SILENT NIGHT, ZOMBIE NIGHT -- DVD Review by Porfle

Originally posted on 10/25/11

 

With so many zombie movies out there, it's nice to come across one like SILENT NIGHT, ZOMBIE NIGHT (2009) that still has that old zing.  This low-budget indy may have been done with limited locations and resources, but it makes up for any such disadvantages by being both an interesting "people" story and a good old-fashioned undead blowout.

The cast are certainly up to the task--the lead performances are intriguing and fun to watch even when they don't display the kind of finesse that wins big, shiny awards.  Likewise for the script, which actually gives them some interesting dramatic scenes and scintillating character interplay along with the carnage.

Your classic love triangle forms the basis of the plot as two buddy cops, Frank Talbot (Jack Forcinito) and Nash Jackson (Andy Hopper), have a falling out over their mutual interest in Frank's lovely wife Sarah (Nadine Stenovitch).  Meanwhile, a zombie apocalypse is brewing right under their noses, which they seem blissfully unaware of until a little undead girl bites Andy in the foot and Frank shoots his toe off while dispatching her.  (Most of the best scenes between these two guys will occur during zombie attacks.)



Back at Andy's apartment, Frank and Sarah nurse him back to health while the zombies mill around outside and try to get in.  We find that Frank can be a huge S.O.B. but a very handy one to have around, with Forcinito playing the role in a casual and lighthearted way that makes the character likable.  Hopper and Stenovitch both play off him very well and have a good chemistry with each other as Andy and Sarah's illicit love inches toward consummation.  With her intense performance, Stenovitch in particular adds weight to the more serious side of the story.

Action-guy Frank can't resist loading up his shotgun and making a nocturnal foray into zombieland, resulting in some cool kills and an amusing passage in which he makes like Babe Ruth on a few skulls to the tune of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame."  (Elsewhere, Grieg's "In the Hall of the Mountain King" is also well used for comic effect.)  More human-type drama ensues when he runs across Jeffrey (Lew Temple) hiding out in his attic after his family has been killed.

Writer-director Sean Cain solves the eternal "fast zombie-slow zombie" dispute with some blah-blah scientific exposition that allows him to feature a pleasing combination of both.  The faster and smarter zombies are led by a snarling, leisure-suit-wearing used car dealer whose roving pack of voracious marauders supply much of the film's giddy menace.  The other zombies are nicely played with a variety of individual attributes in both appearance and behavior, all boasting some excellent makeups which make good use of prosthetics, airbrush, and contact lenses.



Vernon Wells ("Wez" of ROAD WARRIOR fame) and Felissa Rose (SLEEPAWAY CAMP) ramp things up big-time with their late appearance as part of a heavily-armed rescue group locating stray survivors.  Frank, naturally, manages to piss off even these good Samaritans, and his altercation with Felissa gives her an opportunity to deliver some of the best acting I've seen from her in years.  As for Wells--any time Wez shows up in your movie is a good time.

Sean Cain keeps the dramatic scenes interesting and the action scenes full of splattery fun, his lean directorial style perfectly complimented by the no-frills camerawork and editing.  Aside from some quick cuts of exploding heads, nasty bites, and a dismemberment or two, there really isn't a whole lot of over-the-top gore for its own sake, but the film is so suspenseful and the characters such fun to watch that I barely noticed.  Or maybe I really have become desensitized after all these years.

The DVD from Pacific Entertainment is in 16x9 widescreen with Dolby sound and subtitles in English and Spanish.  Extras include a commentary with director, producer, and cinematographer, deleted scenes, bloopers, trailers, and a brief Easter egg featuring Vernon Wells.

Neither exceedingly downbeat nor wisecrackingly frivolous, SILENT NIGHT, ZOMBIE NIGHT hits just the right tone from the start and just keeps getting better.  If you can appreciate the ambiance of a good B-movie with its heart in the right place, this lively zombie romp should be on your Christmas list.

SILENT NIGHT, ZOMBIE NIGHT -- DVD Review by Porfle

RED CHRISTMAS -- Blu-ray Review by Porfle

Originally posted on 10/17/17

 

We reviewed a barebones advance screener for RED CHRISTMAS back in August (see below) but today (October 17) it comes out on Blu-ray from Artsploitation Films and we've gotten the opportunity to take a gander at it. 

This seasonal slash-em-up is about a highly dysfunctional family (with America's sweetheart, Dee Wallace, as the harried matriarch) getting together like oil and water for an unconventional Christmas celebration with a surprise guest--Cletus, Mom's aborted fetus that survived, grew up, got real crazy, and is now out for either familial love or ruthless revenge, whichever comes first.

Needless to say, it's a raucous affair that serves to bring the disparate family members together at last, even as they're getting picked off one by one.

As for the Blu-ray--not only does it look and sound good enough to put you right in the Christmas spirit, but there are some lovely extras as well.  First up is director Craig Anderson's informal interview with a charming Dee Wallace, who manages to melt our hearts all over again as she speaks of working not only on this film but her previous classics (E.T., THE HOWLING, 10, etc.) as well. 

Next, Anderson and actor Sam Campbell ("Cletus") pop over to Gerald Odwyer's house to chat with him about his experiences playing "Gerry."  Again, it's all pleasantly casual and amusing, as well as informative.

Lastly comes a blooper reel, deleted scene, and brief clip of Odwyer and Anderson goofing around.  The latter two also handle the film's commentary, which is very scene-specific and enlightening.

The Blu-ray is in 2.25:1 widescreen with 5.1 surround sound.  English subtitles and closed-captions are available.

