News

Featured in Heather Wixson's holiday gift guide, the new book Yuletide Terror: Christmas Horror on Film and Television could be the perfect stocking stuffer for the horror fan in your life this holiday season, but Spectacular Optical is giving you the chance to take your gift one step further with their interactive book tour this December that includes screenings, lectures, and other live celebrations tied to the book's seasonal themes:

Press Release: For many, Christmas is an annual celebration of goodwill and joy, but for others, it’s a time to curl up on the couch in the dead of winter for a good old-fashioned fright. The festive holiday season has always included a more somber side, and scary tales of child-stealing demons to ghost stories told ‘round the fireplace go back to pre-Christian celebrations. These long-standing traditions have found modern expression in the Christmas horror film, a unique...

Donald Trump vs. Starbucks' War on Christmas. The War on Christmas: The movies that come to mind We're still in November, but the War on Christmas – according to online buzz, a second cousin once removed of the War on Cops – has begun. Weeping and gritting of teeth has seized certain population segments in the U.S.A. (and perhaps other countries as well) after Fox News, that beacon of intellectual freedom at the end of the cable news tunnel, announced that … Starbucks' holiday season cups are a) red b) devoid of Christmas decorations. Could it be a satanic conspiracy disguised as politically correct inclusiveness? The result of a communist takeover at the Seattle-headquartered company? Cruel and unusual Christian persecution in the form of paper cups? Your guess is as good as mine. Far-right Republican icon, U.S. presidential candidate, and 2015 political circus ringmaster Donald Trump seems to think that Starbucks...

Actress Rutanya Alda discusses her new book and her life in cinema. Rutanya Alda is a name long known to genre fans as a fine actress in quality productions. Her work in Brian De Palma’s The Fury, Fred Walton’s When A Stranger Calls, Lewis Jackson’s Christmas Evil, Damiano Damiani’s Amityville II: The Possession, William Lustig’s Vigilante,…

The post Exclusive Interview: Rutanya Alda on Amityville II, Brian De Palma and the Horrors of Mommie Dearest appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.

By Rod Barnett

I was completely gob-smacked by this one, folks. From the title and description of this 1980 release, I was expecting a smarmy slasher film that used the holiday season for a cheap backdrop and even cheaper jokes. What I got instead was a very well-made character study reminiscent of Polanski's Repulsion. Although not as good as that classic, it stands proudly beside it as a fascinating picture of a slow descent into madness and murder. If anything, Harry Standling is a more sympathetic main character as we are shown in a brief prologue the genesis of both his fixation on Christmas and the reason for his awkwardness with people. At an impressionable age the young Harry crept downstairs on Christmas Eve to see Santa sexually gratifying his mother. That this Santa was actually his father didn't register and the traumatized boy never really got over the sight of...

Welcome back everyone for the final day of Daily Dead’s 2014 Holiday Gift Guide! Because it’s been an exceptional year for genre fans, we’re focusing today on recapping more books and films that would make for great gifts this holiday season and are perfect for all fans. We’ve also got another great find from over on Etsy and we’re celebrating a new subscription service from the fine folks over at Waxworks Records.

And be sure to check out today’s final Holiday Horrors trivia question below for your shot at winning some awesome merchandise from our fine sponsors at HorrorDecor.net, Scream Factory and Anchor Bay Entertainment.

Thanks so much for following along with our 2014 Holiday Gift Guide and I hope you guys had as much fun reading the series as I had putting it together!

Vendor Spotlight: Waxwork Records

Waxwork Records specializes in releasing horror,...

Throughout the month of December, we will be highlighting a film a day that has some tie into the holiday somehow. Some titles will be obvious, others won’t be. Some films will be good and, again, others won’t be. However, we think all titles are worth your time whether to give you chills inside your home or to make you drink more eggnog until you puke laughing.

