Deadly Games

Really cool stylish version of a psychotic Santa hunting a kid in a mansion although the kid is more than ready for fighting back! Deadly games (AKA dial code Santa Claus) is awesome fun; glad it's on Shudder. For a French experience it's really well filmed and tense. Not really like Home Alone but I guess I see that the parents do leave the kid at home in this too.

Another Christmas, another Christmas-themed horror movie! For as long as I can remember, I have this silly but firm tradition to watch at least one holiday horror movie on Christmas day. This naturally also means that all the obvious classics, like "Black Christmas" or the entire "Silent Night Deadly Night" series, have passed the revue already and each year it's more and more challenging to find a new title. That's why, this year, I was rejoiced to have stumbled upon "36.15 Code Père Noël". It's been on my must-see list for ages and it also turned out to be the most pleasant Christmas-horror surprise in many years!

"36.15 Code Père Noël", which sounds so much cooler than the international title "Game Over", is one seriously bonkers and messed up action/thriller, but simultaneously also a 100% original, imaginative and non-stop exhilarating joyride! It's like a demented mixture of "Die Hard", "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory", "Rambo", "Silent Night, Deadly Night" and - of course - "Home Alone". Moreover, since this film was released in 1989, you can't but wonder if "Home Alone" (released in 1990) is really as original as you always assumed it was! The story introduces 9-year-old Thomas, the only son of rich and sturdy businesswoman Julie, and an exceptionally intelligent & independent kid. Only in the 80s, a weird kid with a mullet and Rambo-outfit could become a genuine hero! Thomas has secret hideouts all around the family mansion, prepares booby-traps for his dog and has installed cameras and spyware everywhere. On Christmas Eve, Thomas is home alone with his ailing grandfather, and all set for the arrival of Santa Clause. Santa is coming, though in the shape of a confused drifter, enraged because Thomas' mother fired him for being an incompetent Santa at the mall. René Manzor's screenplay terrific, and although absurd and often over-the-top, the characters are still believable. For example, despite being an extraordinary gifted child, Thomas also still remains a normal 9-year-old who stubbornly wants to believe that Santa Clause exists and calls out to his mother when he's petrified. Patrick Floersheim gives a great performance as the bad Santa, who basically isn't evil but nevertheless dangerously disturbed. The mansion where all the action takes place is an awesome setting, the music is creepy and there are a handful of moments of authentic suspense and fright. Give this French holiday-horror gem a fair chance, and I guarantee you'll never look at "Home Alone" again without reflecting on this one!

No matter what story one believes - Game Over released in 1989, a year before Home Alone. The resemblance of the movies is not only striking, it becomes difficult to believe that John Hughes didn't use this film as inspiration for his classic Christmas tale. He claimed he came up with the idea (a year before) while on a European family vacation. Hmmm.... pretty interesting that this film released, in Europe, a year before Home Alone. The timeline may in fact be too tight for this to even be logically possible, so I'm not completely ruling out coincidence.

How about this movie? It's a more mature Home Alone, with an early 80's action movie look. The setting and characters are (mostly) contrived, and to buy in the viewer has to suspend a lot of disbelief. A family mansion (the main location) has this absurd, mouse trap, set up due to a brilliant child's handy work. It helps his folks are/were ultra rich toy manufacturers - flooding their child with toys and gizmos, while also allowing free reign of home modifications.

The one character who really stands apart from the others is the villain. He's portrayed as a truly mentally damaged individual, who seems to have good intentions, but due to his outcast nature, is never accepted, and feels compelled to do dark things. But even at the villains worst, his character has real humanity that makes his journey in this film, quite tragic. Never quite so much that your rooting interest changes from protagonist to antagonist - but by the end, I saw him as a complex/tragic character, not a single dimensional killer.

Which is a very odd mix of content in a movie that clearly has funny moments, and is built on entertainment.

I wouldn't consider this a Christmas film in any sense other than the films setting. The time of year is a backdrop for the events, and really the film does little to embellish, or critique the holidays. I would also consider this a flaw of the film, where all aspects should serve the story completely.

Game Over may be worth finding and watching for fans of 80's action movies and maybe if your interested in seeing a more mature version of Home Alone. But big fans of Home Alone (I suspect) would not be to high on this movie. Why? It does not have the light feel, humor, or clean Hollywood production values.

a slightly above average film, but marked up to a 7/10 due to it's unique nature.

one last note: I always hope a film maker like this takes off after a film like this, but it wasn't the case. At best Rene Manzor has continued to work, but there appears to be no continuation of this films inspiration or vision. I'm just disappointed this film maker doesn't have a few more outlandish films made after this one. This movie should have informed producers of this guys clear ability as director.

36.15 code Père Noël has become more famous in recent years for the similarities to Home Alone; so much so that director and writer, René Manzor threatened plagiarism. Both films feature a smart, middle/upper class kid alone in a house of traps stalked by a crazy lunatic. In 36.15 it is an unhinged store Santa who is armed with a cake knife. In Home Alone, two bumbling house burglars known as the Sticky Bandits.

36.15 code Père Noël starts off appearing like a family friendly film with our protagonist dressed as Rambo and talking to his Grandpa. What follows are some scenes of shocking violence, not 18 rated slasher standard, but fairly bloody. The Santa is surprisingly menacing and with the use of some good cinematography and suspense, René Manzor manages to create a fairly scary film which is equal parts horror and thriller.

The film reminded a bit of home invasion films like Funny Games (1997) and killer Santa films like the absurd Silent Night, Deadly Night - it's nowhere near as nasty as those. It's fun seeing the different traps Thomas sets (plastic rubber arrows doused in petrol, a toy grenade). Some people could see it as a dark comedy. It's not a must see and it's not as good as the like of Black Christmas or even Home Alone, but it is well worth a watch.

It's been awhile I have seen this film but from what I can remember when I saw it as a kid: I liked it. A small boy is left (with or without babysitter? I don't remember) alone at home (huge mansion) while his parents attend a dinner party on christmas eve. The boy named Thomas thinks he is safe until a burglar dressed in Santa Claus decides to drop in and do some christmas shopping. So now begins this cat & mouse game as Thomas is determined to defend himself and his home. Think more in the lines of "Rambo kid Home Alone without that Culkin brat". Good film from what I can remember and I'm still trying to find a copy of this french film. Perhaps I liked it because I was about the same age as the hero of the film who had these self-made weapons, cool gadgets and was fighting against this psycho santa claus dressed burglar.

For those who wonder what 36.15 is: it's not the code for "Pere Noel" (Santa Claus) but in France it's like a "teletext" or "internet/bbs" function back in the 80's/early 90's. Basically you type in 36.15 and then a "name/word" (e.g. 36.15 CINEMA) and you can find info. Sort of like an electronic yellow pages server.