With the holidays almost over, what better way to conclude this wonderful time of year than to watch some really awesome Christmas themed horror movies! During this yuletide time, I thought it would be not only fun but informative to share with you some of my favorite Christmas themed horror films. This is something that I've been doing for a couple of years now, due to the amazing plethora of titles that are available to watch. Some of these are classic horror staples, while some are newer releases that truly deserve your time and attention.
This list contains MY favorite movies that I have enjoyed and only titles that I have seen! So that is why you won't see other acclaimed and worthy titles like
RARE IMPORTS: A CHRISTMAS TALE,
STIRRING or
SANTA SLAYS on this list. However, they are on my to-watch list so maybe they'll appear on next year's compilation. So my faithful readers, here is my Top Ten Favorite Christmas Horror Films of All Time!
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| Theatrical Movie Poster (2012) |
10)
SILENT NIGHT (2012): I'm gonna start off this list with a controversial entry. A loose remake of the classic 1984 slasher film
SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT, the plot centers on the police force of a remote Midwestern town in search for a killer Santa Claus who is picking off citizens on Christmas Eve. Directed by
Steven C. Miller and starring Malcolm McDowell,
Jaime King,
Donal Logue,
Courtney-Jane White,
Ellen Wong and
Rick Skene, the movie is a slick, sick slasher flick that will appeal to horror fanatics. Miller is no stranger to the horror genre, after helming
AUTOMATION TRANSFUSION (2006),
SCREAM OF THE BANSHEE (2011) and
UNDER THE BED (2012). Also, this was King's third remake of a 80's slasher film, having starred in the 2009
MY BLOODY VALENTINE and 2010
MOTHER'S DAY remakes.
Click here to view the film's theatrical trailer.
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| Theatrical Movie Poster (2015) |
9)
KRAMPUS (2015): 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. Filmmaker Michael Dougherty is well known to horror fans as the writer/director of the beloved anthology
TRICK 'r TREAT and is in post-production of the upcoming film
GODZILLA: KING OF MONSTERS for Warner Bros. Pictures. At the time of me writing this piece, it was announced that Dougherty will finally be making the long awaited sequel
TRICK 'r TREAT 2, which I have been waiting for since the first movie came out!
Click here to view the film's theatrical trailer.
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| Theatrical Movie Poster (1980) |
8)
CHRISTMAS EVIL (1980): When he was a boy, Harry idolized Santa Claus, but one Christmas Eve, he
witnessed something horrifying that forever shattered his innocent
understanding of Santa. Now an adult, Harry wants to embody the pure
Santa Claus he grew up loving. He works at a toy factory and keeps
records of who’s been naughty and nice, but the spirit of Christmas
isn’t what it used to be and he can’t take it. So, garbed in his red
suit, Harry decides that the only thing he can do is to become Santa
himself and make all of the naughty townspeople pay…in blood! Originally released as
You Better Watch Out, the film predates
SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT by four years! Troma Entertainment originally released the movie on VHS in 2000 in an unrated director's cut. Then in 2006, Synapse Film's gained the rights to release it on DVD before finally getting a Blu-Ray/DVD combo from Vinegar Syndrome in 2014.
Click here to view the film's theatrical trailer.
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| Promotional Movie Poster (1997) |
7)
JACK FROST (1997): On his way to be executed, the vehicle containing notorious serial
killer Jack Frost collides with a hazardous chemical truck, turning Jack
into a snow covered mutant and unleashing him on the unsuspecting town
of Snomonton, ‘The Snowman Capitol of the Midwest’. Jack immediately
takes advantage of his newfound freedom and blizzardy abilities to seek
revenge on the bungling Sheriff, played by Christopher Allport (
TO LIVE
AND DIE IN L.A.), that accidentally ended his cross-country killing
spree. On his way to the Sheriff, Jack terrorizes the snow-man themed
town and murders its residents in a variety of winterized ways. The movie was recently released as a Blu-Ray/DVD combo by Vinegar Syndrome after being out of print for years.
Click here to view the film's theatrical trailer.
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| Theatrical Movie Poster (2015) |
6)
A CHRISTMAS HORROR STORY (2015): It’s the season of joy, peace, and goodwill… unless you live in Bailey
Downs. Last Christmas Eve, two teens came to a grisly end in a school
basement. Now, one year later, a new set of horrors has come to town. As
three friends explore the site of the massacre, a malevolent spirit is
determined to keep them there forever. One of the first cops to the
scene of the bloody murders has new complications as his seven-year-old
son exhibits terrifying and violent behavior. And when a local family
seeks reconciliation with an estranged aunt for the wrong reasons, they
suddenly find themselves running in terror from Krampus, the demonic
anti-Santa Claus. Not even St. Nick is immune to the terror as he fights
back against a horde of zombie elves. This is destined to be a holiday
no one will ever forget.
Click here to view the film's theatrical trailer.
