Christmas Horror Movies
CHRISTMAS HORROR MOVIES
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- DirectorRonald NeameStarsAlbert FinneyAlec GuinnessEdith EvansA musical retelling of Charles Dickens' classic novel about an old bitter miser taken on a journey of self-redemption, courtesy of several mysterious Christmas apparitions.This film contains some rather frightening sequences. For instance during the 'See the Phantoms' song - a brief, dark song sung by Marley as he and Scrooge fly through the dark sky, surrounded by phantoms.
But most of all because of the extended graveyard scene. In a nightmarish sequence, the ghost of 'Christmas Yet to Come' shows its face (the face of Death) to Scrooge who falls backwards, screaming, through his own open grave, through a seemingly bottomless shaft, and into the very bowels of Hell. He wakes up in a coffin-shaped crater and meets Marley, who tells him of his appointment as Lucifer's personal clerk and shows him to his icy, rat-infested office. The frightened Scrooge's massive chain then arrives on the backs of several burly, hooded "demons" who wrap it around him, fairly immobilizing him, amid his futile cries to Marley for help. (This scene is often edited or removed.) - DirectorBob ClarkStarsOlivia HusseyKeir DulleaMargot KidderDuring their Christmas break, a group of sorority girls are stalked by a stranger.I didn't want my list to start with the most obvious choice. That's of course "Black Christmas". This whole movie really breathes "Blackness" and Christmas in all kinds of ways. The colour schemes, the music, the story. It gets better with every viewing.
- DirectorJoe DanteStarsZach GalliganPhoebe CatesHoyt AxtonA young man inadvertently breaks three important rules concerning his new pet and unleashes a horde of malevolently mischievous monsters on a small town.
- DirectorTheodore GershunyStarsPatrick O'NealJames PattersonMary WoronovA man inherits a mansion which once was a mental home. He visits the place and begins to investigate some crimes that happened in old times, scaring the people living in the region.
aka Silent Night, Bloody Night.
A terrific Christmas horror movie. After leaving the drive-in circuit in the early 70's the film fell into public domain and it remained obscure until the mid 80's. The copy I've seen is available on archive.org. It's heavily damaged, with a lots of scratches and dust. The aspect ratio is cropped and the colors are faded. The sound definitely has lost its clarity. Sometimes - when it is within limits - some of these "symptoms of old age" add to the nostalgic atmosphere. But in this case the quality of the copy is just too bad. It makes the movie look shoddy and cheap and it doesn't deserve that.
It's an interesting slasheresq horror movie with a lot of atmosphere. Very nice cinematography and some of the music definitely must have influenced John Carpenter's Halloween.
Besides that, the festive season scenery is tastefully present. And some Christmas carols are cleverly intertwining with the score.
Very good. - DirectorCharles E. Sellier Jr.StarsLilyan ChauvinGilmer McCormickToni NeroLittle Billy witnesses his parents getting killed by Santa after being warned by his senile grandpa that Santa punishes those who are naughty. Now Billy is 18 and out of the orphanage, and he has just become Santa himself.
- DirectorDick MaasStarsEgbert Jan WeeberBert LuppesCaro LenssenA horror film that depicts St. Nicholas as a murderous bishop who kidnaps and murders children when there is a full moon on December 5.To anyone outside the Netherlands this movie may seem to be a Christmas horror movie. Actually it isn't. The origins of Santa Claus (Santa) are found in the Dutch Sinterklaas (Sint). That's correct. But the birthday of Sinterklaas is traditionally celebrated on the 5th of December. Almost all Dutch people celebrate Sinterklaas as well as Christmas, the later with a Santa Claus similar to the one in the US - although here he's called "de kerstman" (the Christmas Man).
However, since it's on all the other Christmas horror lists, and I absolutely love the movie, I've decided to add it anyway. Since its release I've watched it every 5th of December. - DirectorJim CummingsStarsJim CummingsRiki LindhomeRobert ForsterTerror grips a small mountain town as bodies are discovered after each full moon. Losing sleep, raising a teenage daughter, and caring for his ailing father, officer Marshall struggles to remind himself there's no such thing as werewolves.Good original movie.
- DirectorChris PeckoverStarsOlivia DeJongeLevi MillerEd OxenbouldOn a quiet suburban street, a babysitter must defend a twelve-year-old boy from intruders, only to discover it's far from a normal home invasion.Good movie with a fantastic performance by Levi Miller.
- DirectorAldo LadoStarsFlavio BucciMacha MérilGianfranco De GrassiA pair of psychotic hoodlums and an equally demented nymphomaniac woman terrorize two young girls on a train trip from Germany to Italy.This really is a very good film. It contains some of the most beautiful colour imagery i've ever seen in pictures. The music of Morricone (I'm NOT talking about the opening song) is almost superb at some places.
I't is a real Christmas Horror movie and there's a lot of black comedy. It's a very cynical movie.
Most reviewers compare it to "Last House of the Left" and call it a ripp-off. I don't care for that. I'm not a fan of Craven at all. In some ways Last House is a ripp-off of "The Sadist" (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057465/combined) Who cares... One can call every vampire movie a ripp-off of Nosferatu (1922). No one would be able to make films at all. - DirectorTibor TakácsStarsJenny WrightClayton RohnerRandall William CookA bookshop clerk and wannabe actress starts seeing the disfigured killer from her 1950s pulp novels come to life and start killing people around her. She tries to convince her cop boyfriend, but to no avail.So I watched this recently (dec 2012), but I think I must have missed a lot (I dozed off a few times). So my remembrance is a bit of a confusing mess. I'm afraid I have to rewatch it...
But from what I can recollect, here's my opinion...
This type of horror, like for instance Cronenberg's Naked Lunch, is a bit too illogical to my taste. I don't mind the amount of fantasy, but I like to know what's going on. Even movies like Images, Messiah of Evil or Let's Scare Jessica to Death seem to be more clearer, while they have a good reason to be vague.
