingly strange, sometimes in the best of ways, women remain at the story’s heart, either causing or cleaning up seasonal destruction.

Though Billy and his red-suited brothers may end up wielding the bloody ax, women are often the driving forces behind each of these deadly nights. 

Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984)

A surface read of Charles E. Sellier Jr.’s iconic film might include accusations of misogyny. The story follows 5-year-old Billy (Jonathan Best) as he witnesses his mother’s sexual assault and murder at the hands of a man dressed like Santa. Carrying this trauma forward, an 18-year-old Billy (Robert Brian Wilson) is triggered by another sexual assault at Christmas time and — decked out in a Santa suit — goes on a bloody rampage throughout the town. Seemingly equating female nudity with naughtiness, he murders the rapist and his victim, then slaughters a topless woman by impaling her on a set of mounted antlers. Modern reappraisals now view the film as an exploration of complex PTSD while positioning Billy as a secondary victim of his mother’s attack. 

While not exactly feminist, Silent Night, Deadly Night does feature a variety of complex female characters and one prominent female villain. After losing his parents on Christmas Eve, Billy is sent to an orphanage and raised under the strict watch of Mother Superior (Lilyan Chauvin). Fully aware of his painful past, she insists Billy sit on Santa’s lap, convinced that cruel exposure therapy can force him to process his extreme Christmas trauma. When this predictably blows up in her face, the heartless nun responds with rage and violence. Mother Superior seemingly delights in barbaric punishment, tying Billy to his bed to cure a bout of sleepwalking and using her belt to viciously beat a canoodling couple, the latter creating a nasty complex that will haunt Billy for the rest of his life. 

As an adult, Billy is confronted with the dual triggers of wearing a Santa suit and witnessing another sexual assault. Having repressed his trauma for thirteen years, his fractured mind adopts Mother Superior’s insistence that the naughty will be punished and assumes Santa’s responsibility to dish it out. It’s perhaps fitting that his murderous rampage concludes at the orphanage where he was raised. As children sit around the Christmas tree, he attacks the woman who exacerbated his pain, finally understanding that she has been the naughty one all along. Unfortunately, Billy is unable to complete his mission, falling to a policeman’s bullet. But his little brother Ricky (Alex Burton) witnesses the carnage, sparking a new cycle of Christmas trauma. 

Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 (1987)

While much of Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 functions as a rehash of the first film’s plot, including a whopping 25 minutes of archive footage, Lee Harry’s cult classic sequel focuses on the aftermath. An infant, when his parents were killed, Ricky (Brian Michael Henley) barely remembers his parents’ death, yet suffers trauma from watching his older brother being shot while attempting murder on Christmas Day. Adopted by a kind family, Ricky is haunted by the color red and visions of nuns, alluding to his time spent living under Mother Superior’s abusive thumb. Yet unlike Billy, Ricky (Darrel Guilbeau) seems driven to protect women. As a teen, he spies a man preparing to rape his girlfriend. Whispering, “naughty,” Ricky kills the man, earning a tentative, “thank you” from the woman he saved. 

Like his brother before him, adult Ricky (Eric Freeman) seems poised to live a normal life, but a triggering event sends him down a path of destruction. Recounting his story to Dr. Henry Bloom (James Newman), Ricky claims his relationship with Jenifer (Elizabeth Kaitan), a beautiful woman he met in a meet-cute motorcycle accident, has given him a newfound reason to live. But Jennifer’s boyfriend makes an unwanted appearance, harassing the couple on the street. Billy responds by electrocuting the ne’er-do-well until the current causes his eyes to explode. When Jennifer is understandably horrified by Ricky’s surprisingly aggressive response, he flashes back to Mother Superior and the heaps of shame she poured on him. He strangles his beloved girlfriend, then rampages down the suburban street and shoots those who cross his path — leading to the fan-favorite moment, “GARBAGE DAY!” 

Though their traumas take different forms, Billy and Ricky end up in the same place: the villainous Mother Superior (Jean Miller). In a stolen Santa suit, Ricky travels to the woman’s suburban home, intent on doing what Billy could not. He decapitates the hateful woman, finally ending her reign of terror.  

Silent Night, Deadly Night 3: Better Watch Out! (1989)

Monte Hellman’s sequel spins the story in a strange, new direction while introducing an exciting, new heroine. Six years after murdering Mother Superior, Ricky (Bill Moseley) remains in a coma, his brain ensconced in a clear dome after painstaking reconstructive surgery. Hoping to prove a telepathic connection, Dr. Newbury (Richard Beymer) has been working with Laura (Samantha Scully), a blind young woman with clairvoyant powers, on an experiment involving the comatose killer. After a particularly unnerving session, Laura decides to end her participation, planning to officially quit after Christmas vacation. But a drunken hospital Santa manages to awaken Ricky while providing the tools for his escape. Leaning on their psychic connection, Ricky follows Laura to her grandmother’s house and once again murders his way through Christmas.

Though the story is preposterous, Laura is a worthy protagonist and becomes the franchise’s first final girl. Trapped in her grandmother’s country house, Laura struggles to fight the Santa Claus Killer alongside her brother Chris (Eric Da Re) and his new girlfriend Jerri (Laura Harring). Though they initially don’t get along, Laura and Jerri (who look virtually identical) must put aside their differences and lean on each other if they want to live. Not even Dr. Newbury can match Ricky’s maniacal strength, leaving Laura to survive on her own. Aside from the absurd premise and shockingly silly glass dome affixed to Ricky’s head — to his credit, genre icon Bill Mosely manages to make it work — the film is a fairly standard slasher, and Laura is a traditional final girl. Yet by tapping into her own innate strength and rising to stop Ricky once and for all, Laura emerges as the franchise’s most empowered female character to date.

Silent Night, Deadly Night 4: Initiation (1990)

That would all change with Brian Yuzna‘s Silent Night, Deadly Night 4: Initiation, a wild departure from previous installments. In fact, the only thing this film has in common with Silent Night Deadly Night’s 1-3 is a Christmas setting and a character named Ricky. But not that Ricky. This Ricky, an unhoused man who witnesses a murder, is played by beloved character actor Clint Howard. With the original story wrapped up, Silent Night, Deadly Night 4: Initiation starts fresh with a female villain rivaling Mother Superior. Fima (Maud Adams) and her coven of witches cloak their crimes in feminism, often making valid points. But they ultimately become just as dangerous as Billy Claus and his bloody axe.  

Kim (Neith Hunter) is a frustrated journalist sick of losing good stories to her male colleagues. When a woman plunges to an untimely death while burning from only the waist down, Kim sets out to cover the story — whether her boss approves or not. Kim’s investigation leads her to Fima, a well-spoken bookstore owner who empowers the young reporter to break her connection to toxic men. But Fima’s circle of empowered women, who call themselves Daughters of Lilith, have ulterior plans for their newest recruit. After drugging Kim’s tea, they put her through a terrifying ritual, inserting larvae into her vagina, then waiting for a massive centipede to force its way out of her gaping mouth. Yes, really. This is the plot of a Christmas horror movie.

Though her actions are reprehensible — not to mention disgusting — it’s hard to disagree with Fima’s intention. Justifying this metamorphosis to Kim, she explains that the bug is a physical manifestation of the fear and frustration we store in our bodies while navigating patriarchal oppression. And it does feel thrilling to watch Kim reconsider the way she sees the world. Of course, this doesn’t explain why Ricky is needed as part of the plan or why Kim must complete her transformation by murdering her boyfriend’s younger brother. Kim ultimately rejects Fima’s dangerous coven and her brand of destructive feminism, choosing to raise the child she almost murdered as her adopted son. 

Hiding behind a mask of enlightenment, Fima’s villainous turn cuts her message off at the knees and robs the movie of its female empowerment. While Kim manages to avoid becoming the new Christmas killer, Silent Night, Deadly Night 4: Initiation feels reminiscent of the 80s backlash to second-wave feminism. A circle of women who’ve rid themselves of needing men surely must be dangerous. It’s tempting to read Fima as a feminist hero, but her deceptive intentions are arguably worse than Billy’s. 

Silent Night, Deadly Night 5: The Toy Maker (1991)

Building on the insanity of Martin Kitrosser‘s Silent Night, Deadly Night 5: The Toy Maker brings us somewhat back to the story’s seasonal roots. We meet Sarah (Jane Higginson) on another violent Christmas Eve when a strangely sinister toy murders her husband in front of their young son, Derek (William Thorne). Hoping to console him, Sarah takes him to a toy shop where they meet an elderly toymaker named Joe (Mickey Rooney) and his unnervingly quiet son Pino (Brian Bremer). Derek rejects his offerings, which turns out to be a good thing. It seems Joe has been outfitting his toys with dangerous booby traps to cope with his pregnant wife’s fatal car accident.

We eventually learn that the real Joe is lying dead in his workshop, killed by one of his own creations. Desperate to replace his dead son, the toymaker created a robotic replacement named Pino. Get it? Pino and Joe Petto? But the synthetic child could never live up to his father’s standards. After repeated and rageful alterations, Pino finally killed Joe and has been masquerading as the toymaker ever since. 

Though murderous gadgets take center stage in this twisted holiday story, Sarah becomes the audience’s conduit as a frightened mother desperate to protect her child. Pino reveals that he’s been targeting Derek in hopes of replacing him in Sarah’s eyes. Of course, he also dry humps his would-be mother while screaming, “I love you, mommy!” But that’s beside the point. Sarah is the pinnacle of modern motherhood, raising a son with special needs on her own while reconnecting with her long-lost love. She represents the normalcy to which everyone else in the film aspires, and she emerges from this strange Christmas hell with one of the franchise’s few surviving families. 

Silent Night (2012)

Years later, Steven C. Miller would attempt to revive this eccentric franchise with Silent Night, a bloody reimagining of Sellier Jr’s original film. While certain elements of the story remain — a seemingly catatonic old man shares a piece of startling wisdom and a killer Sant rampages through a snowy town — the film feels more indebted to the Torture Porn movement and post-Scream whodunnit slashers. Miller’s Santa wears a disturbing mask attached to the iconic white, curly beard, and his identity is not revealed until the film’s final moments, when we learn about his own holiday trauma. In fact, it doesn’t appear that our survivors ever see the face of this murderous Claus, adding an extra helping of nihilism to the grim Christmas tale. 

What’s more, Silent Night is awash in the extreme gore and nudity that dominated the genre in the early 2010s. One particularly memorable sequence sees a pornographic model hunted while topless through a snowy Christmas tree lot, only to be fed into a wood chipper. And that’s not to mention a flamethrower finale which bathes the holiday setting in fiery light. The film plays out like a series of gruesome Christmas gifts for gorehounds and hardcore horror fans. 

Deputy Aubrey Bradimore (Jaime King) helms the story as a grieving widow struggling to live up to the standard set by her father, the town’s former Police Chief. As the town’s newest deputy, Aubrey teams up with Sheriff Cooper, played by Malcolm McDowell, predictably chewing scenery in the most delightful way. But she’s also still reeling from the unexpected death of her husband and — nodding to the original film’s trauma-fueled roots — must navigate sorrow during the most wonderful time of the year. Though the film is admittedly harsh and abrasive, there’s catharsis in watching a happy Christmas burst into flames. 

It’s difficult to call Silent Night, Deadly Night a feminist franchise. The sheer volume of unnecessary female nudity stems from the heyday of exploitative slashers that introduced a generation to the concept of “tits and gore.” However, considered as a whole, the franchise is filled with strong female characters who run the gamut from victim to villain and everything else in between. They are damsels in distress, cruel disciplinarians, loving mothers, and manipulative witches. They occasionally feel like archetypes, but they’re usually responsible for driving the story. In fact, Mother Superior emerges as the franchise’s most sadistic villain, upholding a rigid patriarchy that continually drives men to kill. Each Silent Night, Deadly Night installment arguably grows more bizarre, but every iteration of this holiday story can be traced back to a woman’s actions. Lurking within a franchise about Killer Santas are flawed but ultimately empowered women who run the show for better or worse. 

Where does Ruby Modine‘s Pam fit into the Silent Night, Deadly Night franchise? Find out when Mike P. Nelson’s Silent Night, Deadly Night 2025 reboot arrives exclusively in theaters on December 12. Get your SNDN tickets now. 

The post From Mother Superior to Daughters of Lillith: The Women of the ‘Silent Night, Deadly Night’ Franchise appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Notable titles arriving in December are Shin Godzilla on HBO Max, Sinners on Prime Video, Together on Hulu, and Pluto TV’s massive horror lineup that keeps the Creepmas festivities going this month. 

Check out the December 2025 horror streaming lineup below.

HBO Max

December 1
Adult Swim Yule Log
Adult Swim Yule Log 2: Branchin’ Out (A
Perfect Blue
Shin Godzilla
The Seventh Victim

Hulu

December 1
Black Swan
Gremlins
Legion

December 23
Strange Harvest

December 31
Together

Netflix

December 1
Brightburn
Godzilla
Hollow Man
Troll 2
What Lies Beneath

Paramount+

December 1
Addams Family Values (1993)
Annihilation
Disturbia
From Dusk Till Dawn
Scary Movie 2
Shutter Island
The Addams Family (1991)
The Ring (2002)

Peacock

December 1
10 Cloverfield Lane
The Addams Family
Addams Family Values
Pacific Rim

December 19
Jigsaw
Saw
Saw 2
Saw 3
Saw 4
Saw 5
Saw 6
Saw X
Saw: The Final Chapter
Spiral

Pluto TV

December 1
The Addams Family
Addams Family Values
Brightburn
Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh
Climax
From Dusk Till Dawn
From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money
From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman’s Daughter
The Gift (2000)
Goosebumps (2015)
Green Room
Hannibal
The Haunting
The Hole in the Ground
Interview With the Vampire
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
John Carpenter’s Escape From L.A.
Lamb
The Last Witch Hunter
Life After Beth
Medusa Deluxe
Men
Mimic
Mimic 2
Mimic 3: Sentinel
The Monster
Poltergeist
The Prodigy (2019)
The Prophecy
The Prophecy II
The Prophecy 3: The Ascent
The Prophecy: Forsaken
The Prophecy: Uprising
The Rage: Carrie 2
Relic
Seven
The Silence of the Lambs
Silent Hill: Revelation
Silent House
Slice
Student Bodies
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Unhinged
The Uninvited

Prime Video

December 1
A Haunting in Venice
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
The Prodigy
Zombieland

December 26
Sinners

December 30
Blade
Blade II
Dark Shadows (2012)

Screambox

December 2
From Darkness

December 5
The Burned Over District
Glowzies
Bad Things
Johnny Z
Don’t Say Its Name
Deep Camp ’86
Soviet Sleep Experiment
Immanence

December 12
John Carpenter: Live from LA – Halloween Night
The Naughty List of Mr. Scrooge
Massacre in Dinosaur Valley
Don’t Peek
The Columnist
Last of the Grads
Old Time Radio: A Chronicle of Creativity
The Veil

December 16
New Year’s Eve

December 19
Gator Lake
Consumed
Believer
Door of Sin

December 23
In the Name of God

December 26
The Devil’s Music
Samurai Wolf
Samurai Wolf 2: Hell Cut

December 30
True Fear

Shudder

December 1
The Haunted Season: The Occupant of the Room
Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984)
Santa’s Slay
A Christmas Tale (2005)
You Are Not Me
Creep Box
Spooktacular!

December 5
Reflection in a Dead Diamond

December 12
Influencers

December 19
Queens of the Dead

December 26
The Jester 2

Tubi

December 1
Cat People
The City of Lost Children
Climax
The Faculty
Green Room
Hannibal
The Hitcher (2007)
The Hole in the Ground
House at the End of the Street
Life After Beth
Machete Kills
Medusa Deluxe
The Meg
Meg 2: The Trench
Men (2022)
The Menu
Oculus
Only Lovers Left Alive
Pet Sematary (2019)
Scooby-Doo
Scooby-Doo: Monsters Unleashed
The Silence of the Lambs
Slice
Slither
Spawn
Underworld (2003)

December 12
Hag

The post All the Horror Heading to Hulu, Netflix, Tubi & Other Streaming Services in December 2025 appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

For the first time ever, the festival will kick off with an Opening Night World Premiere Double-Bill from fan-favorite filmmaker and two-time Popcorn Frights award-winner Brandon Christensen (Superhost, Z). Popcorn Frights is also rolling out the red carpet for horror royalty with the arrival of Barbara Crampton, Lloyd Kaufman, and Linnea Quigley in attendance for special screenings.

In a one-of-a-kind genre celebration, Popcorn Frights, in partnership with Paramount Scares, will present a special screening of A QUIET PLACE with live commentary by screenwriters Scott Beck & Bryan Woods, moderated by Josh Malerman. The event will also include a “See No Evil, Hear No Evil” interactive game with exclusive prizes, offering fans a uniquely immersive horror experience.

A second wave of Popcorn Frights 2025 titles with more than two dozen additional feature film premieres for in-theater and virtual programming will be announced next week.

In the meantime, read on for the packed first wave of Popcorn Frights 2025 programming:

IN-THEATER FEATURE FILM LINEUP

OPENING NIGHT DOUBLE-BILL
Bodycam
World Premiere
United States | 2025 | 75 Min. | Dir. Brandon Christensen
*Director Brandon Christensen expected in person
During a routine domestic disturbance call, a tragic accident thrusts two police officers into a relentless nightmare that unveils the existence of a terrifying cult.

OPENING NIGHT DOUBLE-BILL
Night of the Reaper
World Premiere
United States | 2025 | 93 Min. | Dir. Brandon Christensen
*Director Brandon Christensen expected in person
After a brutal murder of a teenage babysitter, college student Deena returns home for the weekend and takes on a babysitting job, while the local sheriff uncovers chilling evidence suggesting the killer may be planning a deadly sequel.

American Cryptids
World Premiere
United States | 2025 | 102 Min. | Dir. Erynn Dalton
*Director Erynn Dalton and screenwriter Joseph Zettelmaier expected in person
Starring Anne Bobby, Daniel Roebuck, and Lukas Hassel, this Florida-set folktale follows two feuding families—one human, one supernatural—whose failed truce sparks bloodshed, forcing the youngest generation to choose between breaking the cycle or succumbing to a fate of violence.

Blood Shine
World Premiere
United States | 2025 | 100 Min. | Dirs. Emily Bennett & Justin Brooks
*Directors Emily Bennett & Justin Brooks, and producer Cameron Burns expected in person
A religious zealot devoted to light rituals meets a horror filmmaker in NY, pulling him into a dreamlike maze of spirituality and transcendence.

Hacked
South Florida Premiere
United States | 2025 | 85 Min. | Dir. Shane Brady
*Director Shane Brady, actors Chandler Riggs, Owen Atlas, and Collin Thompson, along with producer Emily Zircher expected in person
Inspired by true events, this gripping story begins in 2021 when an ordinary Florida couple is hacked and robbed of $20,000—unleashing the dark, imagined revenge they only wish they could have taken.

Mermaid
Southeast US Premiere
United States | 2025 | 105 Min. | Dir. Tyler Cornack
At his lowest point, a drug-addicted Florida man discovers a wounded mermaid and, as word of his secret spreads, he’ll stop at nothing to protect her—featuring a sinister performance by Robert Patrick.

Teacher’s Pet
East Coast Premiere
United States | 2025 | 90 Min. | Dir. Noam Kroll
*Actress Barbara Crampton expected in person
Just days from heading to Yale, a brilliant high school senior is drawn into a dangerous game of cat and mouse when her obsessive new English teacher reveals a chilling past, igniting a gripping battle of wits and survival.

To All the Books
World Premiere
United States | 2024 | 91 Min. | Dir. Josh Malerman
*Director Josh Malerman and producers Scott Beck & Bryan Woods expected in person

 This raw and inspiring fly-on-the-wall documentary follows acclaimed novelist, filmmaker, and musician Josh Malerman—author of Bird Box and Emmy-winning music for Shameless—as he confronts the terror of the blank page and the unpredictable highs and lows of a wildly creative life.

VIRTUAL FEATURE FILM LINEUP

Alan at Night
Southeast US Premiere
United States | 2025 | 91 Min. | Dir. Jesse Swenson
An internet prankster documents the increasingly odd behavior of his new roommate, Alan.

The Editing
Southeast US Premiere
France | 2025 | 72 Min. | Dir. Audouin Rascovsky
Eccentric director John Von Kubrick disappears with the only footage of his latest film, forcing his two producers—who borrowed from the Japanese mafia to finance the project—into a desperate, life-or-death hunt to recover both him and the film.

El Instinto
US Premiere
Spain | 2024 | 92 Min. | Dir. Juan Albarracín
A brilliant architect crippled by agoraphobia and isolated for three years reluctantly accepts help from a prestigious dog trainer whose methods soon reveal a psychotic obsession.

Head Like a Hole
Southeast US Premiere
Canada | 2024 | 93 Min. | Dir. Stefan MacDonald-Labelle
In financial dire straits, a man accepts a strange, high-paying job where he must take up residence in a home and measure a hole in the wall of the basement to determine whether or not it’s growing in size.

House of Ashes
Florida Premiere
United States | 2024 | 95 Min. | Dir. Izzy Lee
A grieving widow must survive psychological and supernatural horrors while under house arrest.

In the Mouth
Florida Premiere
United States | 2024 | 85 Min. | Dir. Cory Santilli
A perpetual worrywart finds himself unable to leave his house after discovering a giant version of himself protruding from his front lawn.

Itch!
Southeast US Premiere
United States | 2024 | 82 Min. | Dir. Bari Kang
Amid a deadly outbreak known as the ITCH, a widower and his estranged daughter seek refuge in a department store—only to discover that the true terror lies within.

Psyche
East Coast Premiere
United States | 2024 | 71 Min. | Dir. Stephon Stewart
Adrift in limbo, a young woman and computer embark on a quest to uncover the meaning of life.

Tomorrow I Die
Southeast US Premiere
Hungary | 2024 | 85 Min. | Dir. Nikol Cibulya
In this mystical-realist ghost story, a pregnant woman invites her brother and best friend to a family cabin, where she reveals a haunting premonition of her own death and must confront childhood traumas before embracing motherhood.

What the Tide Dragged In
World Premiere
Chile | 2025 | 88 Min. | Dir. Patricio Valladares
After their mother’s funeral, two sisters visit a remote beach to scatter her ashes, but when one is swept away by a current and later found behaving strangely, unsettling secrets begin to surface.

IN-THEATER RETRO LINEUP

A Quiet Place
Live Commentary Special Presentation
United States | 2018 | 90 Min. | Dir. John Krasinski
*Screenwriters Scott Beck & Bryan Woods and author Josh Malerman expected in person
A family struggles for survival in a world invaded by blind alien creatures with ultra-sensitive hearing.

