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Post by stefancrosscoe on Mar 16, 2017 15:51:33 GMT
"But I heard him exclaim as he drove out of sight, "Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night."Ever since he was a little kid, Harry Stadling (Brandon Maggart) has had an unhealthy obsession towards Christmas and anything related to good ol' Santa Claus. As a result, he has now taken up the role as official toymaker at a local factory, were Harry can make sure that there will be enough quality made presents to all the good children, and during the spare time, finding out who's been naughty or nice, by monitoring the kids in his neighborhood with a pair of binoculars. But not everyone seems to share in on Harry's love and passion for the most festive season of the year, as he soon learns the shocking news that the kids at a children's hospital, might not be on Santa's route this year, thanks to some crooked politicians. With his very own and updated Santa's slay, Harry takes on the big responsibility of being Father Christmas, while delivering gifts to those who have been nice, and punish the naughty ones!Christmas Evil or You Better Watch Out (which I think is the actual original title) looked at first like a pretty darn entertaining christmas slasher. On the VHS art work cover, I was "promised" that it would include a creepy looking Santa, along with a bloody huge kitchen knife, and a dead body lying on the floor. Everything was set up for just another enjoyable b-movie slasher, and instead of having some Jason Vorhees copy as the killer, you had a lunatic dressed up as Santa Claus, slaughtering young virgins to pieces. Well, or so it seemed. Christmas Evil ended up being a very different movie experience than something like Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984). And even though they both include some gory/bloody scenes, and a freaky/tragic past, Christmas Evil felt more like some low-budget, psychological drama/thriller, were one follow a man on the very edge of having a complete and nervous breakdown, added with some black comedy along the way. So I was a bit disappointed at first, and it certainly did not help that the VHS (from Troma) was a real letdown, with terrible picture and sound. Then years later on in 2006, Synapse Entertainment decided to hand out a remastred version of the film, with a superior picture and sound quality, along with some really neat bonus material. And by this time, I felt ready to give it another go. Something I have never regretted, as it now probably stands as one of my all time favorite yuletide movies. Brandon Maggart delivers one hell of a performance as the good hearted but unstable Harry Stadling, who thanks to a rather bad childhood memory involving Santa Claus, has led him into a rather lonely life as an adult. Actually, Brandon really nailed the part from the very first moment he steps infront of the test scenes, as seen on the 2006 DVD version released by Synapse. Jeffrey DeMunn (probably best know for being the prison warden in The Green Mile) plays the far more successful and normal familyman, who may not see eye to eye on everything going on in Harry's life, but he still loves and cares for his older brother. I know this is not really a very scary film or a horror movie, but then again it would probably freak me out more than a little, if I had seen it as a kid. Still, I think a lot of the bad promotion has done it wrong, as myself and several others have went in thinking it would be similar to Silent Night, Deadly Night, only to end up with something completely else. But at the end of the day, I really do love this little low-budget gem, as it comes with a lot of heart along with a fine atmosphere, and having Brandon Maggart doing a really good job in this film, as he comes off as a very likeable guy, even though some of his actions are a bit over the edge. I would love to see Christmas Evil replacing many of the usual, sugary filled holiday movies that are always the same, every year, with spoilt rotten kids craving for more and more, and "perfect" family's having a blast around the christmas three. Sadly, for very many people, Christmas time really is not all that nice and joyful, in fact it can be a real nightmare. Anyway, for a different kind of holiday movie, you might want to take up on John Waters advice and give this one a chance: "But for Christmas movies, the best one ever —and I’m even on the box set about it— is Christmas Evil. It’s about the guy who is so obsessed with Santa Claus that he gets a job at a toy factory and spies on all the children to see if they are good or bad. And then he gets stuck in a chimney on Christmas Eve. It’s really good. It’s hard to beat Christmas Evil. I like evil Christmas movies. I’m not much for It’s a Wonderful Life because I already have a wonderful life and Christmas to me, well, I understand how brutal Christmas can be."
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Post by profondorosso on Mar 18, 2017 9:41:38 GMT
I have seen it only once and I didn't like it at all. Maybe I will give it another try someday.
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Post by stefancrosscoe on Mar 18, 2017 13:57:29 GMT
I understand, as it is surely is a bit of an "acquired taste", kind of film. But if you are thinking about heading back for another watch, I would either go for the Synapse (2006) DVD version or maybe the Blu-ray (yeah, I just learned that it got a Blu-ray release 2 years ago, but not sure how the picture/sound quality is on that one), as the Troma DVD/VHS does the film little justice with grainy, terrible picture quality along with a poor sound. But I guess it is just as easy finding it lying around for free on the net, these days.
