Episode #45

Originally aired December 3, 2022.

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20 of the Best Christmas Horror Movies [Paste Magazine]

What exactly is it that compels the proliferation of Christmas-themed horror films over the years? Is it the inherently transgressive nature of bloodying a holiday that is meant to represent joy, peace on Earth, and goodwill toward men? It is, after all, all too easy to set a horror film on Halloween, a day when the evil forces on Earth are expected to roam free. Setting a bloodbath against the pristine, jealously guarded specter of Christmas, on the other hand, has always been angling for a certain level of purposeful offense, because there have always been folks who take the defense of the holiday’s image very seriously. Perhaps tearing down that institution (or at least gently ribbing it) is simply too tempting to resist.

Regardless of the why question, though, Christmas has been a fertile ground for horror cinema for half a century, with entries going back at least as far as 1972’s Silent Night, Bloody Night, and arguably including every adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Along the way, there have been classics like Bob Clark’s deeply influential Black Christmas in 1974 (already rebooted twice now, with lesser results), and an innumerable array of cinematic coal lumps and bad puns, from Santa Claws to Santa’s Slay.

In the spirit of the season, please enjoy this starter collection of Christmas horror classics, along with a few entries of the “so bad they’re good” variety. Please note: We figured A Nightmare Before Christmas was probably too much of a gimme (and not really “horror”), so you won’t see it here.

https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/horror-movies/best-christmas-horror-movies-black-christmas/#20-silent-night-deadly-night-part-2

Classic Horror Shop [Official Website]

If you’re like me and you also started watching horror movies in your parents’ basement in Toledo way too young, then you fully grasp why I wanted to start Classic Horror Shop! Or, if you set up elaborate haunted houses in your basement every year with things like brains and eyeballs for your blindfolded classmates to touch, you get it. Did you have all of your friends constantly freaked out that Freddy was around every corner? Yep, you get it too! Granted, I am a child of and lover of the 80’s, but I think there was something really special about being able to identify an entire franchise by just a machete or a hockey mask. To say that I love horror seems like such a simple way to put a mild obsession, but I think you get the picture. I am basically just a girl from Ohio, now living in Los Angeles, trying to help people scare their siblings, neighbors, friends and maybe even their coworkers. I mean, I don’t want you to get fired but I would really love to see videos of you in Classic Horror Shop costumes scaring them, sooooo.

As a woman living with disabilities due to a connective tissue disorder, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, I needed something that I could do from my couch and there is nothing that I want to do more than this very business. Please enjoy the site and I hope to make the world a little better, one scare at a time.

https://www.classichorrorshop.com/

Oldstyle Tales Press [Official Website]

A plucky, independent publisher based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Oldstyle Tales Press specializes in critical, annotated and illustrated editions of classic ghost stories, weird fiction, and gothic horror from the Classical Era of Supernatural Fiction (1795 - 1935). Our mission is to make classic horror more accessible with an engaging aesthetic and clean design: to make the sort of books we would like to own, ourselves. Reading the classics should feel like an adventure -- not homework -- and we aim to bring that adventure to your armchair.

WHAT WE DO & WHY WE DO IT

In spite of the disastrous plummet of the book market since the Great Recession of 2008, there has been a boom in affordable classics. Corporate publishing companies have rushed to produce cheaply priced and cheaply produced editions of recognizable-but-niche horror masterpieces like The Phantom of the Opera, The Turn of the Screw, and the short stories of Ambrose Bierce, M. R. James, and W. W. Jacobs. The results have often been disappointing and uninspired for readers who are looking for a deeper understanding of these works: a 3-5 page introduction revealing little more than a Wikipedia page, no notes, no illustrations, and no passion. Oldstyle Tales aspires to fill the gap between the high-cost academic editions and the cheap, mass productions thrown together on a word processor and slapped with a photoshopped cover.

