Zombies: Christmas Apocalypse (2024)

I will be posting Christmas-themed horror films over the next 24 days of LosMas; for the twelth night, I am posting the 2024 zombie film Zombies: Christmas Apocalypse.

 

Zombies: Christmas Apocalypse (2024)

On Christmas Eve, a marriage proposal turns sour when the couple is attacked by a group of zombies, killing the young woman. The police arrest the man before realizing the global events about to occur. With the help of a police detective, the young man seeks out other survivors as they try to get to safety, as more and more zombies take over their town. Zombies: Christmas Apocalypse is a zombie movie directed by Hamid Torapour. Zombies: Christmas Apocalypse is quite an unusual film; it was initially released in 2016 under the title Zombies, starring much of the same cast, including Tony Todd in an extended cameo. This film has an extra 20 minutes added, introducing another character and the Christmas Eve setting for the title. What it does is to show the zombie attack that destroyed his life and then provide unnecessary closure. Zombies was already unfavorably seen for its derivative story that borrows from The Walking Dead, making it more boring. The added scenes do add character development, but are ruined by an ending that rips off a famous recent horror movie. If you have not watched either movie, you are not missing much, and honestly, the only great scenes are those with Tony Todd and Raina Hein, who could pass as Lauren Cohan's stunt double.  

24 Days of LosMas- American Exorcist (2018)

I will be posting Christmas-themed horror films over the next 24 days of LosMas; for the eleventh night, I am posting the 2018 supernatural horror movie American Exorcist.

American Exorcist (2018)

A paranormal investigator is hired by the owner of a high-rise building, hoping to prove that ghosts are not haunting the premises after a bloody massacre and other deadly accidents have left several people dead. While she is steadfast in her belief that the paranormal is nonsense, she soon witnesses events that begin to challenge her beliefs and her safety. American Exorcist is a 2018 supernatural horror movie directed by Tony Trov and Johnny Zito. The film stars Falon Joslyn and Bill Moseley. Lead Actress Falon Joslyn plays her role well, but would have benefited from a few extra characters to help push the story. Instead, you get her repeatedly encountering various ghosts from the opening scenes. Horror legend Bill Moseley is the other central character, and while he may appear as stunt casting, he portrays the building owner quite effectively. American Exorcist has a great premise, especially with the opening party massacre and the failed exorcism. Still, the film can't decide where to take the story and ends up borrowing from Rosemary's Baby and House of the Devil instead. American Exorcist also suffers from too much poor CGI and not enough practical effects that could have made the opening scenes even better.     

24 Days of LosMas- A Creature Was Stirring (2024)

 I will be posting Christmas-themed horror films over the next 24 days of LosMas; for the tenth night, I am posting the 2024 horror comedy A Creature Was Stirring.

A Creature Was Stirring (2024)

24 Days of LosMas- Christmas Bloodbath (2024)

I will be posting Christmas-themed horror films over the next 24 days of LosMas; for the ninth night, I am posting the 2024 horror comedy Christmas Bloodbath.

Christmas Bloodbath (2024)

Some random strangers are drawn to a holiday-themed museum where dolls and animatronics attack them. The survivors turn to the daughter of the attraction's owner for help, but it may not be enough to survive the night. Christmas Bloodbath is a 2024 horror-comedy directed by Michael Leo Centi and starring pretty much no one notable. The best way to describe this movie is to call it Troma-ish or Troma-like. The whole film has a low-budget feel, with a deliberate, amateurish goofiness. The special effects are not so special; the animatronics are just stop-motion toys and are far from scary. In many ways, this movie is trying to be a low-budget Five Nights at Freddy's, but comes across as something directed by Mark Polonia. Christmas Bloodbath has a great-looking poster and a terrific title, but the rest of the movie is Troma-level goofiness without a cameo from Lloyd Kaufman. 

24 Days of LosMas- Massacre on Aisle 12

I will be posting Christmas-themed horror films over the next 24 days of LosMas; for the eighth night, I am posting the 2016 horror comedy Massacre on Aisle 12.

Massacre on Aisle 12

Holiday horror movies set in stores make for a fun time as they often descend into murder sprees that can be played out for terror or for laughs. New employee Dave begins working at a hardware store during the holiday season. Dave's night gets interesting after a dead body and a large stash of cash are found. As the employees argue over what to do with the money, a series of accidents and misfortunes befall the staff as they try to resolve the situation. Massacre on Aisle 12 is a horror comedy directed by William Mark McCullough and Jim Klock. The movie is a single setting comedy with an assortment of characters who all dislike each other and have every reason to claim the money. During the standoff, secrets are revealed, and friendships are tested as a few workers lose their grip on reality. Massacre on Aisle 12 has some fun scenes that play on crime-movie stereotypes and clichés. While the movie is light on holiday cheer, it makes up for it with an entertaining storyline and occasional gory moments. 

24 Days of LosMas- Elves (2018)

I will be posting Christmas-themed horror films over the next 24 days of LosMas; for the seventh night, I am posting the 2018 killer doll movie Elves.

Elves (2018)

A sort of sequel to the 2016 movie The Elf, only this time you have multiple elves that curse a group of friends who somehow end up dead once they notice the creepy ass dolls. The movie rips off the movie Truth or Dare, featuring a creepy smile that looks like cheap CGI or a Snapchat filter. The same weird smile motif would be better utilized in the superior 2022 film Smile. With its cliched plot, poor pacing, and underutilized acting, it is no wonder so many critics consider this one of the worst movies ever made. The killer dolls don't do much onscreen, and the silly smile effects make this film less scary and more of a bore. Even the movie poster will disappoint, as there are no cute killer elves; instead, just ugly rag dolls. Not much to recommend about this movie, and easily one of the worst films I have included in this holiday horror marathon 

24 Days of LosMas- Advent (2024)

I will be posting Christmas-themed horror films over the next 24 days of LosMas; for the sixth night, I am posting the 2024 found footage movie Advent.

Advent (2024)

A young woman who investigates urban legends purchases a Krampus Advent Calendar online and decides to stream the daily challenges presented by each of the 24 doors. Ignoring the warnings of her cohost, she soon finds each task getting more complicated and taking darker steps that put her at risk from supernatural forces. Advent is an indie holiday horror movie directed by Airell Anthony Hayles and starring Rasina Alexander as Hayley Bell and Nicholas Vince as Professor Richard Hill. The movie is set up as a pseudo-documentary, with Professor Hill chronicling the events that lead to Hayley's tragic fate, as her cohost films her daily tasks. With much of the film presented in found footage, Advent plays out as a cautionary tale with the professor delivering the facts of the case and offering commentary on Haley's unfortunate journey. As with many horror films about cursed objects, the protagonist's poor choices and slow descent into ruin drive the plot of this surprisingly spooky tale. The use of a narrator and hand-drawn challenges adds to the movie's eerie feel and sets it apart from most other found-footage films that follow cliched shaky-cam narratives.