A Christmas Horror Story is a 2015 American supernatural horror anthology film directed by Steven Hoban (Darknet), Grant Harvey (She Made Me Do It) and Brett Sullivan (Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed) from a screenplay by James Kee, Sarah Larsen, Doug Taylor and Pascal Trottier for Copperheart Entertainment.
The film stars William Shatner (Incubus; The Horror at 37,000 Feet; Kingdom of the Spiders) and George Buza.
William Shatner commented to the London Metro: “I think A Christmas Horror Story will tickle your horror bone. It’s a making-a-face-and-coming-out-of-the-closet-and-scaring-you kind of story.”
Image Entertainment distributed the film theatrically and on VOD in the US. An RLJ Entertainment Blu-ray and DVD release was released on November 24, 2015. Social media reported that US supermarket chain Wal-Mart had changed the name of the film to A Holiday Horror Story.
The film received a British DVD release via Entertainment One on 9th November 2015.
Buy: Amazon.co.uk
Press release:
Christmas: a time of Joy, Peace and Goodwill, unless you happen to live in the town of Bailey Downs. Here, on Christmas Eve, joy is corrupted when a malevolent spirit traps three teens in a school basement intent on recreating a twisted version of the Nativity story.
Peace is shattered when a family returns from a snowy forest with the perfect Christmas tree only to find something is terrifyingly wrong with their seven-year-old son. And goodwill is perverted when a not-so-nice family is hunted down by Krampus, the demonic anti-Santa Claus of Nordic mythology. Even Santa Claus himself is drawn into the horror when he has to fight off a horde of howling Zombie Elves before making his rounds. This Christmas, the creatures are stirring and they’re coming for you whether you’re naughty or nice…
Reviews:
” … some decent chills, like the first glimpse of the changeling’s true face in the mirror, and some nicely black Christmas morality as Krampus punishes the wicked … or goes one-on-one with an enraged, battle-scarred tough guy Santa just before a hilarious yet tragic reveal of what’s really up in town. The snowy setting and use of ironic Christmas music adds a little flavour to the eggnog – this really does do for Christmas what Trick ‘r’ Treat did for Hallowe’en.” The Kim Newman Web Site
Buy: Amazon.co.uk
“The choice to alternate between stories instead of presenting them as separate chapters contributes significantly to the picture’s lively feel, and despite having a trio of directors telling stories in four different genres … the film never feels schizophrenic. Throw in an absolutely killer twist at the end, and this is a package many fright fans will want to unwrap every year.” John DeFore, The Hollywood Reporter
“Coming to conclusions for each story in a largely satisfactory manner and featuring an unforeseeable gut-punch ending, A Christmas Horror Story definitely sticks the landing—a feat that can be particularly difficult for horror anthology films—and tells bold, uncompromising holiday-themed tales along the way.” Derek Anderson, Daily Dead
“Like just about every anthology film ever made, A Christmas Horror Story is a mixed bag — of gifts and coal presumably — but as a whole it lands as a mediocre affair. See it for Shatner and the Santa vs zombie elves segment, but be sure to get a gift receipt.” Rob Hunter, Film School Rejects
Buy: Amazon.com
Trailer:
IMDb | Twitter | Facebook | Related: Ho! Ho! Horror! Festive Fright Films - article by David Flint
Categories: 2015, American, anthology, supernatural
What a shocker - another Christmas horror about the goddamned Krampus. The latest Sub-Genre tit to milk. Yaaaaaawnn.