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While wholesome Christmas movies tend to be the go-to choice for most looking to binge on good flicks during the holiday season, unconventional Christmas films have also become known to become favorites to break up the typical genre fare. There is no reason you can't watch Home Alone or Love Actually and then mix it up with a little Die Hard and Gremlins. Christmas horror movies have become some of the best of the unconventional bunch, with films such as Black Christmas and Silent Night, Deadly Night becoming annual viewing for fans. Since being released in 2015, the Christmas black comedy horror film Krampushas been added to that list, and it looks like it's seeing strides again on streaming as the holiday approaches.

Krampus is currently ranked at number six on Max's Top 10 films. In their current Top 10, the film finds itself ahead of Elf (ranked seventh) and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation...

Christmas horror has become a subgenre unto itself, a refuge for those who love to inject a little Halloween revelry into their holiday festivities. It's home to one of the earliest slasher movies, iconic creature features like Gremlins, and just recently added the gorefest Terrifier 3 to its ranks. But one of the best, and least talked about, examples has to be 2015's Krampus, a film that strikes an ideal balance between its horror and Christmas movie elements.

Directed by Trick r' Treat's Michael Dougherty, the film was a modest financial success, earned decent reviews upon its release, and has developed a small cult following in the nine years since. But for those who've never seen it or haven't in a while, its critiques of rampant consumerism and ideological divides have only become more relevant in the almost-decade since its premiere. Movie fans looking for an antidote to all the warm and fuzzy Christmas classics,...

The subgenre of "Christmas movies" has been a curious one of late. While new movies set during the holiday season or others explicitly concerning it are released every year (especially holiday horror), it feels like we haven't gotten a new classic, gotta-watch-this-every-year holiday movie in a while. That's because, in all honesty, most classics aren't made, they're grown; it takes a few years for most films to prove their durability, and some that are overlooked upon their initial release get rediscovered and slowly morph into seasonal staples.

Filmmaker Michael Dougherty is intimately familiar with this process, as it's happened to him at least twice with two movies about two different holidays. His anthology of Halloween hijinks, 2007's "Trick 'r Treat," barely got a theatrical release before word of mouth allowed it to gain a cult reputation strong enough that a sequel has been rumored for years, and may actually happen.

Fans have been waiting 14 years for director Michael Dougherty to get around to making a sequel to his Halloween-themed horror anthology Trick ‘r Treat, but Dougherty has stayed busy as the years have gone by, making the Christmas-themed horror film Krampus, directing Godzilla: King of the Monsters, and contributing to the scripts for X-Men: Apocalypse, Godzilla vs. Kong, and the upcoming Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. Recently, there have been indications that a Trick ‘r Treat 2 might finally be moving forward. Dougherty has even said the screenplay has been written. But while he pushes that sequel toward production, he has revealed to Collider that he has an idea for Krampus 2 as well.

Dougherty told them, “We have an idea for a sequel on that one, too. It doesn’t necessarily center around a family as much as it might be about a group of strangers who are trapped somewhere.

Since its release, "Krampus" has become a Christmas favorite of mine. "Rare Exports" and "A Christmas Horror Story" are often listed among the best adaptations of the Germanic legend, but I believe director Michael Doughtery's 2015 holiday horror flick has done the best job at bringing the titular mischief-maker to the screen. The story about a household being overtaken by Krampus and his adorable holiday minions introduces the centuries-old legend in a concise, hilarious, and thrilling way that only the filmmaker behind the influential "Trick 'r Treat" could have pulled off.

"Krampus" features a pretty spectacular ensemble with Emjay Anthony, Toni Collette, Conchata Ferrell, David Koechner, Adam Scott, Krista Stadler, and Alison Tolman. On top of all of that, the film nestles in quite nicely alongside "Gremlins" as a wonderful piece of holiday gateway horror. That's pretty much what the legend is, anyways.

Where the story of St. Nicholas encourages children to be kind,...

Although Screamfest takes place in October, the creative team behind the festival celebrates horror all year long with their Fears & Beers screenings and Q&As. Daily Dead had the great pleasure of teaming up with Screamfest for a Dance of the Dead 10-year anniversary screening and prom party earlier this year, and for the holidays, Screamfest is getting into the spirit of the season with a screening of Krampus followed by a Q&A with filmmaker Michael Dougherty hosted by Brian Collins of Birth.Movies.Death.

The Krampus Fears & Beers screening will take place at Hollywood's Tcl Chinese 6 Theaters on Wednesday, December 19th. Read on for additional details, and visit Eventbrite and Screamfest's official website to learn more about purchasing tickets for the festive screening, which will include spiked egg nog, photo ops with Krampus, and more!

From Screamfest: "Krampus is coming to town! Please join us at the Fears...

As we head into the holiday season, Wamg brings you our list of the Best Non-Traditional Christmas Movies to watch after the Holiday ham, pretty presents, and multiple viewings of White Christmas, Home Alone and Miracle On 34th Street are a thing of Christmas Past.

Our choices are filled snarky mistletoe carnage and crafty comedy – Geek style. Santa Claus is coming to town in these “More Naughty Than Nice”. films.

We’ve made a list and checked it twice with our lineup of not just the 20 Best holiday films but the Top 21 Non-Traditional Christmas Movies. After the success of Krampus, we just had to add it!

We kick off our list with our Honorable Mention –

Jingle All The Way

Christmas; It’s the most magical time of the year. High powered businessman Howard Langston (Arnold Schwarzenegger), is hard at work taking last-minute orders from customers to whom he just can...

Another Sunday and another installment of VOD Vault, taking a look at some of this weeks on-demand releases that have hit various VOD platforms here in the UK. This week we have a very seasonal edition, featuring two films that take a horrific look at the holidays…

Krampus

Stars: Adam Scott, Toni Collette, David Koechner, Allison Tolman, Conchata Ferrell, Emjay Anthony, Stefania Lavie Owen, Krista Stadler | Directed by Michael Dougherty

Krampus has seemingly become the de jour villain in the horror genre recently. We’ve already had two movies featuring the evil anti-Santa, Krampus: The Christmas Devil and Krampus: The Reckoning; and now comes a third. Although unlike its seasonal brethren, this Krampus at least made it into cinemas – and so it should have. This is the latest film from director Michael Dougherty, who exploded onto the UK horror scene a few years back when his Halloween anthology Trick ‘r’ Treat was screened at Frightfest.

Playing in theaters now is Legendary Pictures’ comedy-horror movie, Krampus. From the director of Trick ‘r Treat, Michael Dougherty, this darkly festive tale of a yuletide ghoul, reveals an irreverently twisted side to the holiday.

Part mischievous, part playful, the score is by composer Douglas Pipes. Read our interview with him here.

Universal Pictures has released two snarky new music videos from this must-see holiday film.

Read our review here.

When his dysfunctional family clashes over the holidays, young Max (Emjay Anthony) is disillusioned and turns his back on Christmas. Little does he know, this lack of festive spirit has unleashed the wrath of Krampus: a demonic force of ancient evil intent on punishing non-believers.

All hell breaks loose as beloved holiday icons take on a monstrous life of their own, laying siege to the fractured family’s home and forcing them to fight for each other if they hope to survive.

The Nightmare During Christmas: Doughtery’s Cutesy Morality Play on the Christmas Spirit

Exploring the adverse aspects of Christmas, one of the most cherished holidays around the globe, is nothing new in cinema. Irate Christians were nonplussed about Bob Clark’s 1974 serial killer flick Black Christmas and its 2006 remake, claiming it compromised the spirit of their cherished holiday. And there are all those nagging, sordid details about good ole St. Nick’s bad side, conscientiously whittled away throughout centuries of increasingly honed capitalistic tendencies as regards the holiday. Several recent films have resurrected ideas about Santa’s nastier habits and what he does to the children that are actually naughty, like Dutch filmmaker Dick Maas’ Saint (2010) or Jalmari Helander’s inspired Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (2010) from Finland. Genre director Michael Doughtery makes a memorable entry in this growing subgenre with Krampus, a creative though utterly declawed venture which plays...

