A combat robot, converted into a toy store Santa, reverts back to its original programming in Christmas Bloody Christmas!
MONSTERZERO NJ’S 21 HO HO HORROR FLICKS TO ADD A CHILL TO YOUR HOLIDAYS!
That “other” holiday season is here, the one that doesn’t involve jack-o-lanterns, witches and goblins! That doesn’t mean you can’t have some chills and thrills. I tried to add some variety here, so, not all of them are classics…and not all strictly horrors…though A Christmas CarolIS a ghost story after all. Here are twenty-one flicks to add some chills and thrills to your ho ho holidays!
(Type the corresponding film title in the search engine above to get to our reviews!)
Anna (Ella Hunt) battles the undead in the zombie horror Christmas musical Anna and the Apocalypse!
Sometimes a quiet Christmas is the best way to go in Better Watch Out!.
MONSTERZERO NJ’S 20 HO HO HORROR FLICKS TO ADD A CHILL TO YOUR HOLIDAYS!
That “other” holiday season is here, the one that doesn’t involve jack-o-lanterns, witches and goblins! That doesn’t mean you can’t have some chills and thrills. I tried to add some variety here, so, not all of them are classics…and not all strictly horrors…though A Christmas CarolIS a ghost story after all. Here are twenty flicks to add some chills and thrills to your ho ho holidays!
(Type the corresponding film title in the search engine above to get to our reviews!)
A ride share home during the Christmas holidays turns cold and deadly in Wind Chill!
Sometimes a quiet Christmas is the best way to go in Better Watch Out!.
That “other” holiday season is here, the one that doesn’t involve jack-o-lanterns, witches and goblins, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have some chills and thrills. I tried to add some variety here, so, not all of them are classics…and not all strictly horrors…though A Christmas Carol IS a ghost story after all. Here are fifteen flicks to add some chills and thrills to your ho ho holidays!
(Click on the titles below the movie poster gallery to get to our reviews!)
A ride share home during the Christmas holidays turns cold and deadly in Wind Chill!
What better way to celebrate Christmas than with zombies and musical numbers in Anna and the Apocalypse.
That “other” holiday season is here, the one that doesn’t involve jack-o-lanterns, witches and goblins, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have some chills and thrills. I tried to add some variety here, so, not all of them are classics…and not all strictly horrors…though A Christmas Carol IS a ghost story after all. Here are fifteen flicks to add some chills and thrills to your ho ho holidays!
(Click on the titles below the movie poster gallery to get to our reviews!)
MONSTERZERO NJ’S 10 FLICKS TO ADD A CHILL TO YOUR HOLIDAYS!
That “other” holiday season is here, the one that doesn’t involve jack-o-lanterns, witches and goblins, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have some chills and thrills. I tried to add some variety here, so not all of them are classics and not all strictly horrors…though A Christmas Carol IS a ghost story after all. Here are ten flicks to add some chills and thrills to your ho ho holidays!
REVIEW LINKS: click to read the corresponding review!
That “other” holiday season is here, the one that doesn’t involve jack-o-lanterns, witches and goblins, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have some chills and thrills. I tried to add some variety here, so not all of them are classics and not all strictly horrors…though A Christmas Carol IS a ghost story after all. Here are twelve flicks to add some chills and thrills to your ho ho holidays!
(Click on the titles below the movie poster gallery to get to our reviews!)
That “other” holiday season is here, the one that doesn’t involve jack-o-lanterns, witches and goblins, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have some chills and thrills. I tried to add some variety here, so not all of them are classics and not all strictly horrors…though A Christmas Carol IS a ghost story after all. Here are ten flicks to add some chills and thrills to your ho ho holidays!
(Click on the titles below the movie poster gallery to get to our reviews!)
That “other” holiday season is here, the one that doesn’t involve jack-o-lanterns, witches and goblins, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have some chills and thrills. I tried to add some variety here, so not all of them are classics and not all strictly horrors…though A Christmas Carol IS a ghost story after all. Here are ten flicks to add some chills and thrills to your ho ho holidays!
(Click on the titles below the movie poster gallery to get to our reviews!)
(Remember, clicking the highlighted links brings you to other reviews and articles here at The Movie Madhouse!)