From Beyond
Straight Outta Crampton Triple-Bill Event
United States | 1986 | 85 Min. | Dir. Stuart Gordon
*Actress Barbara Crampton expected in person
A group of scientists creates the Resonator, a machine that reveals hidden dimensions beyond human perception—only to unleash horrifying life forms the moment the experiment succeeds.

Mr. Melvin
Troma-Sized Festival Premiere
United States | 2025 | 127 Min. | Dir. Lloyd Kaufman
*Director Lloyd Kaufman expected in person
A never-before-seen reimagined cut of The Toxic Avenger sequel, fusing Part II and Part III into one epic two-hour resurrection.

Night of the Demons
The Queen of Screams Triple-Bill Event
United States | 1988 | 90 Min. | Dir. Kevin Tenney
*Actress Linnea Quigley expected in person
On Halloween night, ten teenagers throw a party in an abandoned funeral parlor, only to awaken an evil force that traps them inside and unleashes demonic spirits, turning their celebration into a living hell.

Nightmare Beach
Special Outdoor Beach Presentation
Italy | 1989 | 90 Min. | Dirs. James Justice & Umberto Lenzi
After the execution of a motorcycle gang leader convicted of murder, a helmeted biker goes on a killing spree during spring break in Florida.

The Phantom of the Opera
A Tale of Two Phantoms Double-Bill Event
Centennial Anniversary, 2K Restoration
United States | 1925 | 93 Min. | Dir. Rupert Julian
*Live Original Score Performance by Slavvy
A mad, disfigured composer seeks love with a lovely young opera singer.

Phantom of the Paradise
A Tale of Two Phantoms Double-Bill Event
United States | 1974 | 91 Min. | Dir. Brian De Palma
*Swan Principal Archivist Ari Kahan expected in person
A disfigured composer sells his soul to ensure the woman he loves will sing his music, only to be betrayed by a sinister record tycoon who steals his work to launch his decadent rock palace, The Paradise.

Re-Animator
Straight Outta Crampton Triple-Bill Event
40th Anniversary, 4K Restoration
United States | 1985 | 84 Min. | Dir. Stuart Gordon
*Actress Barbara Crampton expected in person
After an odd new medical student arrives on campus, a dedicated local and his girlfriend become involved in bizarre experiments centering around the re-animation of dead tissue.

The Return of the Living Dead
The Queen of Screams Triple-Bill Event
40th Anniversary, 4K Restoration
United States | 1985 | 91 Min. | Dir. Dan O’Bannon
*Actress Linnea Quigley expected in person
When two bumbling employees at a medical supply warehouse accidentally release a deadly gas into the air, the vapors cause the dead to rise again as zombies.

Silent Night, Deadly Night
The Queen of Screams Triple-Bill Event
United States | 1984 | 79 Min. | Dir. Charles E. Sellier Jr.
*Actress Linnea Quigley expected in person
After witnessing his parents’ murder by a killer in a Santa suit as a child—and haunted by his grandfather’s warning that Santa punishes the naughty—18-year-old Billy leaves the orphanage and dons the red suit himself, unleashing a holiday spree of terror.

Individual tickets and All-Access Badges for the in-theater experience—hosted at Savor Cinema Fort Lauderdale and Cinema Paradiso Hollywood—are now available. Virtual All-Access Passes can also be purchased for streaming access to the full digital lineup. To order an In-Theater All-Access VIP Badge, click here, to order a Virtual All-Access Pass, click here.

The post Popcorn Frights 2025 First Wave Includes Special Screening of ‘A Quiet Place’, Premieres, and More appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

That’s why this week’s streaming picks are dedicated to feel-bad, bleak holiday horror movies that don’t care at all about warm fuzzy feels or happily ever afters!

These five horror movies capture Scrooge’s “Bah Humbug” sentiments for the holidays, delivering bleak downers and grim explorations of humanity’s dark side instead.

As always, here’s where you can stream them this week.

For more Stay Home, Watch Horror picks, click here.

A Christmas Tale – Tubi

Before Paco Plaza helmed international horror hits, including the [REC] franchise and Netflix’s Veronica, he directed an Amblin-like kids story that turns grim with the made-for-TV movie A Christmas Tale, as part of Six Films to Keep You Awake. The 1985-set story follows five twelve-year-old friends playing together in the woods when they come across a pit with an unconscious woman dressed as Santa Claus trapped at the bottom. The bored friends are split on whether to help or use her for gain, leading to grisly horror for all. It’s a mean little tale that separates the naughty from the nice. And there are a lot of naughty characters in this morality tale. The film is also available to stream on Pluto TV, but only in Spanish (without English subtitles).

I Trapped the Devil – AMC+, Shudder

Writer/director Josh Lobo’s Christmas film is a haunting, slow burn portrait of grief and familial guilt. When Steve’s brother and sister-in-law unexpectedly show up at his door to celebrate the holidays, they’re alarmed to discover he has a man locked in his basement. Steve insists he’s captured the devil. Paranoia and psychological terror are carried deftly on the shoulders of its three leads; this is brooding yuletide horror at its best.

Inside – Tubi

Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury’s debut begins with a tragedy, plunging its pregnant lead character into a depression and kickstarting an intense, visceral bid for survival over Christmas. It’s a ruthless entry in home invasion horror that doles out punishment and pain, a peak of New French Extremity. Béatrice Dalle’s La Femme makes for a bone-chilling villainess that ensures there’s no shortage of Christmas reds splattered all over the home. The excess of bloodshed is about the only prominent reference to the holidays in this grim holiday shocker, but you’ll be too busy holding your breath from the relentless tension to notice.

The Lodge – Kanopy

A family weekend getaway to their remote family lodge for Christmas becomes a harrowing voyage into madness when soon-to-be stepmom Grace (Riley Keough), still deep in recovery from a traumatic upbringing, is left alone to take care of hostile step-children Aidan (Jaeden Martell) and Mia (Lia McHugh). Just as the resentful kids seem to be making peace with Grace, a blizzard blows through, and the power cuts off, trapping them all in freezing isolation with Grace’s dark past. Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala infuse holiday horror with their brand of moody, atmospheric bleakness that snuffs out any possibility of a Merry Christmas here.

Silent Night (2021) – AMC+, Netflix

Writer/Director Camille Griffin’s feature debut, Silent Night, begins as a typical family comedy centered around the stresses of the holidays. A large family attempts to celebrate Christmas while navigating personal conflicts, secrets, and usual holiday stressors. But it quickly becomes clear that there’s something sinister bubbling just beneath the surface of the yuletide festivities, something far more grim than any familial skeletons lurking in the closet. Griffin’s debut boasts a tremendous ensemble cast that leans into holiday cheer before delivering a bleak sucker punch reveal that shoves Silent Night firmly into genre territory. It builds to a somber finale, though not entirely without hope.

The post Five Bleak Holiday Horror Movies to Stream This Week appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

These horror movies feature kids so ruthless that they draw audience ire and wishes for Krampus to come take them away. The 12 Days of Creepmas continues on Bloody Disgusting, this time with 6 holiday horror movies that put vicious children at the forefront of the terror.

Keep track of the 12 Days of Creepmas here.

Krampus

When Max’s (Emjay Anthony) dysfunctional family won’t stop fighting and nothing goes as planned, he turns his back on Christmas and accidentally summons Krampus. All hell breaks loose as Krampus and his horde of minions punish Max and his family, in Michael Dougherty’s fan favorite holiday horror movie. Technically, almost the entire family belongs on the naughty list as their constant bickering and bullying is what inspires Max to unwittingly summon Krampus in the first place. But Krampus’ reign of terror inspires Max to see the error of his ways, making the children of Krampus the nicest among the naughty list.

Silent Night

For the most part, writer/director Camille Griffin’s feature debut, Silent Night, plays like many comedies set around holiday gatherings. It features typical awkwardness that comes from a large makeshift family coming together during one of the most stressful times of the year, attempting to cast aside grudges, secrets, or bad manners for the sake of yuletide cheer. But it becomes clear there’s something quite sinister bubbling beneath the surface of forced merriment, and Griffin’s debut slowly evolves into a harrowing horror story rife with tragedy. It’s a rare instance where the misbehaving children, particularly Art (Roman Griffin Davis) and Kitty (Davida McKenzie), earn their rebellious behavior with the reveal of the horror element. It’s an even rarer instance where these naughty children are ultimately undeserving of their holiday punishment.

The Sacrifice Game

Three days before Christmas in 1971, the remaining students of Blackvale, a Catholic boarding school for girls, depart for the holidays. Circumstances leave teens Samantha (Madison Baines) and Clara (Georgia Acken) stuck at school with chaperones, but their attempts to make a cozy holiday get derailed with the arrival of a murderous cult. The Sacrifice Game may be a holiday ruiner for many of its characters, but for audiences, it’s a holiday horror treat. Jenn Wexler’s sophomore feature takes viewers on a journey with the sweet Samantha and peculiar Clara. One of the girls eventually reveals herself to be quite the evil puppetmaster. In Wexler’s hands, that’s a good thing; The Sacrifice Game features a rare instance where you’re rooting for evil (and friendship) to win.

The Children

Children have a penchant for creepiness in horror, and The Children ranks high among the killer kid subgenre. An isolated family and friend gathering over the Christmas/New Year’s holiday winds up pitting children against parents when a gruesome virus breaks out. If you think the holiday setting means tamer kills, you’d be wrong; these children are malicious little killers. To be fair, it’s not their fault. Still, steer clear because these kids get ultra-violent and find inventive ways to get lethal with everyday items.

Better Watch Out

This title is for those that like their holiday horror full of pitch-black humor and one nasty mean streak. A babysitting job in the quiet suburbs turns into a harrowing night for the babysitter when her ward’s house is under siege by intruders. There’s far more than meets the eye in this twist on home-invasion horror, and it’s vicious. A bone-chilling pre-teen villain and one brutal kill that riffs on a family holiday favorite make this a memorable and crowd-pleasing pick. But expect this horror villain to induce rage like few others.

The Lodge

Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala’s follow-up to Goodnight Mommy carries over the theme of children misbehaving. A family trip to the remote family lodge for Christmas becomes a harrowing voyage into potential madness when soon-to-be stepmom Grace (Riley Keough) is left alone to take care of step-children Aidan (Jaeden Martell) and Mia (Lia McHugh). When the children seem to be making peace with Grace, a blizzard knocks the power out, trapping them all with Grace’s dark past. Moody and atmospheric, The Lodge is bleak horror. Nothing about this holiday horror movie is merry or bright, largely thanks to its young leads.

The post 6 Children in Holiday Horror Movies That Deserve a Lump of Coal [12 Days of Creepmas] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

It feels only right to kick things off with a look at one of holiday horror’s most prominent icons: the Killer Santa Claus. The niche subgenre of Killer Santa holiday horror movies is as robust as ever, offering ample murderous maniacs to spread holiday fear this season. Here are 12 of the most prominent and bloodthirsty of the bunch.

If your favorites are missing, don’t worry; there’s still plenty of holiday horror fun on the way.

Violent Night

Violent Night introduces Santa Claus (David Harbour) as a cynic drowning his frustrations in booze at a bar on Christmas Eve. Then he crosses paths with Trudy (Leah Brady), a sweet girl caught up in an intense hostage situation. This Christmas, Santa gets violent when it comes to his naughty list. Director Tommy Wirkola (Dead Snow) infuses his gore-soaked sense of humor into an amalgamation of familiar holiday fare, ushering a new crowd-pleasing Christmas-set actioner that’s more than willing to get violent. It’s also arguably the most feel-good killer Santa on this list.

Silent Night

This very loose retelling of Silent Night, Deadly Night doesn’t offer much in the way of storytelling. What it does offer, though, is a handful of fun performances led by scene-chewing Malcolm McDowell as the small-town sheriff and a bunch of gory deaths at the hands of one vicious Santa. This killer Santa seeks out the worst and delivers fatal punishment for their naughty behavior. Skin-crawling sexually deviant priests, spoiled rotten children, and softcore porn filmmakers draw Santa’s ire. This killer Santa is for those who want to see the snow splattered with the red stuff.

Santa’s Slay

Once upon a time, in the year 1005 AD, the demon Santa Claus (Bill Goldberg) lost a bet with an Angel. As punishment, Santa was sentenced to become a giver of holiday gifts and cheer for 1,000 years. The moment his sentence ends, however, the demon’s brutal ways resume with a vengeance. As if Goldberg’s casting as the angry Santa wasn’t an indicator, Santa’s Slay is a gory romp uninterested in anything but spreading holiday cheer with riotous carnage and camp. You’ll know if this one is for you from the spirited opening slaughter featuring Fran Drescher.

Santa Jaws

What if Santa Claus wasn’t a jolly old elf or a maniac in disguise but rather a shark? If you’ve spiked your eggnog a little too hard and need something irreverent and silly, this is for you. It features a killer shark sporting a Santa hat on the loose, killing its way through a naughty list. That’s the only thing you need to know to determine whether this absurd horror-comedy is for you or not. It’s also for those who have grown tired of Killer Santas of the humanoid variety.

Christmas Bloody Christmas

Bliss and VFW director Joe Begos give his ultra-violent take on the killer Santa with this bloody Christmas tale. It’s Christmas Eve, and fiery record store owner Tori Tooms (Riley Dandy) 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, forcing Tori into a blood-splattered battle for survival.

Christmas Evil

Ever since Harry Stadling (Brandon Maggart) saw mommy kissing Santa Claus as a child, he grew up with an unhealthy Christmas obsession. As an adult, he keeps his home decked out in holiday décor and seeks to spread cheer at the toy factory where he works. Harry even spies on the neighborhood kids to keep track of who is naughty or nice. But Harry’s fragile mind and a series of unfortunate events lead him to snap over Christmas Eve, spurning a murder spree in his quest to become an authentic Santa Claus. Christmas Evil isn’t your average killer Santa flick; it’s a quirky character study of a broken mind. There’s often as much humor as there is tragedy in store for poor Harry.

Sint

Leave it to Dick Maas, the mind behind Amsterdamned, to transform the Christmas ghost into a slasher. On the full moon of December 5, St. Nicholas’s murderous evil spirit comes to town to unleash terror and mayhem along with his zombie-like Black Peters. It’s precisely the type of goofy fun you’d expect from Maas, this time with an irreverent holiday twist. It’s as funny as it is bloody, with solid effects work. Just don’t take it too seriously. 

A Christmas Tale

Before horror director Paco Plaza made a name for himself on an international scale with the first three entries in the beloved [REC] franchise and Netflix’s Veronica, he married an Amblin-Esque kids story with yuletide terror in the made-for-TV movie A Christmas Tale. The plot revolves around five twelve-year-old friends in 1985. The gang’s usual play routine is interrupted when they come across a pit in the woods with an unconscious woman dressed as Santa Claus at the bottom. The kids learn that she’s a wanted criminal and choose to torture her for their gain. Plaza’s Christmas tale gets very, very dark, with naughty children facing punishment for their misdeeds in unexpected ways.

Deadly Games

Also known as 36.15 Code Père Noël and Dial Code Santa Claus, this French horror film was doomed to obscurity as it was only available on hard-to-find bootleg VHS until recently. 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, the plot has an eerie similarity as Thomas booby traps his house to ward off the intruder. The critical difference is that Deadly Games leans hard into horror, bringing the bloodshed that Home Alone wouldn’t dare. One creepy Santa, some surprising peril for its young lead, and a heavy lean into the holiday setting make for an unexpected holiday favorite.

Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2

While the original film is heralded as a holiday horror classic, this sequel falls firmly into cult territory thanks to using an enormous amount of footage to recap the previous film’s story and the over-the-top performance by new killer Santa, Ricky (Eric Freeman). Set four years after the first film, Ricky picks up his brother’s slaying mantle to punish those he deems naughty on Christmas Eve. Whereas Billy liked to yell “punish,” Ricky’s more known for his hysterical line delivery of “Garbage Day!” That should give you a little idea of the hysterical madness in store. In other words, this is a pizza and beer kind of holiday horror film, best viewed separately from its predecessor.

Speaking of which…

Silent Night, Deadly Night

This quintessential killer Santa flick follows Billy (Robert Brian Wilson) from the traumatic incident that instilled his fixation on Christmas to his Christmas murder spree while dressed as Santa. The depiction of an ax-wielding killer dressed as Santa Claus made the movie highly controversial upon release, which likely went a long way in drawing fans. Not only did this launch a franchise, but it shaped the formula for the subgenre. It helps that it was the first Christmas horror film that really caught the attention of critics and journalists, all appalled by the concept of a not-so-jolly Saint Nick.

Tales from the Crypt

This classic horror anthology features five segments based on EC Comics stories. The wraparound features five strangers confronted by a Crypt Keeper who regales them with tales of their demises. The first segment, “…And All Through the House,” comes from the 35th issue of The Vault of Horror and sees Joanne Clayton (Joan Collins) battling it out with an escaped maniac dressed in a Santa suit. She’s unable to call the police for aid as she’s just murdered her husband. The story is so good that it was adapted a second time for the Tales from the Crypt TV series’ inaugural season. While the original adaptation of the movie is the only story set around the holidays, the entire anthology is well worth watching.

The post 12 Killer Santa Horror Movies to Spread Holiday Fear [12 Days of Creepmas] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Entertainment Weekly debuted the Silent Night trailer, which you’ll find below. The film’s title has a dual meaning, referencing the Christmas setting while also referring to the fact that Silent Night is a mostly dialogue-free movie. The trailer is dialogue-free as well, focusing entirely on the explosive action and brutal violence John Woo is an expert at dishing out.

Speaking of which…

Silent Night has been rated “R” for “Strong bloody violence, drug use and some language,” and Entertainment Weekly reveals that’ll blast into theaters on December 1.

From Capstone Studios and Thunder Road Films, Silent Night stars Joel Kinnaman (The Suicide Squad) alongside Scott Mescudi (X), Harold Torres, and Catalina Sandino Moreno.

In Silent Night, written by Robert Archer Lynn (Prisoner, Deadbox), “A grieving father enacts his long-awaited revenge against a ruthless gang on Christmas Eve.”

John Woo told Vulture, “Very interesting movie. The whole movie is without dialogue. It allowed me to use visuals to tell the story, to tell how the character feels. We are using music instead of language. And the movie is all about sight and sound. The budget was a little tight, and the schedule was tight, but it made me change my working style. Usually, for a big movie, a studio movie, we shoot a lot of coverage, then leave it to the cutting room. But in this movie, I tried to combine things without doing any coverage shots. I had to force myself to use a new kind of technique. Some scenes were about two or three pages, but I did it all in one shot.”

The post ‘Silent Night’ Trailer – John Woo’s Christmas Action Thriller Is Loaded With Strong Bloody Violence appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Director John Woo’s Silent Night has been rated “R” for…

“Strong bloody violence, drug use and some language.”

From Capstone Studios and Thunder Road Films, Silent Night stars Joel Kinnaman (The Suicide Squad) alongside Scott Mescudi (X), Harold Torres, and Catalina Sandino Moreno.

In Silent Night, written by Robert Archer Lynn (Prisoner, Deadbox), “A grieving father enacts his long-awaited revenge against a ruthless gang on Christmas Eve.”

Of particular note, the film is said to feature no dialogue. Yes, we realize the MPA rating lists “some language” as a reason for its “R” rating. And we are also very confused about that.

John Woo told Vulture, “Very interesting movie. The whole movie is without dialogue. It allowed me to use visuals to tell the story, to tell how the character feels. We are using music instead of language. And the movie is all about sight and sound. The budget was a little tight, and the schedule was tight, but it made me change my working style. Usually, for a big movie, a studio movie, we shoot a lot of coverage, then leave it to the cutting room. But in this movie, I tried to combine things without doing any coverage shots. I had to force myself to use a new kind of technique. Some scenes were about two or three pages, but I did it all in one shot.”

Stay tuned for the trailer and release information as we learn it.

The post John Woo’s Dialogue-Free Action Thriller ‘Silent Night’ Rated “R” for “Strong Bloody Violence” appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The first book in the Silent Night trilogy introduces the notorious Reva Dalby, one of the snottiest teenagers to ever come out of Shadyside. This spoiled brat is spending her winter break working at her father’s department store, Dalby’s, and making the lives of those around her a living hell. Reva has never met a mean thought she didn’t like. However, being so unkind finally leads to consequences when Reva finds a needle in her lipstick. Now, for the average person, it might be easy to pin down a viable suspect; most folks don’t go around making enemies. Reva, on the other hand, has practically made it her job to be disliked. So the perpetrator behind the lipstick stunt and other sick jokes to come — more like warnings — could be anyone.

Silent Night is split into two parallel plots. The main one of course shadows Reva as her bad behavior catches up to her. She seduces a classmate’s boyfriend, Mitch, after hiring the both of them for seasonal work at Dalby’s. And when the girlfriend catches them in the act, Reva suddenly loses interest in the whole affair. She destroyed their relationship just because she could. Then, Reva only hires her classmate Robb because “he’s a real chub” who “doesn’t need a pillow” to play the store Santa. There’s also Reva’s recent ex, Hank, who she coldly dumped, although in her defense, he’s a total hothead. Nevertheless, Hank, as well as Reva’s other victims, have good reason to scare her. Maybe even worse.

The other story in the first book is about Reva’s less fortunate cousin, Pam Dalby, who lives in poverty on Fear Street. She’s convinced by her friends Mickey and Clay to rob Dalby’s after Mickey’s father, Mr. Wakely, was fired from his store security position right before Christmas. Reva’s father canned him for drinking on the job. With the help of Mr. Wakely’s friend and the remaining night security guard, Mr. Haywood, Pam and her friends can walk into Dalby’s after hours and steal whatever they want. The plan doesn’t go accordingly, though, once the teens are spotted by another security guard during the break-in. He ends up being shot to death by an unknown third party, who may or may not be the one currently blackmailing Pam and her pals. And where was Mr. Haywood, after he had promised to help Mickey and the others with their robbery?

Silent Night is ultimately more of a crime thriller than a horror tale. Reva’s own growing terror is eclipsed by Pam’s shoplifting story, though both plots eventually converge when someone dies at Dalby’s, apart from the random guard who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Mitch, Reva’s rebound, winds up dead; his body is accidentally delivered to Reva in a gift-wrapped box. At first Robb, the store Santa and also Pam’s boyfriend — Pam only referred to Robb by his nickname of “Foxy” so readers wouldn’t know Foxy and Robb are in fact the same person — is taken in for questioning after he and Mitch had an altercation at work. It turns out that Mitch witnessed Pam and her friends’ break-in, and he was blackmailing them for $10,000.

