my thoughts on.... 'A Christmas Horror Story' (an original Creepercast site review)

As with all of my reviews of the independent films that we get sent here at The Creepercast, I fully recommend that you check each and every one of them out. I am one man and this is my opinion. I've seen plenty of movies that received reviews that were the complete opposite of how I saw the film. These writers, directors, producers and actors all put a lot of time and love into these projects. They deserve to be seen and appreciated for what they are. Everyone has a dream and I fully support the people that take the time to make theirs a reality. With that being said....
The anthology film is a staple of the horror world. It doesn't seem to cross over into other genre's often, but with horror it seems to work and work well. From the early blueprints for what would later become feature length films, 'The Twilight Zone', 'Tales from the Crypt' and 'Tales From the Darkside' set the stage for individually wrapped fright fests. There's something to be said for the pure ingenuity it takes to write one of these types of films. The craft of creating an interwoven story line that crisscrosses each other until they all converge in the ending that then ties it all together or brings it back for a hook. Sometimes, the anthology can even turn into a franchise such as the 'V/H/S/' series of found footage films. Now, over the years, there has only ever been a small niche for these specialized stories. I can count on two hands the number of them that come to mind and none of them take place at Christmas time. Granted, there's probably more out there waiting to be created and discovered, but for now we're only focusing on the 2015 release of 'A Christmas Horror Story'. A virtual stocking stuffer of a film containing several tales of tinsel and terror.

As this is several stories strung together by a common thread, there is more than one writer and director involved. At the helm and providing direction is Grant Harvey, Steven Hoban and Brett Sullivan. Taking up the challenge of creating a fun holiday horror are the writers, Jason Filiatrault, James Kee, Sarah Larsen, Doug Taylor and Pasca Trottier. Now, despite all of the wonderful cast and crew involved, there's one that stands out and serves as a narrator and the common thread through it all.... none other than the man himself, William Shatner. He plays Dangerous Dan, the local DJ and our version of the horror host. I hate to say that it's perfect casting, but it really is. He steals each scene that he's in, mainly from himself and occasionally from the other stories that happen before and after his scenes. Speaking of the other stories, in this anthology we have 4 main stories and the one that's happening in the world of Dangerous Dan. In no particular order, we have a story involving a rather terrible family on their way to see a distant aunt so they can ask her for money. Before leaving, the oldest daughter passes the keys to the school over to a trio or after hours adventurers. Kids who are off to investigate part of their school where a couple of other kids had been ritualistically been murdered a few years earlier. While on the way to their aunts house, the terrible family pass a car going the other way, which contains a mother, father and son on their way to cut down a tree. However, this family is trespassing and during their search for the perfect Christmas tree, the little boy gets lost inside of an opening in a rather ominous looking tree. Last but not least, in the opening scene and bringing in some additional Christmas cheer, we have Santa himself! He's knee deep in infected elves who are out to murder him and Mrs. Claus. That's all I'm going to say about the stories contained within. I won't give you any more than those brief breakdowns of each of the main plots. Why, you ask? Because the real gift of this film, is not knowing what's about to happen. Right up until the end of this film, I never saw the actual ending that was yet to come. The most brilliant part of all of this is that it literally ties all 5 stories into one common narrative. It makes sense of every single story and builds a single universe in which they can all co-exist. Yes, you heard me right. It's all explained by the end and even goes on into the credits. Seriously, I was knocked back at the realization, when it happened. That should be more than enough for me to recommend this film. Heck, any film that can boast this, deserves your undivided attention.... but wait, there's more!
Ithink the biggest thing I want to get across with this review is that 'A Christmas Horror Story' is so much more than a holiday film or a movie with just a gimmick and nothing else. This is not only a, soon to be cult classic holiday horror, it's also a really solid, scary movie. There's so much love and care put into it from start to finish. It's like a living embodiment of the philosophy of Bruce Lee, there's no wasted movements here. All of the pacing, timing, jump scares, blood, guts and other stuff is balanced with such precision that you'd think it was all handled by one single mind. That's what makes it even more impressive. This is 3 people who had to collaborate to create one fluid piece. Even beyond that, it's loaded with genuinely frightening imagery and scares. Case in point, during the story about the little boy in the tree, there are several scenes with him just out of frame, in the darkness. In those little moments, you can barely make him out, but his eyes are glowing and very clearly visible. It reminds me of cat's eyes, only so much more creepy. It literally made my skin crawl, every time that device was used. Not only is it hard to create a child that you're afraid of, but to do it in such a simple and effective way. It's quite ingenious. Sure, you've seen it before, but that doesn't take any of it's power away. Not too mention.... I'll never turn my back in the kitchen, when there's a potential for someone crawling on the ceiling. Makes my hair stand on end just thinking about it all. There's also the age old tactic of the distance shots to establish the scene and to also distract you with other action in the foreground. It's used several times in this film and is something I don't see enough in modern horror. Not in the same way it's used here. It's as if the directors understand what true horror is. Not the blood and guts of random strangers pouring out all over the asphalt, it's about playing on your psychological fears and deep rooted primal instincts. What scares you the most? This film may just have the answer or might just create a new one.

In the end, 'A Christmas Horror Story' presents a reality where almost no one is good and everyone is naughty. A world where a happy ending, may only come after a night in hell. Each and every story is a morality tale on something we can all relate too. Maybe the method of delivery is paranormal or fantastic in nature, but we all want an escape from real life and don't want to be hit on the head by a message every time we go to see a movie. We want to have fun, get scared and celebrate the holiday season. I very much want to go into great detail about each and every story that I saw, but in doing so I would take away the power contained within. That's the hardest part of a review like this one. Because there were so many things happening and so many things I was excited to see, all I wanted to do was share them with someone else. However, too many people put too much time and effort into this one that I wouldn't cheat them out of their gift that kept on giving.
During this holiday season, we've been given several new and worthwhile additions to the holiday horror sub genre. With Hollywood's discovery of the Krampus legend, it's revitalized the genre in a way I haven't seen in awhile. Even if the market is overly saturated by Krampus themed films, I'm still all for it because it means the door is open for other stuff to claw it's way through. Sadly, there's some garbage among the greatness, but they can't all be winners. 'A Christmas Horror Story' is an example of Christmas carnage done right. A very solid 4 out of 5 stars and one that should be in everyone's stocking this year. If there was anything at all to find fault with, it would maybe be with the trio of teenagers in the school. At times, it was a little too generic and unoriginal in it's story line and presentation, but it still had enough shining moments to carry it through and not bog down the rest of the film. This is the perfect movie for Christmas morning, after all the presents are unwrapped. Get a luke warm piece of the remaining breakfast casserole, a fresh cup of hot coffee, a glass of cold orange juice, light a fire in the fireplace and pop in this movie. While the snow is gently coming down outside, you can sit in the safety of your nice, warm easy chair and enjoy the ride you're about to embark on. By the end of your journey, you're belly will be full and you'll feel the spirit of the season deep inside.... or is it something or someone else you're feeling? Only Dangerous Dan knows for sure.

If you like anthology horror, check out some other ones: 'Creepshow', 'Trick r' Treat' and the 'V/H/S' franchise