Review of Christmas Evil (1980) by Unca C — 23 Apr 2006

Let's see what we have in the player today...

"Christmas Evil".

Well, let's get something out of the way right now - [b][i]THIS IS NOT A SLASHER FLICK[/i][/b]. Now the guy IS a lunatic, but it's not a hack slash at all. It is a horror flick of sorts but not what one might expect with the above title.

We start off with a rather simple scene, 'Santa' comes down the chimney while the kids and Mom look on in wonder. Of course, one of the little tykes think that 'Santa' was actually Daddy so goes to look...

As it turns out, Mommy isn't exactly kissing Santa Claus under the mistletoe, but close enough. Junior freaks. Roll title credits.

Skip ahead to "The Present": Junior/Harry (decently played by Brandon Maggart) is now an adult, sleeps in Santa pajamas and listens to Xmas music all the time. His home is shrine to the holiday.

-- Oh yeah, Junior's doing fine. :rolleyes: --.

If that ain't enough, the guy actually keeps a list of good and bad children. Oh, AND he works in a toy factory. He's basically frustrated with how everything about the holiday has degraded into drudgery (particularly in relation to his own life). Inevitably, his life begins to fall apart around him, he snaps, and goes bonkers.

Pretty straightfoward, right?

Well, Maggart plays the hapless Harry with the right amount of frustration without going over the top. Movie moves logically (logic in a slasher flick?) and gradually into his descent towards madness without seeming forced nor sluggish. As he slowly prepares for the holiday, one can sense his mind slipping away at the same time.

I picture Michael Douglas doing the same thing in "Falling Down" if it had occurred during the holidays.

The lowdown: Not a bad flick though I think it tries to bite off too much at once by also adding a mental hospital subplot midway thru the film. The film was definitely made on the cheap but still satisfactory. As said before, Brandon Maggart is actually pretty good; the slow burn he performs is admirable. Plus when he does crack it seems more out of rage than psychosis. The film rises above it's otherwise crappy premise to provide an entertaining view. Heck, by the end of the film you wonder if maybe Harry has a valid point.

[u][b]Fun rating[/b][/u]: 8 - pretty good flick considering it's mainly considered a holiday slasher. Believe it or not, would actually make for holiday viewing (if you have a macabre sense of humor). Make sure the egg nog is spiked or better yet - skip the egg nog and just drink the bourbon. Cheers!

[b][u]Interest rating[/u][/b]: 8 - definitely worth buying, though I'd recommend bargain hunting first. If you're looking for gore, move on; it's not really for you.

[b][u]Total rating[/u][/b]: 8.

[i]Trivia time: Guess what, gang! Brandon Maggart is the father of the one and only Fiona Apple.[/i].