This book is a lot more convoluted than it needs to be; on top of all the trademark Stine jump-scares and fake-outs are what feels like too many red herrings. Robb indeed threatened Mitch after learning he was blackmailing Pam, and he terrorized Reva after seeing how she treated her cousin and his girlfriend. But Robb didn’t kill Mitch, and Mitch didn’t shoot that security guard. The true culprit is only revealed when Reva’s unfathomable fear of being in Dalby’s after closing comes to fruition. Alone in the department store, Reva is confronted by Mr. Wakely, who’s both soused and armed. He slurs his confession; he and Haywood robbed Dalby’s secret safe while using three random teens as a distraction. Their plan went askew as soon as Mr. Wakely realized one of the teens was his own son, and seeing the guard aim a gun at Mickey caused the father to commit murder. As for Mitch, he was collateral damage once Mr. Wakely learned the young stock clerk witnessed the robbery. Mr. Wakely planned to kill Reva as well until he electrocuted himself on a Christmas tree.

It seemed like Reva had a change of heart when Hank told her she didn’t have a friend in the world, and there was a long list of people who’d want to hurt her. It was a sobering thought that reminded Reva why she was so nasty to begin with; her mother’s death made her mean. That epiphany, unfortunately, was all for naught because Reva is back to her old ways in Silent Night 2. Reva is once again working at Dalby’s during her school’s winter vacation — Stine doesn’t specify if she’s still in high school or back from college — and much like before, she’s caught up in someone else’s crime.

Pam, who received a legal slap on the wrist after her attempted robbery charge was reduced to trespassing, somehow now works at Dalby’s. And whatever sisterly relationship she and Reva had developed after the events of the first book is gone. Reva sets her sights on Pam’s new boyfriend Victor, and the two sneak behind the cousin’s back. Meanwhile, two would-be felons conspire to abduct Reva. Pres and Diane bungle up the first few attempts before enlisting the aid of Pres’ chaotic brother Danny. They manage to finally nab the heiress, but ransoming her isn’t going to be easy because Danny grabbed the wrong Dalby girl!

Pam is freed once her captors realize their mistake, though that’s not the end of the ordeal. Danny and his accomplices successfully snatch Reva later, along with Pam, and they hide out at Dalby’s (of all places) as they await the ransom payment from Reva’s father. Surprisingly, Pam was in on the second capture; she was first let go so long as she helped lure Reva out. But now she’s as good as dead because Danny and his partners aren’t about to release either girl until they get paid. Silent Night 2, despite being another crime thriller dressed up as horror, finishes on a strong note. The conclusion sees Reva and Pam narrowly escaping their abductors, one of whom plunges to their death inside an elevator shaft.

Reva is a lot more understanding about her cousin’s duplicity than expected; she not only forgives Pam, she sees things from her point of view. After all, Uncle Dalby refused to pay a ransom for his niece, thus forcing Pam to save herself by whatever means possible. The boyfriend-stealing also undoubtedly influenced Pam’s decision. When it appears like maybe Reva has at last changed for the better, she’s back to being a ginger grinch. In Silent Night 3, Reva returns home from her first semester at college, and with her is her dorm mate Grace. This Christmas, Reva is smart enough to skip working at Dalby’s, but trouble still finds her. Reva appropriates Pam and her friend Willow’s business idea of homemade scarves, and she uses the accessories as the centerpiece in a fashion show at the store. Said trouble soon comes into the picture as Reva’s models are murdered one by one.

Of the three books, Silent Night 3 feels the most like a horror story. On top of an underplot about Grace’s ex-boyfriend-turned-stalker Rory is a whodunit mystery. But there are no coincidences in Fear Street, so it’s no shocker when Grace’s past ties into the present. What strikes like a thunderbolt, however, is when Reva learns from Grace’s mother that Rory has been dead for two years; he died in a car accident that Grace feels responsible for. All the threatening calls Grace received while at Reva’s house were all in her head, and she sabotaged the fashion show because she wanted to take something important away from Reva. The fun doesn’t stop there, though — the boyfriend of one of the dead models tries to kill Reva after blaming her for his girlfriend’s death. True to her nature, Reva poached another girl’s boyfriend, and she almost paid dearly for doing so.

Fear Street has never glossed over the class differences in Shadyside; wealth inequality comes up fairly often in the series. And the Silent Night trilogy is an example of how people near or at the bottom of the socioeconomic spectrum struggle to get by while those like Reva Dalby never have to worry about their next meal or paycheck. The timeless “eat the rich” theme isn’t as pronounced here as it is in other narratives of the lower class stealing from or enacting revenge against the wealthy. More misfortune actually befalls the deprived characters. Reva surely receives her fair share of scrapes and bruises, but those setbacks are fleeting and small. It’s not too satisfying knowing Reva’s privilege, prosperity and power all remain intact, and worst of all, she’s still as loathsome as ever.

It’s not hard to understand why R. L. Stine loves Silent Night. The author clearly had a lot of fun writing the despicable Reva. So much so that Stine continued to undo all of her emotional gain in both sequels, only to then repeat Reva’s same tired act of realization and self-discovery in the end. Readers guffaw at Reva and Stine’s refusal to outgrow old habits. As for the stories themselves, they’re an uneven yet entertaining collection of Christmas suspense elevated by the dishonorable central character. These iconic Fear Street books wouldn’t be the same without Reva.

There was a time when the young-adult section of bookstores was overflowing with horror and suspense. These books were easily identified by their flashy fonts and garish cover art. This notable subgenre of YA fiction thrived in the ’80s, peaked in the ’90s, and then finally came to an end in the early ’00s. YA horror of this kind is indeed a thing of the past, but the stories live on at Buried in a Book. This recurring column reflects on the nostalgic novels still haunting readers decades later.

The post ‘Silent Night’ – Revisiting the “Fear Street” Christmas Trilogy from R.L. Stine appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Keira Knightley stars in the “darkly comedic drama,” which Meagan reviewed out of the Toronto International Film Festival’s World Premiere, writing that “Silent Night hides grim tragedy within [an] awkward Christmas comedy.”

“Silent Night follows a group of old friends who – in true British fashion and while the rest of the world faces impending doom – reunite to celebrate Christmas in the comfort of an idyllic country home. Burdened with the inconvenience of mankind’s imminent destruction, they adopt a stiff upper lip, crack open another bottle of prosecco and continue with their festivities. But no amount of stoicism can replace the courage needed for their last night on Earth.”

The film also stars Matthew Goode, Roman Griffin Davis, Annabelle Wallis, Lily-Rose Depp, Ṣọpé Dìrísù, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Lucy Punch, Rufus Jones and Trudie Styler.

The post ‘Silent Night’: The End of the World Has Alternate Endings on DVD and Blu-ray appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Horror has made the most of this unusual year by offering a king-sized buffet of options across all platforms. A great avenue for the profitable genre, yet something that has made a list like this ludicrously hard to research and narrow down. Simply put, there was no shortage of great film performances in horror for 2021. A realistic list would likely be over 50 entries, but the 15 I’ve chosen are ones that I felt put in the extra mile for their respective films.

The 15 performances listed range from arthouse horror to your good ol’ fashioned slashers and I’m not expecting everyone to fancy them the way I do. But in an oddball year of recovery, the work put in by this list of actors would be foolish to ignore and the thought of readers checking even just one of these films out is enough justification for me. It’s been a year of unexpected surprises and here’s to highlighting them with the 15 Best Horror Film Performances of 2021!

15: Melanie Laurent – Oxygen

Single location stories often run the risk of feeling small-scale and insignificant because just how terrifying can one simple room be? Or in the case of Alexandre Aja’s Netflix horror-thriller Oxygen, a single confined space populated by a confused and horrified Melanie Laurent? Oxygen strays from the over-the-top carnage of Aja’s previous efforts in Piranha 3D and High Tension and creates a visceral experience from the simple premise of a woman who wakes up inside a cryogenic chamber that is running out of oxygen. She does not know how she got there nor even who she is. All she knows is that she does not have much time before suffocating.

Laurent, most famous for her role as Shosanna in Quentin Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds, is a one-woman act in Oxygen, selling the gradually increasing terror and paranoia of someone with seemingly no options for escape. Laurent charms the audience with her sly quips at the gravity of her situation, but it’s never at the expense of the film’s consistently tense tone. Barring flashbacks and some unexpected developments in the second act, she keeps the film grounded and in the moment, making us fear for a nameless person’s safety with such ease. Laurent is the heart of this twisty sci-fi horror-thriller, proving why she remains one of France’s most talented and versatile actresses.

14: Lonnie Chavis – The Boy Behind the Door

An uncomfortable hybrid between a coming-of-age flick and a traditional cat-and-mouse horror ride, The Boy Behind the Door thrives in its simplicity. Two best friends, Bobby and Kevin, are walking home from school when they are kidnapped by an unseen person. Bobby manages to escape from the trunk of a car, but the screams of Kevin from inside a large and looming house are too much for him to ignore. What follows is a nail-biting rescue mission spearheaded by Lonnie Chavis in a star-making horror performance for the Shudder exclusive film.

With Kevin mostly out of sight and the kidnapper’s face not even being revealed for most of the film, all the pressure is on Chavis’s shoulders to carry this film. It’s a task Chavis accomplishes with an impressive mixture of understandable naivety and panicked intensity at having to play the hero of his best friend’s horror story. He immediately endears us to him with the care he shows for Kevin, leading the audience to cheer on someone who doesn’t take the opportunity to save themselves from certain danger because friendship truly is power. The film itself can be riddled with a tad too many horror clichés, but Chavis’s lead performance as the unexpectedly brave Bobby will hopefully only be the beginning for the young star.

13: Roman Griffin Davis – Silent Night

I surely wasn’t expecting Roman Griffin Davis’s next memorable follow-up to his winning performance in Taika Waititi’s Jojo Rabbit to be a festive end-of-the-world doomsday comedy, but here we are. Silent Night mixes the irritating passive-aggressive vibes of faking civility during Christmas dinner with the impending doom of a poisonous gas cloud that is predicted to kill off the population of the world come the next morning. A last minute suicide pill is distributed to citizens of the U.K. and most are happy with taking themselves out without much struggle – except for Roman Griffin Davis’s Arthur, the lone detractor amongst his willing family on an already awkward Christmas night. A dash of doubt and suddenly Davis turns in one of the year’s most empathetic and challenging performances.

Arthur is quick to question why everyone is so keen on giving up, regularly offering fleeting moments of cathartic logic on a night of deep insecurities and lies coming out in the open. Deep into the night and with the cloud looming ever closer, Davis gets more chances to show off his dramatic chops with an increasingly emotional turn as a boy desperate for a tinge of hope. Davis outright steals the movie once he becomes fully confrontational to his parents, standing out among a talented and committed ensemble that aren’t given the emotional core Art is. Davis is the beating heart of an otherwise grim Christmas horror-dramedy that I hope becomes a niche Christmas tradition in the future.

12: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II – Candyman

It should be stated that Tony Todd’s iconic performance as Candyman can never truly be replicated. Todd’s signature shadowy whisper of a voice combined with his menacing, yet alluring presence was sorely missed in Nia DaCosta’s adaptation of Candyman. It leaves a noticeable void lingering in every shot of this movie, but what we missed with Tony Todd was replaced by a bold imagining of the Candyman legend led by the always great Yahya Abdul Mateen II. Mateen plays Anthony McCoy, a visual artist attempting to incorporate Black trauma into his art when he comes across the legend of Candyman and forms an uncomfortably intimate connection with it.

Abdul-Mateen II plays both sides of the fence beautifully in Candyman; Anthony is flawed and sympathetic as an artist in way over his head, making his descent into a paranoid and increasingly unstable mess so much more heart wrenching. Mateen can sell insanity, but there’s glimmers of humanity beautifully sprinkled in his tragedy that more than make up for the film’s faults. The best thing Mateen could do was separate himself from the aura of Todd’s interpretation while keeping in line with the mythology of Candyman and damned if Morpheus 2021 doesn’t do exactly that.

11: Jeremy Thomas – Antlers

One of the many cinematic victims of Covid-19, Antlers’ heavily delayed release slowly shifted it away from the public conscience, leading to a muted opening weekend. A true shame not just for the cast and crew who clearly went above and beyond to make this one of the best looking films of the year, but for its main star Jeremy Thomas as well. Playing a boy who is hiding a terrible family secret that is responsible for some strange murders in a small town, Thomas soars as the soft-spoken boy at the heart of it all and his inner conflict dealing with the severity of a fractured home life is the real core of Antlers.

Thomas gets relatively little dialogue compared to his adult co-stars, but his grim silence and understated performance speaks volumes to Thomas’s natural talent as an actor. Even when the story becomes too complicated for its own good, Thomas sells the terror of his horrific family situation uncomfortably well. Of course it doesn’t hurt that he is given the most narrative depth as opposed to everybody else who unfortunately cannot save the missteps in their own character writing. Thomas is the real star of Antlers and for the many who may still be on the fence about the movie itself, his performance gives the film a fighting chance at the very least.

10: Emily Rudd – Fear Street: 1978

One of the breakout hits of 2021, Fear Street is a trilogy that is solid throughout with an emotionally compelling story woven into the three films. 1994 offered an intriguing beginning to the series, but the bleak heartbreak of 1978 was what solidified the series as a genuinely brutal horror-comedy. Emily Rudd’s star-making turn as Cindy Berman is owed massive thanks for that. Playing one of the teenagers who is unfortunately present during the Camp Nightwing massacre of 1978, the live action pick for One Piece’s Nami puts in the work as the uptight and rule-abiding sister to the rebellious and angsty Ziggy, creating one of the most interesting slasher movie protagonists in recent memory.

We are used to seeing the archetype of the “good girl” in slashers, but Rudd injects a sense of longing into Cindy; she’s the preppy do-gooder that has damaged her relationships with her friends and family as a result. Rudd portrays a girl desperate to cling on to a sense of normalcy and completely envelops herself in Cindy, making it all the nerve-wracking to see her run for her life from her possessed ax-wielding boyfriend. Her performance isn’t as showy as some of the others in the Fear Street series, but her wonderful sense of drama with a keen knack for comedic timing catapulted her from the supporting sidelines to one of the strongest horror surprises of 2021.

9: Diana Rigg – Last Night in Soho

For Edgar Wright’s latest horror effort, it was difficult to choose my favorite for the whole show. Thomasin McKenzie anchors the insanity of Last Night in Soho’s time travel/sixth sense ghost story even when it narratively derails and Anya Taylor-Joy’s dark and empathetic turn as the aspiring singer McKenzie’s Ellie finds a kindred spirit in makes for a harrowing and well-done dynamic between the duo. Great work from both women, but Last Night in Soho’s MVP comes in the form of the late, great Diana Rigg of Game of Thrones and 1960s Avengers fame with her performance as Ms. Collins, the owner of the bedsit where Ellie begins to travel back to the dark underbelly of the 1960s at night.

Collins remains of the few characters sympathetic to Ellie in the film and Rigg plays her with such an air of mystery, sharing Ellie’s love for the allure of the 60s while mostly keeping in the shadows from people. But Rigg comes and outright steals the film’s second act, turning in a tense and sinister performance that is played with a sense of alarming casualness. Rigg gradually becomes an intimidating presence elevated by her stone-cold demeanor hiding years of trauma and pain. Whatever faults pop up in Last Night in Soho (and there are quite a few) are balanced with Rigg’s sneak attack of a performance.

8: Cillian Murphy – A Quiet Place: Part Two

A Quiet Place was a riveting directorial debut for John Krasinski that gambled big time with an ending that was a blatant cliffhanger and teaser for a sequel that may have never come had the film failed. But through that and Covid delaying the film to this year, Part Two proves itself to be a worthwhile sequel that brings the Abbott family back, this time going on a dangerous expedition away from home. Along the way, they encounter Emmett, an old acquaintance from before the creatures first attacked, surviving on his own. A shell of his former self, it was the kind of role that Cillian Murphy was born to play.

Murphy’s performance as Emmett would be if you took his shaken and war-torn character from Dunkirk, fused him with his lost and confused self from 28 Days Later and stuck him in a world destroyed by an alien apocalypse. Emmett looks out for himself and did not hesitate to leave people to their doom during the early days of the attack. Murphy’s affinity for characters riddled with PTSD plays in strong contrast to Krasinski’s Lee from the first film, offering a new dynamic that adds a new depth to the world of A Quiet Place. A film just as much about Emmett overcoming his trauma as it is about the Abbott family and Murphy’s subtle intensity runs away with the entire movie in the process.

7: Morfydd Clark – Saint Maud

A24 has become something of an icon for fans of artsy and niche horror and though the fandom can seem a bit overwhelming at first, the distribution company’s following is not without reason. A24 is the home for smaller auteur directors getting a chance to prove themselves and Rose Glass is the latest example with her brilliant psychological horror film, Saint Maud. Starring Morfydd Clark as Katie, a Roman Catholic woman who works as a private nurse, Saint Maud functions as a riveting character study of a woman grappling with her newfound faith as she becomes attached to a wealthy atheist patient whom she feels obligated to save.

Not an exciting premise, but Clark’s wildfire performance is the rare double whammy of entertaining and compelling. Katie wrestling with the duality of her faith and the stubborn beliefs of her patient lead her down an unhinged path that Clark plays to perfection. There is a genuine sense of realism to how Clark carries herself onscreen, even down to her demeanor when walking down a street. You’d think small touches like that wouldn’t be entertaining, but Clark’s bursts of feistiness compliment her naturalistic performance and gives Saint Maud a unique brand of dark energy. A frightening showcase for the Welsh actress who lifts Saint Maud above the majority of the horror field in the 2020s.

6: Rebecca Hall – The Night House

It’s 2021 and by this time, we’ve seemingly reached our wits’ end with haunted house movies, right? Watching a character creep around in the dark of their spirit-infested home has become as tired a cliché as a record scratch to indicate that we should be laughing our hearts out. Luckily, David Bruckner of V/H/S fame understands the very nature of those clichés so that he can subvert them to unsettling results with The Night House. In it, Rebecca Hall is a revelation as a woman named Beth stricken with grief, finding herself driven to madness over her deceased husband’s ominous and mysterious suicide note.

As her house seemingly begins to awaken at night and she finds blueprints for a reversed version of their home, Hall is given the opportunity to mix standard haunted house creepiness with her work as a woman whose depression and PTSD is leading to an increasing number of erratic mood swings. Some of the film’s best scenes are far-removed from the house itself and simply revolve around Beth lashing out at the people around her. Her sudden need to explain the nature of her husband’s suicide to an unsuspecting parent of one of her students lands her a spot on this list all by itself, but The Night House thrives throughout its entire runtime with Hall’s towering performance that would be an Oscar contender if the world was all right. But I’ll take what I can get.

5: Matthias Schweighöfer – Army of the Dead

Zack Snyder’s return to the zombie genre has yielded great results with Army of the Dead, the heist horror-comedy that has managed to already spawn a franchise with prequel Army of Thieves. Not surprising that the prequel only focuses on one character from Army of the Dead since Matthias Schweighöfer’s wonderfully endearing work as talented safecracker Ludwig Dieter easily steals Snyder’s entire movie away from its already solid cast. Joining the makeshift heist team tasked with robbing a casino inside a zombified Las Vegas, Dieter comes out of left field to become the film’s breakout character thanks to Schweighöfer’s electric chemistry with the cast.

On his own, Dieter is a talented goofball in way over his head with the new mission, but it’s his interactions with the crew that truly allow him to shine. Schweighöfer’s sincere comedic timing brilliantly contrasts with the badass vibes of the rest of the crew. His bonding moments with Omari Hardwick’s Vanderohe are something straight out of a buddy comedy, never feeling out of place in a Zack Snyder zombie movie. Dieter is interesting enough to lead a movie on his own, but his supporting role in Army is where he is best used, allowing Matthias to carve out a name for himself among the zombie genre’s most entertaining and watchable characters. In a genre where human characters are more often than not just bodies for James A. Janisse to compile for a YouTube list, Schweighöfer’s Dieter refuses such a label.

4: Chris Sheffield – The Block Island Sound

I wasn’t sure what to expect when turning on Netflix and deciding to boot up The Block Island Sound late at night. Was I expecting to see indie darling Jim Cummings playing a seaside conspiracy theorist? Not really. Did I expect the film to turn into a Lovecraftian-inspired sci-fi horror tale of unusual phenomena plaguing the New York island? Of course not. I sure as hell was not expecting a legitimate top 5 of the year contender with Chris Sheffield’s criminally underrated performance as Harry, the son of a local and recently deceased fisherman who was waking up in strange places days before his death.

Despite the horror appearing grand scale on the surface, Sheffield’s Harry is the core of this sci-fi tale, dealing with the death of his father and his own rapidly deteriorating mental health. Sheffield masterfully uses facial expressions to communicate the slow destruction of Harry’s mind, carrying what could have been a flavorless attempt at cosmic horror to a heightened emotional level. The Block Island Sound may not always be heavy on plot, but Chris Sheffield is the anchor needed for the film to soar past its limitations. Here for Sheffield to demonstrate his tight grasp on nuanced drama in more roles for the future.

3: Vincent Lindon – Titane

I could not for the life of me explain the general plot of Titane from director Julia Ducournau even if I dumbed it down. Following an even stranger vibe than her previous film Raw, Titane follows a serial killer on the run who shacks up with a lonely fire captain who is still grieving over the disappearance of his son years back. It’s a seemingly random pairing that pulls through to become one of, if not arguably the best, duo-led film of the year. One half of that magic equation is the supremely talented Vincent Lindon in the role of that fire captain, giving one of the most heartfelt performances in a horror film you’re likely to ever come across.

Lindon throws himself into the role of a man who is trying so hard to keep his body going, resorting to steroids and unusual workout routines that do him more harm than good. The man is falling apart at the seams and despite his issues, Vincent makes him an almost instantly endearing figure through the natural touches he adds to the character. As he bonds with the most unlikely figure ever, it’s still hard not to cheer him on when Vincent adds such a strong humanity to his character’s writing. As much a friendship movie as it is a horror film (with a surprisingly sturdy kill count), Titane is a showcase for the understated talent of Vincent Lindon, who instantly elevates and humanizes EVERY scene he’s in here, even when the whole car thing becomes more prominent.

2: Noomi Rapace – Lamb

A married couple still coping over the loss of their child put all of their love into their new adopted lamb-human hybrid baby. That’s the plot of Lamb. Unusual yet simple in its introduction. It seems destined to fail because we have to believe that a human couple would be this loving and dedicated towards a hybrid baby, but Noomi Rapace puts those fears to rest with a powerhouse of a performance that is just as much about her character as it is about the aforementioned lamb baby.

Repace sells the stilted and awkward misery of her life without a child with such frightening realism that it’s easy to still be on her side even as she blatantly destroys the life of one mother to finally have a child to call her own. There is a darkness to Rapace’s Maria that fully forms the conflicted nature of her character and it results in several powerful moments showcasing the intense versatility of the woman with the dragon tattoo. Maria is a mother with an animalistic instinct to protect her lamb/human hybrid child, leading Rapace towards a possible career-best performance that is simultaneously frightening, heartbreaking, and wonderfully realized.

