24 Days of LosMas- Ice Quake

I will post Christmas-themed horror films over the next 24 days of LosMas; for the fourteenth night, I am posting the 2010 climate thriller Ice Quake.

Ice Quake

A government scientist and his family find their Christmas holiday ruined when a series of earthquakes in Alaska threatens their community and safety. As if the quakes were not bad enough, the scientist learns that huge methane pockets are being released that could create a national disaster. Ice Quake is a 2010 SyFy disaster movie directed by Paul Ziller and starring Brendan Fehr, Holly Dignard, Victor Garber, and Jodelle Ferland. Like most SyFy movies, Ice Quake features a few notable actors, rampant CGI, and plots that start absurd and go to eleven. Ice Quake's cast is likable and features a post-Silent Hill Jodelle Ferland. While the film is less ludicrous than Sharknado, there are a number of absurd events that are best left unquestioned, as the film is pretty entertaining and can be enjoyed as a popcorn flick. There is no gore, and most deaths are due to freezing, so this is a family-friendly film for audiences that enjoy watching silly SyFy TV movies.    

24 Days of LosMas- Metamorphosis (1990)

I will post Christmas-themed horror films over the next 24 days of LosMas; for the thirteenth night, I am posting the 190 sci-fi horror movie Metamorphosis. 

Metamorphosis (1990)

A young scientist is conducting experiments to help stop aging. While his initial experiments look promising, he faces opposition from university research committees, who find his work troubling. After injecting himself with the serum, he finds it working great, but then he experiences lapses in memory and violent episodes that will not end well for him. Metamorphosis was directed by George Eastman, better known for his work in 1980s Italian vomit horror. The movie's sci-fi plot is heavily influenced by Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde as well as The Fly. In some countries, the movie was even released as Re-Animator 2, but the film has no connection to the 1985 HP Lovecraft cult classic. Despite the derivative plot, Metamorphosis is a step above most of the Italian-made ripoff movies of the era. It features decent makeup effects and a plot that pays homage to the creature features of the 1950s. Coincidentally, another sci-fi movie with the same name was released in 1990, but that film was a sequel to 1983's The Deadly Spawn. 

24 Days of LosMas- The Yule Log (2023)

I will post Christmas-themed horror films over the next 24 days of LosMas; for the eleventh night, I am posting the 2023 horror comedy The Yule Log.

The Yule Log (2023)

Two friends travel to a cabin in the woods during the Christmas holiday to help another friend after the death of his wife. They chop some wood from the nearby forest and unknowingly release the spirit of Druinda, a witch condemned to death a few centuries prior. The men unwittingly contend with Duinda as the Night of the Mothers approaches and the Yule Log protection fades. The Yule Log is a 2023 horror comedy written and directed by Mark Polonia that features a cast of his usual suspects. The cabin looks nice, but the rest of the movie is the usual microbudget silliness found in Polonia's other movies. These often include poorly done CGI, Dollar Store creature effects, and terrible dialogue that makes Ed Wood movies look like cinema masterpieces. Polonia's movies are not meant to be award winners, and this movie is one of his few Christmas-themed films besides Sister Krampus, which is mentioned. Undoubtedly, the best part of any Mark Polonia movie is the poster art that often stands out with the promise of a fun movie but often disappoints. 

24 Days of LosMas- Nightmare on 34th Street (2023)

I will post Christmas-themed horror films over the next 24 days of LosMas; for the eleventh night, I am posting the 2023 horror anthology Nightmare on 34th Street.

Nightmare on 34th Street (2023)

A young boy catches Santa Claus in his room and is told four dark Christmas tales. In the first, a young girl encounters a trio of escaped lunatics on Christmas Eve, with one taking her on as a protégé. The second tale involves a ventriloquist and his vulgar snowman doll, Dr. White, facing competition from a rival and the demons in his past. The third story features Krampus and a woman dealing with custody issues. The final segment involves a priest and his daughter having to deal with the sins of his past. Nightmare on 34th Street is a holiday horror anthology written and directed by James Crow. As with most anthologies, the segments all tell unique stories loosely tied together in the wraparound segment. The main flaw with this movie is that it needs to be shorter at over 2 hours. The film could have used proper editing or elimination of one of the segments. The cast of English actors is not well known as it is a lower-budget film, so the viewers are presented with mainly average to low-skilled acting. The last segment was clearly the best, along with the third, but that one featured one of the silliest-looking Krampus characters. Nightmare on 34th Street may be listed as a horror comedy, but the film lacks humor, even with the ventriloquist segment. 

24 Days of LosMas- The Utah Cabin Murders

I will post Christmas-themed horror films over the next 24 days of LosMas; for the tenth night, I am posting the 2019 horror comedy The Utah Cabin Murders.

The Utah Cabin Murders (2019)

A family enjoining a lovely holiday in their cabin encounters a pair of escaped convicts who play a deadly game of life and death as they try to avoid recapture. The horrific nature of these crimes shocks the local authorities as they search for the assailants with the help of locals. The Utah Cabin Murders is a crime story based on actual events; while not a horror movie in the traditional sense, this movie does have enough tension to make it a holiday horror film. Written and directed by Andrew Jones, the film stars Tiffany Ceri, Jennifer Sim, and Lee McQueen. The movie is based on the real-life home invasion of a family in Oakley, Utah. While the names of the victims were changed, the perpetrator's names were used in the film. Despite the setting in Utah, the movie was filmed in Wales as eagle-eyed viewers may notice some UK standard plugs in some scenes. 

24 Days of LosMas- Santa Isn't Real (2023)

I will post Christmas-themed horror films over the next 24 days of LosMas; for the ninth night, I am posting the 2023 slasher Santa Isn't Real.

 

Santa Isn't Real (2023)

A young woman named Nikki is attacked by someone who looks like Saint Nick on Christmas Eve. A year later, she wakes from a coma and is surrounded by her friends, who suggest a holiday get-together at a remote cabin. What seems like an excellent opportunity to bond as friends turns into a fight for survival when they see Nikki attacked and kidnapped by a figure dressed as Santa. Santa Isn't Real is a holiday slasher directed by Zac Locke and starring Kaya Coleman, Scarlett Sperduto, Trey Anderson, and Cissy Ly. Unlike many holiday horror movies, Santa Isn't Real appears to have been filmed during winter months, with the snowy setting and remote cabin giving the viewer a feeling of winter chills. The rest of the film does not offer much as the small cast is shown looking for their friend and encountering the Santa-clad killer. The cast is easily the best part of this movie, as the Christmas setup seems irrelevant given the predictable slasher plot of this low-budget holiday horror movie. 

24 Days of LosMas- Granny Krampus (2024)

I will post Christmas-themed horror films over the next 24 days of LosMas; for the eighth night, I am posting the 2024 slasher Granny Krampus. 

Granny Krampus (2024)

Two sisters reunite with their estranged grandmother after the death of their mother and find that the old family manor they are staying in has some dark secrets. While the sisters face their own problems, a mysterious entity causes problems and endangers their lives. Granny Krampus is a 2024 sequel to the 2017 film Mother Krampus, but Jack E Bell directs it. As with the numerous Krampus movies, Granny Krampus is not related to the big-budget 2015 movie but follows the exact legend of Frau Perchta on which Mother Krampus is based. The movie does move quite slowly and focuses more on family dysfunction, with Frau Perchta feeding off the negative energy. Filmed in England, Granny Krampus has a better story than most Krampus knockoff movies but suffers from a low budget, relegating it to streaming clients for those into holiday horror movies.