Talk Horror The Mouth of Madness
Halloween may be over, but the season of fear is still upon us. And thus here I am, your friendly neighborhood Jack, offering up some suggested viewing over your Christmas break. While some of the more high profile titles of past years will not be included here, do yourself a favor and watch Black Christmas (1974), Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984), Santa’s Slay (2005) and Krampus (2015) if you haven’t already done so.
Deadly Games
This French offering from 1989 is considered by many to be the unofficial inspiration for Home Alone. The film follows Thomas, a young technological savant, who is left home with his grandfather while his mother goes to work on Christmas Eve.
Thomas decides to reach out to Santa Claus, instead making contact with a psychopathic imposter. Although he doesn’t divulge his address, Thomas is now on the deranged man’s radar.
The psychopath is hired on to play a store Santa, but when he is inappropriate towards a little girl, he is fired on the spot by Thomas’ mother. Holding a grudge, he discover’s her address and heads for Thomas and his grandfather. Unbeknownst to him, Thomas has planned for just such an assault. He resolves to protect himself and his grandfather at all costs.
Fans of 80’s chanteuse Bonnie Tyler will undoubtedly recognize her distinctive vocals. If you haven’t seen this one, I’d strongly recommend giving it a watch.
A Christmas Tale
This Spanish story features a group of kids obsessed with film. When they stumble upon an unconscious woman dressed in a Santa suit, it’s the beginning of a wild ride.
The damsel in distress turns out to be a bank robber who fell into a hole. As the kids learn of her wanted status, they decide to extort her for the money she stole as a condition of helping her out. While they are busy counting the money, the wanted woman dies…or does she?
Fans of the original Karate Kid will appreciate the gory finale, while horror fans will appreciate the ambiguous ending. At 75 minutes long it plays more like a TV film, but I’d definitely consider it worth a watch.
A Christmas Horror Story
Covered on The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs, this anthology film hails from Canada. How about that: we actually still make horror movies up here not called Black Christmas, Prom Night or Terror Train.
First we have the story of a trio of high school kids being terrorized by a vengeful ghost. Story number two involves a family whose young son is abducted and replaced by a changeling. The third story features the demon Krampus preying upon a family visiting their elderly matriarch. And the final one is a battle to the death between Santa Claus and Krampus…or is it?
As far as Christmas anthologies go, this one is quite engaging. And of course for fans of William Shatner, who plays a radio host in the wrap around segment, this is a must see. Give it a watch if you haven’t seen it.
Silent Night, Deadly Night (2025)
In a development which I’m sure surprises no one, we have to talk about the reboot of the 1984 film Silent Night, Deadly Night. Scoring 81% fresh with critics and 80% with audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, it has plenty of buzz. But is it warranted?
The main story remains similar to the original from 1984: an 8 year old Billy travels with his parents to see his grandfather on Christmas Eve. Ricky, Billy’s younger brother as well as the antagonist in Silent Night, Deadly Night 2 & 3, simply does not exist. Ironically “GARBAGE DAY” does make an appearance, but without Ricky it’s obviously different.
One of the frights in the original was the catatonic grandfather suddenly becoming lucid and delivering a terrifying warning to Billy. Another was the rigidly uncompromising Mother Superior and her almost sadistic reliance on punishment. Yet both are absent from this reboot.
Billy’s grandfather is sickly in this new version, but his warning is delivered in a more caring and managed way. And following the death of his parents, Billy is relegated to an abusive foster mother.
This Isn’t The Story You Remember
Billy becomes host to another spirit, who talks him through his homicidal rampages. He also uses an advent calendar to memorialize his crimes, his companion spirit reminding him that if he doesn’t off the bad folk, he will turn his rage on the undeserving. And before each kill, a red screen outlines his objective, almost as if we are playing a video game.
There’s a myriad of other plots going, ranging from tacked on to absurd. Obviously I didn’t like this as much as Rotten Tomatoes, but maybe you might. Sure is plenty of gore, and some familiar kills. I will admit I felt a little enjoyment catching the obvious easter eggs in the film. I expect fans of the original will smile when they see these, but obviously I did not agree the 80% of the audience.
Final Thoughts
Plenty of festive horror out there, and I’d love to know your thoughts about these titles, or what you’re watching around this time. It’s been a rough year for some in the horror fam, and I wish you all a safe, happy and healthy holiday season, and all the best in 2026
Until next time…JK away