1: Agathe Rousselle – Titane

It’s one thing for an experienced actor to show you the years they’ve spent mastering their craft paying off onscreen for us. For some people, years of experience and training can lead to a brick wall with no signs of further progress. But it’s genuinely miraculous for someone to turn in a year-end topping performance on their feature length debut. Rousselle, who has previously worked as a journalist for feminist magazine Peach (of which she is a co-founder), made her feature length debut for Ducournau’s Titane, playing opposite the previously mentioned Vincent Lindon as the serial killer who holes up with the fire captain. In the process of her character Alexia’s journey, Rousselle is given the opportunity to display her talent for playing seemingly different characters in a single movie and she is absolutely mesmerizing.

The first quarter has Rousselle playing everyone like a fiddle, setting herself up as a tired showgirl at a motor show, being hounded by fans as she apathetically autographs their belongings. Then she uses trickery to take her hair pin and viciously murder an invasive fan of hers and now we’re watching the life of a serial killer who has a strange kink for cars. Rousselle’s scowl scares harder than the entire runtime for most horror films and she is completely believable in such a grim role that sees her up the body count in almost record time in the beginning.

But her eventual façade as Vincent’s long lost son (even breaking her own damn nose to look the part) is where Rousselle shines brighter than a star, giving an emotional rollercoaster of a performance while hardly uttering a single word. Playing a man’s missing son is quite fucked, but Alexia’s commitment to the role is able to help us shift her into the identity so much easier. I’ve barely seen reviews praising her inane ability to clearly develop Alexia into a lost soul looking for companionship and it’s a damn shame. She is the very heart of Titane and contains all that I look for in a great horror performance. Terrifying and intimidating in one breath and able to win your heart with her raw (get it) humanity in the next, Agathe Rousselle is THE horror MVP of 2021 and I cannot wait to see what she does next.

The post The 15 Best Horror Movie Performances of 2021 appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Though it begins with the relatively simple premise of a traumatized person snapping and going on a killing spree while dressed as Santa Claus, the series quickly flies off these rails into some of the most bizarre, imaginative, and entertaining territory of any holiday horror film ever created.

Naughty!

The original film was the latest in a long line of holiday-themed slashers initiated by Black Christmas and Halloween and followed up by the likes of Friday the 13^th, My Bloody Valentine, New Year’s Evil, Mother’s Day, and more. Unlike many of these films, however, Silent Night, Deadly Night follows the killer rather than focusing on the victims. It defines Billy’s psychology by giving him a great deal of backstory, starting with one of the most disturbing kindertrauma scenes in horror: the visit with grandpa, memorably played by Will Hare. “Christmas Eve is the scariest damn night of the year,” he warns young Billy then adds, “if you see Santa Claus tonight, you better run, boy. You better run for your life,” before returning to his catatonic state.

This childhood trauma is compounded to an unbearable degree when he witnesses his parents brutally murdered by a criminal dressed as Santa. He and his little brother Ricky then face further torment when relegated to Saint Mary’s Home for Orphaned Children where Billy is routinely punished by the Mother Superior (Lilyan Chauvin). The edicts “punishment is absolute. Punishment is necessary. Punishment is good” are drilled into his mind over the course of years under her iron hand.

When he turns eighteen, Billy (Robert Brian Wilson) is given a job at a toy store. When forced by his boss to play Santa, however, all that childhood trauma and angst that has been repressed since early childhood explodes and he goes on one of the most vicious killing sprees of any slasher. Some of the more memorable kills include strangling a co-worker with Christmas lights, putting a claw hammer through his boss’s head, and decapitating a bully on a sled with an axe. The best-known kill is one of the most iconic in all of horror with a barely dressed Linnea Quigley impaled on a rack of antlers. The film also features not one, but two men in Santa suits shot in front of children and another punched in the face. It is wild, gory, vicious, and about as far over-the-top as 80s slashers get. It is also a great deal of fun, filled with unforgettable sequences, quotable lines, and pitch-black humor, all of which contributed to its infamous reputation.

Even more notorious than the film itself is the controversy that erupted surrounding it in November of 1984. Parents groups, religious organizations, celebrities like Mickey Rooney, and critics like Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert came out in full force against the film claiming it was damaging to children. Siskel called it (along with I Spit on Your Grave—1978) “one of the two most detestable films I have seen” and the profits “blood money.” There is no doubt that Silent Night, Deadly Night is one of the more mean-spirited slashers of the ’80s, but it was the marketing of the film that led most directly to the controversy. TV spots, featuring shots of the Santa with a gun and Billy in full gear wielding an axe, were run during football games and prime-time family viewing hours. Tri-Star eventually caved to pressure and pulled the film from theaters after two weeks, but by that time the film had already turned a profit, due in no small part to the controversy. When it was released on home video, it found its widest audience and began its ascent as a cult classic.

Garbage Day

Silent Night, Deadly Night came right at the end of the first wave of slashers and the protests surrounding it had apparently put the nail in the coffin of the subgenre. Fortunately for horror fans, an imaginative and sophisticated film released on the same day as SNDN would breathe new life into horror: Wes Craven’s A Nightmare on Elm Street. If not for Nightmare and its first two very successful sequels, there may never have been a return to this franchise or several others that received their first sequels in the late ’80s. Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 is a very strange entry in the series and contains some of its best and worst moments. It is notorious for being made up largely of footage from the first film and even much of the new footage treads similar ground to the original. That said, it does so with tongue firmly planted in cheek and a great deal of twinkle in its eye.

The film begins with Billy’s little brother Ricky (Eric Freeman) recounting the events from the first outing, even those he wasn’t there for or apparently remembers from infancy. When the story of the first film is exhausted and Ricky’s story takes over, the film truly takes off. We learn that the color red has a Manchurian Candidate-like effect on him, awakening his traumas and driving him to murder. The film features several imaginative kills in its second half including one with an umbrella and another involving a set of jumper cables. This leads to the movie’s most iconic sequence: Ricky’s memorable shooting rampage and delivery of the line “garbage day.” The last act of the film at the Mother Superior’s house (#666—an odd choice for a nun) is inspired insanity.

Eric Freeman as Ricky gives one of the most memorably over-the-top performances in horror history, leaving no scenery unchewed and delivering some top-notch eyebrow acting. The film takes itself far less seriously than many of the films in the franchise making it perhaps the most fun entry. It would be a stretch to call it “good,” but it is most certainly entertaining and my personal favorite of them all.

Jarhead

By the third installment, it was clear that the franchise was not particularly lucrative on the big screen, so the producers opted to bypass that phase (along with the horrible reviews the first two received) and go straight to video. It was the logical choice to take this route as it had always been where the SNDN films had thrived. By the late ’80s and early ’90s, direct-to-video titles were becoming more common in horror and finding quite a cult audience.

Silent Night, Deadly Night III: Better Watch Out is a strange mix of slasher, Frankenstein film, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and Wait Until Dark. In it, Ricky now played by Bill Moseley, is awakened from a coma by his psychic link to a young blind woman named Laura (Samantha Scully). Ricky’s brain has been reconstructed by Dr. Newbury (Richard Beymer of the original West Side Story) and is now visible beneath a glass dome encasing the top of his head. Ricky escapes and, thanks to a psychic connection between them, follows Laura, along with her brother and his girlfriend, to the secluded home of her grandmother. Dr. Newbury pursues Ricky with the help of police Lieutenant Connely, played by Robert Culp, who apparently has a side hustle selling cellular plans.

The film takes itself much more seriously than either of its predecessors, an odd choice considering the killer has a jar on his head. The one exception to this is Culp who completely understands the movie he is in and seems to be having the time of his life. All in all, the film is mostly a boilerplate slasher with a few surprises and gonzo creative touches along the way. The sheer audacity of turning Ricky into a cross between Michael Myers and the Frankenstein monster makes the film at least worth a look.

Of Bugs and Bond Girls

The fourth installment, Silent Night, Deadly Night 4: Initiation, is the Halloween III of the Silent Night, Deadly Night franchise. It really has nothing to do with the killers of the previous films and deals with ancient cults and witchcraft. To borrow a phrase from Tommy Lee Wallace, the director of Halloween III, this is very much a “pod” movie rather than a “knife” movie.

It stars Neith Hunter as Kim, an aspiring reporter for a small Los Angeles newspaper, who takes it upon herself to investigate a mysterious death, apparently by spontaneous combustion. As she searches, she meets a bookstore owner named Fima, played by The Man with the Golden Gun and Octopussy Bond girl Maud Adams. From there we are treated to pagan rituals, an Achilles heel biting, plenty of goopy practical effects courtesy of Screaming Mad George, and Clint Howard as a character named Ricky who is probably not (though could be) a continuation of the character from the previous movies.

Initiation is the most bonkers film of the series, with the possible exception of the last act of Part 2. The fact that it takes place at Christmas is fairly incidental to the story, giving the viewer the feeling that it was probably written as a stand-alone project and grafted into the franchise. Directed by Brian Yuzna on the heels of Society and Bride of Re-Animator, the film has a lot of big ideas and wild effects, but also a clearly smaller budget than either of those films. Despite its limitations, Initiation has some jaw-dropping moments and returns to some of the fun of earlier films.

Pinocchio

Maybe the biggest surprise of the original SNDN franchise is that it ends on such a high note with the fifth installment: Silent Night, Deadly Night 5: The Toy Maker. Like Initiation, it is unrelated to any other entry in the franchise, but it does capture the holiday season more than any other in the series since the first. In fact, it is really the only film besides the original that has to take place at Christmas as an integral element of the story. Its regular references to Pinocchio make it something of a dark and twisted fairy tale, giving it a mythic quality even within its rather confined space and timeframe.

Young Derek (William Thorne) is awakened one night not long before Christmas to find a wrapped gift addressed to him left outside the front door of his house. He then witnesses his father killed by the toy Santa that was inside the box. A mere two weeks later, his mother seems to have already begun to move on, but Derek has not spoken a word since the traumatic incident. She takes the boy to Petto’s Toy Store in hopes to make him feel better. In one of horror’s great meme-able “how it started—how it’s going” moments, outspoken opponent of the original film Mickey Rooney plays Joe Petto, the titular toy maker. As the film goes on, several killer toys find their way to various victims and dispatch them in memorable ways. Filled with misdirects and red herrings, The Toy Maker is not only an entertaining holiday horror film, but a fairly effective whodunnit that culminates in a bizarre and memorable final reveal.

The film also has several in-jokes and callbacks to the previous film including three actors from it: Neith Hunter, Clint Howard, and Conan Yuzna all playing characters with the same name as Initiation but decidedly different in every other way. The toy “Larry the Larvae” is also a clear reference to the giant bug larvae in Initiation, and a little girl sitting on Santa’s lap asks him for “the tape of Bride of Re-Animator,” a reference to Brian Yuzna. These kinds of meta-details are something of a running joke throughout the franchise. Starting with Part 2, characters in each of the films are seen watching clips from the previous installment either on a movie screen or television. This is especially mind-bending in the second film where Ricky and his date Jennifer (Elizabeth Cayton) are apparently watching Silent Night, Deadly Night even though they are living in the direct sequel to that film.

It is quirks like this that make this strange franchise so endearing. It is at its best when it lets us in on the joke and allows us to have a good time. Over the years, all five films have continued to grow in cult status with the original generally regarded as an important slasher to the horror canon. Each film has its charms and its warts but all are essential holiday horror viewing. In a strange way, they remind me a little of the Christmas tree ornaments I made as a kid. Some turned out pretty great while others are a bit misshapen, but every year, they all end up on the tree. The Silent Night, Deadly Night films may not exactly be masterpieces, but they are certainly key fixtures of any holiday horror tradition.

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Here’s where you can stream them this week.

Silent Night – AMC+

For the most part, writer/director Camille Griffin’s feature debut, Silent Night, plays like many comedies set around holiday gatherings. It features typical awkwardness that comes from a large makeshift family coming together during one of the most stressful times of the year, attempting to cast aside grudges, secrets, or bad manners for the sake of yuletide cheer. But it becomes clear there’s something quite sinister bubbling beneath the surface of forced merriment, and Griffin’s debut slowly evolves into a harrowing horror story rife with tragedy. The ensemble cast brings the laughs and tears in equal measure.

Inside – Criterion Channel

Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury’s debut is one mean sucker punch of a movie. It’s a ruthless entry in home invasion horror that doles out punishment and pain, a peak of New French Extremity. The plot sees a very pregnant but depressed woman forced to fight off another woman determined to claim her unborn baby at any cost. It’s grim and gruesome, and it happens to be set over Christmas. Does Inside get into the holiday spirit beyond a few tell-tale signs of setting? No, but you’ll be too busy holding your breath to notice.

A Christmas Tale – Plex

Before horror director Paco Plaza broke onto the international horror scene with the first three entries in the beloved [REC] franchise and Netflix’s Veronica, he married an Amblin-like kids story with yuletide terror in the made-for-TV movie A Christmas Tale. It follows five twelve-year-old friends in 1985 who come across a pit in the woods, with an unconscious woman dressed as Santa Claus at the bottom. The friends are divided on whether to help or use her for gain, leading to grisly horror for all. It’s a mean little tale that separates the naughty from the nice.

Anna and the Apocalypse – Kanopy, Pluto TV

This charming horror musical sees its characters contending with teen problems followed by a zombie apocalypse at Christmas. Director John McPhail embraces the holiday spirit in a big way while painting the snow red with zombie carnage. The transition from adolescence into adulthood gets sobering fast thanks to unexpected losses, ensuring that there’s nothing at all fluffy and trite about this seasonal delight. An early song’s lyrics sums it up best here: “There’s no such thing as a Hollywood Ending.”

Cronos – HBO Max

Guillermo del Toro’s feature debut reframed the vampire mythos at nearly every turn. Antique dealer Jesús Gris discovers a strange mechanical scarab hiding within a statue. It stings him, injecting Jesús with a solution that restores his youth, increases his energy levels, and instills a powerful thirst for blood. Throw in a dangerous businessman that’s been after the scarab for years, and Jesús’s newfound vampirism causes a wake of destruction. While vampires are often portrayed as romantic figures of eternal life, del Toro centers his story around an aging grandfather. It also happens to be set over Christmas and New Year’s Eve. If you need a more uplifting pick, this is the one.

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The holiday season is always a bit of a slow time for the horror genre, but we still have much to look forward to here in the final month of 2021. For starters, Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (read Meagan’s review) is now playing in theaters, and big new releases including Halloween Kills: Extended Cut and Guillermo del Toro’s Nightmare Alley are still on the way.

What are we looking forward to in the first week of December, you ask?

Here’s all the new horror arriving between November 29-December 5!

The first new release for the week doesn’t arrive until Thursday, December 2nd with The Advent Calendar, an original holiday horror movie that’s coming exclusively to Shudder.

The streaming service describes writer/director Patrick Ridremont’s film as an “ornate and elegant French horror fantasy.” Shudder further teases, “Combining Faustian themes and allusions with European folklore and tense, chilling terror, the Shudder Original film provides some highly original holiday season horror.”‘

Eva (Eugénie Derouand, Paris Police 1900), an ex-dancer, is now using a wheelchair, unable to walk. When her friend Sophie (Honorine Magnier, Tomorrow is Ours) gives her an old wooden antique advent calendar before Christmas, she realizes each window contains a surprise that triggers repercussions in real life. Some of them are good, but most of them are bad, really bad. Now Eva will have to choose between getting rid of the calendar or walking again – even if it causes death and destruction to everyone she holds dear around her.

Unlock the first door by watching the trailer right here.

The dark holiday fun continues with Silent Night this Friday, which is coming to theaters and AMC+ on December 3rd. The film marks Camille Griffin’s directorial debut.

Keira Knightley stars in the “darkly comedic drama.” The film, focusing on a group of friends that comes together for an eventful Christmas dinner, also stars Matthew Goode, Roman Griffin Davis, Annabelle Wallis, Lily-Rose Depp, Ṣọpé Dìrísù, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Lucy Punch, Rufus Jones, and Trudie Styler, among others.

“Nell and Simon have invited their closest friends to join their family for Christmas dinner at their idyllic home in the English countryside. As the group comes together, it feels like old times – but behind all of the laughter and merriment, something is not quite right. The world outside is facing impending doom, and no amount of gifts, games or Prosecco can make mankind’s imminent destruction go away. Surviving the holidays just got a lot more complicated.”

Watch the official trailer from RLJE Films right here.

A man with species identity disorder believes he’s a beast in the new movie Wolf from Focus Features. Nathalie Biancheri (Nocturnal) directed Wolf, releasing in theaters on December 3.

In the film, “Believing he is a wolf trapped in a human body, Jacob (George MacKay) eats, sleeps, and lives like a wolf – much to the shock of his family.

“When he’s sent to a clinic, Jacob and his animal-bound peers are forced to undergo increasingly extreme forms of ‘curative’ therapies. However once he meets the mysterious Wildcat (Lily-Rose Depp), and as their friendship blossoms into an undeniable infatuation, Jacob is faced with a challenge: will he renounce his true self for love.”

Is he man or wolf? Watch the trailer here.

The final new release for the week is the fourth season of Netflix‘s animated series “Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous,” which will be taking us to a whole new island this Friday.

The third season of “Camp Cretaceous” ended with the tease that the kids have finally made their way off the island, defeating the terrifying Scorpius Rex and evading capture by Dr. Wu and his villainous mercenaries. They’ve found themselves on a boat to freedom, but it seems at least one dinosaur managed to make its way onto the boat before they departed.

And they’re about to be re-routed to a fresh new island of dino-terrors, which seems to be packed with everything from a sabretooth tiger to… robotic dinosaur creatures?!

“This is an island previously unseen in the Jurassic canon,” showrunner Scott Kreamer tells Entertainment Weekly. “The kids, basically, are gonna have to figure out what the heck is going on as opposed to other seasons where the audience was ahead of them.”

Preview this latest round of dino terror with the official trailer right here.

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There are still a few genre titles to look forward to before the year is done. Here are five movies that we’re still looking forward to watching before 2021 comes to a close!

The Strings – November 23

After breaking up with her band, musician Catherine (Teagan Johnston) travels to her aunt’s remote cottage to work on a solo career. There, she strikes up a romance with local photographer Grace (Jenna Schaefer). Then strange supernatural occurrences begin, threatening to unravel reality. Joe Lipsett reviewed the film out of the Salem Horror Fest premiere, saying The Strings is for “patient horror fans,” who will be rewarded with several spine-tingling set pieces which, although familiar, prove surprisingly effective.” Look for this eerie slow burn on Shudder.

Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City – November 24

Director Johannes Roberts wasn’t exaggerating when he promised to take the popular franchise back to the horror roots of Capcom’s beloved video game series. The trailers offer up a robust Easter egg hunt alone. The plot sees a small group of survivors working together to uncover the truth behind pharmaceutical company Umbrella and make it through the night when evil gets unleashed and transforms the town of Raccoon City. Look for fan favorite characters, human and monster alike, to make an appearance when Welcome to Raccoon City arrives in theaters.

Silent Night – December 3

One cozy holiday evening unravels into something far more horrifying and unexpected. Camille Griffin’s directorial debut follows a group of friends who reunite to celebrate Christmas in the comfort of an idyllic country home. There’s more than enough gossip and tension among this bunch to distract from initially subtle clues that grow so loud that it can’t be ignored; this gathering is less about Christmas than it is something far more insidious and cynical. And it gets apocalyptically bleak. Look for this pitch-black ensemble comedy (review here) on AMC+ and in theaters, just in time for the holidays.

Achoura – December 14

Talal Selhami’s latest is being described as IT meets Babadook. In the film, four friends reconnect when one of them, who disappeared 25 years ago, suddenly comes back into their lives. Together, they will have to confront the terrifying events of their youth and fight a monstrous creature born of a horror legend. Patrick Bromley reviewed the film out of the Cinepocalypse premiere, calling Achoura “an effective and atmospheric horror film about childhood fears and facing the demons of the past.” Dark Star Pictures releases the Moroccan horror movie on DVD and Digital on December 14.

Nightmare Alley – December 17

The latest by Guillermo del Toro adapts William Lindsay Gresham’s 1946 novel, which spawned a feature adaptation a year later. The dark noir follows an ambitious young carny (Bradley Cooper) with a talent for manipulating people. When he hooks up with a female psychiatrist (Cate Blanchett), he discovers she’s even more dangerous than he. Del Toro clarified that Nightmare Alley wouldn’t be like his usual output and not to expect a straight horror movie. While that might mean no supernatural elements, the source material embraces the darkness with a unique take on noir. In other words, its genre adjacent enough to appeal to horror fans anyway. Look for it in theaters.

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Camille Griffin’s directorial debut, Silent Night was recently acquired by AMC+ and RLJE Films, and it’s set to be released In Theaters as well as on AMC+ December 3, 2021.

Keira Knightley stars in the “darkly comedic drama.” The film, focusing on a group of friends that comes together for an eventful Christmas dinner, also stars Matthew Goode, Roman Griffin Davis, Annabelle Wallis, Lily-Rose Depp, Ṣọpé Dìrísù, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Lucy Punch, Rufus Jones, and Trudie Styler, among others.

From producers Matthew Vaughn (Kingsman franchise), Trudie Styler (Moon) and Celine Rattray (The Kids Are Alright), Silent Night follows a group of old friends who – in true British fashion and while the rest of the world faces impending doom – reunite to celebrate Christmas in the comfort of an idyllic country home.

“Nell and Simon have invited their closest friends to join their family for Christmas dinner at their idyllic home in the English countryside. As the group comes together, it feels like old times – but behind all of the laughter and merriment, something is not quite right. The world outside is facing impending doom, and no amount of gifts, games or Prosecco can make mankind’s imminent destruction go away. Surviving the holidays just got a lot more complicated.”

The post ‘Silent Night’ Starring Keira Knightley Celebrates a Darkly Comedic Final Christmas This December [Trailer] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Keira Knightley stars in the “darkly comedic drama,” which Meagan reviewed out of the Toronto International Film Festival’s World Premiere, writing that “Silent Night hides grim tragedy within [an] awkward Christmas comedy.”

“Silent Night follows a group of old friends who – in true British fashion and while the rest of the world faces impending doom – reunite to celebrate Christmas in the comfort of an idyllic country home. Burdened with the inconvenience of mankind’s imminent destruction, they adopt a stiff upper lip, crack open another bottle of prosecco and continue with their festivities. But no amount of stoicism can replace the courage needed for their last night on Earth.”

The film also stars Matthew Goode, Roman Griffin Davis, Annabelle Wallis, Lily-Rose Depp, Ṣọpé Dìrísù, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Lucy Punch, Rufus Jones and Trudie Styler.

It hails from prom producers Matthew Vaughn (Kingsman franchise), Trudie Styler (Moon) and Celine Rattray (The Kids Are Alright).

