24 Days of LosMas- Dead by Christmas (2018)

I will be posting Christmas-themed horror films over the next 24 days of LosMas; for the second night, I am posting the 2018 slasher Dead by Christmas.

Dead by Christmas (2018)

A group of former orphans are invited to a holiday gathering hosted by the nun who raised them in a Louisiana church orphanage. While they mourn the passing of one of their family, they all find themselves targeted by a mysterious and deadly person dressed in the Santa Claus costume that was worn by the deceased abusive priest who also raised them. Dead by Christmas is a 2018 holiday horror movie directed by Armand Petri and starring Holly Boney, Dawn Streeck, and McKenna Buck. Set and filmed in Louisiana, Dead by Christmas is a low-budget holiday horror film that clocks in under an hour and has little time to flesh out the characters despite some flashbacks about their abuses. There are some notable kills, but this is another film that throws in holiday lights and a killer Santa to make this otherwise forgettable film into a holiday horror movie. If you want a better Killer Santa, seek Christmas Evil, & Silent Night, Deadly Night instead.

24 Days of LosMas- Cold Wind Blowing (2022)

I will be posting Christmas-themed horror films over the next 24 days of LosMas; for the first night, I am posting the 2022 creature feature Cold Wind Blowing.

Cold Wind Blowing (2022)

A peaceful holiday trip to a remote mountain cabin turns deadly as a group of young friends are trapped with no way to reach for help when a deadly supernatural creature interferes with their Christmas vacation. Their friendships are soon tested as the creature stalks them one at a time, exploiting their fears and trust among them. Cold Wind Blowing is a 2022 isolation horror film directed by Dionne Copland and features a cast of little-known actors. While the isolated setting and Wendigo-like creature seem like a great mix for this movie, it suffers from little to no tension leading up to the first kill. It takes nearly an hour for events to unfold, and there is little character development save for the brother and sister. Indie director Larry Fessenden provides the voice of the radio DJ and would have been a better choice than newcomer director Dionne Copland, who has won acclaim for her short films but seems lost in this mess. 

Thanksgiving (2023)

 

Thanksgiving (2007)

One of the best parts of the 2007 Grindhouse double feature was the fake movie previews that introduced fans of the movie to Machete, Hobo With a Shotgun, and a turkey day slasher titled Thanksgiving. While these previews were not meant to showcase genuine films, they have all been produced and have become cult classics in their own right. Thanksgiving is a movie that slasher fans have waited 15 years to see, and thanks to Eli Roth, we finally see this film. In the small town of Plymouth, Massachusetts, a tragic event during a Black Friday sale has cast a dark shadow on the community and the victim's families. A business owner decides to hold the annual parade and store sale to help move on, but a number of the townfolk turn up dead at the hands of a mysterious figure dressed as a Pilgrim nicknamed The Carver. While the Grindhouse preview showed a bloody spectacle, this film is a black comedy, following the successful formula of the recent Scream movies. The cast includes Patrick Dempsey, newcomer Nell Verlaque, and Karen Cliche, as well as minor roles for Gina Gershon and Lynne Griffin. Thanksgiving does not reinvent the wheel or change the field; it follows a style many other 80s slashers used successfully. Still, thanks to Eli Roth's direction, we have a fun holiday horror movie that finally adds another great film to the Grindhouse collection and introduces The Carver as a promising new slasher for this generation. 

Alien Raiders (2008)

 

Something

Bundy Manor

Hell House LLC Origins: The Carmichael Manor

 

Five Nights at Freddy’s

 

Orphan: First Kill

 

Clowns of Halloween

 

Legend of Halloween Jack

All Hallows’ Eve

 

Trick or Treats

 

Spirit Halloween: The Movie

 

Happy Birthday tio Me

 

House of Purgatory

 

7 Churches

 

V/H/S/85

 

The Pumpkin Karver

 

One Night in October

 

Mischief Night

 

Hayride

 

Totally Killer

 

Bad Apples

 

Cobweb

 

Hellions

 

Halloween at Aunt Ethel’s.

 

10/31Part III

Murdercise

 

Candy Land

 

Skyman

 

Cabin Girl

 

Bury the Bride

 

Natty Knocks

 

She Came From the Woods

 

The Third Saturday in October V

 

The Third Saturday in October.

 

The Amityville Curse (2023)

 

There’s Someone Inside Your House

 

Rubikon

 

Extraterrestrial

 

Curse of Crom

 

The Amityville Playhouse

 

Renfield

 

Fright

 

The Amityville Asylum

 

Amityville Dollhouse

 

Amityville: A New Generation

 

Amityville: It’s About Time

 

The Amityville Curse

 

Amityville: The Evil Escapes

 

Evil Dead Rises

 

1962 Halloween Massacre