ButterTart
Succulent Chinese meal
15. A Christmas Horror Story (2015)
Four interconnecting stories play out on Christmas Eve in the Canadian town of Bailey Downs, all linked together by a radio broadcast by DJ ‘Dangerous’ Dan (William Shatner)
The highest ranking anthology on the list (although it was close between this and Dead of Night), A Christmas Horror Story weaves back and forth between five separate but tangentially connected tales.
1. A vile family visit their rich aunt at Christmas, their grifting and kleptomania inevitably opening a can of Krampus-shaped whoop ass.
2. Three young people become trapped in their school while creating a video report on the ghost that allegedly haunts it.
3. A couple momentarily loses their son while trespassing in order to chop down the perfect Christmas tree. When they find him, they start to believe something demonic has possessed him.
4. The most fun of the stories, The North Pole falls victim to a plague which turns the elves into bloodthirsty zombies. A straight up fantasy-horror, the last minute twist in this tale is what links it to the rest of the movie.
5. Dangerous Dan presents his festive radio show, intermittently reporting on a serious disturbance unfolding at the local mall…
All of the stories are strong, although some are definitely better than others. They all build towards a satisfying climax, the third act twist totally pulling the rug and binding some of the narratives together. There’s something here to please everyone, not least The Shat on fine form as the alcoholic Dangerous Dan, trying to keep up the festive cheer despite the unfolding tragedy at the mall he alludes to throughout. It astonishes me that this has only been out FIVE years, it's such a staple of my yearly viewing that it feels like it's been in my life for a decade at least.
Best bit: The climactic scrap between Santa vs Krampus. It’s stylish and slick and makes me think there needs to be a fighting game based on seasonal characters (@COB we should make this, provisional roster on my desk by Friday, please).
Weihnachtstische out of ten: