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Showing posts sorted by date for query silent night deadly night. Sort by relevance Show all posts

Wednesday, December 15, 2021

Silent Night Deadly Night 5: The Toy Maker Review


In 2009, I reviewed the original four Silent Night, Deadly Night movies. I did not review the fifth one, however, and it wasn’t until today that I was able to sit down and review it. I saw it last night. “Silent Night Deadly Night 5: The Toy Maker” came out in 1991 and stars Mickey Rooney, of all people, and the poster art is kind of cool. The series at this point was a joke, and this movie doesn’t necessarily follow along with the rest of the movies, with the sole exception of a somewhat killer Santa at one point, but it’s short lived. 

The plot of the movie is a bit all over the place. We are introduced to Joe Petto (get it, eh, eh), and his son Pino (again, get it, eh, eh), and they are toy sellers. These will be the villains, but not at first, at first we get a kill with a crazy toy orb that suffocates the father of our lead kid. The kid says very little for the rest of the movie after that. In that regard, this pays homage to the first movie since there’s a death sequence in the first act. The movie goes along with Pino breaking into the home of the kid, setting up booby-trapped toys, and then moving along to worse. That’s the simplest way I can explain this plot, but even then, there’s so much in between that doesn’t push the plot forward, including a near pornographic sex scene with a babysitter. 

The pacing of this movie is horrible. I had to pause the film at one point because it seemed to be epicly long, but it was only 50 minutes in. Suffice to say that 50 minutes into this one, you’re not going to miss much, with the sole exception of introduction to characters. There’s a lot of downtime to set up the third act, and then the final act. 

Things go off the rails in “Silent Night Deadly Night 5: The Toy Maker” when Pino is discovered to have a secret, and changes the course of the movie completely. I won’t give away the twist, but that’s enough to spoil this movie I’m sure. It’s almost as though the writers threw their hands up and just went with a science fiction nod, more than a horror one, and well there are some awkward moments. I cannot express how awkward it is to see Pino dry humping a lady and calling her mommy, or maybe that’s it, the expression. Whatever the case may be, the final act goes off the rails and you are treated to the best part of the entire movie, which isn’t saying a whole lot as this thing really is slow. 

“Silent Night Deadly Night 5: The Toy Maker” is not going to be one of those movies you go back to a lot. The first film in the series is a classic, the second one is laughable, and then things really go bad with the sequels. The posters aren’t half bad, the movie does stick with you for the ending, I will give it that much credit. However, other than a few jump scares, some creepy toys, and a moment of a killer Santa, this movie is awful. I only recommend it for those that are wanting to complete the series, collect the dvds, or just want something in the Christmas Horror genre.  

Friday, December 13, 2013

The 5 Best Damn Horror Movies For Christmas

In 2010, when I was still writing like a mad man and trying to get myself out of another bout with depression I wrote about the Top 5 Christmas horror movies, and it was received well enough. People thought I was wrong and people thought I was right. You could read that post right here, but today is not about the past it’s about the present and the future. It’s with that in mind that I’m going to drop a bomb today, and no I do not mean another bowel movement.

Today, for your consideration, like an episode of “Are You Afraid of the Dark” is none other than the best damn horror movies for Christmas. Of course these are not for children, and no they aren’t pornographic although Dracula XXX comes highly recommended by me and Ron Jeremy. I think he was in it, I haven't seen it in a long time, not that I'm advocating pornography directly.

So here you go, all 2 of you that still read this site, my picks for the best of the best. If you agree, disagree, or have some comments, let me know what's up.



5. Santa’s Slay

Bill Goldberg plays one hell of a character here. It doesn’t end very well and it takes on a laughable premise, but for the most part, this horror Christmas entry is one that is well worth looking at. I must also admit that the best bit of performance art was had by this former NFL and WCW powerhouse. His match with DDP at WCW’s Halloween Havoc in 1998 is still one of the most impressive feats of professional wrestling, fake or not, they danced in a very grand way. Now that I’ve lost my readers, I can say that this movie is one of the best examples of a movie that wasn’t meant for theaters and still manages to deliver a high production value. The gore is ramped up at times, and the opening sequence alone is star studded and brings out some fun. Santa’s Slay may not be a serious movie, but it most certainly delivers on the horror aspect. It’s fun, not scary, so don’t give me slack.

4. To All A Good Night

The 1970s were a hell of a time for movies. There seemed to be a willingness to be uncensored, and work with the ratings in a much harder way. There was also a great deal of creativity thrown to the box covers of videos. To All A Good Night is one of those movies that slips by a lot of people, but is worth scoping out. It is the story of a group of teenagers that are partying and are being slowly picked off by a maniac in a Santa Claus suit. Pretty basic, and quite a throwback, even if the pacing is a bit on the slow side. But hey, a killer Santa Claus nearly 10 years before the other famed one? Yep.The 1970s produced some sick movies, and this may not be the sickest of all the releases, but it is definitely a good one that many people move over in favor of Christmas Evil, Black Christmas, and even some older options that are just boring as ever.

3. Chopping Mall

Chopping Mall is insane. It has one of my favorite movie posters and really is one of the coolest concepts. A mall closes down and to protect the place, a killer robot is dispatched. This may not be a 100% Christmas tale, but it’s all about shopping or rather Chopping! It features an incredible head explosion before CG started to be everywhere. It’s a good entry into this list and one that is well worth your time to seek out. The next time you’re at the mall, just think about this movie and how you could be next! Remember the Simpsons episode? That was good. I remember the first time I saw this, it was a double feature for me with Sleepaway Camp. The horror movie video boxes were 100 times more intriguing than anything that is seen now. I am definitely a big fan of these things, and wax nostalgic about it too much, or not enough.

