Phil's Top 25 Favorite Christmas-Themed Horror Films Of All Time - December 19, 2018

With the holidays almost here, 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! Therefore, some recent entries such as ANNA AND THE APOCALYPSE, MRS. CLAUSE, SLAY BELLES, CHRISTMAS PRESENCE, and ALL THE CREATURES WERE STIRRING didn't make the list yet. 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 25 Favorite Christmas-Themed Horror Films of All Time!

25) BLACK CHRISTMAS (aka BLACK X-MAS) (2006):

24) SILENT NIGHT (2012): 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.

23) ELVES (1989)

22) RED CHRISTMAS (2017)

21) SILENT NIGHT, BLOODY NIGHT (1972)

20) DON'T OPEN TILL CHRISTMAS (1989)

19) ATM (2012)

18) SECRET SANTA (2015)

17) SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT 2 (1987)

16) THE CHILDREN (2008)

15) DEAD END (2003)

14) SANTA'S SLAY (2005)

13) SAINT (aka SINT) (2016)

12) CHRISTMAS EVIL (aka YOU BETTER WATCH OUT) (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.

11) 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.

10) 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 his new film GODZILLA: KING OF MONSTERS for Warner Bros. Pictures will be released next summer. 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!

9) NIGHT OF THE COMET (1984)

8) 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.

7) BETTER WATCH OUT (2017): 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.

6) A 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.

5) 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.

4) RARE IMPORTS: A CHRISTMAS TALE (2010)

3) 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

2) INSIDE (aka À l'intérieur) (2007): Good lord!! This was one fucked up movie!! Four months before Christmas, Sarah and Matthieu Scarangelo were in a car crash, of which Sarah and her unborn baby were the only survivors. On Christmas Eve, Sarah stays home alone, where she grieves her husband and prepares to go to the hospital the next morning for the delivery. As night falls, a woman knocks on Sarah's door asking to use the phone. When she refuses, the woman reveals that she knows Sarah and tries to force her way in. Sarah calls the police; they inspect the home and determine the woman has left, but promise to keep watch over Sarah through the night. The woman returns and tries to take Sarah's unborn child, but Sarah locks herself in the bathroom. The strange woman torments Sarah through the night and kills all who try help her.

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. Again, the  remake came out in 2006 and Scream Factory released a two-disc special edition Blu-Ray set in 2017.

And folks, there you have it! My Top 25 Favorite Christmas-Themed 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!