Slowly ramping up to a full-blown, charged-up holiday horror movie, Krampus proves that filmmaker Michael Dougherty is more than a one-trick pony. More contained and more serious than Trick 'r' Treat, Dougherty's feature directorial debut, Krampus is rocky at first as it reheats extremely familiar 'dysfunctional family members clash at Christmastime' tropes without adding anything fresh or new. Tom (Adam Scott) and Sarah (Toni Collette) live with their teenage daughter Beth (Stefania Lavie Owen), their young son Max (Emjay Anthony) and Tom's mother (Krista Stadler). The latter is called Omi -- German for 'grandmother' -- by the family; she only speaks German, which is the kind of idiosyncrasy that practically screams out, "This will be an important plot point later!" Sarah's sister Linda (Allison Tolman)...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

Universal Pictures released their new horror/fantasy movie, "Krampus," into theaters today, December 4th, 2015, and all the top,major movie critics have submitted their reviews. I turns out that it sat well with about half of them, getting an overall 47 score out of a possible 100 score across 12 reviews at the Metacritic.com site. The film stars: Adam Scott, Allison Tolman, Conchata Ferrell, David Koechner, Emjay Anthony, Krista Stadler, Stefania Owen and Toni Collette. We've posted comments from a couple of the critics,below. Darren Franich from Entertainment Weekly, gave it a pretty good 75 score, saying: "Full credit to director Michael Dougherty (Trick ‘r Treat) because this is great-looking movie, filled with freaky creature designs and a just-right mixture of practical effects and CGI." Justin Chang over at Variety, gave it a 60 score, stating: "Krampus isn’t especially scary, but it generates goodwill nonetheless for treating its home-invasion-for-the-holidays setup with an appreciably straight face.

The holiday season is more sinister than ever now that Krampus is in theaters. Celebrating the arrival of the chain-wielding demon are two new clips from the film and three spooky shirts from Fright Rags. [Spoiler Warning: Some of these shirts and clips unwrap key elements of the film.]

Priced at $27.00 apiece for the T-shirts and $42.00 per sweatshirt, the new Fright Rags threads are now available to place under the tree or in your stockings. To learn more, visit:

http://www.fright-rags.com/krampus-c-40_85.html

"Legendary Pictures’ Krampus, a darkly festive tale of a yuletide ghoul, reveals an irreverently twisted side to the holiday.

When his dysfunctional family clashes over the holidays, young Max (Emjay Anthony) is disillusioned and turns his back on Christmas. Little does he know, this lack of festive spirit has unleashed the wrath of Krampus: a demonic force of ancient evil intent on punishing non-believers.

All hell breaks loose as beloved holiday icons take on a monstrous life of their own,...

Michael Dougherty’s Krampus — based around the German humanoid folklore figure who punishes naughty children — wants to be the White Elephant of the holiday movie season, a gleefully crude antidote to the saccharine holiday stories that crowd multiplexes this time of year. But Krampus doesn’t automatically succeed by existing. It can’t occasionally be subversive and weird, and then still rely on all of the same bad tropes of not only every other holiday movie, but the horror genre as well.

Dougherty’s debut feature, Trick ‘r Treat, was the definition of a sleeper; a Halloween anthology that was the equivalent of a razor blade stuffed in an apple. It was comfort food for genre fans, but spiced up with a thrilling disregard for the usual taboos and moralistic equilibrium of horror. Kids were murdered, protagonists were mercilessly slaughtered, and even fables became twisted cautionary tales.

Krampus is far...

The holidays go to hell in “Krampus,” a feel-bad Christmastime fable helmed with moderate black humor but too few scares by “Trick ‘r Treat” director Michael Dougherty. Opening with Bing Crosby crooning “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” while shoppers stream into a big-box retailer and engage in the hysterical combativeness that’s become an annual November-December retail tradition, Dougherty’s film sets a bleak tone that continues once his gaze turns to the inner workings of a suburban family’s poinsettia and wreath-decorated home. There, the mood is anything but jolly, as dad David (Adam Scott) and mom Sarah (Toni Collette) are cold to each other, daughter Beth (Stefania Lavie) is more interested in her boyfriend than Yuletide festivities, and son Max (Emjay Anthony) finds that his continued belief in Santa Claus earns him only condescending eye-rolls — save, that is, from his cookie-baking German grandmother Omi...