But that said, it's a potentially decent movie, crafted well enough, with a some nice scary moments as well as some likable stop-motion special effects.
A lot of scenes show some Christmas decoration in the background. I cannot recall if it was ever a topic of conversation, or other way part of the plot. But it's undeniably present.
Edit: Re-watched it December 2014. My opinion on this movie has completely changed. Sure, it contains a number of supernatural elements, and - as in a lot of of horror movies - it pretty much defies logic, but nonetheless it wasn't at all confusing. Maybe I was just too tired when I watched it 2 years ago.
Fun movie to watch around Christmas. 7.5/10
. - DirectorLewis JacksonStarsBrandon MaggartJeffrey DeMunnDianne HullA toy factory worker, mentally scarred as a child upon learning Santa Claus is not real, suffers a nervous breakdown after being belittled at work, and embarks on a Yuletide killing spree.Also known as: "Christmas Evil"
- DirectorThom EberhardtStarsAnita SkinnerCaren L. LarkeyPeggy McClureA lone survivor of a plane crash is haunted by a feeling unworthy of survival. Dead people start coming after her to collect her.Great movie. The Christmas stuff is in the last part of the movie
- DirectorBrian KingStarsDanny GloverLeelee SobieskiSteve ZahnTwo passengers and the conductor discover that a man has passed away on their night train cabin. They come across a mysterious object in a box the dead man was carrying and they all wish to keep for themselves.This movie has a strong straight-to-video look and that might be a bit off-putting, but it's a good, nightmarish movie that gets better with repeat-viewings.
- DirectorCurtis HarringtonStarsShelley WintersMark LesterChloe FranksA demented widow lures unsuspecting children into her mansion in a bizarre "Hansel and Gretel" twist.A Good Christmas Horror film. Very underrated.
Loaded with well-known names.
A James H. Nicholson & Samuel Z. Arkoff production
Jimmy Sangster (a lot of Hammer movies) co-wrote the screenplay.
Cast: Shelly Winters, Ralph Richardson, Lionel Jeffries, Hugh Griffith.
The story leaves you wondering who's going to be the real 'bad one'. Winters is the main antagonist. And of course she has some serious mental problems. But is she really evil? She herself is a victim of her butler and a fake psychic. And the children she has to deal with, are very sly and cold-blooded. - DirectorGregory PlotkinStarsChris J. MurrayBrit ShawIvy GeorgeUsing a special camera that can see spirits, a family must protect their daughter from an evil entity with a sinister plan.This installment to the franchise plays during Christmas, which is very noticeable during most of the movie. I thought it was reasonably entertaining with a nice Christmas-y atmosphere.
If I'm not mistaken, the story is a follow-up to PA3 (which I actually rather liked, although I 'm not much a fan of the series) - DirectorTom ShanklandStarsEva BirthistleStephen Campbell MooreJeremy SheffieldA relaxing Christmas vacation turns into a terrifying fight for survival as the children begin to turn on their parents.
- DirectorMiguel Ángel ToledoStarsAriel CastroRaquel EscribanoJavier MontóThe chess player Raúl invites his estranged wife Ana and his son Nico to travel with him during Christmas to an isolated cabin in a snowy mountain expecting to reconcile with her. On the arrival, Raúl asks the landlord someone to help to chop wood for the family and the helpful carpenter Samuel comes to the house and cut the wood. When Raúl sees his wife giving attention of Samuel, he becomes jealous and his paranoid mind makes him believe that Ana is having a love affair with Samuel. On the Christmas Eve, Raúl invites Samuel to spend the night with his family. Soon Raúl discovers the truth about the Ana and Samuel and what happened during the Christmas dinner.Very good, atmospheric Christmas horror movie, with some true chilling moments. I think it's excellently paced - but I'm quite sure the junkfood majority will find it slow. In style it contains a bit too much modern day tropes, although on several occasions it transcends to an inspired well-executed higher level. There's actually a climatic moment with some really good original music, something that imo is very rare in today's movies.
There's not much talk, nor is everything that happens explained. Something I consider very positive.
The twist at the end is a bit predictable. But I don't watch a movie only to be amazed by it's conclusion.
7.5-8.5/10 - DirectorJames WanStarsVera FarmigaPatrick WilsonMadison WolfeEd and Lorraine Warren travel to North London to help a single mother raising four children alone in a house plagued by a supernatural spirit.If I remember well, the story of this film - or part of it - takes place during the beginning of December. Halfway through the movie the family gets a Christmas tree into their home.
However the movie never really gets into a good Christmas feeling / mood. - DirectorPatrick RidremontStarsEugénie DerouandHonorine MagnierClément OlivieriEva is a paraplegic. On her birthday, her friend Sophie gives her a strange Advent calendar. It's not the traditional treats you find when you open each drawer, but quirky gifts that are scary and get bloodier.
- DirectorÁlex de la IglesiaStarsÁlex AnguloArmando De RazzaSantiago SeguraBent on committing as many sins as possible to avert the birth of the beast, a Catholic priest teams up with a Black Metal aficionado and an Italian connoisseur of the occult. Now, he must become an unrelenting sinner. Is there still hope?December 2016 - I dropped my rating from 9/10 to 7/10.
I have no idea why I liked it that much the first time I had seen it.
It's a black comedy - but it seems to aim its arrows at metalheads who value anything "political incorrect" as a big hoot by default.
i thought the movie missed substance, as well as some really good cynicism. - DirectorMike HodgesStarsRosanna ArquetteJason RobardsTom HulceA medium has a vision of a hit-man killing his target. The vision comes true, and the same hit-man is assigned to kill her. Her drunk father/manager doesn't believe she has the gift, and a curious journalist tries to protect her.