Harry loves Christmas. And one Christmas Eve he can’t believe it when Santa Claus comes to visit. His brother, Phillip, insists it was their dad dressed up but Harry knows the truth. Unable to sleep he sneaks downstairs to take another look at the tree, but sees something horrific, Santa Claus about to go down Mom’s chimney. Now as an adult (played by Brandon Maggart) Harry is completely obsessed with Christmas and embodying the spirit as much as he can.

John Waters has referred to Christmas Evil as “the greatest Christmas movie ever made,” but odds are you’ve never even seen it. It’s understandable as writer/director Lewis Jackson‘s 1980 feature about a slightly unbalanced man who holds the world to Santa’s high ideals has never been on cable, barely received a theatrical run and has only been available on hard-to-find home video releases. Now thanks to Vinegar Syndrome the film has gotten a beautiful new Blu-ray release featuring a 4K restoration, three commentary tracks and a handful of other special features. The movie is frequently billed as a “psycho Santa” flick, but it’s far from a slasher. Instead, the movie is more of a drama concerning one man’s descent into madness, and while there are some killings they occur late in the film. It’s an interesting and enjoyable movie all the same though with some bloodletting, some...

Welcome to the latest episode of The ScreamCast! Each episode Usually sees hosts Sean Duregger and Brad Henderson review a Scream Factory release, however this week the ScreamCast gang are tackling something a little different…

This week Sean and Brad welcome in the Christmas season by discussing Lewis Jackson‘s Christmas Evil, but not before taking a slight detour into the South China Sea with the Burbank Kung Fu Club and 1982’s Wtf-opus Raw Force! Brian Saur returns from his hiatus to join in on the ridiculous conversation. The gang also share their favorite Christmas film traditions.

Don’t forget to check out TheScreamCast.com for the show notes and for more news and reviews of Scream Factory releases and make sure to follow them on Twitter too!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download...

“He’s gonna find out who’s naughty or nice.” Usually the former would receive coal and the latter nice presents. But as horror fans know, those who misbehave in 1984’s Silent Night, Deadly Night and 1980’s Christmas Evil can expect a lot worse than a lump of carbonized plant matter in their stockings. Beyond Fest and Death Waltz Records are teaming up for a double feature L.A. screening of the two holiday horror films.

Taking place Friday, December 19th beginning at 7:30pm at The Egyptian Theatre, the double feature, officially billed as “Ho! Ho! Hell!” will include screenings of Silent Night, Deadly Night and Christmas Evil and will feature Q&A’s with cast and crew members. For more details, check out the press release and video below:

Press Release - “Beyond Fest and Death Waltz Records presents Ho! Ho! Hell!

Silent Night Deadly Night + Christmas Evil Death Waltz Records Release.

This Tuesday, genre fans have a Lot to look forward to, as we have a trifecta of horror classics coming from Scream Factory, as well as the new 4K restoration of the 1920 German classic, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari from Kino Lorber.

As if that’s not enough, Image Entertainment is releasing the Limited Edition Fifth Dimension box set for The Twilight Zone this week, the cult classics Moontrap, Christmas Evil and Trancers are all making their HD debuts and we’ve got a few indie films being released on November 18th too, including Automata, Housebound and Ragnarok.

Spotlight Titles:

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari- 4K Restored (Kino Lorber, Blu-ray & DVD)

In 1920, one brilliant movie jolted the postwar masses and catapulted the movement known as German Expressionism into film history. That movie was The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, a plunge into the mind of insanity that severs all ties with the rational world.

Prepare to be corrupted and depraved once more as Nucleus Films releases the sequel to the definitive guide to the Video Nasties phenomenon – the most extraordinary and scandalous era in the history of British film. Video Nasties: The Definitive Guide Part 2, a three-disc collector’s edition box set, is being released on DVD on July 14th 2014, to tie in with the 30th Anniversary of the Video Recordings Act 1984.

For the first time ever on DVD, all 82 films that fell foul of the Director of Public Prosecutions “Section 3” list are trailer-featured with specially filmed intros for each title, alongside a brand new documentary – Video Nasties: Draconian Days (review), directed by Jake West.