2. Gremlins

Horror comedy that isn’t scary? Well Gremlins pushes on a lot of comedic elements, but still maintains a good creep factor that gives you enough of a treat. This is not an all-out onslaught of the senses, and it is not a slasher, but the horror elements, hard drinking, smoking and more makes this one quite compelling. Gremlins fans will be upset that I didn’t put this at #1 but come on, it’s more comedy than it is straight laced horror, right? Whatever. A small town gets hit with crude Gremlins! What’s not to love? This movie is definitely the better of the two releases that bear the name Gremlins. Also, don't confuse this for Critters or Ghoulies. I love Ghoulies though, and remember that one time that they went to college? There's a lot of Critters movies too, they had cool posters.

1. Black Xmas (remake)

There are going to be a lot of people upset about this. No, Silent Night Deadly Night doesn’t get start treatment here. Why? Because Black Xmas came out swinging and completely obliterates the 5 movies that were just awful. The first one had a Santa Claus rape and murder sequence, so it loses on the premise of just being horrendous. Ok, it’s a favorite of mine, but still, this one ramps up the brutality, production, and sound design. A group of sorority girls get stalked by a psycho around Christmas. The ending is brutal as ever, and the sound design makes this one my top pick. It’s a good watch, and eliminates the need to watch many others. If you don't like this one, then it's most likely because it's too brutal. I admit, it  has some moments that will make you cringe, but like Wes Craven reminds, it's only a movie, it's only a movie.

There you have it, Scary Film Reviews best of Christmas. Oh and if you think I’m a hack, I spent 3 consecutive years reviewing only Holiday Horror movies in the month of December, so go back into the archives and see why they aren’t on this list here. Ok, I admit, I am a hack. Pick these up with the appropriate links below and help a brotha out, it’s Christmas!

Looking for grindhouse, horror, or sci-fi films? Please check out our amazon astore featuring all things horror. Don't trust astore? Check out amazon.com, surprisingly they have more grindhouse,horror,and rare sci-fi than you may not have thought possible.

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Favorite Midnight Movies

The clock strikes midnight, you’re wide awake and you don’t know what to watch. You decide on the genre of horror, but what will you watch at such a late hour? You brew some coffee and mull over the decision and that’s when you decide to check out your favorite horror movie review blog, and you look for something that will be good around midnight.

Well, if you’ve found this post and you’re looking for Scary Film’s favorite midnight horror movies, then you will be glad to know I’ve got you covered. Here are 3 of my personal favorites to watch around midnight and the likes. Pick them up via amazon.com here, or click the links to help support this blog.

My 3 Favorite Midnight Horror Movies



The Shining Blu Ray – When it comes to adapting Stephen King’s work, you really have a lot of work on your hands. He writes like it’s going out of style and continues to fill pages and pages with writing. He probably writes about as much as I do, the only difference is he makes millions and I’m lucky if I can make this month’s rent. (Seriously, help me out please) He didn’t like the adaptation of his novel, but I sure as hell do. Kubrick took a lengthy novel and made something so killer that if you’re up at midnight, you will enjoy. Get it on blu ray and put on the surround sound, and get ready to enjoy a thrilling horror picture of epic proportions. I for one love it.



Silent Night, Deadly Night – Ever since I was a child, I have loved this movie. Sure, it’s brash and it bastardizes the Santa Claus role, but so what? This movie is awesome. It has something for everyone including sex, violence, and nuns! If you’ve been bad, then watch this movie and keep being naughty!



Cabin Fever Blu Ray – I love Rider Strong. I love him as the sidekick in Boy Meets World and I love him in this movie. He plays “Paul” and makes it to the end of a movie where no one should survive. This movie is Eli Roth’s first film out of school and he truly made a classic. I absolutely love it, and feel that it’s underappreciated in todays gore filled marketplace.

The aforementioned are going to get you back to sleep after waking up in a cold sweat at midnight. If you haven’t already done so, check them out on blu ray and dvd. Click the links, help me out, or simply go back to bed and enjoy a dream or whatever.

Monday, October 1, 2012

Holiday Horror Films


As the leaves turn, the weather gets chilly, the thoughts and minds of people turn to the December holidays. There's talk on the news about the “War on Christmas”, but they've got it all wrong. There's no war on Christmas, but there certainly can be gore on Christmas! Just because the holidays are all about peace on earth and goodwill towards men doesn't mean you can't enjoy some good ol' fashioned freak fests!

Here are some holiday-themed horror films to get your blood pumping, your hairs rising, and dreams free of sugar plum fairy dancing.

Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984)

Imagine this: you're a little boy, you've told Santa what you wanted for Christmas, and the next thing you know, you're watching your parents get slaughtered by the hands of a psycho in a Santa Clause costume. All of this just moments after his catatonic grandpa explains that Santa Claus punishes the naughty. Better watch out, better not cry, or Serial Killer Santa will come after you. Years later when that little boy was forced to work as a Santa by nuns in a twist of fate.

Black Christmas (1974)

The opposite of everything Bing Crosby crooned for in “White Christmas”, Black Christmas takes the world's most mature group of sorority sisters and pits them against a killer in the attic that stalks them. The killer? Presumably a kid who saw his mother get murdered. The killer also giftwraps some chick in Saran Wrap and we never get closure about what the hell it was all about. Lesson: sorority girls have been getting killed in horror films since the beginning of time.

Gremlins (1984)

When I was a kid, I always asked for a puppy or a kitten for Christmas. A loveable ball of fur was the only thing I wanted. However, I'm pretty sure Gremlins played a strong role in why I never got a pet for Christmas. If anything, it teaches you to not bring exotic creatures illegally into the country – especially ones that turn into cracked out nightmare fuel. Gizmo's cuteness aside, maybe people should just buy their kid a Furby and call it good. At least they can't spawn, right?

