Geekery: Ring in the Holiday with Some Blood Curdling Screams
Halloween isn’t the only day to enjoy horror – there are a ton of winter holiday themed horror movies filled with ghosts and murderous Santas for you to enjoy. These are all available on various streaming services right now. If I missed any you particularly enjoy, drop it in the comments.
Black Christmas – 1974
If you are in the mood for a slasher, this one for you. Barb (Margot Kidder) and Jess (Olivia Hussey) are two sorority sisters that are throwing a party during Christmas break, so they decided to throw themselves a little party. All is well till they start getting threatening phone calls from an unknown man; who turns out to be serial killer played by Keir Dullea. The body count is high, as is the pitch of the screaming.
Rare Imports: A Christmas Tale – 2010
If you like your humor dark, you’ll enjoy this. The real Santa Claus has been unearthed in northern Finland by an archeological dig. Soon after the local kiddos start to disappear, and a reindeer hunter tries to track him and his evil elves down in order to sell them all back to the company that funded the dig. It’s bizarre and comedic nightmare.
Dead of Night – 1945
Looking for a creepy ghost story with a bonus terrifying ventriloquist scene? This movie invites you to a Christmas party in a haunted house. It has all of the looming, haunted house shadows you’d expect from something from this era, but the final reveal is far from typical.
Gremlins – 1984
Don’t feed mogwais after midnight… they may become sociopathic, poker playing, popcorn throwing, skateboard riding monsters that live to create mayhem.
Sint – 2010
This telling of the Dutch folklore is soaked in Italian, Spanish, and American horror tradition. Sinterklaas was a murderer who led a reign of terror in the middle ages until the local villagers came together and hung him on December 5th. He didn’t stay dead, though. He vowed vengeance on the town before expiring – and comes back every 32 years to exact that in any way he can.
Christmas Evil – 1980
If a ‘so bad it’s become a classic’ is more your speed, try this. Man obsessed with Christmas and Santa keeps a nice or naughty list of all of his neighbors, He goes bonkers when he notices the cynicism and hypocrisy in the actions of those around him, and goes on a Christmas killing spree. Writer/director Lewis Jackson’s only movie… might not be a bad thing.