And now, here's our original review of the film itself:

A movie that might also have been called "When Abortions Attack!", RED CHRISTMAS (Artsploitation Films, 2016) is a pretty effective cautionary tale about what can happen if your viable aborted fetus is rescued by the guy who's about to blow up the abortion clinic, grows up into a twisted, deformed freak, and then returns as an adult on Christmas Day to wreak bloody revenge on his erstwhile mother and her comically dysfunctional family. 

Of course, any such film must star beloved genre queen Dee Wallace as the mom, who so desperately wants a traditional, happy family get-together despite having a woefully untraditional, unhappy family with absolutely no intention of getting together.  Her only solace is son Jerry (Gerard Odwyer), whose Downs Syndrome only makes him more special in Mommy's heart.

The rest of the clan includes the rebellious teen girl, her witheringly cynical and very, very pregnant older sister, the ultra-religious sister whose husband is a pious man of the cloth, and Mom's old-hippie brother who is forever puffing away on his medicinal marijuana. 

The prickly interactions amongst this motley bunch, spurred by various family issues and clashing personalities, would be sufficient for a twisted "Big Chill" sort of ensemble dramedy were it not for the fact that their ritual of exchanging gifts around the Christmas tree is interrupted by the entrance of one Cletus, an extremely creepy figure robed in black and wrapped from head to toe like a leper. 

Anyone who watches the abortion clinic prologue and then gets a load of Cletus should have very little trouble putting two and two together as well as mentally mapping out pretty much what territory the rest of RED CHRISTMAS is going to cover. 

All that's left to discover is who's gonna die in what order, how (and how bad) it's going to be, and whether or not first-time writer-director Craig Anderson will be able to make it entertaining for us jaded old slasher-flick junkies. 

Of course, the movie has already proven itself absorbing and fun thanks to good dialogue and performances and a pleasing overall look which includes nicely creative use of color and camera movement. 

Once the axe hits the skull and Cletus starts racking up his body count, the story goes into high gear and keeps us on our toes even though most of the plot's twists and turns cover pretty familiar ground. 
Granted, things start to lag a bit in the second half, but remain generally engaging enough to keep us wanting to see what happens next.  The kills range from teasing glimpses to graphic gore (although this isn't really a gorehound's dream) while our fleeting glimpse of Cletus sans facial bandages drives home the pleasingly retro nature of the film's practical effects. 

The tone is mock serious, with any humor that's inherent in the script kept utterly deadpan and never overt, which I like.  I also like the fact that the premise is so refreshingly different from the usual teens-in-a-cabin or campers-in-the-woods slasher fare while retaining the better elements of such films.

Mainly, though, RED CHRISTMAS lets us enjoy watching the wonderful Dee Wallace giving her all in a great role while fun and entertaining murder, mayhem, and carnage ensue all around her.  It's enough to give horror fans a little taste of Christmas right here in the middle of August.
 


Red Christmas (Official Trailer)

RED CHRISTMAS -- Blu-ray Review by Porfle

CHASING CHRISTMAS -- Movie Review by Porfle

Originally posted on 11/18/10

 

Here's the deal: the Bureau of Yuletide Affairs constantly monitors everyone, looking for people who hate Christmas so that they can send the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future into action. Charles Dickens was one of their former targets, and he wrote a fictionalized account of the experience in "A Christmas Carol", but don't mention that book around the Bureau because they find it an unflattering depiction of their organization.

Anyway, in CHASING CHRISTMAS (2005), the latest focus of their efforts is Jack Cameron (Tom Arnold), a divorced father who despises Christmas because, seven years earlier, he caught his former wife Alison (played by the MILF-tastic Sarah-Jane Redmond of "Smallville" and "Millenium") fooling around with their dentist in the coatroom during their daughter Suzanne's Christmas play. In an early scene, two cute little kids notice that Jack doesn't have any Christmas decorations around his house so they cheerfully give him one of theirs, a happy plastic snowman which Jack gratefully places out in the street so a truck can run over it. At the coat factory that he owns, an employee is shocked to find that he's no longer donating their irregulars to the homeless at Christmas, selling them instead to the Guatemalan army. "They don't care if the epaulets are upside-down or not," he tells her. "They're not a very good army--they'll probably only wear 'em once, anyway."

So, with Jack's Scrooge-ness well established, it looks like we're in store for yet another "A Christmas Carol" variant with few surprises along the way. Indeed, at the stroke of seven on Christmas Eve, the Ghost Of Christmas Past shows up in Jack's livingroom just as he's downing a large glass of Scotch and watching non-seasonal shows on TV. Past is played by Leslie Jordan, who used to be Lonnie Garr on "Hearts Afire" and has appeared in numerous other movies and TV shows ("Will & Grace", "Boston Legal", "Boston Public", JASON GOES TO HELL, HERO). You'd know him if you saw him--he's about four feet tall and he's pretty funny. But when he hurls a reluctant Jack over the couch and launches him down the front stairs to get him motivated, we detect that something seems to be bothering him.

Zipping back to 1965, they visit Jack's boyhood home on Christmas Eve, beginning the usual "A Christmas Carol" guilt-trip cycle. But Past is fed up with all that--he yearns to be human, smoke cigarettes, drink alky-hol, chase babes, and stay forever in his beloved past. So, going off-mission a tad, he smashes his "snowflake of invisibility" in order to become human (don't ask), knocks Jack out with a holiday snowglobe, ties him to a chair with a string of decorative lights, and scampers off into the night. It's at this point, you might guess, that the story begins to veer off from the usual "A Christmas Carol" template and become somewhat less predictable.

