A Christmas Album (1981)
*** (out of 4)
Buddy Giovinazzo's second short film is a wickedly dark comedy that starts off with a loving and happy couple about to celebrate Christmas. The man opens his first gift and it's an album that he's been looking for. He puts the album on, which contains some sort of weird music and before long his entire personality starts to change. I won't ruin what happens but let's just say that the man continues to open his gifts and his reaction to them becomes brutally honest. I must say that I really found this to be a fun and entertaining short. If you're familiar with the director's work then you know the bizarre atmosphere that he creates and that's on display here as well. What makes this film so memorable, to me anyways, is the dark comedy that slips into the dark material. This is very much an anti-Christmas movie made before SILENT NIGHT DEADLY NIGHT.
