Review of Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (2010) by Eiríkur Jóhann E — 28 Oct 2011

Kids all around the world looooove Santa Claus, but in the world of Rare Exports, Santa is not the jolly man with the big belly and long white beard who leaves gifts underneath the tree.

Pietari is a young boy who lives in Northern Finland with his father Rauno on a snow covered farm, making their living off of hunting and processing meat. His mother is gone and they have a strained relationship, as Pietari loves using his imagination and isn't much for hunting, often getting teased by Juuso, a neighbor kid. A company is conducting blasting on the nearby mountain top, so when Rauno and his buddy find hundreds of dead reindeer which are their cash source, they blame the blasting and go to confront the company. From there they discover what the company is searching for - the real Santa Claus, entombed in the mountain in ice a long time ago, and Santa is evil. Real evil. He enjoyed punishing children and ultimately consuming them. You would think frozen Santa wouldn't be much of a threat, but Rauno and friends come to find that his helpers are, especially when children in the area begin disappearing.

Rare Exports is a fun fantasy and as worthy of becoming a Christmas viewing tradition as A Christmas Story. It's truly something different, though it's not family entertainment. Keep the kiddies away.