The Ghost Of Christmas Present is called into action ahead of schedule and sent to the scene to perform damage control before the timeline is irrevocably altered. But first, her "snowflake of invisibility" must also be smashed so that she can become human, too. (Really, it's just better not to ask.) Present is a tall, blonde babe, which I found to distinctly increase this movie's watchability. She is played by a tall, blonde actress named Andrea Roth, who has also been in a whole bunch of other stuff ("Rescue Me", "CSI", THE PERFECT HUSBAND). Her character doesn't know anything about the past, only the present ("Where's Madonna right now?" Jack asks her. "In the bathroom," she replies.)

In their quest to track down Past across various time periods, she'll experience things she's never known before, such as getting drunk, disco dancing, and falling in love. That's right--she falls in love with Jack, as if you didn't already see that coming. (I think it happens while they're in the hot tub.) And Jack gets to see himself not only as a little boy (played by the hilarious Zak Ludwig in an all-too-brief scene), but during his ski-lodge honeymoon ("I was BORING!" he groans), where he also discovers that Alison was already cheating on him with a low-forehead hunk in the bar while he was in their room watching IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE.

And somehow during it all, Jack learns the true meaning of Christmas, although I didn't really understand exactly how all that frantic chasing around caused this to happen. "God bless us every one!" is shoehorned in at the end, as well as the standard "Scrooge transformed" ending, but I just didn't get that Christmas vibe--which leads me to doubt that CHASING CHRISTMAS will ever become any kind of modern seasonal tradition along the lines of A CHRISTMAS STORY, or even THE SANTA CLAUSE.

But it is fun and fairly entertaining, and I didn't regret sitting through it. I'm a fan of Tom Arnold (although I never understood the whole Rosanne thing) and a non-raunchy, family-friendly Tom is still funny. I like his comedy persona, which seemed to come into full fruition as Ah-nuld's sidekick in TRUE LIES, and which easily keeps this ABC Family TV production enjoyable throughout. Just don't expect to get all misty-eyed and start reaching for the eggnog when he jumps around at the end screaming "Merry Christmas, everybody!"

CHASING CHRISTMAS -- Movie Review by Porfle

A CINDERELLA STORY: CHRISTMAS WISH -- Blu-ray/DVD Review by Porfle

(Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of the Blu-ray I reviewed in this blog post. The opinions I share are my own.)


Originally posted on 10/25/19

 

Much of the success of a "Cinderella" story depends on how much we hate her wicked stepmother and two wicked stepsisters, while at the same time finding them perversely funny. We also have to like the title character enough to root for her to win out over those three harpies and find true love with her Prince Charming.

In that, 2019's A CINDERELLA STORY: CHRISTMAS WISH (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment) fills in the blanks quite nicely, with Johannah Newmarch (POLARIS, "Stargate: SG-1") as stepmother Deirdre Decker, along with Lillian Doucet-Roche and Chanelle Peloso as the jarringly misnamed stepsisters Joy and Grace, horrify us with their selfishness, vanity, and deviousness yet still delight with their comically overdrawn characters and addlebrained bungling.

As Kat Decker, Laura Marano ("Austin & Ally", SAVING ZOE) fills the "Cinderella" role likably enough, going about the thankless task of waiting hand and foot on her step-monsters while holding down a job as a performing elf at Santa Land, all the while keeping as cheerful and upbeat as possible as she dreams of someday becoming a famous singer and performing her own songs for an adoring public.

Romance is another concern, one which is hampered by her becoming an object of internet ridicule when Joy posts a video in her vlog of Kat making a clumsy fool of herself in front of the town's most eligible bachelor, the handsome and charming Dominic Wintergarden (Gregg Sulkin, "Runaways").

As fate would have it, Dominic plays Santa at the store where Kat works, but she doesn't know it's him because he never takes off his beard at work. 

Naturally, they fall in love for all the right reasons, and as we can all guess by now Kat will get invited to a big gala thrown by Dominic's billionaire dad. But as we can also surmise, wicked stepmother finds a way to steal Kat's invitation and crash the party along with Joy and Grace, who all have designs on snaring one of the Wintergarden men as their own. 

All of this is about as lightweight and breezy as can be, and just as easy to take if one's expectations are no higher than your average teen or tween looking for something fun and vaguely identifiable to watch.

The movie looks bright and colorful, the leads are attractive and chipper, and the baddies are cartoonishly evil. (In my case, it helps that one of the wicked stepsisters resembles Miley Cyrus.)

With the help of Kat's devoted best friend Isla (Isabella Gomez, "One Day At a Time"), who assumes the "Fairy Godmother" role by making a beautiful gown for the gala and encouraging Kat every step of the way, our "Cinderella" gets her big chance for happiness when she ends up singing one of her own compositions for the high-tone audience.

Music plays a major role throughout the rest of the story as well, with Laura Marano and fellow castmembers performing a series of heavily-autotuned pop songs which, while totally forgettable, at least keep things bouncing along pleasantly enough.

Director and co-writer Michelle Johnston, an actress and dancer in such films as A CHORUS LINE and CHICAGO, ably follows up her 2016 effort entitled "A Cinderella Story: If the Shoe Fits."

The 2-disc set from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment contains both the Blu-ray and DVD versions of the movie plus a code for digital download. Extras consist of two featurettes, "The Look and Costumes of 'A Christmas Wish'" and "The Mic and The Stage", as well as trailers for other releases.

As teen-oriented musical rom-coms go, this one is about as wispy as cotton candy but equally sweet and easy to swallow.  A CINDERELLA STORY: CHRISTMAS WISH does what it aims to do: make us root for "Cinderella", hate her wicked step-harpies (while laughing at them), and feel good when "Prince Charming" sweeps her off her feet.