And to celebrate the release, Film4 FrightFest is hosting a special event – the world exclusive London Premiere of the finalised unseen extended 97 minute cut of Video Nasties: Draconian Days at The Prince Charles Cinema on Thurs 3 July, 8.30pm. The...

Kick off your festive season celebrations in bloody style with the rerelease of Lewis Jackson's Yuletide cult horror Christmas Evil (1980) on DVD. When little Harry Stadling first sees his dad in a Santa Claus outfit, groping his mother one Christmas Eve, life changes for the quiet little boy. Thirty or so years later, you'd better watch out in this 1980s horror classic from the small but perfectly formed micro-genre of Yuletide slashers. We've been particularly good this year, and have Three DVD copies of the film set to give away to our ghoulish readers. This is an exclusive competition for our Facebook and Twitter fans, so if you haven't already, 'Like' us at facebook.com/CineVueUK or follow us @CineVue before answering the question below.

Read more »...

Reviewed by Marcey Papandrea, More Horror

It is that holiday time of year again, and I am sure most of us indulge in some holiday themed films. Now I usually do watch the lighter films (Home Alone, Christmas Vacation ect), but I also fit in a few Christmas themed horror films.

This year I wanted to watch a few I hadn’t yet seen, but I was unsure of what to grab. I had actually asked on Twitter for people to send me some suggestions and one that stuck with me was Christmas Evil as recommended by Laurence Harvey (from The Human Centipede 2). The title pretty much says it all, right? I knew the film was about a killer Santa, but I had no idea this actually pre-dated the other well known title Silent Night, Deadly Night. The two films share some common elements, but they are rather different films.

Often grouped in the sub-genre of Festive Slasher pics alongside Silent Night, Deadly Night and Black Christmas, the misleadingly (re)titled Christmas Evil actually has altogether different ambitions. Though not always succeeding in them, it's a fascinating curiosity nonetheless. Originally, and rather wonderfully, named You Better Watch Out (Arrow's print carries that title), it's easy to see why Lewis Jackson's first and, to date, only feature ended up chopped around and tossed out into the snow as a generic yuletide slasher. The sell is simple:  Traumatised during a childhood encounter with Santa, a disgruntled toy factory employee embarks on a Christmas killing spree. Yet, really, it's a grimy and intimate portrait of a man's nervous breakdown. Surprisingly light on slashing, it's heavy on psychological anguish and...

Christmas Evil (aka You Better Watch Out)

Stars: Brandon Maggart, Jeffrey DeMunn, Dianne Hull, Andy Fenwick, Brian Neville, Joe Jamrog, Wally Moran, Gus Salud, Peter Neuman, Lance Holcomb, Elizabeth Ridge | Written and Directed by Lewis Jackson

When little Harry sees his Dad in a Santa Claus outfit, groping his mother one Christmas Eve, life changes for the quiet little boy. Thirty odd years later, now all grown up and disgruntled by his dead end job in a depressing toy factory – he’s making a list, checking it twice and descending into a self-created Christmas nightmare where he is Father Christmas and his judgement is final! Dressed as St. Nick, Harry is going to show his bullying co-workers and all the other naughty people what the true spirit of the season is.

Lensed in 1980 and described by cult director John Waters as “greatest Christmas movie ever made,” Christmas Evil is one...

Super Bitch aka Blue Movie Blackmail (Arrow Video DVD)

Think Twice Before You Hire Her

Blue movie blackmail and sexual depravity are at the heart of a wicked scam to manipulate rich, perverted men in this softcore pasta crime classic from Massimo Dallamano, cinematographer on A Fistful of Dollars and director of Giallo favourite What Have You Done To Solange? Italian trash cinema icon Ivan Rassimov is a police inspector working undercover to expose a London escort agency where the frequently naked Stephanie Beacham is being filmed in sexually compromising situations with her moneyed clients. These poor chumps will soon be smuggling drugs across international borders for her and her shadowy associates. Wallow in the sleaze and enjoy the depravity of Super Bitch, a film with all the car chases, murder, sex and moral ambiguity a cult movie fan could possibly want.