Classic ghost stories, horror, and weird fiction deserve the delicate and involved attention that they cannot find in copy/pasted discount editions, at a better price and with more intimate editorial hand than they receive in the excellent, if dry academic publications in university bookstores. With care, precision, interest, and passion, we pledge to provide a much richer exploration of the supernatural canon than you are likely to find in the vast majority of the paperbacks with their names on the covers.

https://www.oldstyletales.com/

Apocalypse TV – 12 Shows That Ended the World [Horror Land]

At some point in time, we’ve all wondered what it would be like to survive a global catastrophe that would send us all to hell in a hand basket at the hands of natural disasters, nuclear wars or even global pandemics that would wipe out life as we know it. Thanks to the creative minds of producers and directors, you can find a smorgasbord of shows that cater to this very unique preference in TV entertainment.

You’ll be surprised to see how many TV shows out there have killed off humanity in the name on entertainment! Whether it’s zombies, nuclear power, or even aliens that have ushered in the end of humanity, these grim dramas all showcase what happens when there’s no government, society, or economy: survival of the fittest is law.

What’s the best way to watch a TV show? With your friends, on your couch, on your phone on train, or on tucked up in bed with your tablet and significant other. Whatever you choose, it’s pretty clear that the world as we know it ends and here are just some of the ways it could happen. Here are Apocalypse TV: 12 Shows That Ended the World.

https://www.horror.land/apocalypse-tv-12-shows-that-ended-the-world/

2022 Winter Horror Watchlist – 17 New Horror Releases [Fangoria]

New releases rounding out 2022 and ushering in 2023.

Hibernation season is upon us, y'all and there's nothing better for cozying up than a pile of horror movies. We've got you covered with a Winter watchlist featuring 17 new releases — movies and series — hitting theaters and streaming platforms. The good news is, you can start watching right now, and there's enough here to carry you through the holiday season and into the new year — from heavy hitters like Bones And All to Shudder exclusives like A Wounded Fawn. Netflix has upped their horror ante as well, giving us some Burton to feast upon this month, and some Junji Ito to look forward to on the new year horizon.

https://www.fangoria.com/original/2022-winter-horror-watchlist-17-new-horror-releases/

DVD Drive-In [Official Website]

http://www.dvddrive-in.com/

Bleeding Skull [Official Website]

On January 4, 2004, Bleeding Skull was launched with a simple intention: to share a passion for otherworldly genre films. Since then, Bleeding Skull has become the authority on cinematic dispatches from the fringes. Fangoria called Bleeding Skull “The go-to encyclopedia for trash, bizarre, and shot-on-video horror cinema,” while Vice referred to it as “like a fever dream glimpse into parallel worlds.” Years of uncovering and celebrating these films led to the publication of Bleeding Skull! A 1980s Trash-Horror Odyssey (Headpress, 2013) and Bleeding Skull! A 1990s Trash-Horror Odyssey (Fantagraphics, 2021). In 2018, Bleeding Skull teamed up with the American Genre Film Archive (AGFA) to launch a home video line with releases such as The McPherson Tape, Limbo, and Boardinghouse. Led by editor Annie Choi and founder Joseph A. Ziemba, Bleeding Skull continues to explore, discover, and share otherworldly cinema, all with a joyful DIY spirit inspired by the films themselves.

http://bleedingskull.com/

Frictional Games Announces ‘Amnesia – The Bunker’ for March 2023 [Bloody Disgusting]

It seems that Frictional Games couldn’t wait until The Game Awards next week, as they’ve announced a new entry in the Amnesia series in Amnesia: The Bunker. This semi-open world title will arrive March 2023 for Xbox Series, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store.

https://bloody-disgusting.com/video-games/3742300/frictional-games-announces-amnesia-the-bunker-for-march-2023-trailer/

10 Best South Korean Horror Movies of All Time [Cultured Vultures]

Do you know what's really scary?

South Korean horror is riding a high with global cultural success in film and TV, which is in part thanks to the nation’s love of ghosts and gore. But the best South Korean horror movies go beyond modern shocks and scares.