#CinderellaChristmas

Region: Region A/1 (Read more about DVD/Blu-ray formats.)
Number of discs: 2
Rated:PG/Parental Guidance Suggested
Studio: Warner Brothers
DVD Release Date: October 29, 2019
Run Time: 93 minutes


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MUSIC VIDEO:

A CINDERELLA STORY: CHRISTMAS WISH -- Blu-ray/DVD Review by Porfle

Yes, Virginia...There Is A Santa Claus

 

(Originally posted on 12/21/14. MoviesAndMore offers are no longer valid.)

 

"YES. VIRGINIA, THERE IS A SANTA CLAUS"

Our Season's Gift To You...
The Iconic 1897 Editorial That Continues to Bring Holiday Joy

On September 21 1897, the New York Sun published what was to become history's most reprinted newspaper editorial. The letter from eight-year old Virginia O'Hanlon of New York City and the quick response from veteran newsman Francis Pharcellus Church has appeared whole or in part in dozens of languages in newspapers, books, movies, on posters, stamps and the internet.


DEAR EDITOR

I am eight years old.

Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Poppa says "if you see it in the Sun it's so." Please tell me the truth.

Is there a Santa Claus?

Virginia O'Hanlon
115 West 95th Street
New York City, NY

VIRGINIA, YOUR LITTLE FRIENDS ARE WRONG.

They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age.

They do not believe except what hey see. They think nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's are little. In this great universe of ours, man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, Virginia there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist and you know that they abound and give your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas, how dreary would the world be if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus? You might as well not believe in fairies. You might get your Papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not vthere. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You may tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes that noise inside, but there is a vieil covering the the unseen world which not the strongest men, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance can push aside the curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all the world there is nothing else as real and abiding.

No Santa Claus?

Thank God he lives and lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

------------------------

This week's features:

It's simple mathematics, really. As the days leading to the holidays become fewer and fewer, stress levels become higher and higher. All the more reason to take a break with some of the most enjoyable films ever made. To name just four of the treats MoviesAndMore.tv has in store.

Check Coming Attractions for dates and times (ET) for these features as well as for all the great free films on MoviesAndMore.tv.

Copyright © 20XX. All Rights Reserved.

Yes, Virginia...There Is A Santa Claus

CAESAR AND OTTO'S DEADLY XMAS -- Movie Review by Porfle

(Originally posted on 8/28/12)


When we last checked in with those wacky half-brothers Caesar and Otto, they were frantically eluding the bloody clutches of a serial killer in CAESAR & OTTO'S SUMMER CAMP MASSACRE and trying not to get sued by the Prince of Darkness himself in CAESAR & OTTO MEET DRACULA'S LAWYER.  Now, with CAESAR AND OTTO'S DEADLY XMAS (2012), even "the most wonderful time of the year" becomes a nightmare of horror and hilarity for our dauntless dim-bulbs.

Directing his own screenplay (from a story co-written with Joe Randazzo) in his usual frenetic and wildly inventive style, indy auteur Dave Campfield once again stars as "effete tough guy" Caesar Denovio, a whirling dervish of cowardly aggression who fancies himself a great actor even though he bungles even the tiniest bit parts (such as "Waiter" or "Background Pedestrian").

Caesar constantly bullies and beats up on his much larger but mild-mannered half-brother Otto (Paul Chomicki), an unemployed "sponge" living in Caesar's apartment.  Together, Campfield and Chomicki form a comedy team that harkens back to such classic duos as Abbott & Costello and Ren & Stimpy, but with their own amusingly unique style.

Several elements from SUMMER CAMP MASSACRE are carried over here, including Caesar and Otto's quest for employment leading them into the manipulative clutches of the deceptively pleasant Jerry (Ken MacFarlane), who now heads an evil organization called XMas Enterprises.  Caesar gets to display his bad-acting chops again, this time failing his audition to play Santa due to a childhood trauma caused by crazy Grandpa Denovio (a hilarious cameo by Troma's Lloyd Kaufman).

There's a road trip complete with endearingly bad (if not impossible) process shots, along with another of Caesar's BABY JANE-style attacks on Otto as they compete for the same acting role.  The suspenseful climax recalls that of the previous film, with Caesar, Otto, and their dad Fred in grave peril at the hands of Jerry and his minions.

One of the most delightfully funny new wrinkles in DEADLY XMAS is when Caesar gets the chance to write, direct, and star in his very own low-budget horror film (financed by XMas Enterprises) which, of course, is a disaster.  "Hand-hold it, the shakier the better!" he says gleefully during one scene.  "That's, like, never done in independent films!"

 

Other returning castmembers include Robin Ritter as Nurse Helen, Avi K. Garg as the plucky Drew (who remains upbeat even though he keeps losing his arms and having them reattached), Scott Aguilar as Caesar and Otto's no-good but lovable dad Fred, Summer Ferguson as Otto's boyhood love interest Allison, Keith Bush as the Caesar-hating chief of police, Dawn Burdue, Jen Nikolaus, and Derek Crabbe. 

Felissa Rose (SLEEPAWAY CAMP), Martin Sheen's brother Joe Estevez, and scream queens Brinke Stevens and Debbie Rochon make their customary cameo appearances, while Linnea Quigley plays Caesar's crabby agent Donna and recreates her celebrated death scene from 1984's SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT.