Jack Frost (1996)

There's nothing more terrifying than a digitally altered Michael Keaton who appears as a jolly snowman not unlike Frosty the Snowman, right? Wrong. There's nothing more terrifying than going to a video store and picking up the slaughter-fest version of Jack Frost and popping it in for the kids only to realize that it wasn't the feel good family film you were hoping for. Pretty sure after this, all kids have a legitimate reason to be scared of carrots.

Tales from the Crypt (1972)

Not fully a Christmas movie, but one of the film's five vignettes “...And All Through the House” stands out if only to see Joan Collins murder her husband with a fireplace stoker because it's Christmas Eve. At the same time, a Santa-suited killer is on the loose whom Collin's 7-year-old lets into the house, and holiday horror hilarity ensues.

If you want more Christmas/Themed Horror click here for the archives of my past Holiday of Horrors Posts from Decembers past.

Friday, August 31, 2012

End of the Month Death toll August 2012

Did you really think I’d make it this far in the world of horror movie blogging? I didn’t think that at this point I’d be blogging to an audience of around 20 or 30, but look, there are people that actually like to read the site, even if I’m the worst movie reviewer since Jon Lovitz. This month’s winner of the Total Recall Blu Ray has been contacted and it will be sent via mail soon. Thank you for those that participated in our first major contest in a long time.

There are a few things I wanted to talk about before I give you the links from this past month’s writings, especially for those that are looking forward to see what else I’ll be doing for September.

Contest for September

kindle

For the month of September, if you leave a comment, email me, or like me on Facebook you will be entered in a drawing to win 1 Kindle Fire 2 ! That’s right, you will receive a Kindle Fire for your comments, likes, and whatever. This is no joke, you will be receiving a brand new Kindle Fire 2 to enjoy all the movie streaming, book reading, porn watching and web surfing that you can handle.

If you are out there and reading this, I need you. I need guest bloggers to network horror movie sites with and to present writings from. If you want me to be a guest I can do that too, but this is a call to my fellow horror movie fans. If you want to rant about anything, I will give you the forum to do so! Come on down and write for me!

Patronize the Sponsors

I put up links to where you can purchase a lot of different things, and I could really use your help. If you are going to buy something already, go check out the deals and what not that I have listed, I will receive a cut, you will receive your goods at no extra cost and I can finally save up for that dot com and podcast for Scary Film Review. If not, that’s ok. I know times are tough.

The past Month

The past month I’ve upped the number of posts that I’ve made, and I’ve tried hard to keep this thing going. For September you can expect more of the same, and then some. I’m toying with double posts, but it probably won’t happen. I will however be posting more “articles” in regards to horror and what not, because I need the traffic and right now the readership is low, and would love to have more readers and eventually rent out a theater in Los Angeles for a special screening of “Silent Night Deadly Night”. Now that’s a dream….sadly.

Top 5 Hammer Horror Movies

Nightmares Review

Black Sabbath Review

Dreamcatcher Review

Top 5 Best Selling Horror Blu Rays Right Now

5 Horror Collectibles From Hell to Your Door

5 Underrated Horror Movies to Watch One More Time

Demon Knight Review

Introducing Son of Stephen King

Top 5 Stephen King Movie Adaptations to Watch Agai...

5 Favorite Episodes of Tales From The Crypt Season...

Win Punisher Max Volume 1 and 2

Graveyard Shift Review

3 Things Wrong With The Total Recall Remake

Top 5 Most Overrated Horror Movies

The Lawnmower Man Review

Friday, December 23, 2011

REWIND: Top 5 CHRISTMAS Horror Movies

What? Another Rewind? Yeah, I thought this update was appropriate. We are 2 days away from Christmas, and I haven't had much luck in the way of financial success, forcing me to seriously consider possibly filing for bankruptcy. We'll see if I can get a job in the new year, it's been nearly 3 years since I've had a job that paid more than $5 an hour, but I hope the new year helps. If not, well, I don't know. At least I get to pretend to bee cool for a few minutes every few days with updates on this website. Check out this rewind, and Merry Christmas to Jervaise and all other readers!

I don't do a lot of Top 5 lists, simply because I don't spend a lot of time thinking about horror when it's not time to sit down and review. I know, that's going to stun some people, but it's true. When I think of horror, it's a very specific time and frame of mind, although there are exceptions. I did think about how awesome it would be to do a podcast with jervaise, me and jervaise, oh man, the horror movie podcast world would implode and of course someone would get sued for bashing the British film industry, truth or not.

With the Holidays upon us, and everyone talking about crap, here is my picks for top 5 Holiday Horror Movies of all time!

How The List Was Compiled

Last year around this time I did a whole month of watching just Christmas related horror movies. The year before I did the same thing, but I didn't document it on this site as much. I even spent a lot of time at work watching these movies with my coworkers. We watched so much horror that some of the movies just fell flat, but this year, I started to go back and watch all the Holiday related horror movies that I could. I even purchased some vhs tapes from ebay for the sole reason of watching them for review. I'll review those later, but for now, I compiled my 5 favorites. You might agree, you might disagree, and I'd love to hear your thoughts, because I probably am not going to pick your #1.

I'd also like to mention that I'm NOT putting these in order of best, I'm just randomly throwing out a top 5, so don't go crazy when you don't see your favorite as #1. It's all relative. These are my top 5 holiday horror movies, your list will be different, but hook it up with some comments.

THE TOP 5 CHRISTMAS HORROR MOVIES

blackxmas

5. Black X-Mas 2006 - This film knocked me out when I saw it. It really wasn't all that good on paper. A bunch of random chicks in a dorm house getting knocked off instead of knocked up? I'll buy it, but I'm not liking it unless there's a bit more slashing, and boy did the film live up. It is brutal, and boy is it brutal. I do not throw that term around lightly, as there are some sick death sequences, and the ending is so good so poignant, and so "Christmas" related. I think the final sequences stole a little from Argento's "Suspiria" but whatever, it's still classic. I didn't give this movie a fare shake when it first came out, but once I saw it on dvd, I realized that I missed out on watching it on the big screen.