Special Features:

New widescreen transfer in the...

1 more shopping week until Christmas!

Robert Maier wrote a book about working for John Waters and now he’s got a blog with a ton more stories. This article about how Hairspray became a PG-rated movie is extremely fascinating, but go ahead and read through the entire site, too.Michael Varrati has a wonderful interview up with Lewis Jackson, director of the Christmas cult classic You Better Watch Out aka Christmas Evil. Jackson is very candid about all the horrible things that went wrong making the film and with its distribution. Yet, he still managed to make a masterpiece.Film Comment posted up their list of the Best Unreleased Movies in 2011 and, of course, they have some underground films on there, like Alex Ross Perry’s The Color Wheel, which screened at this year’s Chicago Underground Film Festival; and experimental features like Nathaniel Dorsky’s The Return, Ken Jacobs’ Seeking the Monkey King,...

As the Ncaa college basketball tournament kicks off, The Daily Beast ranks all 68 teams based on their grades and graduation rates, from first to worst. Click here for the smart bracket.

The sports high holiday known as March Madness returns tomorrow. But the Ncaa college basketball tournament is more than friendly competition-it rivals the Super Bowl as the most-wagered upon athletic event, as brackets fan out across every office, school and website in America.

Related story on The Daily Beast: The Best of the Buzzer Beaters

With thought we might look at the tournament bracket with a more academic bent. With all the concentration on the court, we thought we'd examine how the 68 teams in the tournament fare academically. To find out which schools are faltering, The Daily Beast considered all 68 college teams in this year's March Madness according to their graduation success rate (Gsr), Academic Progress Rate (Apr...

1980 - 92 mins. - Rated R

D: Lewis Jackson

C: Brandon Maggart, Dianne Hull, Scott McKay, Joe Jamrog, Peter Friedman, Patricia Richardson

Man obsessed with Christmas takes it upon himself to punish the naughty while dressed in a Santa Claus suit.

Not really the slasher film that people believe it to be mainly due in part to the marketing campaign which changed the title from "You Better Watch Out" to "Christmas Evil". Christmas Evil is really a psychological horror film about the mental state of a man who is scarred from a traumatic experience as a child in relation to Christmas and how that experience has caused his mental deterioration over the years, especially when he feels that everyone has lost the Christmas spirit. He dresses in a Santa suit to hastily punish those that have been naughty, because he in essence believes he is Santa. As a portrait into the mental state of a person,...

If “A Nightmare on Elm Street” gave you sleepless nights, or if “Halloween” made you jump at every shadow, or if every “Friday the 13th” was more frightening than the others… Then Beware!

You would think that Hollywood would steer clear of Christmas related horror films because who wants to think about death and dismemberment around the time of the birth of our Lord and Savior. Think again, my friend, because everyone knows visiting family and friends around the Holidays can be a major pain in the rear. As a child you are oblivious to the torment of being obligated to hang with people you have avoided like the plague since the prior December.

Just like most cinephiles, every year I warm up to the chuckles of Christmas Vacation, Christmas Story, and Scrooged. They are all great and pillars of the yuletide season, but I need some yin to go with the yang,...

The value of Alonso Duralde's Have Yourself A Movie Little Christmas is as a Yuletide resource to research (quite possibly) every known Christmas-themed movie on the face of the planet (or, at least, the ones worth watching). Structured in nine thematic chapters--1: Movies for Kids; 2: Movies for Grown-Ups; 3: Comedies; 4: Tearjerkers; 5: Crime & Action Extravaganzas; 6: Holiday Horror; 7: "Scrooge-a-Palooza"; 8: Lumps of Coal in Your Christmas Stocking; and 9: Christmas Classics--the beauty of Duralde's book is its utility: all you need is personal interest or seasonal necessity to easily access its festive bounty.