Felissa's husband Deron Miller, who had a much smaller role in SUMMER CAMP MASSACRE, plays Santa-clad serial killer Demian, a crazed lackey of XMas Enterprises who becomes fixated on our heroes and starts killing off everyone on the "called to cancel" list for Caesar's annual Thanksgiving feast (which features pretzel sticks, popcorn, and toast on picnic plates).  Demian's axe-wielding exploits supply the film with most of its over-the-top comedic gore, aside from a dream sequence in which a mortified Caesar gets drenched from head to toe in the red stuff while Santa dismembers Otto with a chainsaw.

Once again, Dave Campfield is able to overcome a rock-bottom budget simply by means of creative directing, camerawork, and editing (the latter is especially good), along with sound design and a hyperkinetic pace which recall classic theatrical cartoons.  In addition to this, the cast is brimming with talented performers rather than, as in so many low-budget features, a bunch of nitwits thrown together on the cheap.  There's a lot of good comic acting going on here, with each castmember seemingly inspired by the project.

This is especially true in regard to Campfield himself, who, given the right resources, has (in my opinion) the potential to develop into one of the sharpest and most visually creative comedy filmmakers working today.  While still suffering from a lack of polish that a decent budget would solve, his "Caesar and Otto" series has its own distinctly warped slapstick style and sensibility in the same way that, say, the Zucker Brothers' comedies do.  I'm not saying Dave Campfield is the next Buster Keaton, but I think ol' Stone Face might've gotten a few good laughs out of CAESAR AND OTTO'S DEADLY XMAS.

caesarandotto.com

Caesar & Otto’s Deadly Xmas--Fun Facts and Trivia

Story: With the holiday season approaching, Caesar and Otto find themselves employed at X-Mas Enterprises Inc., where a disgruntled employee wearing a Santa suit has begun a killing spree, and has appeared to have found himself the perfect patsies.

Cast: Dave Campfield, Paul Chomicki, Deron Miller, Ken Macfarlane, Summer Ferguson, Brinke Stevens, Scott Aguilar with special appearances from Lloyd Kaufman, Felissa Rose, Debbie Rochon, Joe Estevez and Linnea Quigley.


Trivia

The film is part spoof of 1984’s Silent Night, Deadly Night, and features many direct homages. Most notably, Linnea Quigley being impaled upon antlers.

Lloyd Kaufman’s appearance is a direct spoof of an opening scene from Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984).

Deadly Xmas is a sequel to Caesar & Otto’s Summer Camp Massacre, which lampooned “Sleep away Camp” (1983). Summer Camp featured Felissa Rose in a role that parodied her Angela character from the original.

Deron Miller, who portrays Demian in this feature, was lead singer of the hit rock group, CKY.

Deron Miller and Felissa Rose play husband and wife in the film. In real life they in fact are.

Neil Leeds is in fact a local Los Angeles celebrity known for his around the clock television ads as Leeds Mattress owner and spokesperson.

Preproduction has begun on the next installment, which will satirize both Halloween and the Paranormal Activity movies.

Intended to be a modern day throw back to the Abbott and Costello horror/comedy crossovers of yesteryear.

 

CAESAR AND OTTO'S DEADLY XMAS -- Movie Review by Porfle

SILENT NIGHT -- DVD Review by Porfle

 

Originally posted on 11/29/12

 

I'm not sure who first had the idea of turning Santa Claus into a psycho killer, but I do recall sitting at the drive-in and thrilling to the sight of a not-so-saintly Saint Nick menacing Joan Collins in the original TALES FROM THE CRYPT.  Later, the home video age allowed me to witness Linnea Quigley's celebrated antler-skewering in 1984's SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT in the comfort of my own recliner.  And now, with Anchor Bay's release of SILENT NIGHT (2012) on DVD, the jolly old elf with the axe and the attitude problem stalks the snow-swept streets yet again.

The pre-title sequence gets things off to a nice start with some teasing glimpses of Psycho Santa gearing up to go medieval on a couple of squirming home-invasion captives.  One guy's harrowing electrocution, complete with exploding eyeballs, gives us a foretaste of the film's generous gore content which will include plenty of slashings, choppings, piercings, dismemberments, and other mischief all done with old school 80s-style practical effects. 

Strangely enough, though, we've seen all this stuff so many times before that even the ghastliest effects have a "been there, done that" quality.  It's the staging of the mysterious killer Santa's attacks that makes the difference, with director Steven C. Miller doing his best to inject new life into very familiar situations.  He's already shown that he can do horror on a small budget (AUTOMATON TRANSFUSION) and handle action scenes with skill (THE AGGRESSION SCALE). 

Here, both are done with Miller's usual competence, although little that happens is original or over-the-top enough to really impress us on the level of, say, HALLOWEEN--which this movie resembles a bit in its earlier scenes of a placid Midwestern town lazily gearing up for a holiday amidst ominous glimpses of a murderous masked intruder.  As slasher killers go, this hulking Santa with the plastic mask has the size and imposing bearing for the job, yet lacks the personality needed to make him truly memorable in the "Michael Myers" vein.

Jaime King, who was the beautiful Goldie in SIN CITY, does a fine job in a non-glamorous role as a woman who actually looks like she might be a smalltown deputy.  Having just lost her husband, she's getting moral support from her parents over the holidays but is called in to work when Deputy Jordan (Brendan Fehr, COMEBACK SEASON) fails to show up--for reasons we're already aware of. 

As the killings escalate and a Santa-suited slasher is identified as the main suspect, the investigation is made doubly difficult by a plethora of Saint Nicks wandering the streets in preparation for the big Christmas parade.  Red herrings and false leads abound, including Donal Logue as an amusingly cynical fake-Santa who likes to make the kiddies cry by telling them the truth about Christmas.  Playing a crotchety old sheriff who looks forward to dealing with something exciting for a change, Malcolm McDowell is a welcome presence and seems to enjoy lending this earnest little horror flick some name value.