Speaking of the big screen, I wanted to mention the fact that I do NOT own a big screen, flat screen or anything. I watch movies on my old UHF analog television, which sucks, but when you're broke, you're broke.

chopping mall

4. Chopping Mall - Sure it might not be a full Christmas movie, but what goes synonymously with the holidays as much as Shopping does? I mean, the poster even says it nicely, "Where Shopping Can Cost You An Arm and a Leg". For horror and science fiction fans that hate robots in general and are scared of what they are supposedly going to do in the near future, this is further proof of their rebellion. The premise of this one is simple, a group of idiots want to stay inside the mall after it closes, and when they do, they end up meeting a Robot security guard that goes rogue! There is an awesome head explosion scene at one point and it's just awesome.

It's interesting to note that The Simpsons did a tribute to this notion when Milhouse and Bart go into a mall after it closes and there is a robotic animal loose. Or wait, is it a real animal? I forget. Whatever the case is, there's a little throwback, whether it was intentional or not, that's another story altogether.

santas slay

3. Santa's Slay - Bill Goldberg vs DDP at WCW's Halloween Havoc is my favorite WCW World Heavyweight title match. That being said, this is my second Bill Golbderg moment. Santa's Slay is an interesting horror movie that is not only rated R, not only straight to dvd, but full of greatness. From the opening segments this film is a hard R and features a lot of gore. It has some great overall kills, Santa does NOT look like an anti-hero, and the ending is so stupid that you'll swear R.L. Stine wrote this crap. It's still worth checking out and it's one of my personal favorites.

childs play

2. Child's Play - This interesting piece not only has a great overall supernatural feel, it was one of the first horror movies that I personally kept renting from the Korean video store near my house. I wore out the vhs from renting it so much because I thought it was rad. 20 plus years later it's the #2 Christmas horror movie. This movie features a present gone completely wrong and boy does it go bad. The movie spawned several sequels and it was sick. I know, it's easy to dismiss the killer since it's just a doll, but it's more than that, it's a killer freaking doll with the soul of a....never mind. It's just a good one.

On another side note, remember that evil Krusty doll on the Simpsons? That was great.

silent night

1. Silent Night Deadly Night - The number one movie is none other than this one. Since I was a kid, I loved this film, and I loved the gore. I loved every aspect of this film so much that when the sequel came out, I bought it. You have to remember that in the 80's if you bought a vhs tape it was not $9.99 it was $29.99 and it sucked. I bought the second one because the first one didn't get a full release because some parents thought it was too harsh to have Santa Claus looked upon as a villain and a vile villain. The story is about a young boy who witnesses the rape and killing of his parents, and hates Santa Claus. The first of the series is quite good, better than the rest, and has been restored digitally with juxtaposing clips of the old vhs transfer to show you how advanced the dvd truly is.

The film features everything you could want in a horror movie, not just a holiday horror movie. It has gore, it has sex, it has boobs, it has teenagers getting their heads chopped off, and Santa Claus getting punched out. Oh and there's this weird sex scene at one point that is followed up by a nun whipping the crap out of them while screaming "NAUGHTY". I still think it's the greatest Christmas horror movie ever made, but that's just me.

So there you have it folks, a little killer list for you guys to enjoy on this Christmas holiday. If you haven't read my previous holiday themed reviews, you can read them here. If you want to help out this blog you can advertise or you can leave a comment and buy dvd's from the links I provide.

Be sure to let me know what horror and non horror movies you like to watch during the holidays and also if you haven't subscribed via RSS feed, go for it, you might enjoy it better than coming back here all the time.

I'll return with more reviews and more scary stupid crap. I'm going to go and read my Christmas Zombies Comic Book, and that's that.

Friday, December 31, 2010

End of the Month Death Toll December 2010 Edition

Wow, the end of 2010, and I don't feel any different. Before I give you a listing of the movies and posts I did this last month, I wanted to talk a little personal blog reflection.

Social Media

Scary Film review hasn't been on the cusp of changing media. In fact, I don't really subscribe to a lot of it, until today. I have recently started a twitter account for this blog. You can follow scary film review on twitter here. I don't expect to be on there often, as I do NOT own a smart phone or anything high technology.

I do not have a facebook page for this site, I do not have a myspace page. I honestly don't care too much about them. Maybe I'm old, maybe I'm dumb. The twitter page is enough for now, and I highly doubt anyone will care.

Reviews and More

In the coming year I will be updating the website 4 times a week, and sometimes 5 to 6 times a week depending on schedule. I've noticed that despite my constant reviews, updates, and all sorts of attempts to get traffic, I've failed. But I will still be bringing nonsense and reviews to the 4 readers I have.

Advertising, DVD Recommendations Etc.

This 2010 was the worst year for me in terms of ads, sales and more. Despite my attempts to try and get people to visit amazon.com and get the dvd's I review, I fail. NO ONE buys anything from the links. I've evaluated the linking strategy, I've tried adding buttons, taking down buttons, adding links, not adding links, adding trailers, and all sorts of attempts to raise money to move this site from blogger to it's own domain name, and have not been successful at all.

In 2011, the same thing will happen. I'll still have ads, I'll still try to sell dvd's, but I have no hope of doing so. I hope that in this new year I can finally land a job, any job. If not, I'm moving out of this piece of crap city and going somewhere else. I hate the city I live in, and me and the wife are getting sick of banging our heads against the wall in terms of finances, or lack there of. I love horror and still manage to find joy in writing reviews, despite the lackluster turn.

If you are reading this and find that you would like to purchase something, check out my posts, they have plenty of "red" links for you to utilize.

Top 5 Lists

I'm writing more top 5 lists. I don't know why, but I find that I like ranking a few of my favorite movies, television shows, and gifts. I will continue to do so in the new year.