- DirectorJean-Baptiste AndreaFabrice CanepaStarsRay WiseLin ShayeMick CainChristmas Eve. On his way to his in-laws with his family, Frank Harrington decides to try a shortcut, for the first time in 20 years. It turns out to be the biggest mistake of his life.A rather decent horror movie in my opinion. But not much of it reminds of Christmas, although it all takes place on Christmas Eve.
- DirectorJohn Llewellyn MoxeyStarsSally FieldJill HaworthJulie HarrisAn ailing man summons his four daughters home for Christmas and asks them to kill his new wife, who he suspects is poisoning him.
- DirectorMark PellingtonStarsRichard GereLaura LinneyDavid EigenbergA reporter is drawn to a small West Virginia town to investigate a series of strange events, including psychic visions and the appearance of bizarre entities.
- 1999–20171hTV-148.5 (392)TV EpisodeDirectorSteve BendelackStarsJeremy DysonMark GatissSteve PembertonAlone in the chapel of hope on Christmas Eve Reverend Bernice hates Christmas,since her mother was carried off by Papa Lazarou disguised as Santa Claus when she was a child. She has three visitors. The first is Charlie Hull,convinced from his recurring nightmare that his wife Stella is using a voodoo coven called the Solutions to stop him winning the line-dance contest. Then an old man who visited Herr Lipp and his wife in 1975 recounts the saga of Lipp's fascination with cute young choirboy Matthew and his belief that Lipp was a vampire. Finally Chinnery comes to unburden himself as to why he is such a bad vet. In Victorian times his great-great-grandfather,the finest vet in England,came to Royston Vasey but was tricked into touching the wrong monkey's testicle,as a result of which all succeeding vets in the family have been cursed. Bernice feels happier after consoling Chinnery but she is unaware that history is about to repeat itself.This Christmas special, which can be easily watched on its own, is a very funny, extremely well-made horrific anthology in three parts.
The Rev Bernice Woodall, Royston Vasey's vicar, is in a typically un-festive mood, haunted by a terrible Christmas memory, when three visitors appear at her church, each with their own chilling tale to recall.
The first concerns troubled married couple Charlie and Stella becoming unwittingly involved in voodoo and witchcraft.
The second (and the best in my opinion) features the German exchange teacher Herr Lipp in a Nosferatu skit that reveals the terrible truth about what really goes on in Duisburg
The third tells of the horrible hereditary curse that afflicted Dr Chinnery's great-grandfather.
After consoling her parishioners, Bernice finds herself buoyed with Christmas spirit. But it doesn't last for long. She receives a fourth visitor in the form of carnival ringmaster Papa Lazarou, the most terrifying Santa Claus you could imagine.
This one-off special distils all the League's penchant for disturbing, twisted characterisation and macabre humour into a single hour; the result is one of the most daring "comedies" ever seen on British TV. - DirectorGraeme HarperStarsReece ShearsmithRula LenskaJessica RaineA director talks about his old horror film. It's Austria, Krampusnacht, December 1977. The Devonshires arrive at the alpine chalet for a holiday. The caretaker, Klaus, tells them about a local legend of Krampus, the Devil of Christmas.
- DirectorCrispian MillsChris HopewellStarsSimon PeggPaul FreemanAmara KaranA crime novelist whose research on Victorian serial killers has turned him into a paranoid wreck must confront his worst fears when a film executive takes a sudden interest in his movie script.Fun movie - & it plays around Christmas time. Besides a group of Christmas carol singing kids - there's a smal amount of Christmas decoration (f.i a green Father Christmas figure in the launderette's window, if I remember well).
The movie starts better then it ends imo. The "real" serial killer only kills the wonderfully chaotic story line Pegg's paranoid character has created - and even worse: adds some very annoying feel good sentiment to it all. - DirectorChristian JamesStarsDan PalmerAntonia BernathTamaryn PayneA janitor gets trapped in a women's restroom and encounters an all-out attack by a horde of zombies.
- DirectorSean Nichols LynchStarsDennice CisnerosNico BellamyLaura KennonA struggling vampire romance novelist must defend herself against real-life vampires during Christmas in Lake Tahoe.
- DirectorEd HuntStarsTom BresnahanCynthia PrestonDavid GaleA psychologist with an increasingly popular TV show brainwashes his audiences using a giant living brain. A mischievous high school student is sent to the psychologist's institute, and becomes determined to expose him.6-8.5/10
Fun, fast paced and very 1980s. The alien brain, somehow reminiscent to the one from planet Arous (and as least as unconvincing), is shown right from the start as well as lots of times during the movie. I thought it only added to the fun.
The cinematography is pretty good, with nice color compositions.
The story takes clearly place during Christmas time. In losts of scenes Christmas decorations are shown. And indirectly also Christmas tunes are to be heard (car radio f.i.) Several outdoor scenes show snowy surroundings. Other scenes that don't are still fine, convincing, atmospheric depictions of the last month of year.
One of the last shots at the happy ending (it's the 80s!) of the movie shows a Christmas tree being put next to the garbage outside, waiting to be collected, somehow symbolizing all supernatural nonsense have been finished for the moment.
Oh, and I thought Tom Bresnahan was a pretty hot dude. During the 1980s they often chose more sympathetic male heroes for horror movies, than they do now, imo. - DirectorDavid SteimanStarsBill GoldbergDouglas SmithEmilie de RavinSanta Claus is actually a demon who lost a bet with an angel, so he becomes the giver of toys and happiness. But when the bet is off, he returns to his evil ways.
- DirectorFranck KhalfounStarsRachel NicholsWes BentleySimon ReynoldsA businesswoman is pursued by a psychopath after being locked in a parking garage on Christmas Eve.Nice, scary Christmas horror movie.
- DirectorJoe ZerullStarsDaniel Rairdin-HaleHanlon Smith-DorseyYosh HayashiUnconventional heroes band together against an army of living corpses reanimated by a dark force in a cadaver lab on Christmas, as the undead rapidly recruit new members.A low-budget Grindhouse Christmas Zombie Horror Comedy.