King's acting talent is given full range as her character's vulnerability and shaky self-confidence are evident in a series of close calls with suspects and some disturbing crime scenes including the murder of a little girl (who, as we see earlier, is an insufferable brat who richly deserves her fate!)  Equally shocking ends are in store for a stereotypically lecherous priest and an even more stereotypically sex-crazed teen couple whose lusty liason is rudely interrupted.  (The latter includes a direct homage to SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT that echoes a similar re-enactment by Linnea Quigley herself in CAESAR AND OTTO'S DEADLY XMAS.)

The gore effects are hokey but fun, with a crudely inventive woodchipper scene being perhaps the most genuinely unpleasant sequence.
Miller uses his modest budget to good effect and his movie looks pretty good (the Christmas ambience is especially well done) except for when the camera starts spazzing out during the murder scenes.  A frenetic flamethrower finale inside the police station isn't all that exciting but is rather impressively staged. 

The DVD from Anchor Bay is in 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen with Dolby 5.1 soun and subtitles in English and Spanish.  Extras consist of some deleted scenes and a brief behind-the-scenes featurette.

Like most good yuletide horror movies, SILENT NIGHT is melancholy and atmospheric, and actually generates a bit of Christmas spirit with which to contrast its brutal carnage.  While in no danger of becoming a perennial cult favorite along the lines of BLACK CHRISTMAS, and not particularly memorable in general, it's a morbidly fun way to pass the time while waiting for your chestnuts to roast.

SILENT NIGHT -- DVD Review by Porfle

HOLLIDAYSBURG -- Movie Review by Porfle

 

Originally posted on 2/12/15

 

During the Starz reality series "The Chair" (in which two first-time directors are given the same script to shoot) I was skeptical about the kind of film Anna Martemucci was going to come up with as opposed to her competitor, YouTube star Shane Dawson (NOT COOL). From what I could see during the documentary footage of the shoot, it appeared she was doggedly marching right through standard touchy-feely chick-flick territory and hitting all the usual stops along the way.

After watching HOLLIDAYSBURG (2014), however, I'm happy to say I couldn't have been more wrong. What didn't come across during the TV series--which, naturally, played up Martemucci's less decisive and self-confident moments for dramatic effect--is what a firm grasp she had over the visual and emotional effect she was going for during the film's sometimes difficult gestation process. Despite a few minor missteps, it's a genuinely solid and professional-looking effort.

The lead roles are well-acted by a cast of relative unknowns. Tobin Mitnick has an easygoing charm as Scott, who returns from college to his hometown for Thanksgiving only to find that his mom has moved to Florida (he stays in the almost-empty family home with his brother Phil, played by Martemucci's brother-in-law and filmmaking partner, Philip Quinaz) and that being Mr. Popular in high school doesn't mean as much when school is over.

Having just been dumped by his flighty girlfriend Heather (Claire Chapelli)--during sex, no less--Scott quickly falls for another returning classmate, Tori (Rachel Keller in another appealing performance), whom he had always ignored before. Their quickie and rather rocky romance is further complicated when Scott's friend Petroff (Tristan Erwin) falls into an improbable relationship with Heather.

None of this is exactly earth-shaking, and the film's humor is understated to say the least, but it's kind of nice to watch a low-key character comedy that isn't just a series of gags. While it takes a little time to start getting familiar with (and caring) about these characters, I found myself settling into it and enjoying it without really trying too hard.

The comedy sort of sneaks up on you at times and rarely seems forced. A highlight is the pep-talk monologue by likable loser Mitch (Brian Shoaf), who's currently romancing Heather's mom, in which he clumsily tries to cheer her up after she decides not to go to college. Other "Thanksgiving with the folks" bits of business are funny as well.

I wasn't aware that Anna Martemucci was playing a role (as Tori's sister, Courtney) since I don't remember it even being mentioned during her scenes in "The Chair" (maybe I missed it). Anyway, it's a small part and she does a good job in front of the camera. Her brother-in-law Philip is likable as Phil, who spends most of the movie in the kitchen, obsessively trying to bake pumpkin pies the way his dad used to.

Happily, after following the making of this film during "The Chair", I find that Martemucci shows a distinct flair for directing. The film looks really good for its budget, with good cinematography and great use of Pittsburgh locations. Ultimately I was very impressed with the surehanded and skillful job she has done here--her camera placement, handling of actors, and command of other filmmaking elements to create a visually pleasing and emotionally resonant comedy-drama are pretty much impeccable.

I was quite pleasantly surprised that I liked HOLLIDAYSBURG as much as I did--it goes down easy, with no unpleasant aftertaste. The ending is rather poignant, even a tad haunting, without overdoing it. In fact, nothing about the film seems overdone. Like Phil's final batch of experimental pumpkin pies, it came out just right.

Read our review of NOT COOL
Read our review of THE CHAIR

 

HOLLIDAYSBURG -- Movie Review by Porfle

A Very SEXY Christmas Surprise! (video)

 

To all the readers who have been kind enough to follow us over the years...

...here's our very special SEXY Christmas surprise just for you!

Enjoy! And Merry Christmas!


Music by The Dukes of Dixieland and Carmen Dragon

I neither own nor claim any rights to this material.  Just having some fun with it.  Thanks for watching!

A Very SEXY Christmas Surprise! (video)

Vampire Holiday Horror "RED SNOW" On VOD, Digital and DVD 12/28/21 -- Watch Trailer HERE!

