25 Days of Horror
Week one
This week was full of murderous maniacs and slaughtering santas, it was glorious. We kicked off the list off with a release on Shudder “It’s a wonderful Knife”. This was a spin on It’s a wonderful life if that wasn’t obvious by the title. We specifically didn’t look int the film beforehand so it would be all fresh so we didn’t actually know that going in. Trailers give away way too much these days so we try to avoid them. We always love our man Justin Long. He kills it every time and this is no exception, although not our favorite character he’s played he was definitely creepy. The vibe is super festive so thats nice, trees, snow, the whole town is decorated and it sets the tone for sure. The movie looks like somebody put a bright and filter over it and it took some adjusting. The gore factor could’ve been more for us but overall it was a fun watch. The end goes a little off the rails but we try not to judge a horror movie by the ending too much.
Christmas Bloody Christmas was the next up and that movie also looks like there is a filter over it but or this one its a gritty one, which i find i like a little better. If you can get past all the “fucks” that the main character spews the movie does get to be worth watching, the Christmas vibe is strong which is nice but the dialog leaves some to be desired. It kinda seems like at times there was no script and they actors were just vibing but it did create a very relaxed tone so maybe that is what they were going for. When the action starts it gets pretty fun kinda like a Robocop Evil Santa mixed with Michael Myers vibes because he just wont die! It ends in fiery explosions that make this one worth watching.
P2 is one of our favorites for very different reasons. This one is a creepy stalker type which we LOVE. The main guy is from american beauty so we already love him and know he can play crazy. The premise is pretty frightening, being trapped underground with an obsessive psycho. It just gets better from there, the characters feel very authentic and raw which makes this film super relatable. There could be more Christmas vibes but he does decorate the little room that he holds her captive in and that enough for us considering the location of the film. There are frustrating points as with any horror movie but there are great scenes they do a lot with what little space they have considering the whole thing takes place in a parking garage/office building. The decent writing, good acting and violent scenes in this movie make it worth watching.
Gremlins falls under the category of a classic for us, everybody has seen gremlins! This one is a little light on the horror side of things but the gremlins are nasty little guys and the Christmas vibes in general throughout and the nostalgia make this a great one to get cozy with on a cold winter night. Deadly games sets a similar family friendly tone being kind of like home alone but if the kid had way more money and resources. This one is just plain fun.
Juleblod was shot well and was super bloody which are two things that we enjoy. However wasn’t that violent til about halfway through which was a little disappointing and we got way too much backstory about the characters who meant nothing. It gets a little raunchy towards the end definitely would not watch this one with the family.
Ended the week with the Apology, its shot very well with a beautiful score. The bitter cold and stormy start really set the scene for a darker movie. Good acting and writing set a serious tone and get us excited for whats to come. It is so well written we were on the edge of our seats! Such an original script and great delivery. Not the most Christmas vibes except for the fact it is Christmas Eve but overall the snow and winter storm make up for it and add to the sense isolation and fear so it works. It was a great way to end the week!