One of the weird sub-genres of film that I am fascinated by is the "scary Christmas movie," and when said scary Christmas movie is from the director of "Trick 'r Treat," I am doubly curious. Walking into "Krampus," I had my fingers crossed that I was about to see something that could enter the annual rotation. While I don't think the film works as a whole, there is a lot to like about "Krampus," not the least of which is that once it gets going, it doesn't seem to hold anything back. This is one of the most intense PG-13 films I've ever seen, with a nightmarish second half in particular full of images that really will be too much for many younger viewers. Michael Dougherty, who co-wrote and directed the film, has a fondness for the truly off-kilter, and his monster designs in this film feel very tactile and organic and perverse.

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Trick 'R Treat's Michael Dougherty returns with Christmas horror, Krampus. Here's our review...

You don’t have to look hard to find a creepy side to Christmas. There’s the whole idea that Father Christmas is making a list of naughty boys and girls, who’ll be punished rather than treated on December 25th; there are those weird elves that parents are meant to put up on shelves to keep an eye on their kids; and, well, there’s Carol Of The Bells, which is most sinister piece of supposedly festive music ever written. Horror films haven’t been slow to pick up on it either and this year, to add to an already fairly long list of Yuletide horrors (Black Christmas, Silent Night Deadly Night, Saint, Santa’s Slay…) there’s Krampus.

Directed by Michael Dougherty, the man responsible for the Halloween-themed anthology Trick R Treat,...

A Look Inside Featurette for Legendary Pictures’ Krampus has landed online, which you can watch below.

The film stars Adam Scott, Toni Collette, Emjay Anthony, Allison Tollman, David Koechner, Conchata Ferrell, Stefania Owen, and Krista Stadler.

When his dysfunctional family clashes over the holidays, young Max (Emjay Anthony) is disillusioned and turns his back on Christmas. Little does he know, this lack of festive spirit has unleashed the wrath of Krampus: a demonic force of ancient evil intent on punishing non-believers.

All hell breaks loose as beloved holiday icons take on a monstrous life of their own, laying siege to the fractured family's home and forcing them to fight for each other if they hope to survive.

Krampus will hit theaters on December 4, 2015.

Source: Legendary Pictures

Kellvin Chavez Damn...Rip Scott Weiland about 6 hours ago...

Legendary Pictures’ Krampus, a darkly festive tale of a yuletide ghoul, comes from writer/director Michael Dougherty (Trick ’r Treat) and stars Adam Scott, Toni Collette, David Koechner, Allison Tolman, Conchata Ferrell, Stefania Lavie Owen and Krista Stadler.

When his dysfunctional family clashes over the holidays, young Max (Emjay Anthony) is disillusioned and turns his back on Christmas. Little does he know, this lack of festive spirit has unleashed the wrath of Krampus: a demonic force of ancient evil intent on punishing non-believers. All hell breaks loose as beloved holiday icons take on a monstrous life of their own, laying siege to the fractured family’s home and forcing them to fight for each other if they hope to survive.

The horror-comedy Krampus is released by Universal Pictures on Friday December 4th.

I had the awesome opportunity to see Krampus earlier this week, but I'm not really allowed to talk about it until tomorrow, which is when my review goes live. While you're waiting on the edge of your seat to see this movie, Legendary Pictures has released a featurette that includes interviews with the cast and crew talking about this delightfully horrific Christmas movie.

They explain who Krampus is and talk about the inspirations behind the film, which includes classic movies like Gremlins and Poltergeist. The movie comes from the wonderfully twisted mind of Michael Dougherty, who previously brought us the Halloween classic Trick 'r Treat. If you enjoyed that film, then Krampus is a movie not to be missed. One of the things he enjoyed about the Krampus story is that it has a "dark fun sense of humor."

When his dysfunctional family clashes over the holidays, young Max (Emjay Anthony...

If you're naughty this holiday season, that noise on the roof won't be Santa... Ahead of Universal Pictures' December 4th release of Michael Dougherty's Krampus, a new photo gallery and featurette for the Legendary film have been revealed.

"Legendary Pictures’ Krampus, a darkly festive tale of a yuletide ghoul, reveals an irreverently twisted side to the holiday.

When his dysfunctional family clashes over the holidays, young Max (Emjay Anthony) is disillusioned and turns his back on Christmas. Little does he know, this lack of festive spirit has unleashed the wrath of Krampus: a demonic force of ancient evil intent on punishing non-believers.