The acting sucks, the sound sucks, the score sucks even more.
But the camera work wasn't that bad. And the story - as well as some of the comedy bits- seemed to work (The best joke was the running gag about dialing 911. Campus security had a totally absurd prank prevention solution - dialing 911 resulted in a connection with a telephone operator (a security guard) who would check the urgency of the call first, before reconnecting..)
Actually I thought it was quite entertaining.
I will sure I'll watch it again - SOME day. - DirectorVictor SjöströmStarsVictor SjöströmHilda BorgströmTore SvennbergOn New Year's Eve, the driver of a ghostly carriage forces a drunken man to reflect on his selfish, wasted life.The story takes place on New Years Eve. Christmas trees can be seen several times. At the end it's all a bit too religious for my taste. But it's very suitable for Christmas time, rather moving and with a few nice spooky scenes.
- DirectorBen RockStarsCarlos BernardMathew St. PatrickRockmond DunbarA group enters a supermarket at closing time, shoots around and takes hostages. They believe aliens have arrived there then. Cops arrive outside.Practically the whole "Alien Raiders" movie takes place in a supermarket. It must be set during the festive season because the place is heavily decorated all around. There's even a huge Santa Clause figure - very prominently visible in a lot of shots - outside next to the entrance of the store. Furthermore there are also Christmas tunes that are played inside the place. At the beginning of the movie some of these tunes are even heard as part of the score in a rather creepy way.
During the movie the atmosphere changes. At some point the electricity is cut down, so the lights go out and the shop music stops.
I like the basic premise of the plot. A group of shop personnel is kept hostage by some people who are trying to find a person infected by an alien. They know there is one, but they don't know what he/she looks like. The second halve of the movie was a bit of a let-down. And I find most of the characters and their behavior rather irritating.
But in to-to it is rather enjoyable. - DirectorDavid HessStarsJennifer RunyonForrest SwonsenLinda GentileA group of teenagers at a party find themselves being stalked by a maniacal killer in a Santa Claus costume.
- DirectorAnthony PerkinsStarsDonna DixonJoe AlaskeyJeff KoberA plump loser, after being left at the alter by his fiancee, is invited to Christmas dinner by a beautiful woman, but her family are cannibals who intend to have *him* as the main course.A Christmas Horror Comedy directed by Anthony Perkins.
A fat guy stumbles upon a good looking woman, who for some reason instantly wants to marry him, whereupon she introduces him to her weird, inbreed -cannibalistic- family. Yes - he is going to be the main course for Christmas dinner.
Although several aspects were pretty mediocre, overall I thought it was a rather entertaining movie. Very suitable to watch on (or around) Christmas. - DirectorAlexandre BustilloJulien MauryStarsAlysson ParadisJean-Baptiste TabourinClaude LuléFour months after the death of her husband, a woman on the brink of motherhood is tormented in her home by a strange woman who wants her unborn baby.A rather nasty, gruesome horror movie, if I remember well... Have to re watch it.
- DirectorDavid BrooksStarsAlice EveJosh PeckBrian GeraghtyOn a late night visit to an ATM, three co-workers end up in a desperate fight for their lives when they become trapped by an unknown man.A nice Christmas horror movie. On Christmas Eve a couple of adolescents are trapped in an ATM on a desolated parking lot. Outside - only just visible in the dark - an unknown psycho is waiting to kill them.
- DirectorGregory JacobsStarsEmily BluntAshton HolmesMartin DonovanTwo college students share a ride home for the holidays, but when they break down on a deserted stretch of road, they are preyed upon by the ghosts of people who have died there.The design of the film consists of many contemporary horror movie clichés. Everything is in lifeless dark blue. Just a cheap filter trick that doesn't work. Usually I hate that, but because it all takes place in a snowy landscape at night, it seemed a bit appropriate.
The scary scenes are accompanied by a monotonous low humming sound. Another cliché. And a rather ugly one. It doesn't make any sense at all unless the place is some kind of cellar or underground subway.
Don't expect to much in which case it is an enjoyable horror flick. - DirectorWilliam LustigStarsJoe SpinellCaroline MunroAbigail ClaytonA psychopathic man goes on a killing and mutilation spree in New York City.Hardy anyone notices, but this "classic" plays during/around Christmas. It's mentioned a few times in the dialogues. F.i.: the neighbor who asks Zito (Spinell) if the stuff he's carrying are Christmas shoppings; Zito visiting his mother's grave - something he always does when it's Christmas time, at least that's what he says.
Christmas trees and other decorations are seen several times, even in Zito's place (although strangely most of the trees aren't decorated...)
And then of course there's the very noteworthy scene with the music box playing "Silent Night, Holy Night"
Nonetheless on the whole it's a bit too scarce to call it a thoroughbred "Christmas horror movie"
Not really one of my favorites, not the worst either.
A strong 7/10 - DirectorGunther von FritschRobert WiseStarsSimone SimonKent SmithJane RandolphThe young, friendless daughter of Oliver and Alice Reed befriends her father's dead first wife and an aging, reclusive actress.
- DirectorTommy WirkolaStarsDavid HarbourJohn LeguizamoBeverly D'AngeloAn elite team of mercenaries breaks into a family compound on Christmas Eve, taking everyone hostage. However, they aren't prepared for a surprise combatant: Santa Claus is on the grounds, and he's about to show why this Nick is no saint.Not really horror, but R-rated especially because of the amount of violence. Because of that it is rather weird that the movie still has some messaging that seems to be aimed directly at children (f.i how important it is to have faith in Santa/Christmas). It could've done without it.
It felt like a rather right-winged movie. The young mother - one of the protagonists - said she could handle a gun because her dad always took her hunting when she was young. I will never be able to see someone who has killed or hurt animals for pleasure as a good person.
On the plus side: the movie had a very good score by Dominic Lewis. (not talking about the pop music).
Hesitating between a 6 and a 7. - DirectorDon TaylorStarsAnna CropperSylvia KayEdward PetherbridgeFour friends gather for Christmas dinner at an old cottage. Suddenly, there's a power failure and the phone goes dead. Then their wine turns to blood and the turkey makes them violently ill. Then things really get strange!Edmund and his wife Rachel renovate a remote cottage in the country and invite their friends Dan and Margaret to have Christmas dinner there. Through the course of the next 45 minutes, they are brutally forced by supernatural means to confront the literal and figurative foundations of their privileged existence.
- DirectorPaco PlazaGeorge A. RomeroStarsMaru ValdivielsoChristian CasasRoger BabiàIn 1985, in a coastal town, the friends Koldo, Peti, Tito, Eugenio and Moni stumble with a woman dressed like Santa Claus trapped in a hole in the woods. While the boys go to the police station to ask for help, the others find a rope to take the woman out of the hole. However, the boys find in the police station that the woman is the dangerous thief Rebeca Expósito, who has just stolen two million pesetas from a bank and is wanted. The group decides to leave the woman in the hole without any food to force her to give the robbed money to them. Meanwhile, Peti and Eugenio that are fans of the movie "Zombie Invasion", decide to make a voodoo ceremony with Rebecca to transform her into a zombie. When Rebecca escapes from her imprisonment, she uses an axe to chase the evil boys.English Title: Films to keep you awake: A Christmas Tale
71 min
Good!! - DirectorHenry SelickStarsDanny ElfmanChris SarandonCatherine O'HaraJack Skellington, king of Halloween Town, discovers Christmas Town, but his attempts to bring Christmas to his home causes confusion.This is a highly praised movie, and it's obvious it took a lot of craftsmanship to make it. But I'm not a very big fan of it. The first problem to me is the music. I find the almost continuously parlando sung music rather dull. It's like an endless recitative. Only Ken Page (Oogie Boogie) was able to make something of it. He reminded me of Levi Stubbs who sang the role of Audrey II in Frank Oz's Little Shop Of Horrors. THAT's one of my favourite black-comedy musicals, although I'll never forgive them for changing the sensational ending of man-eating plants taking over the world. (You can find the original ending in black & white on youtube)
Secondly I found it a rather restless movie. The pacing just isn't right.
Although I can see it all took a look of work, the cinematography is just suitable, but never really outstanding.
An animation picture in the "black comedy" vain that I like very much is: "Mary and Max" (tt0978762) - DirectorMichael DoughertyStarsAdam ScottToni ColletteDavid KoechnerA boy who has a bad Christmas accidentally summons a festive demon to his family home.I've already watched this film thrice. Nonetheless I don't think it's very good. Too much dark shots, too much close-ups, too much camera movement. Rather mediocre direction & camera work.
Still a real Christmas horror film, with a rare - at least for this subgenre - budget of $15,000,000 - DirectorGrant HarveySteven HobanBrett SullivanStarsWilliam ShatnerGeorge BuzaRob ArcherInterwoven stories that take place on Christmas Eve, as told by one festive radio host: A family brings home more than a Christmas tree, a student documentary becomes a living nightmare, a Christmas spirit terrorizes, Santa slays evil.
- DirectorRené ManzorStarsBrigitte FosseyLouis DucreuxPatrick FloersheimOn Christmas Eve, a resourceful young boy has to defend himself and his grandfather from a killer dressed as Santa Claus.Seen
- DirectorSean CainStarsJack ForcinitoAndy HopperNadine StenovitchA week before Christmas, a viral outbreak turns the citizens of Los Angeles into the walking dead. With characters named Santa Zombie, Raccoon, Fingers and Little Daddy, who can resist this horrific holiday gift.
- DirectorCatherine MorsheadStarsRay FearonRoss KempShezwae PowellAn unscrupulous loan shark who makes excuses for his uncaring nature learns real compassion when three ghosts visit him on Christmas Eve.
- DirectorGeorge B. SeitzStarsAline MacMahonBasil RathboneMary CarlisleHenry, a homeless artist, is invited in from the cold by Mary. Her kindness is exploited as Henry, his family and friends manipulate their way into living in her home. Mary tries to get rid of them, but they have their own scheme in mind.I was very impressed by this movie from 1935. (The same year as James Whale made his "Bride".) 'Kind Lady' seemed to me as a very modern film for its time. It was very well made. The camera work, the lighting techniques, the black&white photography. And the score too was very good. Just a year before a lot movies didn't even had a score.
It's more a thriller then a horror film. Rather unsettling and tense (a bit like 'Pacific Heights'). Someone is brutally murdered, but of course you're not getting to see much of it.
The films starts on Christmas Eve and ends exactly a year later - again on Christmas Eve. Christmas music is nicely interwoven with the score. - DirectorAllen BaronStarsAllen BaronMolly McCarthyLarry TuckerA hired killer from Cleveland has a job to do on a second-string mob boss in New York, but a special girl from his past and a gun dealer with pet rats get in his way.Outstandingly appropriate. Not a horror movie, but some sort of thriller/crime noir. Christmas was never so rough and bleak at the same time.
Highly recommended. - DirectorRobert SiodmakStarsDeanna DurbinGene KellyRichard WhorfA young femme fatale-type woman realizes that the man she married is an incorrigible wastrel.No horror - but a rather black drama/crime/thriller.
Some reasons why I liked it:- the odd choice of Durbin and Kelly for these type of dramatic roles.
- the odd choice of the Christmas setting
- while the 1940s brought more "evil husband" flicks such as Gaslight (1940), Gaslight (1944) and Suspicion (1941) none of them ended with the heroine still loving the guy
- The use of the song "Always". Deanna sings it beautifully - but in the context of the movie, it's a very creepy song.