That's about it for now in terms of this site. Keep commenting, even if it's only 4 readers, and please support this site by utilizing amazon online.

The Posts from December 2010 are below:

Top 10 Best Selling Horror DVD December 2010
Predator Review
A Nightmare On Elm Street 2010 Review
Second Look: Sleepaway Camp 3 Review
Scary Film Review Holiday Wish List 2010
Friday The 13th Part 3 Review
Friday The 13th Part 2 Review
Top 5 CHRISTMAS Horror Movies
New Inline Ads
New Comment Policy Starting Today
Predators Review
Enter The Dark Review
The Taint Review
REWIND: The Complete Silent Night Deadly Night
Sodomatik Mixtape Review
End of the Month Deathtoll November 2010 Edition

If you want to see the archive of posts that I have done, you can click here to see all the Scary Film reviews done up to this point.

Support this blog by visiting the Scary Film Web Store here.

Friday, December 17, 2010

Top 5 CHRISTMAS Horror Movies

I don't do a lot of Top 5 lists, simply because I don't spend a lot of time thinking about horror when it's not time to sit down and review. I know, that's going to stun some people, but it's true. When I think of horror, it's a very specific time and frame of mind, although there are exceptions. I did think about how awesome it would be to do a podcast with jervaise, me and jervaise, oh man, the horror movie podcast world would implode and of course someone would get sued for bashing the British film industry, truth or not.

With the Holidays upon us, and everyone talking about crap, here is my picks for top 5 Holiday Horror Movies of all time!

How The List Was Compiled

Last year around this time I did a whole month of watching just Christmas related horror movies. The year before I did the same thing, but I didn't document it on this site as much. I even spent a lot of time at work watching these movies with my coworkers. We watched so much horror that some of the movies just fell flat, but this year, I started to go back and watch all the Holiday related horror movies that I could. I even purchased some vhs tapes from ebay for the sole reason of watching them for review. I'll review those later, but for now, I compiled my 5 favorites. You might agree, you might disagree, and I'd love to hear your thoughts, because I probably am not going to pick your #1.

I'd also like to mention that I'm NOT putting these in order of best, I'm just randomly throwing out a top 5, so don't go crazy when you don't see your favorite as #1. It's all relative. These are my top 5 holiday horror movies, your list will be different, but hook it up with some comments.

THE TOP 5 CHRISTMAS HORROR MOVIES

blackxmas

5. Black X-Mas 2006 - This film knocked me out when I saw it. It really wasn't all that good on paper. A bunch of random chicks in a dorm house getting knocked off instead of knocked up? I'll buy it, but I'm not liking it unless there's a bit more slashing, and boy did the film live up. It is brutal, and boy is it brutal. I do not throw that term around lightly, as there are some sick death sequences, and the ending is so good so poignant, and so "Christmas" related. I think the final sequences stole a little from Argento's "Suspiria" but whatever, it's still classic. I didn't give this movie a fare shake when it first came out, but once I saw it on dvd, I realized that I missed out on watching it on the big screen.

Speaking of the big screen, I wanted to mention the fact that I do NOT own a big screen, flat screen or anything. I watch movies on my old UHF analog television, which sucks, but when you're broke, you're broke.

chopping mall

4. Chopping Mall - Sure it might not be a full Christmas movie, but what goes synonymously with the holidays as much as Shopping does? I mean, the poster even says it nicely, "Where Shopping Can Cost You An Arm and a Leg". For horror and science fiction fans that hate robots in general and are scared of what they are supposedly going to do in the near future, this is further proof of their rebellion. The premise of this one is simple, a group of idiots want to stay inside the mall after it closes, and when they do, they end up meeting a Robot security guard that goes rogue! There is an awesome head explosion scene at one point and it's just awesome.

It's interesting to note that The Simpsons did a tribute to this notion when Milhouse and Bart go into a mall after it closes and there is a robotic animal loose. Or wait, is it a real animal? I forget. Whatever the case is, there's a little throwback, whether it was intentional or not, that's another story altogether.

santas slay

3. Santa's Slay - Bill Goldberg vs DDP at WCW's Halloween Havoc is my favorite WCW World Heavyweight title match. That being said, this is my second Bill Golbderg moment. Santa's Slay is an interesting horror movie that is not only rated R, not only straight to dvd, but full of greatness. From the opening segments this film is a hard R and features a lot of gore. It has some great overall kills, Santa does NOT look like an anti-hero, and the ending is so stupid that you'll swear R.L. Stine wrote this crap. It's still worth checking out and it's one of my personal favorites.

childs play

2. Child's Play - This interesting piece not only has a great overall supernatural feel, it was one of the first horror movies that I personally kept renting from the Korean video store near my house. I wore out the vhs from renting it so much because I thought it was rad. 20 plus years later it's the #2 Christmas horror movie. This movie features a present gone completely wrong and boy does it go bad. The movie spawned several sequels and it was sick. I know, it's easy to dismiss the killer since it's just a doll, but it's more than that, it's a killer freaking doll with the soul of a....never mind. It's just a good one.

On another side note, remember that evil Krusty doll on the Simpsons? That was great.

silent night

1. Silent Night Deadly Night - The number one movie is none other than this one. Since I was a kid, I loved this film, and I loved the gore. I loved every aspect of this film so much that when the sequel came out, I bought it. You have to remember that in the 80's if you bought a vhs tape it was not $9.99 it was $29.99 and it sucked. I bought the second one because the first one didn't get a full release because some parents thought it was too harsh to have Santa Claus looked upon as a villain and a vile villain. The story is about a young boy who witnesses the rape and killing of his parents, and hates Santa Claus. The first of the series is quite good, better than the rest, and has been restored digitally with juxtaposing clips of the old vhs transfer to show you how advanced the dvd truly is.