All hell breaks loose as beloved holiday icons take on a monstrous life of their own, laying siege to the fractured family’s home and forcing them to fight for each other if they hope to survive.

The horror-comedy also stars Adam Scott, Toni Collette,...

Michael Dougherty’s festive horror-comedy is edging closer and closer to release, but before Universal summons the titular Pagan demon for all to see – and fear – the studio has pumped out another Krampus featurette, this time ushering the core cast to talk about Christmas, the film’s monster in the closet and general seasonal shenanigans.

Laying out the premise behind Dougherty’s delightfully dark feature, today’s clip isn’t so much a new trailer for Krampus as it is a concise rundown of the core story. Forget ol’ Santa Claus and the season of giving he heralds, the horned legend paying a visit to Max (Emjay Anthony) and his family hails from a very darker strand of folklore.

Feasting on non-believers, Max unwittingly conjures the half-human, half-demon creature and his legion of minions from the shadows. What follows is a riotous whirl of horror, heart and humor, and while...

When his dysfunctional family clashes over the holidays, young Max (Emjay Anthony) is disillusioned and turns his back on Christmas. Little does he know, this lack of festive spirit has unleashed the wrath of Krampus: a demonic force of ancient evil intent on punishing non-believers. All hell breaks loose as beloved holiday icons take on a monstrous life of their own, laying siege to the fractured family’s home and forcing them to fight for each other if they hope to survive. The new holiday horror film stars Adam Scott, Toni Collette, David Koechner, Allison Tolman, Conchata Ferrell, Emjay Anthony, Stefania Lavie Owen, and Krista Stadler. “Krampus” hits theaters everywhere on [ Read More ]

The post Krampus Gets A New Featurette appeared first on Shockya.com.

Univerasal Pictures and Legendary have released a new Look Inside featurette for Krampus, which goes behind-the-scenes of this horrifying Christmas nightmare. Along with new footage from the movie, we get to hear from director and co-writer Michael Dougherty about how this ancient legend was revived for modern audiences. We are also visited by members of the cast, including David Koechner, who plays Howard, Stefania Owen, who plays Beth, and Adam Scott who plays Tom. Best of all, we get a new look at all the beasties on display in this thrilling, pitch black comedy.

Krampus is being compared to Gremlins, with some calling it an instant Christmas classic. The first Krampus clip arrived yesterday, giving us a good look at the monster in this scary tale. We're not sure how the Krampus was called into this situation. But one thing is for sure, he wants to eat souls and drag young bodies back to Hell.

Krampus is being compared to Gremlins, with some calling it an instant Christmas classic. The difference between that 1984 monster movie and this new comedy thriller is that you had to pay full ticket price to see the title characters in Gremlins. The first Krampus clip gives us a good look at the beast right off the bat. And it's terrifying.

We're not sure how the Krampus was called into this situation. But one thing is for sure, he wants to eat this young woman's soul and then drag her body back to the South Pole. Watching Krampus trot along rooftops is profoundly scary, and if the rest of the movie can keep up with this gloriously tense footage, it will probably become another classic holiday cinema staple on par with It's a Wonderful Life, Elf and A Christmas Story.

Legendary Pictures' and Universal Pictures' Krampus, a darkly festive tale of a yuletide ghoul,...

Make sure this album is on your list this holiday season. The Krampus – The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack will release digitally on December 4, 2015, on Back Lot Music.

The album features the original music created by composer Douglas Pipes (Monster House, Trick ‘R Treat), pre-orders available now on iTunes. A CD is forthcoming, while Waxwork Records will distribute the soundtrack on vinyl, pre-orders available starting December 4th at www.waxworkrecords.com. The digital album also features a bonus track of the popular tune “Carol of the Bells,” rewritten and appropriately retitled “Krampus Karol of the Bells.”

When creating the score, Pipes wanted to remain true to the spirit of Christmas. “We used melodies of Christmas carols, sometimes just fragments, sometimes altered, as well as traditional Christmas instruments throughout,” said Pipes. He knew it was going into dark fantasy-horror territory, but to make the score unique Pipes created a theme for Krampus...