- the twisted Hitchcockian mother/son relation between Gale Sondergaard and Kelly
I had first rated it a 10/10 - but after re-watching it in December 2016 I decided to tone it down to 8/10 - DirectorRobert MontgomeryStarsRobert MontgomeryAudrey TotterLloyd NolanThe lady editor of a crime magazine hires Phillip Marlowe to find the wife of her boss. The private detective soon finds himself involved in murder.I'll add a review later.
Excellent movie - but more a noir thriller than horror. - DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsAnthony PerkinsJanet LeighVera MilesA Phoenix secretary embezzles $40,000 from her employer's client, goes on the run and checks into a remote motel run by a young man under the domination of his mother.The story takes place from Friday 11 to Sunday 20 December. The movie is very clear about that. So technically it isn't a Christmas horror film, however Christmas decorations are visible in downtown Phoenix in an early scene. It is therefore somewhat suitable for the Christmas season.
One of the best horror movies ever. - DirectorJohn HoughStarsRoddy McDowallGayle HunnicuttPamela FranklinA physicist, his wife and two mediums are hired to investigate the Belasco House, where 27 guests had inexplicably died in 1927, along with most of a team of paranormal investigators that was sent in the early 1950s.Although nothing in this movie reminds of Christmas, the story begins on December 17th and ends on December 24th, which is Christmas Eve.
- DirectorJalmari HelanderStarsJorma TommilaOnni TommilaPeeter JakobiIn the depths of the Korvatunturi mountains, 486 meters deep, lies the closest ever guarded secret of Christmas. The time has come to dig it up. This Christmas everyone will believe in Santa Claus.
- DirectorSion SonoStarsChiaki KuriyamaMegumi SatôTsugumiAbout hair extensions that attack the women that wear them.A horror movie about alive cut-off hair. When it attacks it comes with a Christmas tune (Silent Night if I'm not mistaken) and little slay bells.
Weird but entertaining flick. Good cinematography. - DirectorFabrice-Ange ZaphiratosStarsHelen BentonTerry BrownDana DayA young woman accompanies her boyfriend to his family's rural Wisconsin home for Christmas, where the spirit of a Japanese samurai begins wreaking havoc on them.A family's Christmas reunion gets off to a bad start when the son brings home his girlfriend, leading to an awkward feeling of deja-vu between her and the boy's psychic mother. Weird things begin happening, the weirdest of which happens to be the presence of a glowing samurai warrior who's murderous tendencies appear to be linked to the girlfriend's orgasms.
- DirectorTod BrowningStarsLionel BarrymoreMaureen O'SullivanFrank LawtonAn escaped convict uses miniaturized humans to wreak vengeance on those who framed him.
- DirectorKarel ZemanStarsLudek MunzarJaroslav MouckaChristian BrücknerA young boy becomes an apprentice for a mysterious sorcerer, working at the sorcerer's strange and sinister mill where secretive black magic is being taught and performed at a very heavy price.
- DirectorFreddie FrancisStarsJoan CollinsPeter CushingRalph RichardsonFive strangers get lost in a crypt and, after meeting the mysterious Crypt Keeper, receive visions of how they will die.Only the first (and best) part of this Amicus anthology is a real Christmas horror story. But the whole film is very enjoyable. It's very clear that Freddie Francis is a great cinematographer.
- DirectorAlberto CavalcantiCharles CrichtonBasil DeardenStarsMervyn JohnsMichael RedgraveRoland CulverGuests invited to a weekend in the country share their supernatural stories, beginning with Walter Craig, who senses impending doom as his half-remembered recurring dream turns into reality.Just one part of this anthology takes place on Christmas. Nevertheless a very good movie.
- DirectorThom EberhardtStarsCatherine Mary StewartKelli MaroneyRobert BeltranA comet wipes out most of life on Earth, leaving two Valley Girls fighting against cannibal zombies and a sinister group of scientists.
- DirectorEdmund PurdomStarsEdmund PurdomAlan LakeBelinda MayneSomebody with very little Christmas spirit is killing anyone in a Santa suit one London holiday season, and Scotland Yard has to stop him before he makes his exploits an annual tradition.The only directing effort of actor Edmund Purdom who starred in about 92 movies. It's a very poor directing debut. It's even so obvious that it is impossible to spread the blame. When there's a scene with two people talking, while sitting on a couch, and you choose to film it all in one long shot (a minute or something) from a distance, then you can't blame the cameraman, the editor or the actors for the result.
Nevertheless, I'm with some of the imdb users who commented the movie favorable. Her are some quotes from these reviews:
Quote1:
"Now this is what I'm talking about! I love an unabashedly terrible slasher film that revels in its own sleaziness and stupidity. From the crappy synth score to the iffy performances, I was eating Don't Open 'Til Christmas up by the shovelful. I'm not even going to begin explaining the plot -- why should the plot even matter when drunk shopping mall Santa Clauses are getting their faces burned off, eyes slashed out, and penises castrated (YES!) all around you?!"
Quote2:
One of my all time favourite movies. Purely for it's one of a kindness. There will never be another film made like this. Though i can understand that it's not to everyones taste, but most films aren't to my taste. This film is inept, badly acted, poorly directed and a bit of a mess, but for my personal tastes, these things all work in it's favour. The DVD is cut and doesn't include the Santa that gets shot in the head. The sequences have also been rearranged for the DVD release.
Quote3
The film is basically a bit of a turkey, but I couldn't help but find it often highly watchable and enjoyable. It's ludicrous, tasteless, sometimes nasty, often inane or insane, with a truly fetid feel to it that makes it almost the perfect corrective to Christmas cheer. One for exploitation fans and lovers of the grimier side of cinema mostly. - DirectorMichael CooneyStarsScott MacDonaldChristopher AllportStephen MendelAfter an accident that left murderer Jack Frost dead in genetic material the vengeful killer returns as a murderous snowman to exact his revenge on the man who sent him to be executedDefinitely not as bad as its sequel. Although not very good I though it was rather entertaining.
