Written & Directed By: Joe Begos Cinematography: Brian Sowell Editor: Josh Ethier
Cast: Riley Dandy, Sam Delich, Jonah Ray, Dora Madison, Jeremy Gardner, Jeff Daniel Phillips, Abraham Benrubi, Graham Skipper, Kansas Bowling
It's Christmas Eve and Tori just wants to get drunk and party, but when a robotic Santa Claus at a nearby toy store goes haywire and begins a rampant killing spree through her small town, she's forced into a battle for survival.
A punk rock trashy horror film, that indulges in all that is a naughty bit of violence and gore excessively. That plays as a slasher massacre for an hour.While the first thirty minutes is what seems like an endless set-up of characters. As the reason for the killer, Santa Claus comes and goes so fast that it’s almost an afterthought. Then the film just goes forward with nary a hint of backstory.
It is obviously meant to be more of a love letter to 80’s horror films set during the holidays. Though it seems more like a quick exercise in excess.
A kind of anti-Christmas movie that does match the director Joe Begos's style and interest. Which I am usually a fan of, but oddly doesn’t feel like it works this time all the way through.
The Death scenes are more excessive than creative or too noteworthy. Luckily the film moves quickly and might remind the audience of a kind of rock n roll Rob Zombie horror film only without the more artistic flourishes and visions of grandeur. Though the director Begos does add slight sci-fi flavor or b-movie indulgence by making the killer Santa practically a more terrifying Terminator, only in a horror film.
The film is modern but could be made in the 1980s trashy. So that it feels a bit retro. It seems like It’s going for fun at least in the first half of the film. As the first 20 minutes seem like exposition little of which ends up mattering.
It seems an attempt to explore a friendship on the verge of becoming more.
The film has low-budget action that keeps the audience interested with a high body count. That proves that no one is safe or sacred.
The film feels more like a film to watch to pass the time. A popcorn movie of sorts may be nice to play in the background. As it is easy to follow visually.
The film isn’t too inspired or inspiring. It actually feels like a quickie. It’s a movie, movie. Nothing too deep is meant to be taken seriously.
The conversations feel like Twitter-type ones. Where the dialogue is supposed to be cool but it never does. Even with hip characters.
These horror films are supposed to be Empowering for women. All these skilled so-called warrior men in horror films. Who can barely stop the monster or slasher, maybe not even cause a dent, but a so-called regular woman who uses her head ends up defeating them in the end. Becoming the final girl.
That character used to be kept virginal to make them Saintly or sex but diluting thoughts or bloodstream as well as a duality that was special or made them different. Usually, a way to please religious rights or moral codes is by being exploitative but the one pure makes it to the end. Even after the trauma of losing friends and/or family with great losses. A weird extreme scared straight. Here the female is sexual
In the end, this should be a fun dream fantasy project, but it's bogged down in bad dialogue. To lead to some uneventful hookup and a long introduction for disposable Characters where only one truly lasts.
Grade: D+
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