The film features everything you could want in a horror movie, not just a holiday horror movie. It has gore, it has sex, it has boobs, it has teenagers getting their heads chopped off, and Santa Claus getting punched out. Oh and there's this weird sex scene at one point that is followed up by a nun whipping the crap out of them while screaming "NAUGHTY". I still think it's the greatest Christmas horror movie ever made, but that's just me.

So there you have it folks, a little killer list for you guys to enjoy on this Christmas holiday. If you haven't read my previous holiday themed reviews, you can read them here. If you want to help out this blog you can advertise or you can leave a comment and buy dvd's from the links I provide.

Be sure to let me know what horror and non horror movies you like to watch during the holidays and also if you haven't subscribed via RSS feed, go for it, you might enjoy it better than coming back here all the time.

I'll return with more reviews and more scary stupid crap. I'm going to go and read my Christmas Zombies Comic Book, and that's that.

Monday, December 6, 2010

REWIND: The Complete Silent Night Deadly Night

I was fully ready to review a new film today, but unfortunately I had something come up. I wish it were a job, but instead it was just busy work at home, you know, washing dishes etc etc. So enjoy this piece of crap rewind, while I write up a review for Wednesday...ugh...life sucks when you have no job during the holidays...seriously.



I had spent a pretty penny in November on ebay trying to get good quality versions of Silent Night Deadly Night 3, 4, and 5. Then two weeks later, guess what happened? The studios decided to release a box set to complete the 5 set of films onto dvd. That's right, you can not get the whole set on dvd, and that really ticked me off.

However, instead of sitting around and moping, I decided to go ahead with my reviews as scheduled. But before I get into the world of Silent Night Deadly Night sequels, you might want to check out my previous commentaries on the film set. Silent Night Deadly Night on dvd and part 2, as well as a second look at the iconic series.

Silent Night Deadly Night Review
Silent Night Deadly Night 2 Review
A Real Santa Claus Killer
Second Look: Silent Night Deadly Night

Stay tuned for the next three pieces of the film series, reviewed the way they should've been seen; on vhs! That's right, on vhs, so you're in for a treat...well I'm in for a treat. You'll just be bored to death, as is the norm on this site.

Don't forget to check out Silent Night Deadly Night 3-5 on dvd now in a box set.

Looking for grindhouse, horror, or sci-fi films? Please check out our amazon astore featuring all things horror. Don't trust astore? Check out amazon.com, surprisingly they have more grindhouse,horror,and rare sci-fi than you may not have thought possible.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

REWIND: Santa's Slay Review

I'm enjoying a break from things, so here's another rewind, while I watch some horror over the stupid holiday.

Santa's Slay

Former WCW Champion Bill Goldberg plays a killer Santa who’s back to kill the naughty. It’s awesome, and not meant to be scrutinized as a serious film, but it is a throwback to the 80’s slasher formula that many other movies really miss. Santa’s Slay is a great holiday horror film, and many people never even see it, such a shame.

The movie is about a couple of teens who uncover a mysterious story, told by one’s grandpa. Back a thousand years ago Santa Claus bet against an Angel with the loser being enslaved for a thousand years. Claus, in this story is the son of the devil, and plots to kill people once a year, and loses in this game, but 1000 years later (The present) he’s back in action to slay the naughty and anyone who stands in his way. So in the Township of Hell two brave teens must try to stop a killer Santa from destroying anyone and everyone he deems naughty.

Here’s a trailer for Santa’s Slay:



The film is done nicely. The movie’s cameras and director plays a great role in pushing this movie to its limits. The picture is nice, and the overall quality is great. While this is a straight to dvd and/or made for television film it really is top notch. It is higher quality than a lot of other films that I’ve seen go straight to dvd. The angles, the effects, the make up, and all things movie related are right on point and look great for this type of film.

The death’s are well made and awesome. We’re talking about serial slaying with all sorts of Christmas and Holiday related toys and gadgets. The only thing missing is a Festivus pole, but then again, one might argue that the electricity in the strip club is a throwback to that idea from Seinfeld.

Goldberg’s one liners are great. They are all related to the Holiday’s and they are all on point in a raspy, scary voice. I’m a little bit of a fan since I was a wcw fan circa 1999 when Bill Goldberg was a major wrestling star. This movie goes out of its way to be halfway serious, until the final act, where everything is dismantled and this movie becomes another joke of a horror plot.

killer santa

Why Santa’s Slay is scary: Taking the story of Santa Claus and making it a serial killing parable isn’t new. However, throwing the traditional into a scary and supernatural story is not bad. We all believe in something or nothing, and it all has to do with some sort of entity. Here we see the entity manifested in Biblical proportions, with the main characters being angels and/or the son of Satan. This is not too farfetched. Consider Mormonism for a moment. Mormonism has a belief that Jesus is the brother of Satan, that’s right, they are brothers, and millions upon millions of people believe that to be true. So the idea that Satan’s son could be Santa Claus can’t be too far off of an idea to spoof or borrow.

Consider also that the Fat Red Santa mythos wasn’t even invented until the 19th century sometime, by an artist rendering. It was also then more commercialized by the Coca Cola company and away we go to modern Santa Claus. This creates an interesting scenario of belief that makes some of the points in this movie sort of scary. What if it was all true?

What if? We deal in a world of what ifs. I know that it’s not a popular thing to believe, but consider the fact that many people in the world are waiting for economic collapse and are storing up food and supplies. Consider the millions of people that believe in God, and are waiting for the second coming of Christ. Consider even fringe beliefs of sorts, like the Ethiopian Orthodox church. They believe that they have the original Ark of the Covenant. That’s right, there are a lot of what ifs that people believe and are personally attached to, and that’s why this film is kind of scary at times. It pulls a quick punch in the direction of Santa, which is popularized once a year, and spins it on its axis into an evil association, which creates quite the contrived and impersonal setting for this horror movie.