- DirectorJoe BegosStarsRiley DandySam DelichJonah RayIt's Christmas Eve and Tori just wants to get drunk and party, but when a robotic Santa Claus at a nearby toy store goes haywire and begins a rampant killing spree through her small town, she's forced into a battle for survival.
- DirectorAdam MarcusStarsMichael RadyDrew LynchDebra SullivanChristmas dinner brings tidings of death when someone enacts revenge, and out of the bloody madness rises a hero who must face all odds to stop an outbreak before it's too late.
- DirectorC. Courtney JoynerStarsJon FinchBlake AdamsAshley LaurenceThe town of Leffert's Corners has been plagued by unearthly beings for decades, and now there is only a few people left... what everyone is not aware of are the humanoid creatures lurking underneath the holy grounds.An Overlooked Christmas Horror Movie. Didn't find it on any Christmas Horror List.
5/10 - 1989–199622mNot Rated7.7 (2.2K)TV EpisodeDirectorRobert ZemeckisStarsJohn KassirMary Ellen TrainorLarry DrakeA greedy woman makes the mistake of murdering her husband while an escaped mental patient dressed in a Santa Claus outfit is on the loose.
- DirectorJeffrey MandelStarsDan HaggertyJulie AustinDeanna LundA woman finds she is part of a Nazi breeding experiment with elves to create supermen. She and friends are trapped in a store with an elf. Only a renegade Santa Claus can save them.
- DirectorJack SmightStarsArt CarneyJohn FiedlerRobert P. LiebAfter a derelict Santa Claus is fired on Christmas Eve, he finds a mysterious bag that gives out presents. With this bag he sets out to fulfill his one wish - to see the less fortunate inherit the bounties of Christmas.A nice episode, but it doesn't contain much horror...
- DirectorRobert Ellis MillerStarsDonald PleasenceLiam SullivanPhilippa BevansAfter being forced to retire, Professor Fowler contemplates suicide when he doesn't feel he's made a difference in the world.
- DirectorMichael McDowellStarsE.G. MarshallMargaret KlenckSky BerdahlOn Christmas Eve, a father ends his two children's boredom by holding them spellbound with a scary story about a fearsome beast known as the Grither.
- 1983–198822mTV-146.3 (248)TV EpisodeDirectorDavid OdellStarsPhil FondacaroAntony CarboneTom NewmanHappy-go-lucky salesman Jack Polo receives a yuletide visit from the 3.5-foot-tall Yattering, a snarling horned demon that wants to claim Jack's soul.
- DirectorGiles FosterStarsRobert MorleyJoyce RedmanRaymond FrancisHenry Knox, manager of Peckham's toys, is concerned the staff Christmas party will not be the hottest night out.
- DirectorJack WebbStarsJack WebbHerbert EllisWilliam JohnstoneFriday and Smith search for a missing boy. The first sign that the case is serious is when blood is found. Further probing reveals the boy's parents had purchased him a .22-caliber rifle for Christmas -- and the weapon is missing, removed from its wrapped package.--> Contains some spoilers!!!!
You have to see this one, to believe it. It's a public domain video, and can be found on archive.org (where it is called "A Gun For Christmas")
I really wonder what audiences thought while watching this one. There aren't many (tv) movies from the fifties without a happy ending, where kids actually get killed and grown up men cry passionately.
I think it must have been very unsettling. (Horrific even - so it stays in my list. Furthermore the first part is rather suspenseful) - DirectorEdward BennettStarsDavid SuchetPhilip JacksonVernon DobtcheffThe tyrannical patriarch of a dysfunctional but wealthy family summons his adult children for a Christmas reunion, but prior to the holiday his throat is slashed apparently by one of them.A nice episode. A lot of effort was put into the Christmas scenery. Snow, Christmas decorations, songs. I thought it was rather suspenseful as well.
- DirectorMichael LehmannStarsZachary QuintoJoseph FiennesSarah PaulsonA murderous Santa wreaks havoc on the asylum. Sister Jude faces off with the Devil. Arden has a shocking encounter in the Death Chute.
- 1969–1973TV-PG7.6 (371)TV EpisodeDirectorGene R. KearneyDon TaylorStarsEdward G. RobinsonYaphet KottoTony RobertsMikey Goldman searches for the Messiah to comfort his dying grandfather Abe. / Removing paint from an antique mirror, shop owner Frank Standish sees an alien landscape that is used to rid himself of his unwanted partner.
- DirectorChris CarterStarsDavid DuchovnyGillian AndersonLily TomlinOn Christmas Eve, Mulder and Scully find themselves trapped in a haunted house with two ghosts who are determined to prove just how lonely the holiday can be.
- DirectorSteven RobmanStarsJennifer Love HewittDavid ConradJay MohrAt Christmas, Melinda deals with the ghost of a man with a white beard, a round belly, and a jolly laugh.
- DirectorJ. Miller TobinStarsJared PadaleckiJensen AcklesRidge CanipeIn this Christmas-themed episode, Sam and Dean follow the trail of an "anti-Santa" that abducts its victims by using their chimneys. Dean tries to get Sam to celebrate Christmas like they used to but Sam doesn't want to accept that it could be the last one they'll spend together.
- DirectorErik CanuelStarsBrandon QuinnDanny SmithAimée CastleTommy, Merton, and Lori must help Santa Claus defeat an evil impersonator out to ruin Christmas.Big Wolf on Campus is Canadian 'horror'/teen television series. There isn't much horror in this rather lame episode (the only ep. I've seen). But since "Santa Claus" (a very funny-because-it-so-bad children's movie from 1959) can be found in some horror/Christmas lists on the internet, I think I can put it here.