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Nell (Keira Knightley) and Simon (Matthew Goode) fuss over the final details of holiday prep at their luxe countryside manor, rushing to make sure all accommodations are covered for their arriving guests. Meanwhile, their children Art (Roman Griffin Davis) and twins Thomas (Gilby Griffin Davis) and Hardy (Hardy Griffin Davis) test out the holiday gift of getting to swear as much as they want without punishment. A slow assembly of guests comes in the arrival of selfish Sandra (Annabelle Wallis), with husband and child in tow, outspoken Bella (Lucy Punch) and her partner, Alex (Kirby Howell-Baptiste), and pal James (Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù) with his much younger girlfriend, Sophie (Lily-Rose Depp). There’s more than enough gossip and tension among this bunch to distract from initially subtle clues that grow so loud that it can’t be ignored; this gathering is less about Christmas than it is something far more insidious and cynical.

Griffin dangles the full scope of the truth out of reach for as long as possible. It allows her characters to revel in the festivities for as long as possible. Sure, the children seem especially unruly, and Art’s environmental consciousness often escalates into angry outbursts. Sandra’s behavior grows increasingly self-centered, to the point of asking the group which one ever desired her sexually before or proudly showing off expensive shoes she chose over her daughter’s education, a choice met with resentment. Never mind that the weather doesn’t quite fit the holiday season outside. But the consensus quickly forgives any tensions, weirdness, or outbursts to embrace the joy and keep that prosecco flowing. They unanimously and without word forge through to maintain the special occasion. It’s more than the idiosyncrasies of the privileged.

Because this ensemble cast effectively nails the humor, it’s easy to overlook the signs that something is amiss. Knightley and Goode nail the charming but frazzled hosts and parents of three. Punch steals every comedic moment handed to her, and Howell-Baptiste earns plenty of laughs as the put upon girlfriend trying to navigate the rocky waters of this social setting. Davis, through innocent curiosity, works as the catalyst to the grim finale.

One cozy holiday evening unravels into something far more horrifying and unexpected. And it gets bleak. When the comedy seems to spin its wheels and stall, Griffin sucker punches her audience the moment she pulls back the curtain, recontextualizing everything that came before. Understandable cowardice and existential dread underscore Silent Night and bring as many laughs as it does gasps. Still, Griffin’s breezy and easily accessible approach means that glaring questions of responsibility only truly settle in once the shock has worn off. Yet despite the tragedy that ensues, something is comforting about how Griffin uses pitch-black humor to relay her morality tale. A tenderness keeps the tragedy from swallowing this narrative whole and a light that counters the heavily flawed but endearing characters. That’s important because Griffin also isn’t afraid to get unflinchingly blunt and brutal.

Silent Night will release in theaters and exclusively on AMC+ this December.

The post [TIFF Review] ‘Silent Night’ Hides Grim Tragedy Within Awkward Christmas Comedy appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Keira Knightley stars in the “darkly comedic drama,” which makes its U.S. Premiere at Fantastic Fest. The World Premiere will be taking place at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Silent Night is set to be released in theaters and stream exclusively on AMC+ in North America this December.

The film, focusing on a group of friends that comes together for an eventful Christmas dinner, stars Matthew Goode, Roman Griffin Davis, Annabelle Wallis, Lily-Rose Depp, Ṣọpé Dìrísù, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Lucy Punch, Rufus Jones and Trudie Styler among others.

From producers Matthew Vaughn (Kingsman franchise), Trudie Styler (Moon) and Celine Rattray (The Kids Are Alright), Silent Night follows a group of old friends who – in true British fashion and while the rest of the world faces impending doom – reunite to celebrate Christmas in the comfort of an idyllic country home. Burdened with the inconvenience of mankind’s imminent destruction, they adopt a stiff upper lip, crack open another bottle of prosecco and continue with their festivities. But no amount of stoicism can replace the courage needed for their last night on Earth.

The post Darkly Comedic ‘Silent Night’ Starring Keira Knightley Will Stream Exclusively on AMC+ This December appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Like many notable filmmakers, Monte Hellman got his start working with Roger Corman, making his feature directorial debut with 1959 horror movie Beast from Haunted Cave. The creature feature centered on a spider-like monster, and Hellman subsequently worked on the Corman-produced The Terror from 1963, starring Boris Karloff and Jack Nicholson.

Hellman and Nicholson subsequently worked together on several films, including Flight to Fury (1964), Back Door to Hell (1964), The Shooting (1966), and Ride in the Whirlwind (1966).

It was in 1971 that Monte Hellman directed James Taylor, Warren Oates and Dennis Wilson in his most notable film, Two-Lane Blacktop, and he followed that film with Cockfighter (1974), China 9, Liberty 37 (1978), and Iguana (1988). Hellman then directed Bill Moseley in 1989’s Silent Night, Deadly Night 3: Better Watch Out, which Moseley fondly recalls on Twitter today.

Moseley tweets, “RIP Monte Hellman! Thank you for hiring me to play Ricky, the Santa Claus Killer, in Silent Night, Deadly Night 3– the first time I ever cried onscreen!”

A huge influence on Quentin Tarantino, who once called Hellman “a great cinematic artist and a minimalist poet,” Hellman ended up executive producing Reservoir Dogs in 1992. His final feature film as director was Road to Nowhere, released in 2010.

Two-Lane Blacktop was added to the Library of Congress’s National Film Registry in 2012, and it’s also part of the Criterion Collection. The label paid tribute to Hellman on Twitter this week, writing: “Good night to our friend Monte Hellman, the brilliant independent film pioneer who gave us all the era-defining masterpiece Two-Lane Blacktop (1971) and so much more.

“He will be missed.”

Good night to our friend Monte Hellman, the brilliant independent film pioneer who gave us all the era-defining masterpiece TWO-LANE BLACKTOP (1971) and so much more. He will be missed. pic.twitter.com/WPjR340Ey8

— Criterion Collection (@Criterion) April 21, 2021

RIP Monte Hellman! Thank you for hiring me to play Ricky, the Santa Claus Killer, in Silent Night, Deadly Night 3- the first time I ever cried onscreen!

— Bill Moseley (@choptopmoseley) April 21, 2021

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If there’s one recurring staple that takes up more space in holiday horror than any other, it’s the killer Santa Claus. As such a dominating force in the subgenre, we’re dedicating this week’s streaming picks to the king of the North Pole’s malevolent side.

These five killer Santa movies prey on the naughty and nice, from homicidal maniacs in Santa suits to demons forced to spread joy and happiness. Here’s where you can stream them…

Christmas Evil – Shudder, Vudu

Ever since Harry Stradling (Brandon Maggart) saw mommy kissing Santa Claus as a child, he grew up with an unhealthy Christmas obsession. As an adult, he keeps his home decked out in holiday décor and seeks to spread cheer at the toy factory where he works. Harry even spies on the neighborhood kids to keep track of who is naughty or nice. But Harry’s fragile mind and a series of unfortunate events lead him to snap over Christmas Eve, spurning a murder spree in his quest to become an authentic Santa Claus. Christmas Evil isn’t your average killer Santa flick; it’s a quirky character study of a broken mind. There’s often as much humor as there is tragedy in store for poor Harry.

Santa’s Slay – Peacock

Once upon a time, in the year 1005 AD, the demon Santa Claus (Bill Goldberg) lost a bet with an Angel. As punishment, Santa was sentenced to become a giver of holiday gifts and cheer for 1,000 years. The moment his sentence ends, however, the demon’s brutal ways resume with a vengeance. As if Goldberg’s casting as the angry Santa wasn’t an indicator, Santa’s Slay is a gory romp uninterested in anything but spreading holiday cheer with riotous carnage and camp. You’ll know if this one is for you from the spirited opening slaughter, featuring Fran Drescher.

Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 – Prime Video, Shudder, Tubi

While the original film is heralded as a holiday horror classic, this sequel falls firmly into cult territory thanks to using an insane amount of footage to recap the previous film’s story and the over-the-top performance by new killer Santa, Ricky (Eric Freeman). Set four years after the first film, Ricky picks up his brother’s slaying-mantle to punish those he deems naughty on Christmas Eve. Whereas Billy liked to yell “punish,” Ricky’s more known for his hysterical line delivery of “Garbage day!” That should give you a little idea of the hysterical madness in store. In other words, this is a pizza and beer kind of holiday horror film, best viewed separately from its predecessor.

Silent Night, Deadly Night 5: The Toy Maker – Tubi

Written and produced by Brian Yuzna, the killer Santa gets a special effects-heavy twist in the fifth outing of this wacky holiday horror franchise. Mickey Rooney stars as elderly toymaker Joe Petto, who dresses as Santa, makes deadly toys with his son Pino Petto (Brian Bremer), and delivers them to unwitting victims. It’s up to a little boy, whose father died by one of the lethal toys, to stop them. Aside from giving a new spin on the killer Santa, The Toy Maker doubles as a fresh, Yuzna-style riff on Pinocchio.

Tales from the Crypt – The Roku Channel, Tubi

This classic horror anthology features five segments based on EC Comics stories, connected by a wraparound featuring five strangers confronted by a Crypt Keeper that regales them of tales of their demises. The first segment, “…And All Through the House,” comes from the 35th issue of The Vault of Horror and sees Joanne Clayton (Joan Collins) battling it out with an escaped maniac dressed in a Santa suit. She’s unable to call the police for aid as she’s just murdered her husband. The story is so good that it was adapted a second time for the Tales from the Crypt TV series’ inaugural season. While the original adaptation in the movie is the only story set around the holidays, the entire anthology is solid.

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3 From Hell marks the return of one of Moseley’s most well-regarded characters, so it only makes sense to celebrate by looking back at his most memorable roles so far.

Johnnie – Night of the Living Dead

Moseley often plays morally dubious types, but in this underrated 1990 remake by Tom Savini, he plays nice guy Johnnie. You know, the one who gets to utter the famous line, “They’re coming to get you, Barbara!” Sure, he spends most of his screen time taunting his creeped out sister, but that’s sibling love. When she gets attacked by the first zombie, before anyone is aware there’s a zombie infestation happening, Johnnie rushes to her defense without hesitation. He’s a dependable brother, right until the end.

Officer Ray – The Convent

When pesky college kids try to break into an abandoned and closed off convent, Officers Starkey (Coolio) and Ray catch them and force the kids to turn right back around. Not before plucking a joint off one of the kids and partaking after they’ve left, of course. It might be another cameo spot for Moseley, but it’s another shining example of his comedic chops. He gets to play off of the equally humorous Coolio, amplifying the entertainment factor.

The Magician – The Devil’s Carnival/Alleluia! The Devil’s Carnival

In these Darren Lynn Bousman directed horror musicals, Moseley played demon accomplice and carnie The Magician. The Magician is pretty childlike and peculiar, and throws a bit of a tantrum when the Ticket-Keeper doesn’t select him for an “act.” Shame on the Ticket-Keeper, because The Magician is fun to watch. Unless you’re selected to be his assistant, anyway.

Deadite Captain – Army of Darkness

It’s Ash vs Evil Ash (both Bruce Campbell) in the third act battle of this threequel. Ash leads the frontlines of defense for Team Human while Evil Ash unites and unleashes the Army of Darkness upon them. Any strong leader needs a right-hand man, and for Evil Ash that’s the Deadite Captain. And this Deadite Captain means business, barking out orders like, “Welcome back to the land of the livin’. Now pick up a shovel and get digging!”

Ricky Caldwell – Silent Night, Deadly Night 3: Better Watch Out!

A continuation of Part 2, Moseley takes over the role previously played by Eric “Garbage Day” Freeman. The Santa Claus Killer had been shot down by police and left comatose for years, with a dome affixed over his skull to keep his brains from spilling out. When a doctor uses a blind clairvoyant girl to communicate with Ricky, he wakes from his coma and stalks her. It’s an even stranger sequel than its predecessor, but it’s even weirder in that the brain damage aspect means Moseley plays Ricky in a lowkey way that’s very different from a lot of the characters he plays. Just quiet stalking menace.

Luigi Largo – Repo! The Genetic Opera

In this horror musical, Moseley plays the eldest of the Largo siblings. Often at odds with his father and antagonistic with his siblings, Luigi is arguably the most unstable of the bunch. And certainly, the most violent. He revels in pain and gore, especially inflicting it upon others. Who plays unstable and uninhibited monsters better than Moseley? Bonus: He gets to sing a lot.

Crazy Max – “Holliston”

At Crazy Max’s Discount Store, he’s always trying to wrangle the best deals for his customers! Appearing in 5 episodes, most notably “The Christmas Special,” Crazy Max was a scene-stealer thanks to Moseley’s outlandish and hysterical performance. The accent, the energy, the mannerisms. I miss Holliston, but I also really miss Crazy Max. He earned his moniker.

Otis Driftwood – House 1000 Corpses

The most depraved member of the Firefly clan, Otis is an albino with red eyes and white hair who considers himself an artist. One that likes to mutilate victims and turn them into freakshow art exhibits for Captain Spaulding’s roadside attraction. He also likes to wear the skin of his victims as well. Here, Moseley plays Otis as boisterous and manic, like a theatric preacher delivering a sermon to his flock.

Otis Driftwood – The Devil’s Rejects

I know. This is considered cheating. But hear me out: The Devil’s Rejects is a very different film from its predecessor, and so is the Firefly family. Rob Zombie toned down the cartoonish elements of House in favor of something grittier and more realistic, and Moseley shifted gears accordingly. This Otis is rugged and no longer albino at all. He’s more feral and calculating than before, too, making his depraved proclivities even more disturbing than they already were. It may be the same character, but in many ways, Moseley created something entirely different. Think two sides of the same, warped coin.

Chop Top Sawyer – The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2

The older brother of Leatherface, Chop Top is a deranged Vietnam vet with a metal plate grafted onto his skull. One that he can’t stop picking. He’s also a bit of a hippie, contributing to one over the top character played to perfection by Moseley in his second ever acting role. From his introductory scene crashing Stretch’s radio station, he grabbed horror fans by the collar and never let go. Dog will hunt, after all.

The post Looking Back at Horror Icon Bill Moseley’s 10 Most Memorable Roles appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

“Christmas Horror” has curiously developed into my #1 subgenre addiction, so why not kick this column off with a ferociously festive favorite? Steven C. Miller’s Silent Night (2012) gift wraps everything I want from a psycho Santa slasher, and furthermore, from a horror remake. The original? 1984’s Silent Night, Deadly Night. Billy Chapman’s red-suited origin as December 25th’s nastiest disciplinarian of all who are deemed “naughty.” Let’s start “Revenge of the Remakes” on a positive first foot stepped into freshly powdered and blood-soaked snow.

The Approach

Studios, take note. When opting to remake or reboot long-standing properties, approach from the angle of “reimagining.” Silent Night could stand alone as an original Christmas slasher on merits unto Miller’s conceptual identity, but still pays respectful homage to Charles E. Sellier Jr.’s cult-lauded unholy night. Miller isn’t here to dust off old blueprints. His villain, the film’s formula, general nastiness, artistic desires – everything works to prove why remakes are most certainly allowed and not a death knell to originality as some cinema dissenters assert.

Jayson Rothwell’s script flips the narrative of Silent Night, Deadly Night by shifting focus from the story’s villain to a team of Wisconsin law enforcers who become Silent Night’s heroes. Where Sellier chooses to establish Billy through intimacy as a focal killer who offs somewhat nameless marks, Miller keeps a distance from whoever’s under his version’s plastic mask to honor more time-tested slasher hallmarks. Jaime King’s Deputy Aubrey Bradimore is our narrative commander, fighting back against the lunatic who’s dismembering and defiling her sleepy town’s population. Characters are (most times) more than kill fodder, and Rothwell favors mystery over painting a portrait of some deranged Yuletide murderer.

Does It Work?

Heck to the yes! Miller’s strengths behind the camera separate as far as possible from Sellier’s original. Most scenes are spent trying to locate one bad Santa in a town where costumed Clauses roam streets freely during the buildup before Cryer’s local Christmas parade. Silent Night lifts Silent Night, Deadly Night’s general idea, but doesn’t recreate the same midnight-prime lunacy of Billy’s rampage. What Silent Night, Deadly Night becomes is so singular to itself and the ensuing (anthological) franchise. Miller’s gingerbread crime scene construction is a heightened flavor of its own frosted decorative signature.

With the above noted, it’s important than Silent Night still includes noticeable callbacks to iconic scenes. Maybe it’s “Crazy Grandpa” in the senior home who drifts out of his catatonic state just long enough to tell his punk nephew Christmas Eve is the “scariest damn night of the year.” Perhaps it’s Deputy Giles (Andrew Cecon) muttering a line about “garbage day” when taking out the trash. Maybe it’s the film’s ending “twist,” which we won’t spoil for Silent Night newbies. Miller’s vision comes from a place of love for retro horror and Sellier’s origin, which repurposes the original’s most iconic quotables as crazed carolers might. A nod of the cap that’s never beholden to tit-for-tat obviousness.

The Result

Silent Night is a brand of fangs-flashed, aggressive slasher that harkens back to the very era Silent Night, Deadly Night was born in but Hollywood since abandoned. Miller’s proclivity for gruesome storytelling never shies from in-your-face flexing, and Silent Night is the sum of all his nastiest emphasis. By 2012, popcorn slashers saw themselves sufficiently phased from mainstream slates in favor of the “dark, gritty” grime popularized by Zack Snyder’s lens. Horror’s morbidly comedic underbelly covered and clothed, leaving little place for 80s genre mentalities to flourish in conception. Miller’s reimagining is a reminder of what was once profitable, and a damn-fine example of how it could still thrive despite modern cinema favoring alternate trends. Maybe that’s why Anchor Bay never granted Silent Night the release it deserved.

As an all-spiced bite of Christmas horror, Miller’s heavy lean into jingle-bell-rockin’ brutality encompasses all we expect the subgenre to celebrate. Victims die by a cranky Kringle who roasts some like chestnuts, electrocutes others with a crown of multicolored Christmas lights, and sends a good fright when flashing his candy cane striped scythe. Production decor finds a gossipy rural town amidst Christmas Eve jubilee decked out in ugly sweaters, Naughty Mrs. Claus lingerie, and more ornamental sparkle than Clark Griswold’s estate. Even cinematography embraces wintery notes, soaking Act III’s climax in evergreen neon and blood red color filters while Aubrey fights back. Miller morphs cheer into carnage and satirizes every ounce of goodwill preyed upon by devils of the season, from bratty kids to pervy priests to cheating spouses.

When you think “holiday horror,” Silent Night is a poster child.

When filmmakers accept a remake gig, all you can hope is that a director’s creativity and signatures offer something fresh. Justify your decision to give us another [insert title]. In this case, Miller pushes the boundaries that Sellier once set by glorifying spectacle slasher deaths while asserting punishing darkness with a devious smile. It’s a bit sentimental because Silent Night marks an end to Miller’s hardcore horror catalog (thus far), but showcases practical-heavy talents and punk-as-hell confidence. Look no further than after the showpiece Lienna Quigley homage, where said hottie’s boyfriend eats a face full of axe. Right and left sides now with a sizable empty “V” in between, juices gushing outwards as the camera lingers on one dynamite prosthetic rig with great pride.

There’s so much appreciation in Silent Night’s product, but most importantly, Miller craves something grander, gorier, and more savage than what once was banned for its “killer Santa” marketing.

Does Rothwell get goofy? With references to Glee, Tim Tebow, American Idol, and so many other of-the-time pop culture phenomenons, there’s this unmistakable cheekiness that calls back to the original film’s unintentional comedy. Dated references can be a mood killer, but Malcolm McDowell’s performance as a gruff-and-sassy sheriff grump is legendary veteran character work. “Don’t put avocado on the burger,” he instructs instead of saying “don’t overcomplicate things.” When misspelling a perp’s name as “Karson” instead of “Karsson,” his retort upon being corrected is “Double ‘S?’ Double screwed.” Rothwell’s conviction when it comes to cheesy comedy is intentionally overplayed given connections to Silent Night, Deadly Night, but distinctly individualistic. Once again, we come back to differentiation.

The Lesson

Shoot your shot! Fortune favors the bold. Be more than “just a remake.” Silent Night is a brilliant resource on how to honor cinematic achievements of yesteryear by both building out existing walls but directing people back to where it all began. Steven C. Miller respects Charles E. Sellier Jr.’s contribution to Christmas horror canon as much as he stakes his own pepperminty claim. Anyone can copy someone else’s work – the true test is taking someone else’s product and making it your own. Silent Night? Every bit a true exemplification of the latter.

The post [Revenge of the Remakes] Steven C. Miller’s Christmastime Slasher ‘Silent Night’ appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

*Takes one long, contemplative drag from a halfway ashed cigarette while gazing hard into the distance.*

Putting my wealth of “knowledge” to positive use, I’ve reached deep into my sack of goodies and pulled out the oddest, least discussed, “see these right now” Christmas horror tiles for your late seasonal viewing. If you *have* caught any of these, you’re my kind of people. If not, multiple streaming platforms – Shudder, Amazon Prime, Hulu – offer ways to remedy festive malaise. Oh, and before you go all “BUT WHERE’S KRAMPUS AND ANNA AND THE APOCALYPSE AND [INSERT XMAS HORROR MOVIES FANS TALK ABOUT MORE FREQUENTLY], I’ve listed them below. Too many sites already did that job already – let’s get even weirder.

Honorable, More Widely Promoted Mentions: Anna And The Apocalypse, Rare Exports, Krampus, Silent Night, Deadly Night, Better Watch Out, Santa’s Slay, Silent Night, Deadly Night 2.

Santa Jaws

Santa Jaws might remind of the same SYFY/Asylum collaborations not worth more than a title gimmick, but save your hasty judgments. Low budgets and Christmas themes bring to life a “nerdy” child’s comic book creation (magical pen backstory) – SANTA JAWS! Her eyes glow like Rudolph’s nose, a candy cane horn skewers victims, colored strands of Xmas lights double as lassos, and a Santa hat covers the beast’s dorsal fin. As Bloody Disgusting’s own Chris Coffel already mused, it’s not the most technically proficient shark attack film in terms of CGI deaths. Good thing the cast’s deep-end dive into tonal absurdity sells Santa Jaws as the pun-a-minute entertainer that deserves a few glasses of eggnog (or just bourbon to save those calories). Give this one a stream on SYFY’s website!

Deadly Games

Thanks to Fantastic Fest, I caught René Manzor’s Deadly Games (1989) – aka Game Over, aka 36.15 code Père Noël – earlier this year and all my wildest Christmas horror dreams came true. Thomas (Alain Lalanne) is a wee Rambo-in-training/technology guru who must evade an unstable Santa Claus (Patrick Floersheim) inside his family’s mansion. Thomas spreads on facial camouflage, sets multiple traps à la Home Alone (which came *after*), and evokes adolescent adventure inside massive rooms filled by with his mother’s department store take-homes (toybox goodies from French retailer Printemps). Not to mention how Floersheim’s desire to “play” sets an uncomfortable tone that balances playground hide-and-seek with assumed death.