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Post by Lebowskidoo 🦞 on Dec 18, 2018 15:40:10 GMT
"He will sleigh you!" It's been a long time since I've seen this, but who doesn't love a good killer Santa tale at Christmas?
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Post by Anonymous Andy on Dec 19, 2018 22:40:40 GMT
As mentioned in the Christmas Movie thread, I watched this for the first time last Christmas Eve and had such a good time, I watched it again on Christmas morning. So freaking bizarre and scummy but I totally loved every minute of it. To add to the enjoyment factor, I watched that crummy bargain DVD version where the audio is really warped in parts. Really added to the experience.
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Post by alexhurricanehiggins on Dec 20, 2018 2:54:30 GMT
I highly enjoyed it.
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Post by petrolino on Dec 20, 2018 18:41:07 GMT
I don't like the movie but I enjoyed reading your review. Thanks.
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Post by moviebuffbrad on Dec 13, 2019 8:24:14 GMT
Wasn't expecting Taxi Driver in a Santa suit, nor was I expecting an 80s Christmas slasher to have such a good lead performance and impressive editing. It is a little slow, though, with some awkward beats.
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Post by James on Dec 15, 2019 2:22:23 GMT
Good psychological thriller with slasher elements. Didn’t love it, but I enjoyed it. Though I prefer Silent Night Deadly Night, to be honest.
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Post by Ass_E9 on Dec 15, 2019 4:16:41 GMT
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Post by darkreviewer2013 on Dec 15, 2019 5:10:16 GMT
I watched this over a decade ago. And all I remember is that it turned out to be a very strange movie indeed. Don't think I much cared for it unfortunately.
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Post by masterofallgoons on Dec 16, 2019 13:13:05 GMT
It's a weird one. I appreciate that it's a little less of a typical slasher and a bit more character and environment driven, but it doesn't do that especially well. A little more exploitation sleaze may have made it more entertaining. But, it's nice to have an alternative to just Silent Night Deadly Night. I know there are plenty of cheaply made killer Santa knock offs in recent years, but I'd watch this again over any of the camcorder-shot new ones any day. There's an atmosphere, an energy, and an authenticity here if not too much else.
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Post by masterofallgoons on Dec 16, 2019 15:50:46 GMT
I don't get it, Assy. Care to explain?
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Post by Ass_E9 on Dec 16, 2019 17:30:51 GMT
I don't get it, Assy. Care to explain? Just a mashup of two similar ambiguous endings.
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Post by masterofallgoons on Dec 16, 2019 18:40:52 GMT
I don't get it, Assy. Care to explain? Just a mashup of two similar ambiguous endings. Ok, gotcha.
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Post by stefancrosscoe on Jan 26, 2021 17:50:50 GMT
Having finally gotten the 88 Films Blu-ray (2019) release, I thought it was ideal to warm up with a bit of the bonus features, and decided to start up with the Audition Tapes, which to my surprise came with a lot of familiar names and faces, quite surprisingly as I wonder how much things would be different, if a few of them had switched parts with Brandon Maggart and Jeffrey DeMunn.
Richard Bright came in, audition for the part of Harr Stadling, but seemed a little "confused" or maybe was not quite in the right mood for that part or reading. Then, when Brandon Maggart arrived, you could clearly sense that this guy, this was the right type of actor to portray Harry, from the first go, which is quite impressive, as it seemed like a bit of competition with all the talents crowding up.
However, it was the part of the younger and more "normal" brother, Philip Stadling, which came with the most striking names and faces, where Larry Pine, Michael Beck and even David Rasche would try out for the part, but it eventually ended up at Jeffrey DeMunn, which I thought, having seen only their short auditioning roles, was the best choice.
Also, the beautiful JoBeth Williams had a part in here. Obviously not as either of the Stadling brothers, and there were also a little chat about Christmas and its meaning, along with George Dzundza and Jeffrey DeMunn. I guess George could have ended up as one of the co-workers at the toy factory, but probably backed out, or did not get the part.
Anyway, I really like the look of this Blu-ray release. Will try to come back with more of a updated review tomorrow, after having watched the Blu-ray version.
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Post by stefancrosscoe on Jan 26, 2021 18:08:27 GMT
I love how they focused mostly on the negative/hateful critic, instead of the positive one (maybe there were not many of those at all?) through the lobby cards/ comment cards, which displayed 4 different ratings of choice:
How Would You Rate This Movie?
and you could choose from Excellent, Good, Fair and Poor.
Seems like it hit of worse with the females, while the males around 25-35 of age, however were a bit more positive. Still, a few of the ladies liked Harry, but the film or plot, not so much. Some seemed to be more upset of the violence, or lack of it, and others thought the film should be destroyed!