Universal Pictures and Legendary Pictures have released a new featurette that explains the history of the title character of Krampus, their new Christmas-themed horror movie written and directed by Michael Dougherty. He's the man responsible for my favorite Halloween movie, Trick 'r Treat, and it looks like he's going to bring the same kind of humor, horror, and holiday vibe to this movie. Adam Scott, Toni Collette, David Koechner, Allison Tolman, Conchata Ferrell, Stefania Lavie Owen, Krista Stadler, and Emjay Anthony star, and the film opens in theaters on December 4th. Watch the full trailer here if you haven't seen it yet.

Legendary Pictures’ Krampus, a darkly festive tale of a yuletide ghoul, reveals an irreverently twisted side to the holiday. When his dysfunctional family clashes over the holidays, young Max (Emjay Anthony) is disillusioned and turns his back on Christmas. Little does he know, this lack of festive spirit...

You better watch out, you better not cry, better not pout, I’m telling you why: Santa – no, it’s not Saint Nicholas that’s coming down the chimney in Universal’s upcoming festive film Krampus, but rather a half-goat, half-demon Pagan entity.

Forget spoiled gifts and stockings stuff with coal, Michael Dougherty’s atypical holiday release will introduce a new form of horror with its titular spirit, and today’s featurette maps out its eerie history. Spanning generations, Krampus is depicted as a wretched, horned and anthropomorphic being that stalks young children during the Christmas season who have been up to no good.

Having already brought a flair and sense of style to Halloween with Trick ‘r Treat back in 2007, Dougherty’s new movie opens much like any other festive release that’ll soon be cramming up theaters. Centering on Max (Emjay Anthony), Krampus sees our young protagonist turn...

After the table is cleared of turkey and cranberry sauce later this week, it won't be long before Michael Dougherty's Krampus stomps into theaters on December 4th. Ahead of the film's release, a new featurette has been revealed that examines the Christmas demon and shows why you'll want to stay off his naughty list.

"Legendary Pictures’ Krampus, a darkly festive tale of a yuletide ghoul, reveals an irreverently twisted side to the holiday.

When his dysfunctional family clashes over the holidays, young Max (Emjay Anthony) is disillusioned and turns his back on Christmas. Little does he know, this lack of festive spirit has unleashed the wrath of Krampus: a demonic force of ancient evil intent on punishing non-believers.

All hell breaks loose as beloved holiday icons take on a monstrous life of their own, laying siege to the fractured family’s home and forcing them to fight for...

From the wicked mind that brought us the Halloween cult classic Trick 'r Treat, director Michael Dougherty, comes a new thriller just in time for Christmas, Universal Pictures' Krampus. With just under two weeks until Krampus hits theaters, the studio has released a new featurette. This preview not only shows how Krampus has invaded mainstream culture, but offers insight into how this terrifying legend came to be.

This preview features footage from TV shows such as The League, Family Guy and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, along with news footage showing how real-life people are trying to keep the Krampus tradition alive by dressing up as this demonic companion to St. Nicholas. Born out of Pagan folklore, the legend of Krampus reveals that he punishes naughty children by beating them with branches, putting them in a sack, and dragging them to hell. Now fans will finally get to...

Legendary Pictures has released a new poster for Michael Dougherty’s upcoming Christmas horror film Krampus. Dougherty is the writer and director who brought us Trick ‘r’ Treat, so you know you’re in for a good time. Everything that I’ve seen from Krampus has looked awesomely terrifying.

The movie is based on a figure from German folklore who has become popular again in recent years. I’ve always felt Krampus would be a great subject for a horror movie, and it’s great that it’s actually been made. Here’s the synopsis:

When his dysfunctional family clashes over the holidays, young Max (Emjay Anthony) is disillusioned and turns his back on Christmas. Little does he know, this lack of festive spirit has unleashed the wrath of Krampus: a demonic force of ancient evil intent on punishing non-believers. All hell breaks loose as beloved holiday icons take...

Legendary Pictures has now released the domestic trailer for 'Krampus,' which you can check out below and thank to Lr reader 'Mike Marcus' for the heads up.

The film stars Adam Scott, Toni Collette, Emjay Anthony, Allison Tollman, David Koechner, Conchata Ferrell, Stefania Owen, and Krista Stadler.