Myself, I dove right into Holiday Horror, partly because Gremlins (1984) and Black Christmas (1974) were the two entries Duralde brought to San Francisco's Castro Theatre on his national book tour; but, also because this chapter synopsized Christmas Evil (1980), Lewis Jackson's sole directorial effort, which--as Duralde quotes John Waters--is "the best seasonal...

Dec. 11

11:59 p.m.

Bridge Theatre

3010 Geary Boulevard at Blake

San Francisco, CA 94118

Hosted by: Peaches Christ

If this doesn’t sound like the most wickedly fun holiday event of all time, then nothing does. The inimitable Peaches Christ hosts her first ever Christmas Midnight Mass event: A midnight screening of one of the most beloved holiday classics of all time: Christmas Evil! (Beloved by folks like John Waters and myself — I even own an autographed DVD copy of the film.)

But this is no simple Christmas movie screening. In addition to the film, director Lewis Jackson will be in attendance, of course to talk directly to his fans. Plus, there will be a a Scary Santa Costume Contest and a live nativity scene featuring the actual birth of our lord, Jesus. (And I hear a certain naughty sheep will be part of the nativity.)

All enthusiasm and hyperbole about this event aside,...

It’s been awhile since I’ve heard John Waters described as the Prince of Puke, but that’s how Stephen Colbert introduced him for the interview segment of The Colbert Report on June 28. The Prince was there to plug his new book Role Models, a book actually about Waters’ role models, including — as he says in the segment — Tennessee Williams.

In the interview, Colbert alludes to Waters’ shocking films, but never gets into the details of them, except for his most mainstream one, Hairspray. Instead, Waters gives personal anecdotes, particularly a very funny one about guest teaching a first grade class recently.

He says he played “plane crash” with the kids, which they loved. But, that’s also a step-up from his own personal childhood obsession with car crashes. Also, in his film Female Trouble, he has the child character Taffy (played by the adult Mink Stole) play car...

When most people think about Christmas and Christmas movies, great films like Miracle on 34th Street and A Christmas Story probably come to mind, but for most horror fans films like Silent Night, Deadly Night, the original Black Christmas and of course Christmas Evil are required Holiday viewing material. It has been 30 years since Lewis Jackson wrote and directed Christmas Evil, and our own Brain Hammer chatted with him through E-mail, to find out what it was like creating the Christmas cult phenomenon.

Who says there's no Santa? Certainly not slasher fans in Austin, Chicago, and Los Angeles, who are being given a special treat this holiday season: 35mm theatrical screenings of Christmas Evil!

Next year marks the 30th anniversary of Lewis Jackson’s Christmas Evil. One of the seminal slasher films of the era, it has been hailed by John Waters as “the best seasonal film of all time.” Here are the details of the screenings:

Chicago - Saturday, December 12th

Portage Theater

4050 N. Milwaukee Avenue

Chicago, Il 60641

Approximately 9:15 pm

Los Angeles - Tuesday, December 15th

New Beverly Cinema

7165 Beverly Boulevard

La, CA 90036

7:30 pm

Note: Writer/director Lewis Jackson and star Brandon Maggart will be on hand at the La screening to introduce the film, and in addition rare 35mm outtakes from the film will be shown!

Austin - Tuesday, December 22nd

The Alamo Ritz

320 E. 6th Street

Austin, TX...

Celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the 1980 slasher cult classic Christmas Evil with rare 35mm theatrical screenings in Chicago, Los Angeles and Austin, TX! Next year marks the 30th anniversary of Lewis Jackson.s Christmas Evil . One of the seminal .slasher films. of the era, Christmas Evil has been hailed by John Waters as .the best seasonal film of all time.. Fans in Chicago, Los Angeles and Austin, Texas will have the rare opportunity to see this incredible and groundbreaking classic back on the big screen in 35mm! Christmas Evil .s writer/director Lewis Jackson and star Brandon Maggart will be on hand at the Los Angeles screening to introduce the film. In addition, rare 35mm outtakes from the film will be shown. So come celebrate the dark side of the holidays with...