This film is scary on the notions of a what if scenario. It can be argued that all movies in the horror genre are scary in the, what if, argument that I’m creating in this article. However, this one is meant to be tongue and cheek at times, and I can’t really see another way to explain why this movie could be scary. Most people won’t find this movie to scary as it deals a lot with the supernatural as a counterbalance to serial killings, but you might also argue that the vigilante justice that Santa is giving out in this film is not too unlike previous horror movie efforts such as “Christmas Evil” and “Silent Night Deadly Night”, but in the realms of horror it stands out on its overall pledge to keep things just below the radar in terms of horror. Sure it has horror elements, and sure it really hinges on a little supernatural belief, but if you strip away the nonsense, you get an enjoyable horror film with a lot of comedic moments and some silly deaths.

Santa’s Slay is the best movie I’ve seen in terms of Holiday Horror. There are a lot of bad movies out there, and this one is not one of them. It’s light, it’s funny, and if you allow yourself to ask a few what if questions, you’re in for a good holiday horror time. It’s not really meant to be treated as a nightmare, but it has enough of umph to get you through the yuletide mess we call holidays. Santa’s Slay is a harmless, yet powerful horror film, and I liked it a lot more than some other Holiday themed films, so I suggest a viewing of Santa’s Slay. If not a s a whole, then for the great opening sequences featuring some SNL alumni, some classic actors, and one hot former sitcom star….trust me. Santa’s Slay, if nothing else, is funny, and that’s kind of cool for a horror film.

Looking for grindhouse, horror, or sci-fi films? Please check out our amazon astore featuring all things horror. Don't trust astore? Check out amazon.com, surprisingly they have more grindhouse,horror,and rare sci-fi than you may not have thought possible.

Monday, August 2, 2010

End of the Month Deathtoll July 2010 Edition

Another month came and went, and I forgot to throw one of these up before it concluded. So in grand fashion I am posting it up here today. Enjoy this list of what happened in July 2010 and beyond!

From the Mail Bag End of July 2010 Edition
Berdella Review
The Final Review
Black Devil Doll Weird Wobbler Presse Release and ...
Timecrimes Review
Contact Review
REWIND: Vacancy Review
From the Mail Bag Mid July 2010 Edition
Shutter Review
REWIND: Take Me Down To Nightmare City Where The G...
Shutter Island Review
Puppet Master Review
Uncle Sam Review

Of course, here's the rest of the blog's reviews, in case you needed a refresher, make sure to leave comments and suggestions, in case I have forgotten to review on of your favorites.