My favorite one, was actually from a female in her 50s, she seemed to "understand" that it was a long shot away of an "ordinary" slasher film, and more of a drama psychological thriller, with a bit of gore and violence thrown in, here and there. Still, I guess what these comment cards tried to show, was it was certainly not an easy film to promote or sell to an slasher hungry audience, and I it would have been interesting to see the reaction of this film, if social media had existed back then, or maybe not.
I think Frank Henenlotter did a similar thing, with one of the Basket Case DVDs, showing mostly how negative and hostile the reaction from movie goers were when it first arrived, but also how it soon changed, to almost a cult-appeal, and I thought reading these cards was kind of interesting.
I guess they have re-used some of the old footage/clips from earlier interviews with Brandon Maggart, as there is short 6-7 minutes video where Brandon is talking to Sgt. Kabukiman and some other dude, most likely from Troma. And I thought first it would end up as a lame/goofy attempt on just, talking about absolutely nothing, but these few minutes were rather interesting, as Brandon told he was pretty much hungover when he nailed the auditioning test, and that he is always taken back, at how much love some people seems to have for Christmas Evil and Harry Stadling. One of his daughters (not Fiona) also showed up, and since this was probably filmed around the late 90s, I guess, we get to learn than Fiona Apple was dating Paul William Anderson (the director) at the time. And, that Maggart love chamber music as well.
He was also given a few Troma releases on VHS and DVD, such as Terror Firmer and Tromeo and Juliet, surely he loved those, but I thought Maggart played it out cool, and he seemed to enjoy chatting about Christmas Evil.
Well, it seems like the archival video interviews were the exact same old ones, from the Troma DVD relases back in the late 90s or early 00s. But still rather informative and cool to hear what director Lewis Jackson had on his mind. Seemed like a very nice fella, and who truly loved b-movies, but I guess even back then, that kind of movie making were probably not as strong as maybe a decade earlier.
Still funny to hear that both Kathleen Turner and Glenn Close, actually got turned down for this film, which Jackson regretted. It also took about 10 years, to get the kind of money to make the film. He was asked which kind of films he was offered after Christmas Evil, and one of them was supposedly an easter bunny slasher film, which he had no interest in making.
I really wished for way more interviews with both Brandon and Lewis, as I really enjoyed their short but insightful stories, and they both seemed very proud of their work.
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Post by stefancrosscoe on Jan 27, 2021 12:14:01 GMT
Well, I had a really great and fun time last night, having just re-watched this absolute criminally underrated (or so I think), little Christmas film, which have probably never looked or sounded better, as you get the feel that a lot of love and respect has gone into upgrading this from DVD towards Blu-ray, and adding subtitles was the icing on the cake, since a few of my older DVD copies, often had a bit of a muddy/bad sound, a few places, which made it hard to hear what was actually said at times. Again, what impressed me now, maybe more than during my earlier visits, is the attention towards details, and this beautiful looking 88 Films Blu-ray finally does the film and its makers justice. And even years back, when seeing the grainy/poor Troma version, I did pick up how detailed and much focus the filmmakers had put in, and Lewis Jackson said something about that, where a few of his helpers had later on, gone on to appear among some of todays biggest directors. Where (I forgot her name) but one of the editors, actually ended up working on most of Quentin Tarantino's films, so there was not just a bunch of "amateurs" making a silly "school project". These were people who really loved and cared for what they did, and it was a nice touch to bring up by Jackson, I think. Wonder if Tarantino himself is a fan of Jackson and this film, would not surprise me. I can sure see why the film and plot might put some people off, even today. I mean, Harry Stadling (Brandon Maggart) is really not that far off where Joaquin Phoenix and his portrayal of Joker went, or so I believe. Switch the clownsuit with the santasuit, and well, then of course one film has a huge budget, names and so, but still, I think Christmas Evil manages to do a very unique take on the Christmas thrillers, never a slasher movie, but more a journey of a very lonely and "different" anti-hero, who only wants to do good, and prove his kid brother (Jeffrey DeMunn) wrong, that Santa is not the one that traumatized him, back when they were little kids. Harry now, an grown up man, works at a cheap and sleazy toy factory, named Jolly Dreams, and he tries his best to reach out and preach for those who cannot be heard, the true meaning of Christmas, and it is not cheap and commercialized toys and gifts, but something else. Sadly for poor Harry, very few are interested in that, and since he is a kind hearted guy, the co-workers take advantage of him, and sees him as a running joke. But, finally Harry begin to find the right "note", which everybody will recognize. Yeah, the film must have been a bit of letdown, for those (myself included) expecting a fast paced gory, bloody slasher movie, as