With Christmas time comes a good
time to sit in front of the fire and try and scare up a good time…ok I am just
joking around a little. We do love our horror and it is the time of year to
enjoy specific holiday oriented horror. This list will include a number of
items seen elsewhere but I can guarantee I’ve seen all of these involved and
will be able to make a case for all.
1. Jack Frost 1 & 2
Who doesn’t like a good evil killer
Snowman. We start off with an executed
serial killer and a vat of chemicles spilt into the snow. In the end we get an
evil mutant snowman with a penchant for murder. This series had two entries and
to me is a bellowed classic. It is cheesy and for a slasher it is nearly
hilarious in its obserdity which is then
doubled down on for the sequel. If you want a good Christmas watch go for this
one.
“How about a little Yule Tide Fear?” When
you take a wrestler a twisted myth about Santa Claus and a cast of kooky
characters you get Santa’s Slay. This is one of the best B-Movie Christmas
films of all time. I really enjoy this the most of all of them and hope that
this continues to be a holiday Tradition, especially for the first scene.
3. Black Christmas/X’Mas
Who doesn’t like a little Christmas Killing
as we go from B-Movie Horror/Comedy to straight slasher horror. Both movies are
really good at displaying the derangement of a crazy killer going after co-eds
on Christmas Eve. I feel that the major difference in the series is that the
older one comes with more story and the remake has more violence and gore. Both
are great films and both are good for a horror Christmas tradition.
4. Silent Night Deadly
Night Series 1-5
So we come to yet another Christmas Slasher
Series in the vein of the Halloween movie series. We have a Michael Myers style
killer going after people during the Christmas holidays dressed up as Santa
Claus. Even though it may bear some similarities this is not Santa’s Slay and
if you are looking for a laugh instead of a thriller then you need to keep away
from this one.
5. A Christmas Horror Story
This is a good alternative to those who
love your traditional Horror story anthologies and much like Trick r’ Treat is
for Halloween this is a good one for Christmas. This story also involves
Krampus but isn’t a Krampus movie. The big plus is that William Shatner
narrates.
6. Gremlins
Who would do a Christmas Horror marathon without
Gremlins. This movie is a classic tale
where you learn the lesson to not adopt strange pets and to feed them in a
timely manner. This movie also spawned a Sequel but this one is the only one
with a Christmas theme.
7. Krampus Series
If you have read my series in the past you
will know about my Krampus series of reviews. Krampus is the evil brother of
Santa Claus that punishes mean kids. The most famous of these is the new one
coming out in 2015 and the other movies have a varying degree of goodness. I
suggest you at least check out the 2015 film or #5 in order to introduce
yourself to the Krampus character.
8. The Children
This is probably the most disturbing film
on the list. I mean you have killers and you have the horror of being stuck in
the middle of nowhere but when the killers are your own children?! This is an
exercise in terror and despair that you can’t leave alone.
9. Tales from the Crypt
This was a great horror anthology movie
(also reviewed here earlier) but here we only have one segment that falls around
Christmas and a killer. I won’t give away the rest of this but the series will definitely
come in handy.
10. Ceasar and Ottos Deadly X’Mas
This is probably the lowest point on the
list. This is another slasher type of movie but this one is lower in budget. I
have s soft spot in my heart for this film but it can be a tad boring at times.
Please get off and enjoy this movie and the other movie that is Halloween
fixated.
I am a big fan of the Silent Night Deadly Night series. Each entry offering something different from one another, especially parts 4 & 5. Jack Frost films were good, and executed a original concept with the killer snowman, and the character's multiple abilities. The original 1974 Black Christmas was a masterpiece. Dark and wonderfully ambiguous. A real gem. The remake wasn't really my cup of tea. The 1972 Amicus production of Tales From The Crypt is a masterpiece , as well. I have fond memories of watching this as a kid, late at night, back in the late 80's. Krampus, Ceasar & Otto, etc. I haven't seen. Interesting list. Enjoyed reading it.
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