There’s no current North American release as of yet, but I could see Deadly Games ending up on Shudder (better decades late than never). It’s also touring Alamo Drafthouses and arthouse theaters alike, so keep an eye out. Impossibly fun, loaded with trickster turns, and everything that screams genre entertainment through a holiday lens.

The Day of the Beast

When you have a chance to plug Álex de la Iglesia, you plug Álex de la Iglesia. In this case, his cult Christmas horror tale The Day of the Beast. It’s the end of the world as we know it, unless three unlikely “wise” men can prevent a religious apocalypse. The priest who must sin every chance he gets, the record store metalhead obsessed with black hymns, and the Italian celebrity occultist. Much like Iglesia’s future films, El Día De La Bestia is a blend of morbid humor and genre manipulations such as satanic goat forms. Bonus points for deconstructing Christmas’ religious background in the process.

Dead End

An open-road psychological horror film that traps Ray Wise and Lin Shaye on a time-loop stretch of unending backwoods highway? Jean-Baptiste Andrea and Fabrice Canepa write/direct this sensationally underrated masterclass in character acting from two veterans who chew Christmas frustrations like succulent chunks of roast beast. Dead End is far more intriguing than its brief premise. Tensions, paranoia, and insanity fog car windows as souls are claimed one by one. Excuse my brevity, but it’s better knowing less about this one – trust the process of Shaye and Wise here.

Blood Beat

Fabrice A. Zaphiratos’ Blood Beat is quintessential 80s after-dark absurdity from start to finish. “A woman who lives in deer-hunting country in rural Wisconsin is possessed by the spirit of a Japanese samurai warrior.” THAT’S THE REAL SYNOPSIS. Is it any surprise this was a Vinegar Syndrome re-release? Even better, Zaphiratos delivers a slasher pastiche of bloody deaths and oddly sensual bedroom interludes all during a family’s Christmas getaway. Glowing samurai ghost forms and all. Why do I have to say any more? Blood Beat, beers, and buddies. Crank up your merriest memories this year midnight movie style.

Silent Night, Bloody Night

Theodore Gershuny’s Silent Night, Bloody Night predates Bob Clark’s Black Christmas by two years, but despite noticeable similarities, Clark’s classic never screams copycat outrage. These two deadly lullabies play tremendously well together, both evoking the horrors of home invasions around the holidays. Gershuny goes a more “Hammer Horror” route with his relator’s nightmare, a small-town home with a nasty repeating history. Quite the slow burn, boiled and overheated until sleepy rustic isolation leads to a most disturbing enacting of posed threats that prove themselves true. Not to be confused with Silent Night, Deadly Night, that’s for certain.

La Nuit Du Réveillon (Silent Night, Bloody Night)

Search Amazon Prime for Silent Night, Bloody Night and this French made-for-TV hostage flick appears after Theodore Gershuny’s 70s broiler of the same (translated) name. Don’t be fooled – these titles couldn’t be more different. La Nuit Du Réveillon exposes corporate scumminess and infidelity during an intruder’s impromptu gift-giving game. A dinner amongst friends sabotaged by an armed Santa Claus who dares to reveal everyone’s nastiest secrets. Energy, tension, and an entertaining take on more generic plotted fare make this import worth the stream.

The Children

Who Could Kill A Child? begs the unanswerable question that Tom Shankland’s The Children answers. Movies like Krampus gobble children, but what plays out in this wonderland rage-virus tragedy is one of the season’s most gruesome treats. Sons and daughters smile impishly as they attack their parents. It’s not even enough to ask if you could kill a child – could you kill your *own* child? Unspeakably dark, situationally depraved, and massively f#*ked up on levels that Christmas horror rarely ever reach – this adolescent manipulation on weaponized innocence is anything but child’s play.

Sheitan (Satan)

Admittedly the least Christmassy of the bunch, Kim Chapiron’s Sheitan runs on the enigmatic, xenophobic, backwoods-devil-worshipping power of Vincent Cassel. Clubbers end up accompanying potential hookups back to a farmhouse maintained by Cassel’s wackjob, Joseph. Things get predictably odd, thoughts of sexual conquest morph into hopes for survival, and Cassel’s performance deeply discomforts as Christmas Eve passes. Deliciously mad escapism dreadfulness for the holiday season you can only expect from France. Improper, artistic, and stark raving mad.

Silent Night

Why don’t more Christmas horror fans talk about Steven C. Miller’s Silent Night? My gut balked at considering 2012’s loose Silent Night, Deadly Night remake “underrated,” but I’ve recommended it to far more first-time watchers than anticipated. Alongside Black Christmas (2006), it’s one of the few recent larger-budget Xmas slashers that rolls deep into festive kills, rich coats of gore, and psycho Santa depravity (comparatively, of course). That wood chipper kill? The whole sequence, really? Miller knows how to deck the halls in practical goop. Malcolm McDowell, flamethrowers, and a cynically bleak view on Christmas are just added benefits.

A Christmas Horror Story

A Christmas Horror Story crossroads two of my favorite scary subgenres: Christmas horror and anthology collections. William Shatner plays radio DJ “Dangerous” Dan, the film’s wraparound storyteller who narrates the chaos that plagues Bailey Downs each winter. Stories range from schoolyard investigators documenting their trespassers’ investigation, a Christmas tree outing gone wrong, and even – wait for it – zombie elves! Truthfully, this might contain my favorite cinematic ode to Krampus’ style with Rob Archer’s frostbitten horned warrior. Not every segment tracks as well as the anthology’s peak content, but what works does so at the top of Christmas horror lists. Decapitated undead elves, alcohol-soaked Shatner, a Krampus vs. Santa throwdown worth pay-per-view numbers – A Christmas Horror Story is one of my favorite underseen December stocking stuffers.

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Christmas Blood stars an ensemble of young friends determined to make the most of their holiday trip to an isolated winter wonderland after a recent tragedy. Featuring the talents of Ida Malene Smith Bakke, Pernille Baggeranas, Helene Eidsvåg and several others, these friends are soon confronted with an axe-murdering lunatic dressed as Santa Clause, who`s just escaped custody and plans on completing a 13-year-long holiday murder-spree. However, a pair of investigators are hot on Santa`s trail, hoping to catch this seemingly unkillable maniac before he paints this white Christmas red.

Due to the sheer quantity of killer Santa movies before it, the cookie-cutter characters and tropes present in Christmas Blood would have been just as tired in the 80s as they are now. Nothing about the film’s story manages to stand out, but every minor detail is so well-executed here that it’s hard to complain as the movie does its best to have fun with these age-old ingredients.

Kiil has a great sense of style, and the movie boasts a nightmarishly atmospheric take on winter in Norway. There’s a slight tonal resemblance to Cold Prey, another Norwegian slasher from 2006, as both films attempt to balance chilling atmosphere and character moments with dark humor and brutal kills as the movie attempts to keep you entertained even when no one is dying.

That being said, the kills are still a lot of fun, if oftentimes implausible. There’s a certain air of repetition to some of these scenes, but there are only so many ways you can dismember someone with an axe, so I can’t quite blame the filmmakers for that. These gory moments are also improved by the film’s attempts at connecting the viewer to these characters, as you’ll probably be left torn between wanting to enjoy the bloody practical effects and rooting for the victims to escape unharmed.

The characters are surprisingly likable despite their relative unoriginality, though a lot of this can be attributed to the cast’s natural charm instead of the script. The Michael-Myers-inspired killer is also a legitimately threatening figure in spite of the Santa outfit, with a few interesting hints at a larger backstory and an intimidating presence. Sadly, he isn’t developed as much as I would have liked, though I can still appreciate the mystery surrounding such a terrifying figure.

Overall, Christmas Blood is peppered with creative details and moments, but it’s a shame that the general setup isn’t all that original. This is still a fun and thrilling slasher flick with a cool villain and a creepy winter vibe, but it’s not exactly Krampus, and the film probably won’t be joining the ranks of our favorite Christmas horror classics anytime soon.

Christmas Blood will be available on Home Video and VOD on December 11th.

The post [Review] ‘Christmas Blood’ is a Fun, But Familiar Killer Santa Flick appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

For those horror movies, a sequel could be a blank canvas. Sometimes that meant simply pretending that the previous film didn’t exist; overwriting the story into something new. Sometimes it meant trying to assimilate the successes of more popular horror franchise. Or sometimes it was simply attaching a separate film altogether to a popular horror film in attempt to capitalize on its built-in fanbase; a sequel in title only. Which meant that we got a good number of wacky horror sequels over the decades. Sometimes that was a refreshing surprise, but sometimes the weirdness was just too much to process. For better or worse, here are horror’s 10 weirdest sequels:

Exorcist II: The Heretic

It’s a no-brainer that one of horror’s biggest blockbusters would get a follow up. With John Boorman (Deliverance) taking over as director, Ennio Morricone composing the score, and the talent of Richard Burton and James Earl Jones to its cast roster, the ingredients of a decent to stellar sequel are in place. But then William Peter Blatty has zero interest, Ellen Burstyn refuses to return, and Linda Blair only agrees to return if she never has to wear the demonic makeup. Ok, there’s still room for flexible creativity here. Except, what we got instead is the most disjointed, incoherent mess that’s pretty boring to sit through. It’s bolstered by the weirdest of directorial choices too. Instead of using actual scenes from the first film as a flashback to Regan MacNeil’s possession, Boorman instead decides to recreate them with a Blair double, in not so great makeup. Why? Synchronized psychic brainwaves, an uncomfortably sexual doppelganger of Regan, locust swams, and I’m still not entirely sure what Jones’ purpose in the story is as Lamont. Really, I’m not sure I get the story at all. It’s such an odd choice for a sequel that it’s easier to forget that it exists. Thankfully, William Peter Blatty made it even easier with his fantastic sequel, The Exorcist III, which is a more proper continuation.

Curse II: The Bite

How do you follow up an Italian-American horror adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft’s The Colour Out of Space, a fairly close adaptation set on a farm from the perspective of teen boy Zack (a young Wil Wheaton)? With radioactive snakes, of course! Following a road-tripping couple, played by Jill Schoelen (The Stepfather) and J. Eddie Peck, their love story hits a major snag when Clark is bitten by said radioactive snake. Clark’s behavior starts changing, becoming more aggressive toward his lady love, but then he starts spawning a snake mutant creature from the site of his bite; his hand. That snake has a predatory mind of its own. The Curse was already a wacky movie on its own, so it’s a tough act to follow in terms of eccentricity. But at least it felt apropos of its title. The truth behind the strange, unconnected left-turn in this budding franchise is simple; look to the Italian director and co-writer Frederico Prosperi and the Italian production team. No one loved to slap well-known titles onto unconnected films like the Italians (see the Zombi series, La Casa series, or even The Church for examples).

Waxwork II: Lost in Time

The first film failed to earn back the $1.5 million budget in its theatrical run, but Vestron Pictures’ home release easily recouped the budget costs and then surpassed it. Which was a great thing for us for two reasons: Waxwork is such a great ‘80s gem and that ending was a complete improvised mess (that silly battle inside the Waxwork museum) when writer/director Anthony Hickox ran out of money to complete it as originally intended. Perhaps because of that, Hickox sort of backed the sequel potential into a corner; spoiler: the Waxwork burned down and effectively took all of the bad guys within with it. So, no big bad and no Waxwork, that makes a continuation a little trickier. So, after a brief recap, Hickox picks right up where Mark and Sarah left off (though Sarah has been replaced with actress Monika Schnarre after Hickox and Deborah Foreman had a messy breakup). Instead of stepping into exhibits and living the horrors within, Mark and Sara set about a quest to bring back proof for her murder trial, in the form of time traveling through alternate dimensions. Bigger, stranger, awesome cameos, and for sure weirder, Waxwork II contains the kitchen sink- including the originally intended ending. In a way, this sequel is more like a re-do. I’m okay with that.

C.H.U.D. II: Bud the C.H.U.D.

While tying into plot points from C.H.U.D., in which Contamination Hazard Urban Disposal waste by-products hidden in the New York sewers by the government turned the homeless population into man-eating mutants, this sequel doesn’t share much else in common with its predecessor. Especially not in tone. This sequel forgoes the serious tone in favor of slapstick comedy. The movie stars the ever charismatic Gerrit Graham as Bud, the last specimen of a military experiment in which they took D.N.A. from the mutants of the first film to make super soldiers and wound up with zombies. Bud escapes straight smack into suburbia, and embarks on a journey to find his love, Katie. Of course, as a zombie, he eats people along the way. Discovers his zombie boner, and breaks into a big dance number. Yes, a dance number. Watching C.H.U.D. in no way prepares you for the weirdness that is Bud.

Slumber Party Massacre II

While The Slumber Party Massacre was a surprisingly effective slasher film, this sequel is really only tied to its predecessor by its lead final girl Courtney, the younger sister of final girl Valerie Bates in the first film. Years later, Courtney still suffers nightmares from the events, and her sister has been locked away in a mental hospital. A sad ending to Val’s story, of course, but the sequel doesn’t give you much time to dwell- between Courtney’s hallucinations, her surreal nightmares, and the bizarre Rockabilly psycho stalking her with a drill-guitar weapon is a jarring distraction. Seriously. The Driller Killer, sporting a leather jacket with fringe and a pompadour, breaks into song and dance just about every time he pops up. It’s almost as though writer/director Deborah Brock drew inspiration from Grease when crafting her boogeyman. The influences by other popular franchises are overt; look to characters Officer Krueger and Officer Voorhees, and a main character named Sally Burns in a cross between actress Marilyn Burns and her character Sally Hardesty from The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.

House II: The Second Story

Save for both features being produced by Sean S. Cunningham, this sequel has absolutely nothing in common with its predecessor except that it too is a zany horror comedy that features a gargantuan house with supernatural abilities. The sequel doesn’t even feature the same house from the first film, nor any reference to its characters, which was probably a smart choice considering this lead protagonist also happens to have a long family history intertwined with the supernatural occurrences of the mansion. Eschewing the literal ghosts of Vietnam induced guilt in favor of caterpuppies, mummy Great-Great-Grandpas with an affinity for beer, dinosaurs, and a wild west evil in search of an Aztec power, an Indiana Jones-like exterminator (John Razenberger, giving a Cheers connection bridge between films) House II has pretty much anything you can think of. Including a Kane Hodder cameo. Full confession: I still want a caterpuppy.

The Gate II: Trespassers

Remember that cool ‘80s movie that starred Stephen Dorff as 12-year-old Glen, who opened the gate to evil in his backyard with his neighbor Terry when they played a heavy metal album backward?  It turns out opening the gate to dark forces isn’t nearly as cool or as fun when you’re a depressed teenager wallowing in self-pity. In this sequel, Glen’s family has moved away and Terry’s home life has gotten much, much worse. Which means he’s decided breaking into Glen’s former home to bust that hell gate open again is somehow a very enticing idea. Sounds pretty normal on paper for a sequel, right? Except, what plays out is so very different than what you’d expect or want from a sequel. It turns into a “be careful what you wish for” type horror story as Terry (now Terrence) and his buddies use a captured Minion to grant whatever wish they desire. This, of course, leads to horrific consequences. Oh, and the wishes literally turn to feces. So that’s a thing. Look for a minion getting stoned and crashing a car sequence, and an oddly much slower pace than the original. One nice thing is that Louis Tripp reprises his role as Terry. Other than that, this oddball sequel does its own weird thing.

Silent Night, Deadly Night 4: Initiation

Silent Night, Deadly Night 2 really set the weird franchise tone by attributing much of its runtime to re-edited scenes from the first film. The immediate follow up continued Santa Claus Killer Ricky Caldwell’s spree, this time played by Bill Moseley. The connection between the three still makes sense. But the fourth entry decides to drop that connection and go for broke. Actor Clint Howard makes an appearance, in a weak connection between sequels, but it’s also set around Christmas. I think. This one follows a reporter investigating the death of a woman that spontaneously combusted as she flung herself off a building to her death. The reporter finds herself the center of attention among a cult of witches looking for their next sacrifice. The mythology behind the cult is strange and convoluted, but it’s taken to a whole new level with the weird bug thing. Larva that are inserted through a vagina to emerge from a mouth as a fully-grown cockroach, to the reporter being turned into a bug herself, it’s pretty nutty. I should probably mention that it’s this point in the franchise where Brian Yuzna has taken over, so gooey creature effects probably isn’t much of a shock. Unless you were expecting a Christmas slasher, that is.

Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2

Hot on the heels of the smash success of The Blair Witch Project, Artisan Entertainment was extremely eager to move forward with a sequel. Original creators and production company Haxan preferred to wait until the fervor died down a bit. Artisan won and enlisted relative newcomer Joe Berlinger to take over directorial duties. The concept is surprisingly clever; a self-aware world where The Blair Witch Project has been a massive hit and sees an onslaught of curious visitors to the town of Burkittsville, Maryland, a group of tourists find more than they bargained for. It dropped the found footage aspect, mostly, in favor of traditional filming. Beyond that, though, messing with time is always a pitfall of film, and the narrative fell into a convoluted mess full of obnoxious characters, none of it nearly as clever as it thought it was. Part of that was studio tampering; Berlinger has been vocal about Artisan stepping in to re-cut and reshoot scenes to deliver a much more commercial friendly horror feature. It only muddied the already murky waters. While there’s enough intriguing mythology there to warrant its fanbase over the years, it’s still an odd stain on the would-be franchise that never quite got off the ground.

Howling II: Your Sister is a Werewolf

While this sequel might be the only one to directly follow the events of the original film, it’s vastly different. Gone is Joe Dante, state-of-the-art special effects by Rob Bottin, and an overall sense of danger and unease. Instead, there’s director Phillipe Mora and his desire to bring New Wave eroticism to the fold. Yup. Ergo Stirba, immortal werewolf queen ruling over Transylvania, played by Sybil Danning. Stirba seems much more beastly witch than werewolf, and look for Christopher Lee phoning it in, in a rare bad performance. There’s not really much about this movie that won’t raise an eyebrow. Weird wizard light battle showdowns, a very un-wolf like werewolf queen with a bondage kink, and a trio of heroes that literally fumble their way across Transylvania, you’d be forgiven for wondering how this was called Howling at all. Still, it all pales in comparison to the most bizarre end credits of all time; look for a cut of Sybil Danning ripping open her shirt to bare all…17 times.

The post Horror’s 10 Most Bizarre Sequels! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Black Christmas – Death by Unicorn

When it comes to this definitive classic, the most iconic and memorable death is the first of the ill-fated sorority sisters; Clare’s suffocation by plastic wrap. The most brutal, though, is Barb’s death. Played by Margot Kidder, Barb is the most entertaining of the girls and brings levity in a serious slasher. She toys with Sergeant Nash at the police station and humorously gives children some of her booze at a party, which makes her death sting the most. What makes it really brutal, though, is that she’s barely recovering from a severe asthma attack before Billy sneaks into her room and stabs her repeatedly with her own unicorn trinket. Harsh.

The Children – Impaled by Door

A family gathering over Christmas holiday turns deadly when the children suddenly start getting sick, then homicidal. Surprisingly dark and tense, these children get very bloody with their kills. But the most brutal kill of all isn’t an adult, but a child. Rebellious teen Casey is desperate to get to her mother on the other side of a locked door, when her mother is cornered and facing imminent death at the little hands of two deadly children. Casey breaks through just in time, grabbing Nicky and shoving him down, neck first, onto a huge splinter of broken door. Not only did The Children have the balls to kill a child on screen, but they made it bloody and merciless.

Christmas Evil – Toy Solider Attack

Like most holiday-themed horror, this film’s killer stemmed from a traumatic childhood Christmas in which he saw Santa doing naughty things to mommy. Thirty-three years later Harry is super obsessed with Christmas. He wants to become the next Santa and even works in a toy factory. Harry snaps, though, causing a murderous Christmas rampage. The unluckiest to cross paths with this killer Santa happens to be leaving Midnight Mass, where he proceeds to taunt Harry as Santa. Harry then stabs him in the eye with a toy soldier. It’s not fast enough punishment for Harry, though, so he plants an ax square into the guy’s skull.

Don’t Open till Christmas –Face Roasting over an Open Fire

This slasher features a killer that seeks to murder any Santa he comes across, in a subversion of the typical homicidal Santa featured in holiday horror. Which means a lot of poor unsuspecting guys in Santa suits getting dispatched in various ways just by being at the wrong place at the wrong time. The worst, though, is the poor Santa roasting chestnuts over a grill. The killer stumbles across the Santa and decides a more appropriate holiday treat would be to roast Santa’s face on the open fire instead. Santa’s charred flesh and screaming in pain, before falling in fully and catching fire makes for a vivid holiday memory.

Elves – Piercing Santa’s sack

This goofy ‘80s creature feature follows a Demonic Christmas elf summoned during an Anti-Christmas pagan ritual, unwittingly. Throw in a Nazi plot where they wish to create a mixed race of Aryans and evil Christmas elves, and you have one of the strangest horror movies ever that it’s no wonder this one doesn’t get brought up much. And the evil elf is one mean little demon. The worst of his misdeeds might be the way in which he murders a store Santa. This Santa might have been a sleaze, but getting stabbed over and over in the junk was so ruthlessly done that even I managed to feel phantom sympathy pain.

Silent Night, Deadly Night – Run Through by a Deer

Even if you haven’t seen this Christmas horror classic, chances are you’re at least familiar with this death.  Poor Linnea Quigley. Of all the creative kills unleashed by a snapped Billy Chapman, hers was the most brutal. Not the decapitated sledder or cutting open poor Pamela with a box cutter. It was the slow impalement of Quigley’s character on hung antlers that proved most cringe-worthy, and the way the antlers slowly penetrated through her skin. Ouch.

Red Christmas – Blender Brains

Horror vet Dee Wallace plays a family matriarch that allows a stranger into her family’s home over Christmas. The stranger wastes no time offending her, and thus gets tossed out. His resulting anger causes him to tear the family apart, one by one, in increasing demented fashion. The most brutal of which involves a death by blender. It’s not the first time that the kitchen appliance has been used in horror, but this does win for being the goriest. The slow scramble of the eyes before they pop and a geyser of blood pours forth easily wins in creativity and brutality.

Silent Night – The Woodchipper

This very loose retelling of Silent Night, Deadly Night doesn’t offer much in the way of storytelling. What it does offer, though, is a handful of fun performances lead by scene-chewing Malcom McDowell as the small town sheriff, and a bunch of gory deaths at the hand of Santa. This killer Santa seeks out the worst, and delivers fatal punishment for their naughty behavior. Skin-crawling sexually deviant priests, spoiler rotten children, and softcore porn filmmakers draw Santa’s ire. The worst of which is the poor gal who just wanted to make a softcore porn video in a sleazy motel, only to have Santa chop off one of her legs after chasing her down in a Christmas tree farm. The farm has a convenient woodchipper nearby, where Santa watches as he feeds his victim leg first into it, blood spraying everywhere.