the pace is not slow, but it builds towards something, and I guess if one is just after shocking scenes, well, about 40 minutes in, there is a bit of that, but that is not why I fell in love with the movie. It is a very sweet and warm, yet also hilarious movie, that has so many funny and memorable scenes, but also showcases the sadder and more tragic scenery of Christmas time. I think Lewis Jackson handled it very well, and Brandon Maggart was fantastic here, I think it just might be one of my favorite acting performances in any Christmas related film. He went all the way, and the transformation from "poor" Harry, towards old Santa Clause, was quite spectacular. I love the fact that he spies on little kids, with a pair of binoculars on the roof, and writes down each and every one of his little "Darlings", expect for one kid, "MOSS GARCIA!" who ends up into the book for Bad Boys and Girls, and I always get a good laugh when you notice that he has several years earlier of these write ups behind him. Speaking of Moss Garcia, that kid sure was one unlikeable brat, so much, that even his mum (Patrica Richardson) bitch-slapped him damn hard, even Brandon Maggart told during the short interview, that the kid would be slapped around several times during making, by Patricia. Anyway, I did bring up Joker (2019), and there is a scene, one of many great ones, where Harry have glued Santa s baird onto his face, with super glue. It gets stucked, and he cannot rip it off. And the more he tries, the more eccentric his screaming and laughter gets, and suddenly he stops, looks into the mirror, and says with a calm and normal voice: "It's me!"Of course, not long after, he follows that up, with a maniac laughter, which really soundes a lot like the one Jack Nicholson delivered years later, in Batman (1989), after being haned the mirror during his "successful" facial surgery, after having a little dip, inside some green acid. I guess I could continue on, for very long. I will not, but I think this film is one of those with a very undeserving bad reputation, as I believe poor/bad promotion (seems like everybody are still trying to make it out as an ordinary slasher film) and this is anything but that. I wished more people would discover it, but I respect and fully understand that those chances are pretty slim, but it has gotten way better ratings over the years, specially at IMDb, where I believe it had under 3.0 for a period, and most of the negative feedback, was from people being angry or disappointed it was not yet another Silent Night Deadly Night slasher, or similar to those. But, that is probably why I love it so much, there are very few films of that era which captures the same spirit and style as Lewis Jackson and his Christmas film. Anyway, a few more (not that many uploaded sadly) scenes, and I hate how so many describes Harry as a "psycho or lunatic", as he is anything but that. Not saying his action is completely normal, but I always cheer for him, and never once saw the ending as any bad or depressing. In fact, I saw it as something upbeat or almost feel-good. The scene, where Harry gets stuck in the chimney, is both very funny, yet also showcases how far or deep into his Santa "adventure" Harry has gotten. I mean, this reminds me of that story Phoebe Cates character told during Gremlins, to why she did not like Christmas, because her father got stucked and broke his neck inside the fireplace/chimney. I wonder how many have in real life, attempted to do as Harry, and got stuck or died in their attempt on re-creating this classic Santa movie scene. I wished somebody would upload the part, where Harry has taken all the toys, from his workplace and delivered them to the childrens hospital, and when he awaits for the doorman to open up, he starts to speak and laught to himself, in order to sound more like Santa, and it is both a very well acted and sweet scene. Anyway, this other classic scene, is when Harry gets dragged inside a party, and suddenly a small group of kids arrive, and even though Harry has already doen a few "questionable" things earlier, he never once punish those who are good or innocent, and I love his speech to the young ones, and the look on the children when he goes from: "But if you're bad little children, then I will bring you something...horrible!"and then burst into a huge laughter, and the kids looked like they were about to either burst into cries or laughter themselves.
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Post by Captain Spencer on Apr 24, 2021 4:22:40 GMT
Christmas Evil is currently on Shudder, so I decided to pay a revisit. Overall not a bad psychological horror thriller. I did find it draggy in parts, and certain ideas were not fully realized (the potential punishment of naughty kids), but on plus side Brandon Maggart gave a superb performance that made Harry a somewhat sympathetic psycho. And perhaps there was a message being conveyed about how the true meaning of Christmas has faded away over the years, and how the holiday is instead being taken over by greed and selfishness.
It's really puzzling how Christmas Evil managed to duck under the radar of controversy when it was first released. I don't recall any news stories about protesting a movie about a killer Santa Claus for that one. On the other hand when Silent Night, Deadly Night came out a few years later, the shit really hit the fan. I remember the media coverage of all the soccer moms going out in full force with their picket signs.
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