Michael Dougherty’s Trick ‘R Treat became an almost instant classic once the flick was discovered on DVD and now, he is finally back in the director’s chair with Krampus, a dark comic fantasy based on European folklore. The legendary Krampus is a demonic creature that serves as an anti-Santa Claus, who comes to punish the naughty at Christmas time…at least according to parts of Western Europe.
This tale finds young Max (Emjay Anthony) becoming increasingly disappointed with his family and their completely dysfunctional treatment of Christmas, which Max still believes in. His spirit is broken when his redneck cousins push him to the edge when mockingly reading his letter to Santa out loud at an already spoiled pre-Christmas dinner. He shreds his letter and casts it angrily out the window denouncing Christmas and any hope of having a happy one. This evokes a massive snowstorm and power outage and at its core lurks the creature of legend Krampus, along with his demonic elves and minions, who soon, one-by-one, start taking the members of this holiday-challenged family to a very un-merry fate.
Krampus is not quite the devious and twisted fun that Trick ‘R Treatwas, at least not until all hell breaks loose in its last act. As co-written with Zach Shields and Todd Casey, Dougherty goes for something with a little more mainstream accessibility and thus with less of an edge than his Halloween classic. The PG-13 movie is a bit more family friendly film, but certainly does have its dark, wicked moments and satirical…though cliché…jabs at what Christmas has become in modern times. No better is this illustrated than in its opening credits sequence set at a mall. There are some suspenseful moments, but the film doesn’t quite have the constant atmosphere of ghoulish fun that graced Trick ‘R Treat. The earlier scenes of family chaos are a tad flat and presented the cliché ‘yuppies vs white trash’ scenario seen so many times before. On the plus side, Dougherty’s sumptuous visual style dazzles and chills with his snow-covered vistas and the dark shadows that dance in fireplace lit rooms. His creatures are all twisted, evil versions of classic Christmas toys and characters, including the title monster himself. That and a splendid, animated flashback about halfway through…the best segment in the film…evokes elements of Tim Burton when he was at the top of his game. The FX of this modestly budget film are all top notch and exquisitely designed though, I was not quite as impressed by Krampus himself as I should have been. He looks cool but doesn’t have much more impact than some of his minions, such as the kid devouring jack-in-the-box or vicious gingerbread men, which evoked nervous giggles from the audience. Adding to some of the film’s atmospheric moments is Trick ‘R Treatcomposer Douglas Pipes’ effective score, aided by Jules O’Loughlin’s lush and spooky cinematography. Dougherty succeeds here more than he slips and overall, this is a fun movie if not totally living up to his previous fan favorite.
The cast was a mixed bag for me. I am not a fan of Adam Scott, who I find very bland, and he was so here as dad, Tom. Toni Collette is wasted in a very stereotypical suburban mom role, as Sarah, that gives this gifted actress very little to do except grimace at her redneck relatives and look worried/scared. Young Emjay Anthony fares much better as the sensitive and disillusioned Max, though the story has him take a back seat to the blander Scott and David Koechner, who plays gung-ho brother-in law Howard. Stefania LaVie Owen showed some moxie as Max’s sister Beth, but the script has her disappear in the first act and Krista Stadler was good as Tom’s European mother “Omi” who provides old-world charm and the Krampus exposition we and the film’s characters need. The rest…including hard working character actress Conchata Ferrell…all play cliché white trash members of Sarah’s sister Linda’s (Allison Tolman) family and they are stereotypes we’ve all seen before.
I liked Krampus and more worked for me than didn’t. I did wish it had a bit more of an edge and that things were a little livelier in its more sedate, cliché and sometimes flat, beginning. The second half of the film really delivers what we came for, especially the last act and makes up for its weaker parts, though I wish the film kept its focus on Max instead of turning it over to the blander adults. The film looks gorgeous and the spooky visuals, creature designs and animated flashback reminded me of Tim Burton at his finest. Not quite the instant classic that Trick ‘R Treatwas, but a film that certainly entertains, overall and may grow on one even more, upon repeat holiday viewings. Flawed but still recommended.
Michael Dougherty, who gave us the modern classic Trick ‘r’ Treat is going after another beloved holiday with his yuletide set horror flick Krampus. Movie is based on European folklore of a creature that punishes bad children at Christmas. The film opens 12/4/15!
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