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| Theatrical Movie Poster (1993) |
5)
THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS (1993): Bored with the same old scare-and-scream routine, Jack Skellington, the
Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, longs to spread the joy of Christmas.
But his merry mission puts Santa in jeopardy and creates a nightmare for
good little boys and girls everywhere! I don't care what people think or say, this is a horror film disguised as a children's film. Created by the legendary Tim Burton and directed by
Henry Selick, this stop motion musical contains some delightful scares and eerie imagery that horror fans have come accustomed to with Mr. Burton's cinematic world. And the cinematic world has never been the same since. Since its original release, the film has gone on to become a true animation classic, spawning toys, games, clothes and all kinds of merchandise. Click here to view the film's theatrical trailer.
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| Theatrical Movie Poster (2016) |
4)
BETTER WATCH OUT (2016): This holiday season, you may be home, but you’re not alone... In this
fresh and gleefully twisted spin on home-invasion horror, babysitter
Ashley (Olivia DeJonge) must defend her young charges Luke (Levi Miller) and his best friend Garrett (Ed
Oxenbould ) when intruders break into the house one snowy night – or so
she thinks. Originally titled as
SAFE NEIGHBORHOOD, the film made a big splash
when it was screened at the Fantastic Fest in 2016. It went on to garner acclaim at
other film festivals before being picked up for distribution by Well Go USA
Entertainment. This is one of the most original, entertaining and sick Christmas themed horror films I have seen in a very long time!
Fun fact: both DeJonge and Oxenbould played siblings in M. Night Shyamalan's 2015 thriller THE VISIT. Click here to view the film's theatrical trailer.
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| Theatrical Movie Poster (1984) |
3)
GREMLINS (1984): A small town is besieged by
some furry and not-so-cute little creatures after a young man ignores
the warnings of a wise elder regarding their care and feeding. Before anybody says anything, the film takes place during Christmas time, so that is why it's on my list. Written by Chris Columbus, produced by Steven Spielberg
and directed by Joe Dante, the film stars
Zach Galligan,
Phoebe Cates,
Keye Luke,
Corey Feldman,
Dick Miller and with Howie Mandel providing the voice of Gizmo. The film was so successful that it became the fourth highest-grossing film of 1984 (
GHOSTBUSTERS,
BEVERLY HILLS COP and
INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM were the other three films), grossing a staggering $148.1 million against its meager $11 million budget! A sequel was eventually made and released in 1990.
Click here to view the film's theatrical trailer.
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| Theatrical Movie Poster (1984) |
2)
SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT (1984): The film is the heartwarming story of little Billy Chapman who was traumatized
by his parents’ Christmas Eve murder, then brutalized by sadistic
orphanage nuns. But when grown-up Billy is to dress as jolly St. Nick,
he goes on a yuletide rampage to "punish the naughty! ", Santa Claus is
coming to town ... and this time he’s got an axe! Robert Brian Wilson
and Scream Queen Linnea Quigley star in this jaw-dropping horror classic
that a nation of angry mothers still cannot stop! Community leaders tried to stop the release. The P.T.A. fought to ban it. In 2017, Scream Factory, an imprint of Shout! Factory, released the film on Blu-Ray in a new high-definition and fully restored from the original vaulted film negative. Still considered controversial to this very day, the film spawned four sequels along with the 2012 remake that came in at number ten.
Click here to watch the film's theatrical trailer.
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| Theatrical movie Poster (1974) |
1)
BLACK CHRISTMAS (1974): The grandaddy of all Christmas horror films! The college town of Bedford is receiving an unwelcome guest this
Christmas. As the residents of sorority house Pi Kappa Sigma prepare for
the festive season, a stranger begins to stalk the house. A series of obscene phone calls start to plague the residents of the
sorority and it becomes clear that a psychopath is homing in on the
sisters with dubious intentions. And though the police try to trace the
calls, they discover that nothing is as it seems during this Black
Christmas. Over 40 years after its initial theatrical release, the movie still holds up and still inspires screams from audiences today! It predates
HALLOWEEN by four years and it's sited as launching the slasher genre. A remake with the same name came out in 2006 and Scream Factory released a two-disc special edition Blu-Ray set earlier this year!
Click here to view the film's theatrical trailer.
And there you have it folks! My Top Ten Favorite Christmas Horror Films of All Time! I hope that this list inspires you to watch some of these films, or if you're a die hard horror fanatic, it will make you want to revisit these festive cinematic gems! Since many of these movies are available to watch on Blu-Ray, DVD, VOD or on streaming services like Netflex, Hulu and Shudder, there is a plethroa of ways for you to watch them. So put out those milk and cookies, turn on your Christmas tree lights, pop some popcorn and set back and watch these films with your family today! Just make sure you save a seat for Santa, or he'll leave a lump of coal in your stocking....if your lucky!
Thanks for reading, and Happy Holidays to you all!
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