Celebrate the 30th Anniversary of one of the most disturbing holiday films ever made, Christmas Evil (aka You Better Watch Out) with theatrical screenings across the Us. 35mm theatrical screenings will take place in Chicago, Los Angeles and Austin, Texas with special guests at select screenings. Hit the jump for more. Next year marks the 30th anniversary of Lewis Jackson's Christmas Evil. One of the seminal "slasher films" of the era, Christmas Evil has been hailed by John Waters as "the best seasonal film of all time." Fans in Chicago, Los Angeles and Austin, Texas will have the rare opportunity to see this incredible and groundbreaking classic back on the big screen in 35mm! Christmas Evil's...

Our friends over at Horror Society are bringing yet another event to Chicago's Portage Theatre, when their Holiday Of Horrors Film Festival arrives on December 12th. Director Lewis Jackson will be in-attendance to present his 1980 classic Christmas Evil (aka You Better Watch Out!), and they'll be screening Silent Night, Deadly Night, New Years Evil, and Black Santa's Revenge. Not enough for you? How about vendors, booze, prizes, and an opportunity to get your picture taken with Satan Santa himself?

December 12, 2009 | Tickets are $10 (get yours here) | Portage Theater, 4050 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, Il 60641

Christmas Evil

Released in 1980 and once again we have an unstable main character who puts on the red suit and beard and gives the naughty what they deserve-and we’re not talking about lumps of coal. Arguably the best of the “Christmas Killer” movies, Christmas Evil should not be missed. This rare screening features a 35mm print from...

Horror Society has announced their Holiday of Horrors Film Festival which will take place this December 12th at the Portage theater in Chicago, Il. Besides offering a lobby full of vendors for all your Christmas Horror shopping needs, there will be plenty of giveaways, free stuff, raffles, a Photo Op with Psycho Santa! And of course four Christmas themed horror features! Christmas Evil (with director Lewis Jackson in attendance!), Silent Night Deadly Night , New Years Evil and Black Santa's Revenge . More details below or at the Horror Society website (with trailers for all four movies) right here . Christmas Evil Released in 1980 and once again we have an unstable main character who puts on the red suit and beard and gives the naughty what they deserve-and...

A reunion devoted to the 1980 Santa slasher Christmas Evil (a.k.a. You Better Watch Out) will take place at the next West Coast edition of Fangoria’s Weekend of Horrors convention, to be held April 17-19 at the Los Angeles Convention Center (1201 South Figueroa). Attending the panel will be writer/director Lewis Jackson and his star, Brandon Maggart, who also appeared in Brian De Palma’s Dressed To Kill.

A favorite of cult director John Waters, Christmas Evil, which will also be screened at the con, concerns a frustrated toymaker (Maggart) who dresses up in a Claus costume to mete out bloody justice to those who’ve been naughty. Other exciting guests/programs set for Fango’s Southern California blowout (and this is just the early tip of the iceberg!) include:

• Tobin Bell: Saw series star—Jigsaw himself!—also seen in Boogeyman 2, Buried Alive, The X Files,...

While others may have visions of sugarplumbs all dancing around the Deadpit community welcomes in a bit of Christmas Evil this week as we chat with filmmaker Lewis Jackson. The mastermind behind 'You Better Watch Out' aka 'Christmas Evil'. Also included is Ck & Ub's thoughts on Rob Zombie's H2, How awesome Boglins were, and a ton more. We take your phonecalls and fan questions then we get into some movie review goodness first featuring Eben McGarr's 'Sick Girl' then a look at the brand new Blu-Ray edition of 'The X-Files: Fight The Future'. All of this, what we have planned for next week, a new DVD contest, The conclusion of Chester Grim's Holiday Wonderland and Much More this week at Deadpit.com !