When his dysfunctional family clashes over the holidays, young Max (Emjay Anthony) is disillusioned and turns his back on Christmas. Little does he know, this lack of festive spirit has unleashed the wrath of Krampus: a demonic force of ancient evil intent on punishing non-believers. 

All hell breaks loose as beloved holiday icons take on a monstrous life of their own, laying siege to the fractured family's home and forcing them to fight for each other if they hope to survive.

Krampus will hit theaters on December 4, 2015.

Sorry that it’s been a while, dear readers. A combination of computer trouble and being busy with other things has kept me away for the last couple weeks. But the column is finally back, and this week’s Trailer Trashin’ takes a look at the upcoming horror-comedy Krampus.

Premise: When his dysfunctional family clashes over the holidays, young Max (Emjay Anthony) is disillusioned and turns his back on Christmas. Little does he know that this lack of festive spirit has unleashed the wrath of Krampus, a demonic force of ancient evil intent on punishing non-believers. All hell breaks loose as beloved holiday icons take on a monstrous life of their own, laying siege to the fractured family’s home and forcing them to fight for each other if they hope to survive.

My take: Krampus is a horned, humanoid creature from German-speaking Alpine folklore that punishes naughty children during the Christmas season,...

The Krampus is the anti-Santa Claus, a wicked beast from the folklore of the Alpine countries of Europe who loves to swat children who have misbehaved at Christmas with his bundle of birch sticks and rusty chains before dragging them in baskets to the underworld. Krampus is celebrated on Krampusnacht, which takes place on the eve of St. Nicholas’ Day. In parts of Europe, party-goers masquerade as devils, wild-men, and witches to participate in Krampuslauf (Krampus Run). Intoxicated and bearing torches, costumed devils caper and carouse through the streets terrifying children and adults alike. Krampusnacht is increasingly being celebrated in other parts of Europe as well as in many American cities and should be a holiday here, like Halloween. Speaking of Halloween, one of my favorite movies on the subject of October 31st was the 2007 anthology shocker Trick ‘R Treat directed by Michael Dougherty so imagine my delight when...

Yesterday we gave you a tease of Krampus with a look at the first photos. The upcoming holiday horror movie from Trick 'r Treat's Michael Dougherty is due out this December and we now have the first trailer for you to watch.

Legendary Pictures’ Krampus, a darkly festive tale of a yuletide ghoul, reveals an irreverently twisted side to the holiday.

When his dysfunctional family clashes over the holidays, young Max (Emjay Anthony) is disillusioned and turns his back on Christmas. Little does he know, this lack of festive spirit has unleashed the wrath of Krampus: a demonic force of ancient evil intent on punishing non-believers.

All hell breaks loose as beloved holiday icons take on a monstrous life of their own, laying siege to the fractured family’s home and forcing them to fight for each other if they hope to survive.

The horror-comedy also stars Adam Scott,...

Looking for an irreverent and twisted take on the holidays? Legendary Pictures has just what you need with the darkly festive yuletide ghoul “Krampus.” A horror comedy directed by Michael Dougherty (“Trick ’r Treat”), “Krampus” stars newcomer Emjay Anthony, Adam Scott, Toni Collette, David Koechner, Allison Tolman, Conchata Ferrell, Stefania Lavie Owen and Krista Stadler. Here’s the official synopsis: When his dysfunctional family clashes over the holidays, young Max (Emjay Anthony) is disillusioned and turns his back on Christmas. Little does he know, this lack of festive spirit has unleashed the wrath of Krampus: a demonic force of ancient evil intent on punishing non-believers. All hell breaks loose as beloved holiday icons take on a monstrous life of their own, laying siege to the fractured family’s home and forcing them to fight for each other if they hope to survive. And Fyi, Krampus and the mischievous underlings...

Legendary Pictures' Krampus, a darkly festive tale of a yuletide ghoul, reveals an irreverently twisted side to the holiday. When his dysfunctional family clashes over the holidays, young Max (Emjay Anthony) is disillusioned and turns his back on Christmas.&#160Little does he know, this lack of festive spirit has unleashed the wrath of Krampus: A demonic force of ancient evil intent on punishing non-believers.