 

Vampire, Holiday Horror

"RED SNOW"

Arrives On VOD, Digital and DVD December 28, 2021

 

“Red Snow might just be your new favorite vampire movie for the holidays.” - Nightmare on Film Street
 “Pumps fresh blood into the vampire romance genre” - iHorror
“A fun and fast paced story” - Killer Horror Critic
“Misery meets The Lost Boys” - Horror News
“Comfort food for the soul” - Nightmarish Conjurings 

A struggling vampire romance novelist must defend herself against real-life vampires during Christmas in Lake Tahoe.

When an injured bat transforms into a handsome vampire, struggling horror novelist Olivia Romo hides him in her garage to protect him from a vampire hunter. Besotted by the creature, she feeds him animal blood, but any chance of romance is soon thwarted when a gang of fellow bloodsuckers invade her home in search of their missing friend.

 

WATCH THE TRAILER:

 

Release Date: December 28, 2021 (DVD, VOD, & Digital)
Written/Directed By: Sean Nichols Lynch
Produced By: Alrik Bursell

Starring: Dennice Cisneros, Nico Bellamy, Laura Kennon
Distributor: 4Digital Media
Production Company: 26th Ave Films, Bursell Productions, Evolve Media Production

 

 

Genre: Horror
Rating: N/A
Language: English
Runtime: 80 minutes
Aspect Ratio: 2.39.1
Audio: 5.1 and 2.0

Vampire Holiday Horror "RED SNOW" On VOD, Digital and DVD 12/28/21 -- Watch Trailer HERE!

Netflix's "A BOY CALLED CHRISTMAS" Coming Nov. 24

 

Netflix Presents

"A BOY CALLED CHRISTMAS"

 Release Date Wednesday, Nov. 24


An ordinary young boy called Nikolas sets out on an extraordinary adventure into the snowy north in search of his father who is on a quest to discover the fabled village of the elves, Elfhelm. 

Taking with him a headstrong reindeer called Blitzen and a loyal pet mouse, Nikolas soon meets his destiny in this magical, comic and endearing story that proves nothing is impossible. 

Adapted from the bestselling book by Matt Haig.

Netflix Release Date: Wednesday, November 24
Director: Gil Kenan
Writer: Ol Parker, Gil Kenan, based on A Boy Called Christmas by Matt Haig
Producers: Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin

 

Cast: Henry Lawfull, Toby Jones, Sally Hawkins, Kristen Wiig, Michiel Huisman, Zoe Colletti, Stephen Merchant, Joel Fry, Rune Temte, with Jim Broadbent, and Maggie Smith 

Netflix's "A BOY CALLED CHRISTMAS" Coming Nov. 24

Cyber Monday Sale At Icarus Films! 50% off Blu-rays and Box Sets!

 

Cyber Monday Sale!
50% OFF BOX SETS AND BLU-RAYS!

SALE BEGINS MONDAY, 11/30
MUST ORDER BY THURSDAY, 12/3!

Blu-rays and box sets from Chris Marker,
Chantal Akerman, Patricio Guzman, and more!

USE PROMO CODE SAVE50
AT CHECKOUT

Icarus Films is here to make your holiday shopping a little easier and safer with our Blu-rays and box sets sale! We are digging deep and offering 50% off some of our most popular titles. 

Experience Patricio Guzmán beautiful and award-winning new film THE CORDILLERA OF DREAMS, check out four unforgettable works by a legend in cinema with CHANTAL AKERMAN, FOUR FILMS, or explore Chris Marker's celebration of philosophy and ideas with our smash hit THE OWL'S LEGACY. All this and more!
 
50% off Box Sets!
Six Films by Nikolaus Geyrhalter
Five Films by Patricio Guzman
Chris Marker's The Owl's Legacy
Eight Films by Jean Rouch
Capitalism: A Six-Part Series
The Battle of Chile
12 Days: Three Films by Raymond Depardon
Bill Morrison: Collected Works
Chantal Akerman, Four Films
Middletown

50% off Blu-rays!
The Cordillera of Dreams
Minute Bodies: The Intimate World of F. Percy Smith
The Way Things Go
Our Daily Bread
Olivia
Nostalgia for the Light
Bill Morrison's Decasia
 
Questions? Contact Us!
caitlin@icarusfilms.com

On behalf of all of us at Icarus Films, be safe and well, and happy holidays!

Cyber Monday Sale At Icarus Films! 50% off Blu-rays and Box Sets!

Mark Your Calendar for These December Joe Bob Events!

 

JOE BOB SAVES CHRISTMAS

A Last Drive-in Holiday Double Feature

 

 

 

Hosted by Joe Bob Briggs

Friday, December 11

Streaming only on Shudder

9 p.m. Eastern/6 p.m. Pacific

 

See Joe Bob in person and do some holiday shopping the day after the Last Drive-in special at the Spooky Empire December Pop Up Event! It's December 12-13 at the Wyndham Orlando Resort; tickets are limited and can only be purchased online.

Tickets for Spooky Empire December Pop Up Event

Mark Your Calendar for These December Joe Bob Events!

MGM & Fox Titles Just in Time for the Holiday Season

Holiday Blu-Ray/DVD News From MGM & Fox:

MGM & Fox just made this holiday season a whole lot more fun!

"Your Movies. Your Moments."

MGM & Fox have some of the coolest movies you could ever imagine, all perfect for your Holiday Gift Guide suggestions. Whether it's for Mom, Dad, or the kiddies, they've got you covered with a wide assortment of titles perfect for every member of the family.

Below you will find a great selection of affordable classics that are available in stores now.


