This is a juicy terrifying material fashioning an iconic Santa Claus , providing screams , thrills , shocks and chilling scenes . Set in 1985, in a coastal town, a group of children (Pau Poch, Christian Casas ,Daniel Casadellà and Ivana Baquero , the latter to be followed an interesting and successful cinematic career) spending Christmas in a summer resort village discover a woman (Maru Valdivieso) disguised as Santa Claus in a well in the woods. She is a thief who in a tumultuous getaway led her to become a Santa serial killer . When they go to the police for help, they discover that she is in fact a dangerous robber who is on the lam with a substantial haul. They then make a decision. The friends Koldo, Peti, Tito, Eugenio and Monica will help her out of the well in exchange for the money that she still has on her. So the children decide not to free her. But once they have the money, things go wrong . They feed her and look after her but the days become increasingly long in the well. The cold, the damp, the darkness and above all the fact that she is being fed with packets of childrens food are turning her enforced captivity into a torture session with near fatal consequences. One day, when the children come to see her, the well is empty... At the climax happens shocking and horrific images of surprising appearances . You've made it through Halloween, now try and survive Christmas !. Santa's Here!. She knows when you've been naughty .Shocking... disturbing... The movie they tried to ban. This year, Santa Claus is coming with a sackful of deadly gifts. Should they keep the money? Why would they actually want to help her out of the well? And would they be in danger if they did let her out?
If you are expecting a great horror experience, then "Christmas tale" is the best of choice. Furthermore the ordinary terror issues , being developed a peculiar friendship among kids, in which emerging greed, fear , ambition and darker thoughts lead them to change their schemes , which in turn providing a series of dilemmas. Sure, I will say that the concept of the storyline was definitely known , but it was just brutally paced by a very competent direction that moved ahead in skill pace . In fact , this theme about a Santa Claus series killer has been already treated in other films , specially in the Eighties , such as : ¨Silent Night, Deadly Night" 1984 by Charles E. Seiller Jr and sequels : ¨Silent Night, Deadly Night II¨1987 by Lee Harris , ¨Blind Terror¨ 1989 by Monte Hellman , ¨Silent Night, Deadly Night 4¨ 1990 by Brian Yuzna . In addition , ¨Don't open till Christmas¨ 1984 by Edmund Purdom. Scary and terrifying images when the disfigured Santa Claus shows up and creepy events emerging from a well , in which the Santa Claus woman : Maru Valdivieso making sinister and mysterious appearances here and there . The picture is mainly played by children being well directed and giving acceptable interpretations , in fact all the adults in this film are unseen or partially-unseen roles, with their faces always hidden. Only adults showing up are the murderer Maru Valdivieso , and Elsa Pataky and Loquillo , while playing a fun terror movie that some boys are watching on Television. A scary horror picture shot in fits and starts with disconcerting plot , regarding ghastly and threatening appearances , while a group of nasty children suffering from bizarre happenings . Genuinely horrible moments overcome some obvious plot devices .I will say that the cast actually carried the movie decent enough, especially when taking into consideration the severe limitations imposed by the script and storyline.
¨Christmas Tales¨ 2005 belongs to "Historias Para No Dormir" series to the 2000s season , and has been recently made a new season formed by four independent horror stories that pay tribute to the classic format of Narciso Ibáñez Serrador, directed by and starring well known names in Spanish cinema, such as Rodrigo Cortés, Rodrigo Sorogoyen, Paco Plaza and Paula Ortiz directing "La broma", "El doble", "Freddy" and "El asfalto" respectively . It contains an adequate and sinister cinematography by cameraman Javier Salmones. And frightening , suspenseful musical score by composer Mikel Salas , adding popular songs by Estopa band Esto No Es Hawaii (Que Wai) by Loquillo y Trogloditas and Yes Sir, I Can Boogie performed by Baccara. The motion picture was compellingly directed by Paco Plaza providing abound terror and screams . Plaza is a good director with much success particularly in terror genre . He has written or directed with Jaume Balaguero the successful¨ Rec¨ saga formed by : ¨Rec 1, Rec 2 , Rec Genesis and Rec Apocalypse¨ . As well as other terror movies as ¨The second name¨ , ¨Romasanta¨, ¨Christmas tale¨ , ¨Veronica¨and he wrote the American film : ¨Quarantine¨ . He has also made some shorts and documentary : ¨OT¨ . And his only and recent thriller, ¨Quien a hierro mata¨, with Luis Tosar . Rating 7.5/10 . Acceptable and interesting horror movie . Well worth watching for terror lovers.