- DirectorGus MeinsCharley RogersStarsStan LaurelOliver HardyVirginia KarnsOpposing the evil Barnaby, Ollie Dee and Stanley Dum try and fail to pay-off Mother Peep's mortgage and mislead his attempts to marry Little Bo. Enraged, Barnaby's Bogeymen are set on Toyland.For kids this movie may still be very scary.
Tom-Tom, the Piper's Son has been accused of 'pignapping' Walt Disney's three little pigs and making sausages of them. So he's banished to Bogey Land, a prey to the cannibalistic inhabitants there.
Perhaps even more frightening :-) is the fact that Stan and Olie are hired to make christmas presents for Santa. The Christmas gifts will have been a bit disappointing that year, I guess. - DirectorWalter FordeStarsGordon HarkerElizabeth AllanMervyn JohnsAgainst a background of Christmas and the pending arrival of another baby for the landlord, a group of pub locals lead by bookie Joe Harris set out to prove that former customer Eddie Graves is not guilty of the murder for which he is due to be hanged in the morning.
- DirectorCharles LaughtonStarsRobert MitchumShelley WintersLillian GishA self-proclaimed preacher marries a gullible widow whose young children are reluctant to tell him where their real dad hid the $10,000 he'd stolen in a robbery.
- DirectorMaury DexterStarsKent TaylorMarie WindsorWilliam MimsMartians replace a scientist and his family to pave the way for their invasion of Earth.One of Joe Dante's favourite Christmas Horror movies. It actually takes place short after new year's day, but 'little Johnny' won't let his parents take down the Christmas Tree. Unlike "Mystery of Wax Museum" (see above on my list ) the story almost plays entirely in daytime, with al lot of sun and no hint of winter at all. But all right - there's a tree and the unwrapping of Christmas presents.
It's a nice picture, which deserves a slightly better IMDB rating than it has at the moment. Everyone immediately compares it with "The Invasion of the Body Snatcher", easily ignoring predecessors like 'Invaders from Mars', 'It Came From Outer Space' and so forth.
And that only concerns the doppelgänger plot. The atmosphere and suspense actually bare more resemblance with a Tourneur/Lewton film. (But of course not as nicely done as they would have).
However, as stated, I thought it was an entertaining movie. - DirectorMichael CurtizStarsLionel AtwillFay WrayGlenda FarrellThe disappearance of people and corpses leads a reporter to a wax museum and a sinister sculptor.This film starts more or less on New Year's Eve. But the Christmas 'spirit' is still sensible (Christmas tree in a police station etc). Furthermore the whole movie is reddish greenish, because it's a two-strip technicolor film, so that's very suitable for Christmas.
- StarsLogan CrawfordChristopher LeePeter White"Ghost Stories for Christmas" was a UK horror anthology mini series where horror legend Christopher Lee hosts and narrates a series of four half hour ghost stories all based on stories by M.R. James.
- DirectorLawrence Gordon ClarkStarsRobert HardyClive SwiftThelma BarlowWhile cataloging the library of Barchester Cathedral, a scholar finds a diary detailing the events surrounding the mysterious death of an Archdeacon some 50 years earlier. The first of the BBC's famed 'A Ghost Story for Christmas'.
- DirectorLawrence Gordon ClarkStarsSimon Gipps-KentJoseph O'ConorJames MellorA young orphan, Stephen, is sent to go and live with his strange, much older cousin at his remote country house. Once there, Stephen experiences terrible dreams in which he sees a young girl and boy who are missing their hearts.This TV Movie is part of a strand of annual British short television films called A Ghost Story for Christmas. Not all off them really take place during Christmas (for instance: A Warning to the Curious has nothing to do with it).
I haven't seen this one yet. - DirectorLawrence Gordon ClarkStarsDenholm ElliottBernard LloydReginald JessupA lonely Signalman is visited by a stranger.
- DirectorJason EisenerStarsJonathan TorrensSarah DunsworthMaris MorganChristmas trees ripped out of their forest plan revenge against people enjoying the holidays.
- DirectorVadim JeanStarsDavid JasonMarc WarrenMichelle DockeryIt's Hogswatch (equivalent to Christmas) on the Discworld and the Hogfather has gone missing, requiring Death to take his place while his granddaughter Susan endeavors to find out what has happened.It started just fine and I was looking forward to see this one, but as the minutes passed by, it became a very exhausting experience.
It ended with some very pretentious moralistic 'hog wash' about the importance of imagination, and the the need to believe it all.
In other words, if you didn't enjoy the picture you just saw, you probably have some serious problems with fantasy.
To me the movie was loaded with all kinds of stereotypes, often used in so-called fantasy movies. I don't mind that. But please leave out the patronizing morals.
The main problem was that the film lacked a structure and a shaping/design that could hold the attention.
And just a detail: The forward sloping skull of 'Death' (without the jaw moving ever) was very miserable made. - DirectorStephen CarpenterJeffrey ObrowStarsLaurie LapinskiStephen SachsDavid SnowFour college students are stalked by an unknown assailant while staying on campus over the Christmas holidays to help clear out a dormitory which is to be demolished.
- DirectorBrian Desmond HurstStarsAlastair SimJack WarnerKathleen HarrisonEbenezer Scrooge, a curmudgeonly, miserly businessman, has no time for sentimentality and largely views Christmas as a waste of time. However, this Christmas Eve, he will be visited by three spirits who will show him the error of his ways.
- DirectorHenry EdwardsStarsSeymour HicksDonald CalthropRobert CochranEbenezer Scrooge is a mean old miser who wants nothing to do with Christmas. The Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come visit Scrooge on Christmas Eve, taking him on a journey into the very spirit and magic of Christmas itself.
- DirectorJ. Searle DawleyCharles KentAshley MillerStarsMarc McDermottCharles OgleWilliam BechtelBased on the story by Charles Dickens: Ebenezer Scrooge is well known for his harsh, miserly ways, until he is visited by the ghost of his former business partner, and then by three other spirits.