Another 12 Days of Christmas Horror
We are back from our post-Halloween hiatus with another 12 Days of Christmas Horror. We trust you will forgive our failure to debrief the home stretch of Halloween moviefest when you see the Holiday Horror we have lined up for you this joyous Holiday Season.
The Lodge made an appearance on the Halloween moviefest shortly after its release. This year we bring it out for the holidays because this story of betrayal and madness is set at a remote holiday village during Christmas. And you can enjoy it free with your basic Hulu subscription.
Mercy Christmas is an outrageous comedy horror that will have you laughing, gagging, and wincing - all at the same time. It is a non-traditional holiday horror in the sense that there are no psycho Santas or mysterious spirits, and it is definitely not for everyone. But if you are looking for something new in the genre, head over to IMDb TV and catch it free with your Prime subscription.
Shudder continues its pattern of giving more than it takes with The Advent Calendar. If subtitles are not your thing, I get you. It’s the reason I have never gotten through Rare Exports. But if you are willing to do the extra work, I think you will find The Advent Calendar a decent spin on the granting-of-wishes-with-attendant-consequences theme. The film is atmospheric in its delivery with eerie chanting occasionally emitting from the calendar - words that are unfortunately not subtitled so we aren’t sure what we missed. If a foreign horror film is not your jam, don’t force it. Move on to Emily Blunt in Wind Chill, a hidden gem from 2007 that I somehow missed until last year. Available for rent or purchase from your favorite streaming provider - and free if you already have a subscription to Starz.
If you are a fan of Shudder’s Creepshow series, spend 45 minutes with the Shapeshifters Anonymous and enjoy a little “ghoultide” celebration. Okay, I couldn’t resist. And while you are tuned in to Shudder, check out Christmas Prescence and share the holiday with a group of friends in a remote lodge where bloody murder is on the agenda. While I admit that Christmas Presence is one of the weaker selections this year, I stand by it as so much better than some of the garbage that I have found in this genre.
And before you change the station, Shudder welcomes one of my all time favorite Christmas horror films to its platform: A Christmas Horror Story. William Shatner hosts a festive radio station on Christmas Eve as a backdrop for a series of interwoven tales of holiday horror. Horror anthologies are my favorite.
Black Christmas also makes the yearly lineup and I invite you to choose your own adventure from the three versions that are out there. The original from 1974 is available on . . . you got it . . . Shudder. I remember being terrified by this film in middle school and while I thought it would benefit from an update, the 2006 remake really missed the mark. And you all know my stand on social justice in horror movies, but I think it works in the 2019 version which is my favorite of the three. Watch your favorite or over-achieve and binge all three because you know you have some extra time during the holidays.
Speaking of binging, you will definitely want to set aside a little extra time to enjoy FX’s dark and gritty take on the beloved Holiday classic, A Christmas Carol. Available with your basic Hulu subscription.
With only a few more days left in your 12 Days of Christmas Horror, check out Dead End and find out what happens when a family inexplicably takes a shortcut through the woods on their way to grandma’s house for Christmas. This film features Lin Shaye so you know you are in for a horror treat.
In theaters just in time for the 12 Days of Christmas is Silent Night. This overused title gets a new lease on life in this film about a killer that is more deadly than a deranged Santa Clause. The audience is mixed in their acceptance of this comedy horror; for me it is a thumbs up. I admit I had to google the ending and was satisfied that it is . . . well . . . no spoilers here. Watch it for yourself.
Closing out the 12 Days of Christmas Horror is my all time favorite: Krampus. I couldn’t find this title on any of the basic subscriptions so you will have to grab your own copy on Prime, Vudu or iTunes - or kick it old school and order a Blu-Ray from Amazon. Krampus is such a good horror film with a cast led by Toni Collette, Adam Scott, and Emjay Anthony that it deserves a place in your permanent horror rotation. We watch it during the off season, or any time a wicked snowstorm blows through our neighborhood. Like right now.
So grab some Nog and go get merry. And be sure to check back for our annual preview of next year’s horror line-up.