Celebrate the Holidays! Great films for the whole family!
The Home Alone Collection: Includes Home Alone & Home Alone 2 on Blu-ray
The Christmas Collection: All-new 4-disc Blu-ray collection
The Holiday Classics Collection: All new 2-disc Blu-ray collection
All Dogs Christmas Carol
All Dogs Go to Heaven
Pink Panther Christmas
Prancer
Blizzard
March of the Wooden Soldiers
The Bishop's Wife
The Secret of Nimh
The Greatest Story Ever Told
Luther


Family Favorites! Family classics and friendly franchises!
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Night at the Museum
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
Ice Age
Ice Age: The Meltdown
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
Horton Hears a Who
Alvin and the Chipmunks
Strawberry Shortcake: The Glimmery Ball Movie
Strawberry Shortcake: Berrywood Here We Come


MGM Classics! Must own titles in every genre!
Rocky, Rocky II, Rocky III, Rocky IV, Rocky V
Robocop Trilogy
Rocky: The Undisputed Collection Blu-ray
James Bond Collection: Volumes 1, 2, & 3
Cher: The Film Collection
The Sergio Leone Anthology
The Man with No Name Blu-ray Box Set


MGM Blu-ray+DVD Combo Packs! You get the best of both worlds!
Showgirls: 15th Anniversary Sinsational Edition
The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly
The Graduate
The Princess Bride
Rocky

MGM & Fox Titles Just in Time for the Holiday Season

CHFB Forum Gives Readers the Bird For Thanksgiving!!!

Hey, it looks as though the lovesick Frankenstein monster and his unwilling bride got together after all!

Either that, or the delightfully twisted imagination of artist Kerry "Count Gamula" Gammill has come up with yet another great seasonal banner for the Classic Horror Film Board, this time a wickedly amusing take-off on Norman Rockwell's famous Thanksgiving painting.

As a grandmotherly Elsa Lanchester parks the bird on the table, you can almost hear Boris Karloff intoning in his familiar low, growling voice: "We belong fed." Let's just hope nobody bites into that monstrous turkey and screams: "It's ALIVE!!!"

Here's to a Happy Thanksgiving in the House of Frankenstein--and we here at HK and Cult Film News join the CHFB in hoping you and yours had one in your house, too!

CHFB Forum Gives Readers the Bird For Thanksgiving!!!

Silent Night, Deadly Night Cover Art

Get Silent Night, Deadly Night at Amazon.com and help support HK and CULT FILM NEWS.

Silent Night, Deadly Night Cover Art

Celebrate the Holidays with Santa Killing People Old School Style: Silent Night, Deadly Night!

Get Silent Night, Deadly Night at Amazon.com and help support HK and CULT FILM NEWS.

I wonder if it will have the awesome original box art I used to see in video stores back in the day (I've never seen the film..yet). Still its an example of how good marketing can create a long term consumer impression. Wonder how it stacks up to both of the Black Christmas movies which I also haven't seen. I'll check with my contacts about what art will be used. I always wondered as a Jew if these movies were made as by other Jews as our revenge for nothing being open besides movie theaters on Christmas day ;).

This holiday season, Anchor Bay knows who’s been naughty and who’s been nice

… and who’s going to end up on ice!

In the autumn of 1984, a low-budget horror thriller was released that ignited a firestorm of international controversy. The film was Silent Night, Deadly Night, and for more than a generation, it has remained one of the most hotly debated films in the horror genre.

On December 11th, Anchor Bay Entertainment, the industry leader in horror home entertainment, will re-release this unforgettable horror classic, decked out with all-new holiday-themed cover art that truly spreads good cheer…with a few screams! SRP is $14.98, with pre-book on November 8th.

Even before Silent Night, Deadly Night was officially released, protestors lined up to loudly decry a movie portraying Santa Claus as a deranged, axe-wielding killer. The unexpected furor so caught the original distributor off-guard that it hastily yanked the film from theaters, virtually guaranteeing a fast death at the box office. Years later, when the controversy died down and the film was released to the home video market, Silent Night, Deadly Night became the cult classic it is today, having spawned no less than four sequels, with a remake currently in development.

Years ago, little Billy saw his parents murdered by an escaped killer wearing a Santa Claus costume. The experience left indelible scars on his psyche, made all the worse by his subsequent years languishing in an orphanage, where his life was made a living hell by the cruel and domineering Mother Superior (Lilyan Chauvin, Universal Soldier).

With the help of the sympathetic Sister Margaret (Gilmer McCormick, Slaughterhouse-Five, Starting Over), the 18-year-old Billy (Robert Brian Wilson, “Search for Tomorrow”) secures a job at a toy store. But when the store’s regular Santa is injured, Billy is called upon to don the red suit. But as he does, he becomes a ticking time bomb. The traumatic memories of his parents’ murders, combined with the abuse he has suffered at the hands of the Mother Superior, propel him into a state of psychotic rage. Santa Claus is coming to town, and he’s got murder on his mind...

The film also features a notable appearance by legendary “scream queen” Linnea Quigley (Return of the Living Dead, Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers). Silent Night, Deadly Night was directed by Emmy Award nominee Charles E. Sellier Jr. (producer of Breaking the Da Vinci Code, “Encounters With the Unexplained” and the cult classics Hangar 18 and The Boogens).

Bonus features:

• Theatrical Trailer
• TV Spot
• Interview with Director Charles E. Sellier Jr.

SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT

Street Date: December 11, 2007

Catalog #: DV15258

UPC #: 0 1313 15258-9 2

Run Time: 85 Minutes

Rating: Unrated

SRP : $14.98

Celebrate the Holidays with Santa Killing People Old School Style: Silent Night, Deadly Night!