Black Christmas (2006) – Human Flesh Cookies

This remake doesn’t hold a candle to its predecessor, but it does up the ante on the gore and violence tenfold. The most brutal death of all, though, also happens to be the most deserved. Billy’s mother is such a piece of work that it’s no wonder he turned out the way he did. As much coldblooded death that he delivered throughout the film, none held a candle to what he did to mommy dearest. After offing mom’s lover, he first strangles her with a string of Christmas lights before ferociously bashing in her face with a rolling pin. In keeping with the holiday spirit, he then uses cookie cutters to cut out flesh from her back, throws it on a baking pan, and eats them as the police arrive to lock him up. I don’t think that’s what Santa had in mind for treats come Christmas Eve.

Inside – “I think it’s stuck”

Despite the lack of Christmas iconography, save for a few Christmas lights and decorations in the background, Inside is very much a holiday set horror film. It’s just that depressed mother-to-be Sarah doesn’t feel much like celebrating, having lost her husband in a violent car crash and all. Enter La Femme on Christmas Eve, the day before Sarah is scheduled to have her baby. La Femme is determined to take Sarah’s unborn baby, and Christmas Eve becomes awash in crimson as the violence escalates. Of all the gruesome deaths in the film, the worst is that of Sarah’s. Already battered, punctured and bruised from her encounter with La Femme, she’s brutally beaten in the stomach with the club of a very disoriented cop-turned-victim of La Femme’s. With the baby in peril, La Femme performs a C-section with scissors, tearing open Sarah in one of the most vicious, painful deaths in horror.

The post The 10 Most Brutal Holiday Horror Kills! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Thanksgiving has passed, the Rockefeller Center tree has been lit, and it’s officially December. You know what that means: time to start watching Christmas horror movies!

Released in 2012, director Steven C. Miller’s Silent Night was a remake of 1984’s Silent Night, Deadly Night, making the original classic only the second Christmas horror movie to find itself on the remake chopping block. If nothing more, Silent Night is a gory good time, as the film’s killer Santa punishes the naughty in exceedingly vicious ways.

The standout kill in Silent Night is likely the one wherein a topless woman is fed into a wood chipper, Fargo style, but that’s merely one of many scenes in the film that exploit the incredible practical effects work of Vincent Guastini and his team. Another standout highlight? Poor Dennis, whose head is split in two by Santa’s double-headed axe.

After impaling his girlfriend on a set of antlers (an homage to the original), “Santa” slams the axe into Dennis’ back and then drives it right between his eyes for the kill.

And this is why we love old school practical effects.

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“Santy Claus only brings presents to them that’s been good all year. All the other ones, all the naughty ones, he punishes! What about you, boy? You been good all year?…You see Santa Claus tonight you better run boy, you better run for ya life!”

– Silent Night, Deadly Night

For almost as long as we’ve had the tradition of cozying up with festive Christmas films and specials over the holidays, there’s been just as rampant an appetite for gorging on perverse pieces of Christmas pain every December. While there’s an obvious comfort in snuggling up near a fire and watching Santa right wrongs and instill tidings of good will to all, we as a people have gotten just as comfortable watching Santa eviscerate sugar plum fairies and clean his axe off on mistletoe. This trend towards Santa snapping and this “murder Santa” sub-genre of horror has been gaining an alarming amount of support in recent years, arguably being the most popular that it’s ever been. But as we accept that there are now just corrupt Kris Kringles terrorizing the public every December, have we ever stopped to wonder how this strange phenomenon became so popular in the first place? Have murder Santas always been a staple of the season, or are they a more recent development? And what is it about them that have kept them swinging that ax after all of this time? We’ll unpack the definitive history of murder Santas here, going through each era of the ne’er do well St. Nicks and showing you how this inappropriate apostle has changed through the years. So ready that hot cocoa and cue the carols because here’s the history of how Santa became so ho ho ho-rrible.

While they might seem like such a construct of movies and television as these red-and-white lunatics are built for laughing manically and lumbering towards you, the twisted trope actually began as a creation of comic books. Granted, there were ancient texts and archaic civilizations that were portraying the figure devilishly beforehand. Hell, even Dickens’ A Christmas Carol refers to Santa as a ghost (which still manages to be a creepier idea than the entirety of Zemeckis’ motion-capture take on the tale). Even when film—the natural adaptation medium—began running with the sub-genre, it was only after adapting a comic story of a murder Santa in the first place.

It might not seem like much, but Leading Comics #2 made a nice little piece of history in 1942 when it was depicting Santa as a murderous pirate. This might be a far step from the homicidal maniacs that we’re getting now, but it was a huge deal at the time. This pirate Santa was otherwise known as Captain Bigg and was one of the many gang members of a cadre of villains assembled by the criminal mastermind, Black Star. This iteration of Santa was still fairly tame, and upon invading ships rather than robbing his victims, he would gift them with jewelry. As a result of this “controversial” behavior Captain Bigg was seen as insane, almost like the irrational Joker of their group.

It was around the same time that the prolific Will Eisner was also experimenting with a preliminary draft of our modern murder Santa in his popular The Spirit comics. There was a time during the ‘40s where the foes and baddies that Eisner’s titular character was facing would be dressed up as Santa while committing their nefarious deeds. However, after the Spirit had gotten through to these villains and shown them the error of their ways, they would ditch their Santa garb when they saw the light. This was still merely a villainous Santa than a killer one, but it begins to see the start of this normally beloved figure being cast in a wicked light.

A particularly significant footnote through this bloody journey comes in the form of the iconic Vault of Horror #35’s “And All Through the House…” written by Johnny Craig. This incredibly simple story boils down what’s so appealing about this scary concept by delivering a cat-and-mouse story between a damsel in distress (and her child) and the prototypical murder Santa. If that wasn’t enough, in a nice little added bonus after the conclusion of the story, it’s ultimately revealed that the Santa narrating the story was none other than the Vault Keeper himself, providing two evil Santas in this book by the end.

“And All Through the House…” is even a little jarring in juxtaposition to the previous works being looked at here, in terms of how frightening and vicious it is. This degree of carnage was possible due to the comics landscape being pre-Code at this point. It was this same freedom that would allow Secret Mysteries #17 to feature a story titled “Sinister Santa Claus” in 1954 about a murder mystery featuring Santa as the felonious culprit. The formation of the Comics Code Authority (CCA) followed shortly after in 1954 by the Comics Magazine Association of America. The Comics Code allowed publishers to self-regulate their content, meaning comics would see screening by the CCA with the group essentially becoming censors and watchdogs towards content. Unsurprisingly, the sort of lewd, reckless behavior seen in comics up until this point was toned down for quite some time. It would practically be fifteen years later until murder Santas would break from their hibernation.

In spite of this Comics Code business, it’s also worth bringing to attention a certain sinister Santa text that a lot of people take for granted. Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! saw publication in 1957 and while many of us think of this as a charming, off kilter text from one of children’s lit’s best, it’s literal interpretation is hardly so friendly. Seuss’ story at face value sees a monster dressing up in a Santa suit and going to children’s homes causing trouble. We’ve been conditioned to “aw shucks” at this classic tale, but for the ‘50s this premise wasn’t nearly as safe. If anything it’s skewing more to the other works being looked at here.

It wasn’t until 1969’s “Santa Claws” from Web of Horror #3 that the next real substantial take on a murder Santa was happening, but it was sure not to hold back. This very dark story presents a vampire version of Santa Claus that believes that wearing the trusted Santa Claus attire will help secure him the trust of children. This predatory Santa conveys a chilling tone in atmosphere and just as things are about to get rather bloody—they still do—but for other reasons entirely. “Santa Claws” concludes itself by the real Santa Claus showing up to vanquish his vampiric doppleganger in what’s no doubt one of the most surreal vampire slayings of all time.

The sub-genre saw some healthy evolution in 1974 in the form of Creepy #59’s ambitious “Bless Us, Father.” This deeply disturbing story is equally innovative as it unravels through twin panels on both sides of the comic telling two parallel stories, contrasting them accordingly. One half of these panels focus on an escaped renegade Santa, with the other side chronicling the policeman chasing after him. The story does an incredible job of keeping you guessing as to who you should be empathizing with, showing you what they’ve been through, and obfuscating the case of who’s the real hero, all within a very complex narrative. “Santa Claws” would be so successful for Creepy that they would turn evil Santa-themed covers into tradition for the publication. With the ‘60s and ‘70s being comics’ clear time to shine for killer Santas, the ‘80s would become when the villainous figure would safely transition over to cinema.

The 1980 release, Christmas Evil (AKA You Better Watch Out) is widely considered to be the “first” film instance of a murder Santa tearing things up on the big screen, which is a little confusing though since several films pre-date this in the ‘70s. For instance, The Tales From the Crypt movie’s “And All Through the House…” from 1972 is technically the first filmic instance of a killer Santa, but perhaps its validity is questioned due to it being one piece of a larger whole. It’s absolutely significant to note though that this momentous film is an adaptation of the 1953 comic of the same name, giving it a little extra resonance. Also falling pre-Christmas Evil is one of the more famous Christmas horror movies, Black Christmas. Black Christmas might also find itself falling outside of the canon due to the fact that you never see the killer within the picture, with his first-person perspective being revolutionary for the medium, but it’s a fair assumption that the killer bears some resemblance to a murder Santa. The film is so iconic to the slasher sub-genre that it still warrants examination.

With comics these sort of perversions of Santa were largely a response to having or not having some sort of morality cause in place, but in the case of Black Christmas, a different source of inspiration was found. Roy Moore, the film’s screenwriter, allegedly based his story on real murder cases from Montreal (although there’s debate over whether the script’s not just based on “The Babysitter and the Man Upstairs” urban legend). However, with Moore passing away in 1980 and never elaborating on the film, the true kernel of the murder Santa idea will remain with him. In this case at least, this murder Santa seems to be based on reality rather than some twisted event from Moore’s past or some sick fascination he had with the concept.

Returning to, Christmas Evil, the film is your typical murder Santa romp where a child catches his mother having sex with someone in a Santa costume (a surprisingly common occurrence amongst these films) and grows up to be Christmas obsessed accordingly. As he keeps a watchful eye over everyone he makes a naughty and nice list, albeit with impossibly high standards, and exacts vengeance as a result. The film very clearly knows what it is and with its basic template helped usher in the wealth of films that would follow that decade. Besides, John Waters loves the hell out of it and who knows creepy Santas better than someone like him? Listen to the man!

Lewis Jackson, the film’s writer/director, did provide some illumination on how he came about the murder Santa construct. To begin with, he was enamored with Carpenter’s Halloween, the idea of a holiday-based horror film, and how something like that can print money if done right. He elaborates, “So suddenly I have a Christmas horror movie and nobody had dared to deal with that outside of Black Christmas, which is essentially a slasher movie using Christmas, but doesn’t really deal with Christmas. I’ve buried myself in Christmas lore for years and I had this material.” But when it comes to the murder Santa himself Lewis wasn’t up to anything revelatory in its inception, “I was alone in the 1970’s. I was in my early 20’s. I was smoking a joint and had an image of the Santa with a knife. It was nothing more than that.” Much like with Black Christmas, ultimately nothing deeper or more traumatic was responsible for Lewis’ excitement with the subject matter. It was just inspiration striking at the right time.

The rest of the ‘80s saw film running wild with this idea, with the likes of Don’t Open Till Christmas, and the first four Silent Night, Deadly Night films seeing release. Television was also getting onboard with the craze with the Tales From the Crypt series doing yet another adaptation of “And All Through the House…” Even Matlock was taking part in the trend. Their holiday episode, “Santa Claus”, saw numerous people dressing up as Santa, all of which were either murderers or victims of being murdered. What the ‘80s collectively showed us about murder Santas is that they are baseless ciphers that are more scary than deep, with franchises highlighting their ability to succeed off of simplicity.

The ‘90s saw murder Santas shedding their skin of simplicity though, with the final entry in the series, and the most convoluted, Silent Night, Deadly Night 5 kicking the decade off right. Other films such as Santa Claws, Satan Claus, and Feeders 2: Slay Bells all feature ridiculous spins on the usually minimalist murder Santa motif by injecting elements like Hollywood, aliens, and a Santa that builds a Christmas tree out of his victims’ limbs. All of these works are also much more violent, and now that the murder Santa concept has sunk in a little they’re allowed to go overboard with it. Television was also pushing the limits of all of this, with Futurama’s “Xmas Story” not only featuring a gun-toting warlord of a robot Santa, but also a later timeslot and an advisory caveat. Weird Al’s ‘90s offering, “The Night Santa Went Crazy” also manages to push the limits of what already seemed like a macabre idea. The mere fact that Weird Al released an alternative “Extra Gory Version” of this song/video is evidence of the influence murder Santas were having on the public.

Moving out of the ‘90s and into the next decade saw films like, Santa’s Slay, Silent Night, Zombie Night, Rare Exports, Yule Die, Sint, Silent Night, and the most recent, Christmas Cruelty all transform Santa himself into some sort of monster rather than him just being a psychopath in a costume. These films all play much more with Santa’s lore and excite in hyperbolization and spectacle. Even the atypical Kazuo Umezu’s Horror Theater subscribes to these rules in the presentation of their 2005 story, “Present”, too. Similarly, Ryan Murphy’s infectious “Asylum” season of American Horror Story also saw itself catering to this trope (beginning with “Unholy Night”), with acclaimed actor Ian McShane donning the bloodied suit, no less. The Killers’ music video from this time period for their song, “Don’t Shoot Me Santa” doesn’t see their murder Santa being turned into some sort of creature, but still sporting the same excessive bloodthirsty, almost immortal relentlessness. We’re also seeing remakes going on now too, where previous simplistic takes on the murder Santa idea (Black Christmas) can be made more complex (and often less subtle).

Clearly these exploitative films are still very popular. We keep making these movies and audiences continue to love the trope, so it’s likely not going to disappear any time soon. With how far we’ve come, these indulgent films would need to get really drastic in order to cause some sort of backlash. Like if actual copycat murders began taking place, for instance. After all of this time it feels like we’ve gone as far as we can with these quirky characters, but as recent films have shown us, there’s still plenty of Santa left to subvert, and he’s having no trouble staying scary through the winter. If anything, he’s developing an even wider net of demonic friends to help spread bloody good fun over the holidays.

Don’t forget to double-check your chimney tonight…

The post A Comprehensive Look at the History of Murder Santas appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Parvez took clips from several Christmas horror films, including Gremlins, Krampus, Rare Exports, Saint, and more, and compiled them into a montage that is overlaid by “Carol of the Bells”, as featured in 2015’s A Christmas Horror Story! The end result is a video that wonderfully blends the jolliness of the holiday with the carnage and mayhem that we all know and love!

Enjoy below and Merry Christmas to one and all!

The post Celebrate the Horror of Christmas With This Montage appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The film, “…follows a man named Toland (Lutz), who returns to his rural home town in the Midwest for his brother’s funeral. Going head-to-head with the local crime lord who traps him and his friends in an abandoned farming complex, Toland skews must use his wits and spectacular skills to battle for their lives.”

Miller has directed several horror films, including Silent Night, The Aggression Scale, Under The Bed, and more.

The post Kellan Lutz Confirmed For Steven C. Miller’s ‘The Feud’ appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

“After his parents are murdered, a young tormented teenager goes on a murderous rampage dressed as Santa, due to his stay at an orphanage where he was abused by the Mother Superior.”

You can pick that up and then pair it with Steven C. Miller’s remake, Silent Night, also release by Anchor Bay.

The post ‘Silent Night, Deadly Night’ Gets 30th Anniversary Blu-ray Release! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Now, Lee has released A Heavy Metal Christmas, which features heavy metal versions of the classic Christmas noels “The Little Drummer Boy” and “Silent Night”. You can hear audio samples below or you can snag the songs on iTunes.

Got any thoughts/questions/concerns for Jonathan Barkan? Shoot him a message on Twitter or on Bloody-Disgusting!

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Follow “Pet Sock” creator @larissa_thomas on twitter and tell her what your favorite Christmas-themed horror movie is.

The post [BD Original] ‘Pet Sock’ Wishes You The Happiest Of Holidays! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

I recently hopped on the phone with McDowell and we talked about his approach to the role and working with director Steven C. Miller. We also spoke about his classic collaboration with Stanley Kubrick, A Clockwork Orange.

In the film, “McDowell and King star as a small-town sheriff and deputy on the hunt for a murderous Santa Claus terrorizing their community on Christmas Eve. But with the streets full of Santas for the annual Christmas parade, the killer is hiding in plain sight. He’s made his list, checked it twice, and the naughty are going to pay with their lives.”

Head inside to check out the interview!

When you signed on for this had you seen the original ‘Silent Night, Deadly Night’?

No, no. I hadn’t seen it. I hadn’t even heard of it to be honest and then I was brought up to speed on it. And people were very angry at the time because the filmmakers had taken the beloved figure of Santa Claus and turned him into a serial killer who scared the bejeezus out of the poor children, you know? And I see their point, but I don’t think there’s one word of protest this time. The world has moved on in the past 25 years [from the controversy].

Your character is so convinced that he’s right about everything, it’s almost comical.

Exactly. You’ve hit it. That’s exactly what I intended. Here he is, the Sheriff of this small town in Wisconsin, and what he’s been doing for the past 25 or 30 years is writing parking tickets and giving citations to the odd drunk. So it’s a fun thing to poke at, Sheriffs in small towns are God almighty and answer to no one. There’s a little bit of fun to be had there, and of course he’s so self conscious about being right. As he says, “this is where our training kicks in.” Oh yeah? Training for what?

Many of your scenes are with Jaime King. Can you talk about establishing the dynamic between your characters?

Of course he thinks that, because she’s a rookie, she doesn’t know her ass from her elbow. And he gets irritated by her common sense ideas that actually make sense, but he’s got his theory and he wants to play it out. Police often decide on a suspect and are blind to anything else.

How was it working with [director] Steven C. Miller?

He did a terrific job directing the movie. It’s a very unpretentious movie, it is what it is. It’s a lot of fun and the idea was to scare the audience and make them smile, and I think he pulled that off. I think he did well in that respect. This is entertainment, it’s not an exercise in intellectual chops. It’s to sit there, be entertained and have a good laugh.

There’s a new Stanley Kubrick exhibit at LACMA, and a lot of people are re-examining his work. What are your thoughts now when you look back on ‘A Clockwork Orange’? Have your thoughts on it changed over the years?

The perception of it has of course changed greatly in the past 40 or so years. But the film is a brilliant piece of work. It’s lasted and I think it’s one of Stanley’s most current films, it stands the test of time. But a lot of his work stands the test of time. But I think it’s great that they’ve done the exhibition. I haven’t had a chance to see it but I hear it’s beautiful. These beautiful art pieces basically arranged by a set designer. And Kubrick, you know, didn’t throw anything away. There’s barns on his property full of this stuff.

The post [Interview] Malcolm McDowell Talks About The “Unpretentious Fun” Of ‘Silent Night’, Revisiting Stanley Kubrick appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The film’s cast includes Malcolm McDowell (Rob Zombie’s Halloween, Easy A), Jaime King (Sin City, My Bloody Valentine 3D), Donal Logue (Shark Night 3D, Blade), Lisa Marie (Sleepy Hollow), Brendan Fehr (Final Destination, X-Men First Class), and Ellen Wong (Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World).

“McDowell and King star as a small-town sheriff and deputy on the hunt for a murderous Santa Claus terrorizing their community on Christmas Eve. But with the streets full of Santas for the annual Christmas parade, the killer is hiding in plain sight. He’s made his list, checked it twice, and the naughty are going to pay with their lives.”

Bloody-Disgustng: Tell me a bit about your relationship with the original Silent Night film and your thoughts when you were approached to be the composer for the remake.
Kevin Riepl: Well, there isn’t much of a connection between myself and the original. I never saw it when I was younger as I was in 4th grade when it came out. As I grew up and was allowed to rent horror movies every weekend from the video store, “Silent Night, Deadly Night” never caught my eye. However, when approached by Steven C. Miller to handle the score to a movie only loosely based off of the original, I knew it wasn’t detrimental to the process to have seen the film. Nonetheless, I watched or rather skimmed through it and although a classic, it’s a tough one to watch for many reasons.

BD: What did the Silent Night remake have that intrigued you and got you to commit as composer?
KR: Without meaning to sound cheesy, the one thing it had was Steven at the helm. I had so much fun working with Steven on The Aggression Scale, that if he made a movie about daisies, tulips and ponies, I’d probably jump at the chance to work with him again. Because I know that those daisies and tulips would be trampled by a zombie pony being ridden by a half dead something or other wielding an axe… Seriously, it was great to work with Steven on The Aggression Sale and when he asked me to come on board for Silent Night, I felt honored and knew it would be another great experience. Also, I never scored a holiday-themed horror film and felt it would be fun to put my spin on a seasonal genre classic.

BD: Christmas is a holiday that has such a wealth of music and instruments connected with it, from Noels and sleigh bells to much, much more. How much inspiration did you take from these in your score?
KR: On the outset before creating the score, I felt that I wanted to create something very original and new for that ‘holiday’ sound. I didn’t want to take the approach of using traditional instruments like the harp, piano and of course sleigh bells. However, the more I thought about it, it’s those exact sounds that are so familiar to people during the holidays. I thought, ‘why try and create something too different, when all that holiday sound and tradition is right there in everyone’s psyche’. So in bringing home that holiday sound in the score I ended up being a big fan of the sleigh bells.

BD: What was your approach in the process of composing this film? Were there certain key elements or sounds that you were really dedicated to putting in from the start?
KR: There were two main elements. Right from the beginning, before I started writing I thought, ‘this is going to be awesome, taking the ever so comforting Silent Night melody and turning it on its head”. Then I had a brief conversation with Steven about the style of the score and where he wanted it to go. One of the main points he said to me was, “I’d love to hear a twisted version of the Silent Night melody in the film”. So, right at the start Steven and I were on the same page stylistically. The other important factor was to create a score to help keep the film grounded. When I say grounded, I mean in touch with the human emotions of the characters. It’s a fine line in any horror film when scoring ‘emotions’. If you go too far, you automatically end up in cheese territory, and it loses all its credibility.

BD: What are the differences and challenges presented when scoring a feature-length film versus a short film or a video game?
KR: There are the obvious reasons. When writing for features, there is a larger story arch and more time for characters to develop which lends to there being more time to develop and expand on themes and motifs. In short films, the challenge is the same but on a much smaller scale. It is a whole different frame of mind when scoring video games. Being that gameplay is not a fixed linear story, the music has to be flexible and be used in a variety of ways. When composing for games, you not only have to think of how a full piece of music will sound, but also how different elements in that one piece of music may be used when isolated or combined with different musical elements.

