Assume bloody Terminator Christmas particular, and also you’ll be in the suitable frame of mind for Joe Begos’ newest.
![Christmas Bloody Christmas](https://i0.wp.com/filmschoolrejects.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Christmas-Bloody-Christmas.jpg?resize=800%2C333&ssl=1)
We take our love of horror movies significantly round these components, and that features all its varied kinds, tones, and subgenres. On that final level, we’ve got a specific curiosity in Christmas horror films — we even ranked over 100 of them as a present from us to you! Every year sees new entries, and whereas most are forgettable direct-to-video films (The Imply One, Curse of Jack Frost) and the one huge theatrical launch is arguably not even horror (Violent Night time), there’s nonetheless a transparent winner for 2022’s vacation season. Modern-day grindhouse auteur Joe Begos delivers his greatest movie but with Christmas Bloody Christmas, a relentlessly aggressive story of a robotic santa with its wires crossed. Unhealthy for the residents of a small city, completely fucking nice for followers of vacation horror.
It’s Christmas Eve in a small, snowy city, and whereas most individuals are heat and comfy in mattress, a couple of stragglers are nonetheless out and about. Tori (Riley Dandy) and her coworker Robbie (Sam Delich) shut their document store for the evening and chase it with some fleshy shenanigans, however issues take a flip when she sees a unique form of naughtiness subsequent door. It appears the RoboSanta Plus — a military-grade robotic repurposed to switch degenerate mall santas this vacation season — is in want of a recall. The one stationed on the city’s toy retailer has come to life with a singular objective, and it doesn’t bode properly for anybody hoping to nonetheless be respiratory come Christmas morning.
Begos’ love of neon lighting finds the proper setting in a small city dressed for Christmas — an absolute get for a micro-budgeted horror movie, so kudos to all concerned (together with artwork director Elliott Gilbert and manufacturing designer Adam Dietrich. It’s each becoming and appears improbable because the empty shops, quiet properties, and snowy, evening time streets are drenched in reds, greens, purples, and extra. Even higher for the Christmas horror subgenre, the bulbs and set-dressing are all onscreen making certain Christmas Bloody Christmas is slathered in vacation spirit with each body. The mix of neon colours and lo-fi filmmaking make for a gritty, Christmas Eve sleigh trip that wastes no time attending to the great things.
Actual discuss, this factor cooks. We all know all we have to know in regards to the Robo Santa within the first couple of minutes, we’re launched to the small ensemble in quick style, and shortly sufficient our killer santa is cleaving somebody in half with an axe. Heads are smashed and splashed, faces are violated to murderous levels, and our bodies are tossed by the air with careless abandon. That is no low-key slasher, although, as Begos maximizes his minimal funds to pair the bloody violence with surprising motion set-pieces and stunts.
Christmas Bloody Christmas is the Terminator vacation particular you didn’t know you wanted. RoboSanta’s human facade (Abraham Benrubi) takes a beating thanks partly to Tori’s offended dedication, and shortly the metallic skeleton and neon wiring (in fact!) begin peaking by. The eventual animatronics discover satisfying life by minor robotics and sensible angles/modifying, and so they permit this unhealthy santa to maintain on trucking lengthy after a mere mortal would have known as it quits.
To be truthful, Tori isn’t any mere mortal both. Effectively, she is, however good gravy does she take a beating in her battle on Christmas. Dandy makes for one hell of a remaining lady and does the style proud as a micro-budgeted Sarah Connor. She additionally shines even earlier than the shit hits the fan showcasing sharp comedian supply and a fun-loving, R-rated charisma. If this low-budget horror profession doesn’t work out for Begos, he may even have a future in romantic comedies for adults.
Begos’ script — he additionally produced, cameos as a poor sap who will get his head cut up, and animates the movie’s credit — has enjoyable with fast-talking banter and film ideas (together with a stable Blumhouse slam). Christmas Bloody Christmas even makes time to hitch the #acab fray with its mixture of clueless cops (Jeff Daniel Phillips, Jeremy Gardner) who deal with Tori unfairly within the warmth of the second. As soon as issues kick off, Begos is sensible sufficient to maintain dialogue to a minimal and easily let the motion and carnage move to nice impact.
Christmas Bloody Christmas is an aggressively enjoyable time. It might be gentle on fancy frills, however there’s no scarcity of true thrills right here for followers of bloody motion. Begos delivers so much on his tiny funds because of skills each onscreen and off — Steve Moore‘s killer synth rating and Brian Sowell‘s handheld cinematography add to the movie’s attractively uncooked however fashionable vibe — with the end result being a quick and enjoyable slice of Christmas horror performed proper.
Associated Matters: Christmas horror, Horror
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