End of the Month Mailbag June 2010 Edition
REWIND: Drive Thru Review
Run Bitch Run Review
The Pet Review
REWIND: Feast Review
Dead Clowns Review
From The Mailbag Mid June 2010 Edition
Snoop Dogg's Hood of Horror Review
Terror Tract Review
Splice Review
Cherry Falls Review
Manhater Review
From The Mail Bag End of May 2010 Edition
The Stepfather Review
Rewind: The Wizard of Gore Review
The Skeleton Key Review
The Butterfly Effect 3: Revelations Review
The House of The Devil Review
Jack Brooks Monster Slayer Review
From The Mail Bag Mid May 2010 Edition
The Craft Review
King of The Lost World Review
REWIND: Blood Car
Peacock Review
Scary Games
REWIND: I Present Evil Ernie
From The Mailbag End of April 2010 Edition
The Omen: 666 Review
REWIND: Population 436 Revew
Idle Hands Review
Cheerleader Massacre Review
From The Mail Bag Mid April Edition
Brotherhood of Blood Review
REWIND: Snuff Documentary Review
REWIND: The Top 10 Bodily Explosions
Gone The Way Of The Flesh Review
Cry Wolf Review
Monthly Death Toll March 2010 Edition
From The Mail Bag End Of March 2010 Edition
REWIND: The Changeling Review
REWIND: The Howling Review
Sorority Row Review
Introducing Ekimmu The Dead Lust
A Bit of Personal Business for Scary Film Blog
From The Mailbag March 2010 Edition
Slaughtered Review
REWIND: Lost Boys The Tribe Review
Bronson Review
Sweet 16 Review
The Box Review
REWIND: Night of the Demons Review
A Perfect Getaway Review
REWIND: The Curve Review
Cabin Fever 2 Review
REWIND: Second Look Cabin Fever Review
WINNER SEED OF CHUCKY DVD
REWIND: Inseminoid Review
Zombieland Review
REWIND: SAW VI Review
Deep Red Review
George A. Romero’s Land of the Dead Review
REWIND: Wrong Turn 2 Review
Rob Zombie's Halloween 2 Review
From The Mail Bag Late January 2010 Edition
Black Devil Doll Review
Late Fee Review
The Scariest Place on Earth
Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus Review
Clive Barker's Book of Blood Review
Silent Night Deadly Night 4: Initiation Review
Rewind: Silent Night Deadly Night 2 Review
Silent Night Deadly Night 3 Review
The Complete Silent Night Deadly Night
The Ginger Dead Man Review
Santa Claws Review
Black Xmas Review
Black Christmas Review
Wind Chill Review
Thankskilling Review
From The Mail Bag Mid October 2009 Edition
Saw VI Review
Saw VI Is Upon Us
The Nun Review
Technical Difficulties
The Scare Game Web Series
REWIND: Mirrors Review
REWIND: Silver Bullet Review
Horror Movie Releases 10/6/09
REWIND Saw IV Review
Jennifer's Body Review
Cronos Review
Interesting Horror Movie Releases 9/22/09
Teeth Review
From The Mail Bag Mid September 2009 Edition
Interesting Horror Movie Releases 9/16/09
REWIND: The Faculty Review
REWIND: The Omen IV: The Awakening Review
Interesting Horror Movie Releases 9/8/09
Quarantine Review
The Octagon Review
REWIND They Call Her One Eye Review
Interesting Horror Movie Releases 9/1/09
The Descent 2 Official Trailer
After Dark Films Announce Lake Mungo Press Release...
All Horror Movies Released August 2009
The Witchunt Trailer
From The Mail Bag Mid August 2009
Ghoulies II Review
Interesting Horror Movie Releases 8/18/09
The Washingtonians Review
Full Eclipse Review
After Dark Films Horrorfest Press Release
Cube Review
Interesting Horror Movies Released 8/11/2009
Amazon Online Indie DVD Sale
The Collector Review
Rewind: Videodrome Review
Vacancy 2: The First Cut Review
Horror Movies Released 8/4/09
Vegas Vampires Review
All Horror Movies That Came Out In July 2009
Orphan Review
From The Mailbag Late July Edition
Interesting Horror Movie Releases 7/21/09
Top 40 Most Violent Comic Books Ever
Rewind: The Ruins Review
The Good Son Review
Interesting Horror Movie Releases 7/14/2009 Late A...
REWIND: Top 3 Camp Camp Horror Movies
Frankenhood Review
I Present Evil Ernie
Interesting Horror Movie Releases 7/7/2009
5 Cool Bodily Explosions in Horror Film
The Future of Horror Looks Grim
Sleepaway Camp 3 Teenage Wasteland Review
Wetback Review
Interesting Horror Movie Releases 6/23/09
Sleepaway Camp 2 Unhappy Campers Review
Vampire Girl vs Frankenstein Girl Trailer
From The Mailbag Mid June Edition
Interesting Horror Movie Releases 6/16/2009
Bride of the Re-Animator Review
Nothing New Today
Army of Darkness Ash's Christmas Horror Graphic No...
Interesting Horror Movie Releases 6/9/09
The Machinist Review
The Identity Crisis in Horror Film
Interesting Horror Movie Releases 6/2/09
My Bloody Valentine 3D Review
Interesting Horror Movie Releases 5/26/09
Second Look Cabin Fever Review
Brainscan Review
RSVP Review
Interesting Horror Movie Releases 5/19/09
Tenebre Review
1959 Funny Horror Movie Cards
From the Mail Bag May 13th Edition
Interesting Horror Movie Releases 5/12/09
The Mist Review
Suspiria Review
Ravenous Review
Interesting Horror Movie Releases 5/5/2009
More on Horror Literature
Demonic Toys Comic Book
Horror Movies That Came Out April 2009
Nightmare City Review
Crank 2 Review
The Jacket Review
Interesting Horror Movie Releases 4/21/09
Retro Horror Double Feature Review
Pinocchio's Revenge Review
From the Mail Bag Mid April 09 Edition
Interesting Horror Movie Releases 4/14/09
The Curse of the Werewolf Review
Surviving The Game Review
Cemetery Man Review
Interesting Horror Movie Releases 4/7/09
Big Foot Review
Out of Print Triple Threat Horror Review
The Midnight Meat Train Review
Sleepaway Camp Review
From The Mail Bag End of March Blues
Interesting Horror Movie Releases 3/24/09
Twins of Evil Review
Satanis: The Devil's Mass Review
Panels From The Puppet Master Comic Book
Interesting Horror Movie Releases 3/17/09
The Strangers Review
Technical Difficulties Sorry
Stuck Review
Interesting Horror Movie Releases 3/10/09
Against the Dark Review
The Slumber Party Massacre Review
H2 Set Photographs
Irreversible Review
Interesting Horror Movie Releases 3/3/09
My Name is Bruce Review
Tales From the Crypt Review
Cache Review
Zombie Strippers Review
Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday Review
Halloween III: Season of the Witch Review
The Vampire Lovers Review
Tokyo Gore Police Review
Death Proof Review
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3: Leatherface Review
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 Review
Troll 2 Review
American Gothic Review
Chopping Mall Review
Jack Frost Review
Santa's Slay Review
Silent Night Bloody Night Review
Holiday Horror News
Return to Sleepaway Camp Review
Christmas Evil Review
The Search for Christmas Horror
Silent Night Deadly Night 2 Review
Second Look: Silent Night Deadly Night
Silver Bullet Review
Identity Review
The Last House on the Left Review
Constantine Review
Audition Review
The Fly Review
Primer Review
The Dead Zone Review
Ted Bundy Review
Rest Stop 2: Don't Look Back Review
Saw V Review
The Blair Witch Project Review
Drive Thru Review
A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge Review
Chaos (2005) Review
Saw IV Review
Joy Ride Review
Friday The 13th Part VI: Jason Lives Review
The Prestige Review
Captivity Review
Ice Spiders Review
The Dead Next Door Review
Pumpkinhead Review
Child's Play Review
Silent Night, Deadly Night Review
Monkey Shines Review
The Devils Rejects Review
Wes Craven's Shocker Review
The Changeling Review
Vacancy Review
House of 1,000 Corpses Review
The Tattooist Review
Feast (1992) Review
Death Race Review
Lost Boys: The Tribe Review
Hard Candy Review
Mirrors Review
28 Days Later
Feast
28 Weeks Later
Night of the Demons Review
Midnight Skater Review
The Howling Review
Dee Snider's Strangeland Review
Vampires: Los Muertos Review
High Tension Review
Blood: The Last Vampire Review
The Relic Review
The Wizard of Gore Review
Wrong Turn 2
Hatchet
The Ruins
Blood Car
Videodrome
Masters of Horror: We All Scream For Ice Cream
Believers
Cabin Fever
Dolls
They Call Her One Eye
Inseminoid
The House on Sorority Row
Planet Terror
Rob Zombie's Halloween
Funny Games
Friday the 13th
Sleepaway Camp
Camp Slaughter
Feed
Wrestlemaniac
Population 436
The Faculty
The Omen IV: The Awakening
Otis
Ax' Em
Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter
The Curve
Lifeforce
P2
The Machine Girl