All hell breaks loose as beloved holiday icons take on a monstrous life of their own, laying siege to the fractured family's home and forcing them to fight for each other if they hope to survive.&#160The horror-comedy also stars Adam Scott, Toni Collette, David Koechner, Allison Tolman, Conchata Ferrell, Stefania Owen and Krista Stadler.

Krampus and his mischievous underlings have been created by the combined efforts of Weta Workshop and Weta Digital, both renowned for their epic work on The Lord of the Rings...

Contributed by Michelle McCue and Melissa Howland

On Saturday Crimson Peak, Warcraft and Krampus were at Legendary Pictures’ Comic-Con panel in Hall H.

Krampus, a darkly festive tale of a yuletide ghoul, reveals an irreverently twisted side to the holiday.

When his dysfunctional family clashes over the holidays, young Max (Emjay Anthony) is disillusioned and turns his back on Christmas. Little does he know, this lack of festive spirit has unleashed the wrath of Krampus: a demonic force of ancient evil intent on punishing non-believers.

All hell breaks loose as beloved holiday icons take on a monstrous life of their own, laying siege to the fractured family’s home and forcing them to fight for each other if they hope to survive.

The horror-comedy also stars Adam Scott, Toni Collette, David Koechner, Allison Tolman, Conchata Ferrell, Stefania Lavie Owen and Krista Stadler.

Krampus and his mischievous underlings have been...

While we're still waiting for Kevin Smith to deliver his holiday horror anthology Anti-Claus, the folks at Legendary Pictures are beginning production on their own Christmas-themed horror comedy called Krampus. The film tells the story of young Max, who turns his back on Christmas as his dysfunctional family comes together and comically clashes over the holidays. But things get even worse when they unleash the wrath of Krampus, a vicious, ancient entity from European folklore, who begins to wreak havoc, giving monstrous life to holiday icons and creating even more terror for this fractured family. And we have a cast! Adam Scott ("Parks & Recreation," Hot Tub Time Machine 2), Toni Collette (Little Miss Sunshine, The Way Way Back), Allison Tolman ("Fargo"), David Koechner (Anchorman), Conchata Ferrell ("Two and a Half Men"), Emjay Anthony (Chef), Stefania Owen (The Lovely Bones) and Krista Stadler (Lena Rais) are all starring in the film which is now in production.

Principal photography is set to begin on Legendary Pictures‘ Krampus, a horror-comedy feature film that reveals an irreverently twisted side to the Christmas holiday.

This darkly festive tale of a yuletide ghoul is co-written and directed by Michael Dougherty. The visual effects are from the Oscar-winning creature-effects wizardry of Weta Workshop and the Oscar-winning visual effects of Weta Digital.

Krampus will be released on December 4, 2015, by Universal Pictures.

A humorously creepy alternative to the traditional holiday classic, Krampus stars Adam Scott (“Parks and Recreation,” The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty), Academy Award nominee Toni Collette (Little Miss Sunshine, The Sixth Sense), Golden Globe nominee Allison Tolman (“Fargo“), David Koechner (Anchorman series), Emmy nominee Conchata Ferrell (“Two and a Half Men”), Emjay Anthony (Chef), Stefania Owen (The Lovely Bones) and Krista Stadler (Lena Rais).

Krampus tells the story of young Max, who turns his back on Christmas as his dysfunctional family...

Principal photography is set to begin on Legendary Pictures' Krampus, a horror-comedy feature film that reveals an irreverently twisted side to the Christmas holiday. This darkly festive tale of a yuletide ghoul is co-written and directed by Michael Dougherty and stars a stellar ensemble cast, who are supported by the Oscar-winning creature-effects wizardry of Weta Workshop and the Oscar-winning visual effects of Weta Digital. Krampus will be released on December 4, 2015, by Universal Pictures.

A humorously creepy alternative to the traditional holiday classic, Krampus features a stellar cast that includes Adam Scott, &#160Academy Award nominee Toni Collette, Golden Globe nominee Allison Tolman, David Koechner, Emmy nominee Conchata Ferrell ("Two and a Half Men"), Emjay Anthony, Stefania Owen and Krista Stadler. Krampus tells the story of young Max, who turns his back on Christmas as his dysfunctional family comes together and comically clashes over the holidays. When they accidentally unleash the wrath of Krampus,...