BD: Are you 100% satisfied with your score or is there always going to be some lingering feeling that something else could have been done?
KR: Anyone who is an artist and creates within extreme deadlines always has that lingering feeling…the feeling that something could have been done differently, better, or not at all. It happens to the best of artists out there. But that doesn’t mean I can’t be 100% happy with the music I created for Silent Night. It’s a fun score and allowed me to write a full soundtrack heavily inspired by the late ‘80s traditional orchestral horror scores.

BD: What’s next for you?
KR: 2013 will see the release of Sega and Gearbox’s “Aliens: Colonial Marines” in February followed by the release of my accompanying score. Microsoft will also be releasing a game in early 2013 that I just finished scoring called “Ascend”. As for films, I will definitely be working on another feature come January, which I can’t mention the name of yet. Let’s just say it’s a horror film and part of a franchise. Other than that, 2013 will be a year of bigger and better.

Got any thoughts/questions/concerns for Jonathan Barkan? Shoot him a message on Twitter or on Bloody-Disgusting!

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Lonnie Nadler (aka Lonmonster) was on-hand to check it out and writes in with his review. “Silent Night undertakes the same comically bleak tone of the original, while managing to be cleverly self-reflexive. Steven C. Miller has an obvious affection for 80s horror, but understands modern audiences demand moments of cheeky humor and awe-inducing gore. The dialogue is often ridiculous, hitting the comedic mark it shoots for. Malcolm Mcdowell is especially good as the dimwitted and pompous sheriff, ensuring that even the most serious of viewers will let out a chuckle.”

Click here for the full review and please make sure to write in with your own review!

The post [BD Review] Lonnie Unwraps The New ‘Silent Night’, Likes What He Sees appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

If you’re on Santa’s naughty list, you’re in for a lot more than a lump of coal in Steven C. Miller’s liberal remake of the scandalous 80s slasher, Silent Night, Deadly Night. While Silent Night does not add anything new to the subgenre, it delivers the ho ho horror with its spectacular kills and tongue-in-cheek humor. This is a fun film that is bound to spread some holiday cheer in the hearts’ of slasher fans.

Of the countless slashers I’ve seen, the 1984 Silent Night, Deadly Night is one that has stuck with me through the years. Santa Claus is the epitome of all that is joyful and good during the holiday season. The idea of turning Santa into a murderous creature of retribution is nothing if not twisted. The original film took the holiday joy and spun it into a darkly funny, sadistic legacy of a slasher film. While Silent Night, Deadly Night may not hold the same gravitas as films like Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street, and Friday the 13th, Steven C. Miller had quite the job ahead of him with this remake.

Silent Night is very, very loosely based on the 1984 film, which works wholly to its advantage. Rather than playing within the confines of the original, it takes it’s own, rather simple, approach to vengeful Santa. In a small off-the-map town, several morally inept citizens find themselves on slasher Santa’s naughty list. Their brutally slaughtered bodies turn up one by one, leaving a messy trail for the local police. On the case are the irrational Sheriff (Malcolm Mcdowell) and his shrewd but tentative deputy (Jamie King). The plot is bare bones, but it works as a suitable backdrop for Santa’s spectacular kills.

From the get go Santa’s rampage is dirty, violent, and gruesome, which most of you should appreciate. He employs a wide range of weapons to ensure that each murder is as amusing as it is bloody. The kills come non-stop, and are ultimately what drive the film forward.

What I like most about the kills is that Miller doesn’t waste time setting up unnecessary relationships between characters in an attempt to make you feel empathy. Every character that dies ultimately deserves it. The Fargo-esque woodchopper kill alone makes the film worth watching. But my favorite kill involves a bratty thirteen-year-old yelling, “Fuck church!” only to be callously killed moments later.

Silent Night undertakes the same comically bleak tone of the original, while managing to be cleverly self-reflexive. Steven C. Miller has an obvious affection for 80s horror, but understands modern audiences demand moments of cheeky humor and awe-inducing gore. The dialogue is often ridiculous, hitting the comedic mark it shoots for. Malcolm Mcdowell is especially good as the dimwitted and pompous sheriff, ensuring that even the most serious of viewers will let out a chuckle.

I imagine some will say that the film takes on a similar aesthetic to a lot of horror remakes but I beg to differ. For a moderately low-budget film, Miller manages to make it look massive in scope. Silent Night offers interesting shot composition and framing techniques that give it a gritty, yet oddly beautiful edge. Miller makes splendid use of the holiday color scheme, employing an abundance of bright red, green, and blue lights to create a candy-coated aesthetic to contrast with the bloodshed. The practical effects work is top notch without relying on digital enhancement for shock factor.

Silent Night has its shortcomings beyond the simple plot. Because the film jumps right into the kills without any exposition, there is no real sense of mystery throughout the film. The reveal of the Santa’s identity falls a flat as a result. The replay factor comes only from the kills, and if you’re looking for something more mentally substantial, you’ll have to look elsewhere this holiday season.

Silent Night is a modern slasher with its heart in the 80s. As a remake, it maintains the same level of cheese, dark humor, and seduction as the original Silent Night, Deadly Night. Thanks to Miller’s artistic eye, the film look far better than most studio remakes, and it’s way more fun. Silent Night is gorily entertaining from start to finish, making it a worthwhile holiday horror flick.

The post [BD Review] ‘Silent Night’ Will Spread Some Holiday Cheer For Slasher Fans appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

And that’s just what we’re giving you the chance to do. FOR FREE! We’re also throwing in a copy of the recent DVD re-release of Silent Night, Deadly Night 1 & 2. That’s the new movie and the uncensored version of the original film and its sequel (that re-release comes with a ton of extra features BTW). Just send an email containing YOUR FULL NAME, your US address (no PO Boxes) and your most HORRIFIC real-life Xmas story to If you’re up for that shoot us an email Contest Now Closed. You’ll know you’ve won if the package shows up at your door in a week or two!

The film, directed by Steven C. Miller (Automaton Transfusion, Under the Bed, The Aggression Scale), is a loose remake of the horror classic Silent Night, Deadly Night. The cast includes Malcolm McDowell (Rob Zombie’s Halloween, Easy A), Jaime King (Sin City, My Bloody Valentine 3D), Donal Logue (Shark Night 3D, Blade), Lisa Marie (Sleepy Hollow), Brendan Fehr (Final Destination, X-Men First Class), and Ellen Wong (Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World). In the remake, “McDowell and King star as a small-town sheriff and deputy on the hunt for a murderous Santa Claus terrorizing their community on Christmas Eve. But with the streets full of Santas for the annual Christmas parade, the killer is hiding in plain sight. He’s made his list, checked it twice, and the naughty are going to pay with their lives.”

Head inside for the box art and a list of theaters in which you can see the film today.

Baltimore
Owings Mills – AMC Owings Mills 17

Chicago
South Barrington – AMC 30

Dallas
Grapevine – AMC Grapevine Mills 30

Detroit
Sterling Heights – AMC Forum 30

Houston
AMC Gulf Pointe 30

Los Angeles
Van Nuys – Regency Plant 16
Orange County – AMC Orange 30

Orlando
AMC Downtown Disney 24

New York
Manhattan – AMC Empire 25

Philadelphia
Bensalem – AMC Neshaminy 24

Phoenix
AMC Arizona Center 34

Click here to order tickets.

The post [BD Contest] Win A Prize Pack With ‘Silent Night’ On Blu-ray/DVD And ‘Silent Night, Deadly Night 1 & 2’ On DVD appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Now we have a new behind the scenes featurette that features the leads talking about their roles in the film as well as a good bit of new footage. But before that, we’ve got a clip that features Santa garroting an unsuspecting fellow while the Malcolm McDowell’s chief of police is on the other line.

The film, directed by Steven C. Miller (Automaton Transfusion, Under the Bed, The Aggression Scale), is a loose remake of the horror classic Silent Night, Deadly Night. The cast includes Malcolm McDowell (Rob Zombie’s Halloween, Easy A), Jaime King (Sin City, My Bloody Valentine 3D), Donal Logue (Shark Night 3D, Blade), Lisa Marie (Sleepy Hollow), Brendan Fehr (Final Destination, X-Men First Class), and Ellen Wong (Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World).

In the film, “McDowell and King star as a small-town sheriff and deputy on the hunt for a murderous Santa Claus terrorizing their community on Christmas Eve. But with the streets full of Santas for the annual Christmas parade, the killer is hiding in plain sight. He’s made his list, checked it twice, and the naughty are going to pay with their lives.”

Head inside to check it out!

The post Go Behind The Scenes Of ‘Silent Night’ And Watch Santa Attack In These New Clips! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Now, the score for the film is available on iTunes here. Composed by Kevin Riepl (Aliens: Colonial Marines, Gears Of War, The Aggression Scale, Henri), the music features “dark ambient chills, orchestral thrills and holiday sleigh bells”. You can see the trailer for the film, the OST cover, and the full track listing below.

Track Listing:
1. “Santa Suits Up”
2. “Basement Boy”
3. “Aubrey”
4. “Ungrateful Little”
5. “The House”
6. “Sherriff Cooper”
7. “Run to the Chipper”
8. “The Chipper”
9. “They See Dead People”
10. “The Story”
11. “Watching You”
12. “Evil Sermon”
13. “Mr. Snow”
14. “Linking Murders”
15. “Rack Mounted”
16. “Santa Jim Runs”
17. “Karssen’s Kitchen”
18. “The Gift”
19. “Santa Brawl”
20. “Axe Santa”
21. “How It Began”
22. “Silent Night Suite”

Got any thoughts/questions/concerns for Jonathan Barkan? Shoot him a message on Twitter or on Bloody-Disgusting!

The post Kevin Riepl’s Score For ‘Silent Night’ Available On iTunes Now appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

A loose remake of the horror classic Silent Night, Deadly Night, the film’s stellar cast includes Malcolm McDowell (Rob Zombie’s Halloween, Easy A), Jaime King (Sin City, My Bloody Valentine 3D), Donal Logue (Shark Night 3D, Blade), Lisa Marie (Sleepy Hollow), Brendan Fehr (Final Destination, X-Men First Class), and Ellen Wong (Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World).

“McDowell and King star as a small-town sheriff and deputy on the hunt for a murderous Santa Claus terrorizing their community on Christmas Eve. But with the streets full of Santas for the annual Christmas parade, the killer is hiding in plain sight. He’s made his list, checked it twice, and the naughty are going to pay with their lives.“

Theaters playing Silent Night (in alphabetical order):

Baltimore
Owings Mills – AMC Owings Mills 17

Chicago
South Barrington – AMC 30

Dallas
Grapevine – AMC Grapevine Mills 30

Detroit
Sterling Heights – AMC Forum 30

Houston
AMC Gulf Pointe 30

Los Angeles
Van Nuys – Regency Plant 16
Orange County – AMC Orange 30

Orlando
AMC Downtown Disney 24

New York
Manhattan – AMC Empire 25

Philadelphia
Bensalem – AMC Neshaminy 24

Phoenix
AMC Arizona Center 34

Click here to order tickets (showtimes to be posted)

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Today’s Entry:
Silent Night (Dir. Steven C. Miller)

Introduction:
Every year that goes by without a killer Santa Claus movie is one year too many. We’re talking about a fat bearded hermit who annually comes uninvited into your house to pass judgement on your behavior. He’s basically a pre-death version of God, which must make him the Devil. How are there not slasher films about this guy once a week?

The Set up:
This trailer uses a drunken, beardless Santa Claus to set up its exposition, which plays on an urban legend angle. Supposedly, each year a guy dressed as Santa Claus comes to a new town and kills people who he judges as naughty. This is all being told to a pretty lady cop, which is fitting because on the other side of this killer Santa equation lay Malcolm McDowell’s small town police force.

But this trailer isn’t trying to set up the story. It’s all about teasing the Santa Claus. And this Santa Claus has a flame thrower. He also likes to electrocute people and throw axes at the camera in a very 3D manner despite this not being a 3D film. Furthermore, we get hints that he’s going to throw one lady into a wood chipper. Consider me sold.

The Problem:
It’s very difficult to tell what kind of plot we’re going to get with this one. As I mentioned before, the trailer gives pretty much every non-Santa moment to police officers, so Malcolm McDowell and the pretty deputy will likely provide this film’s biggest mover and shakers.

But I have a hard time believing there’s not some extra reason why Santa has chosen this particular town and these particular victims. If it really is the whole urban legend thing, that would be pretty cool. But I smell an ulterior motive off this Santa. I think I even see some ‘flashback’ coloring in a couple of these scenes. Maybe the killer saw a Santa Claus kill and rape his parents. Maybe he just got de-pansed by a jock on Christmas Eve. Maybe his mom bought him a Super Nintendo when he clearly asked for a Sega Genesis. Whatever it was, I have a strong feeling this attack isn’t just random evil.

The Solution:
You have to look sharp, but the trailer kind of gives away the ending. Watch closely and you’ll catch a glimpse of a Christmas parade starring none other than Jack Frost and The Gingerdead Man. I can’t say for sure whether they team up with Santa to take over the world or team up against him for hogging all the holiday murders. Either way, this will be one third act worth remembering.

With Jack Frost, The Gingerdead Man, and Santa Claus running around, Malcolm McDowell clearly finds himself outmatched. I predict he will go evil as well, since it’s mathematically impossible for Malcolm McDowell to play a good guy. (Hey! I just came up with another theory why the Santa Claus might be killing people!)

So that leaves the pretty deputy lady to kill all these bad guys and save Christmas. Perhaps she will do it with the help of fellow Christmas cops John McClane and Martin Riggs. Or maybe she’ll have to settle for help from the other Jack Frost. You know, the one voiced by Michael Keaton.

In Summation:
Silent Night is one Deadly Night away from being a remake, and I’m fine with that. The inclusion of Malcolm McDowell brings to mind the Halloween remakes, while the part where Evil Santa camouflages himself with nice Santas makes me think of the awesome (and atrocious) Reindeer Games. It seems like this was made with a good mind for what sells a fun adulteration of Holiday cheer, and I’m all for that.

Whether it’s good or not will come down to the kills. And also how awesome the Santa, Jack Frost, and Gingerdead Man team up turns out. Hopefully they got Garey Busey to reprise his iconic role. Otherwise, we might get his Gingerdead Man confused with a non-cannon version.

If nothing else, Silent Night is already to be better than Rare Exports just with this trailer alone. So there’s that.

The post [Trailer Tracks] Dissecting the ‘Silent Night’ Trailer appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Now we have a new clip (on top of our exclusive one from yesterday) via Hulu that has Malcolm McDowell dispensing some broad and bizarreinvestigative advice to Jaime King.

The film, directed by Steven C. Miller (Automaton Transfusion, Under the Bed, The Aggression Scale), is a loose remake of the horror classic Silent Night, Deadly Night. The cast includes Malcolm McDowell (Rob Zombie’s Halloween, Easy A), Jaime King (Sin City, My Bloody Valentine 3D), Donal Logue (Shark Night 3D, Blade), Lisa Marie (Sleepy Hollow), Brendan Fehr (Final Destination, X-Men First Class), and Ellen Wong (Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World).

“McDowell and King star as a small-town sheriff and deputy on the hunt for a murderous Santa Claus terrorizing their community on Christmas Eve. But with the streets full of Santas for the annual Christmas parade, the killer is hiding in plain sight. He’s made his list, checked it twice, and the naughty are going to pay with their lives.”

Bonus features on home video include “Silent Night: Behind The Scenes” featurette and Deleted Scenes.

The post New ‘Silent Night’ Clip Puts Avocado On The Burger! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The first clip has been released that walks star Jaime King into the bloody aftermath of our killer Santa Claus.

The film, directed by Steven C. Miller (Automaton Transfusion, Under the Bed, The Aggression Scale), is a loose remake of the horror classic Silent Night, Deadly Night. The cast includes Malcolm McDowell (Rob Zombie’s Halloween, Easy A), Jaime King (Sin City, My Bloody Valentine 3D), Donal Logue (Shark Night 3D, Blade), Lisa Marie (Sleepy Hollow), Brendan Fehr (Final Destination, X-Men First Class), and Ellen Wong (Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World).

“McDowell and King star as a small-town sheriff and deputy on the hunt for a murderous Santa Claus terrorizing their community on Christmas Eve. But with the streets full of Santas for the annual Christmas parade, the killer is hiding in plain sight. He’s made his list, checked it twice, and the naughty are going to pay with their lives.”

Bonus features on home video include “Silent Night: Behind The Scenes” featurette and Deleted Scenes.

The post Exclusive ‘Silent Night’ Clip Shows Santa’s Bloody Aftermath! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The first clip has been released that heads into a basement where ol’ Santa has tied up a victim with some holiday lights.

The film, directed by Steven C. Miller (Automaton Transfusion, Under the Bed, The Aggression Scale), is a loose remake of the horror classic Silent Night, Deadly Night. The cast includes Malcolm McDowell (Rob Zombie’s Halloween, Easy A), Jaime King (Sin City, My Bloody Valentine 3D), Donal Logue (Shark Night 3D, Blade), Lisa Marie (Sleepy Hollow), Brendan Fehr (Final Destination, X-Men First Class), and Ellen Wong (Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World).

“McDowell and King star as a small-town sheriff and deputy on the hunt for a murderous Santa Claus terrorizing their community on Christmas Eve. But with the streets full of Santas for the annual Christmas parade, the killer is hiding in plain sight. He’s made his list, checked it twice, and the naughty are going to pay with their lives.”

Bonus features on home video include “Silent Night: Behind The Scenes” featurette and Deleted Scenes.

The post Colorful First Clip From Santa Slasher ‘Silent Night’ appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

I recently had a chance to hop on the phone with Miller and we talked about his approach to balancing the old and the new in this loose remake of Silent Night, Deadly Night, from crafting the kills and to assembling the cast. We also talk a bit about his other new feature, Under The Bed, which is due in theaters next year.

The film’s cast includes Malcolm McDowell (Rob Zombie’s Halloween, Easy A), Jaime King (Sin City, My Bloody Valentine 3D), Donal Logue (Shark Night 3D, Blade), Lisa Marie (Sleepy Hollow), Brendan Fehr (Final Destination, X-Men First Class), and Ellen Wong (Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World).

“McDowell and King star as a small-town sheriff and deputy on the hunt for a murderous Santa Claus terrorizing their community on Christmas Eve. But with the streets full of Santas for the annual Christmas parade, the killer is hiding in plain sight. He’s made his list, checked it twice, and the naughty are going to pay with their lives.”

Head inside for the interview!

This is described as a “loose” remake of Silent Night, Deadly Night. When you were developing the material, which elements did you decide to keep and what new stuff did you want to introduce?

I got the script sort of late. They were ready to go do this, so there wasn’t a lot of room for a lot of tweaks. But they did allow me to figure out where the best spots were for the homages and throwbacks. It really was a very loose remake so it was important for me to kind of go in and figure out where the movie had places to throw in a homage. And I was able to get about 50% of the movie back to being a very close remake in terms of some of the iconic kills and some of the characters.

But as far as the story goes, it really is just about a killer Santa on Christmas Eve. It’s also about the police department trying to catch this guy, but the movie is really about this Santa. I thought it was way more interesting to follow him.

As far as Santa goes, how did you make this guy your own?

Well I always felt like he was a little to pretty, in the original, to be going around killing people. I never really found that aspect disturbing. So for this movie I wanted to introduce a mask. The scariest slasher movies that I grew up on in the 80’s all had masks. So I thought, what’s a way that we can create a really iconic Santa mask? And I think it’s really terrifying.

You’ve got a great cast. Malcolm McDowell, Donal Logue, Jaime King etc… Were all of these people attached when you came aboard or was there time for you to be involved in the casting?

I had 100% input. Malcolm was really my first choice and Jaime was as well. And Donal Logue was a great addition who really came in and amped things up. And, actually, it was Malcolm who said, “what do you think about Lisa Marie?” And I thought that was a great idea. It was fun, it felt like a cast that really enjoyed themselves on set which really translates to the screen. They really brought a whole new life to the characters.

Especially Malcolm, he brings an old school western vibe to this thing that really counteracts with the horror.

I imagine there’s a lot of carnage in the film. Without spoiling anything, can you talk about some of the challenges involved in constructing some of the kills?

Definitely the first thing is, “how do you amp this up from the first movie?” Or even, really, modern day movies. How can you amp up things and make them more interesting? And for me, it was taking a practical route. I felt that if I made every kill practical that the audience would appreciate it more. I thought the audience would react more. And we did that. Everything is constructed from the ground up with ropes, pulleys and mechanics.

So it was really about taking the time to get that done right. It’s always easy to say, “you know what? We’re not getting it. Let’s just move on and fix it with CG later.” But that just wasn’t an option for me. So I really made sure that our effects guys were on point.

You’re coming off of Under The Bed, which is definitely slow-burn suspense movie. How is this different?

I think Silent Night gets more visceral and is more fast-paced. Again, I love 80’s movies and slashers but one of the things I wanted to stay away from was the slow, lurching slasher. I really wanted something more visceral, I wanted Santa to be more agile. And fast – if you get in a foot chase with him you’re not going to win.

And Under The Bed will be coming out next year as well. I liked the 80’s vibe and tone, how did you go about that? Was that sort of a conscious mission statement?

You know, it was one of those things where we focussed on anamorphic lenses. Most of those 80’s films were shot anamorphic and have that sort of feel to them. So luckily we were able to get the same kind of lenses that they use on The Dark Knight and Super 8. They give the film this great cinematic look.

And I think you can tell there’s no technology in the movie. That was done on purpose as well. You want to invest in the characters and the family, so I wanted to take that out of the film and see if it makes you invest in them more and I think it worked.

The post [Interview] Director Steven C. Miller On Making A New Killer Santa For ‘Silent Night’, Going ‘Under The Bed’ appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

It’s kind of a rare thing to be getting our first look at a film’s trailer less than a month before its release, but I kind of like the idea in theory. It gives people a chance to get jazzed without getting burned out I suppose.

The film, directed by Steven C. Miller (Automaton Transfusion, Under the Bed, The Aggression Scale), is a loose remake of the horror classic Silent Night, Deadly Night. The cast includes Malcolm McDowell (Rob Zombie’s Halloween, Easy A), Jaime King (Sin City, My Bloody Valentine 3D), Donal Logue (Shark Night 3D, Blade), Lisa Marie (Sleepy Hollow), Brendan Fehr (Final Destination, X-Men First Class), and Ellen Wong (Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World).

“McDowell and King star as a small-town sheriff and deputy on the hunt for a murderous Santa Claus terrorizing their community on Christmas Eve. But with the streets full of Santas for the annual Christmas parade, the killer is hiding in plain sight. He’s made his list, checked it twice, and the naughty are going to pay with their lives.”

Head inside to check it out!!

The post The Trailer For ‘Silent Night’ Hits Just In Time For Xmas!!! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.