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When it comes to Christmas horror movies, nothing gets the holiday spirit flowing like an evil Santa. These films take the jolly Santa we know and turn him into a creepy maniac with an appetite for gore. Instead of spreading cheer, evil Santa spreads fear, slashing his way through snow-covered streets and creeping down chimneys with murderous intent. To turn the most wonderful time of the year into a nightmare, spending time with any of the scariest killer Santa Clauses in horror movies should do the trick.

Some of these holiday horrors have arguably earned a spot among the best horror movies of all time for their unique blend of festivities and brutal violence. With Santa as the ultimate villain, they are packed with blood, chaos, and more than a little holiday madness. For anyone looking to spice up their holiday movie marathon, a murderous Santa Claus is an unexpected must-see.

Stars: Riley Lewis, Omar Tucci, Michael Coughlan, Marlene Malcolm, Greg Johnston, Terry McDonald, Rick Amsbury | Written by Neil Mackay, Sean McAulay | Directed by Neil Mackay

Death Hunt opens as a young Tj (Riley Lewis) is taking some target practice. His father explains to him how to calculate the effect of the wind on the bullet as he shifts his aim from the paper target to his real target, a man tied to a tree.

Years later Ray (Omar Tucci) is in rural Crawford County trying to get the locals to sell their farms so he can develop the land. Mayor Dolan seems to be on board, but the townsfolk aren’t overly enthusiastic and the meeting doesn’t go well. Needing to recover he hops in his Trans Am where his mistress Brooke (Marlene Malcolm; Dark Side of the Ring) is waiting for him and they head off for a weekend getaway.

Exclusive: Dear Producer has set Liz Cardenas (7 Days), Megan Gilbride (Tower), Sabrina Schmidt Gordon (To the End) and Avril Z. Speaks (Jinn) as the recipients of its inaugural Dear Producer Award, recognizing excellence in independent producing.

The prize sponsored by Maida Lynn’s Genuine Article Pictures was established to help lift the financial burdens on indie film producers and to help build the independent film community through leadership and mentoring. It’s different from other filmmaking grants in that it supports the producer and is not based on a project or specific work. Each of this year’s recipients will receive an unrestricted grant of 50,000, attend a retreat focused on rest and community building, and commit to mentoring an emerging producer for one year.

Dear Producer is a digital platform founded by producer Rebecca Green, which was established to amplify the voices of independent producers and help make the industry more sustainable.

Stars: Simon Phillips, Kate Schroder, Sayla de Goede, Michael Coughlan, Samantha De Benedet, Keegan Chambers, Ken Bressers, Anne-Carolyne Binette, Frederik Storm, Michael Swatton, Meredith Heinrich, Jennifer Willis | Written by Simon Phillips, Paul Tanter | Directed by Paul Tanter

I reviewed Once Upon Time At Christmas in 2018 and although it was a decent enough low budget slasher movie, it’s not a movie I was expecting a sequel to appear from. Yet here we are two years later with The Nights Before Christmas.

The synopsis in very simple terms, is basically the same as the first film. Santa Claus (well a guy dressed as him) goes on a killing spree, accompanied by Mrs Claus and being chased by the F.B.I. Being a slasher means that a lot of the enjoyment from this for many will be how entertaining the death scenes are. And in that regard, The Nights Before Christmas does pretty well for itself.