Two Front Teeth

To get into the Christmas spirit I recently watched Two Front Teeth, A Christmas Horror Story, and the remake of Black Christmas. I was surprised to find that the modest Two Front Teeth was the most enjoyable of the three.

First off, this is a no-budget horror movie made by fans. Therefore, one must look past several technical hiccups. The most annoying is the lousy cinematography. The look screams amateur hour, and the smearing on pan shots can produce seasickness in a viewer. The film looks awful!

Thankfully, the filmmakers compensate for the visually unappealing nature of their movie with a witty script. Writer Jamie Nash has crammed his screenplay with puns about, and pop culture references to, Christmas. Nash has had the brilliant idea to make his protagonist a tabloid journalist working for a paper (The X-mas Times) which specializes in Christmas misadventure: demon possessed snowmen, Christmas cookie poisoning, and, of course, what really brought down a 747. It is this last story that kicks off the chase that takes up most of the movie. Nash has thrown in nasty elves, ninja nuns ("The Silent Nights"), and, as a MacGuffin, a most familiar nose.

In addition to the script, the filmmakers get mileage from a game cast of unknowns. Megan Pearson is the standout, partially because she has the best lines. I also liked Michael Brecher as the one eared editor. Even among the lesser roles, none of the actors embarrass themselves, something not true in every low budget horror film.

Two Front Teeth charms the viewer into submission. Many viewers will be tempted to turn this film off after the first five minutes because it looks (and is) so cheap. However, if given time, Two Front Teeth can work a little Christmas magic.