From a nation that has dealt with war and a struggle for its own national identity over the years, horror creates a great way for South Korean filmmakers to express social commentary and other themes while hacking people to pieces.

https://culturedvultures.com/best-south-korean-horror-movies/

Don’t Open Till Christmas (1984) [British Horror Films]

There have been a number of dodgy plot inventions discussed on this website in the past - but few are as truly appalling as the main thrust of this one. I'm not talking about the idea of a maniac killing Santa Clauses in a variety of ever-more disgusting ways - that's more of a variation on a theme than a plot device. No, I'm talking about the idea that a high-ranking policeman on a high profile murder case would receive an unmarked parcel delivered to their home from an anonymous source, and actually obey the command "Don't Open Till Christmas".

https://www.britishhorrorfilms.co.uk/dont-open-till-christmas

They Look Like People (2015) Review [Modern Horrors]

They Look Like People is an update of the body-snatcher genre of horror/thriller, and it’s great for a number of reasons. It’s a new take on a classic story, which is always fun, but more importantly, like many of the movies I’ve reviewed this year, it only has the trappings of a horror film. They Look Like People is intensely, excruciatingly slow-paced and squeezes every ounce of dread out of each scene, but there’s not much beyond that in the sense of horror aesthetic. There is an undercurrent of darkness throughout the film, yes, but mostly, They Look Like People examines what it’s like to be a young person out on your own. It’s about navigating the complicated waters of life, balancing your career, your friends, who you think you are, and who you think the people around you are. It’s a movie that shows how men can undo themselves and how women are strong. It’s awesome to see old dramatic devices used for something this fresh.

https://modernhorrors.com/they-look-like-people-review/

Yuletide Frights 2 – More Victorian Ghost Stories for Christmas Book Review [Hellnotes]

A new anthology of Victorian Christmas ghost stories to haunt your holidays.

Not all Christmas visitors are jolly…or alive.

While the holidays evoke warm memories of carols, decorations, and gift-giving, horror lurks beneath the holly. The Victorians sought a pleasing terror each December 24th, relishing tales of spirits, goblins, and demons. Shadow House Publishing is proud to continue this tradition with YULETIDE FRIGHTS 2: MORE VICTORIAN GHOST STORIES FOR CHRISTMAS. Bestselling author and anthologist William P. Simmons exhumes fifteen tales that capture the fright and macabre merriment of the season.

https://hellnotes.com/press-release-yuletide-frights-2/

Check Out This Exclusive Clip from The Christmas Tapes [Horror Obsessive]

I’m a huge fan of Christmas horror. There are a whole bunch of movies I watch every year around this time, and other than A Christmas Story, they’re all horror films. My holiday slate includes The Nightmare Before Christmas, Rare Exports, A Christmas Horror Story, and a whole bunch of other spooky titles, and this year, I just might be adding one more movie to that list: The Christmas Tapes.

https://horrorobsessive.com/2022/11/30/check-out-this-exclusive-clip-from-the-christmas-tapes/

Savage Cinema [Official Website]

Finally the new issue of Savage Cinema is live and online. Been busing working on Berdella the past two years among other things and hope you enjoy what we have in store for you. The internet just keeps getting better and better, I mean I can get a 2 terabyte hard drive for $150 and download a ridiculous amount of movies with all that space. I can find almost every movie ever made online. All lost OOP classics can be found at places like Cinnemageddon, its a fantasy come true for bad movie lovers.

This new issue really comes from the heart, we spent months on this issue and kept changing the line-up time and time again. I really like the aesthetics of this issue, the color scheme, layout, and article selection. Although Savage Cinema isn't regularly updated like the bulk of genre sites out there, I look at it more along the lines of a luxury automobile. Something that doesn't need to come around all that often, but when it does ...everyone sure takes a minute to check it out.

On that note, I hope you all enjoy the June 2010 issue of the number 1 cult web zine...Savage Cinema.

http://www.savagecinema.com/index.html

giallo fever [Official Website]

Taking 'eurotrash' seriously – but not too seriously

https://giallo-fever.blogspot.com/

HBO’s Live-Action ‘The Last Of Us’ Series Confirms Race-Swap For Joel’s Daughter [Bounding Into Comics]

In a move that has come to be expected of any major Hollywood production in the modern era, HBO has revealed that Joel Miller’s daughter, Sarah, will be race-swapped for their upcoming live-action adaptation of Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us video game series.

https://boundingintocomics.com/2022/12/01/hbos-live-action-the-last-of-us-series-confirms-race-swap-for-joels-daughter/

Scrooge (1935) – Full Movie [Internet Archive]

Scrooge is a 1935 British Christmas fantasy film directed by Henry Edwards and starring Seymour Hicks, Donald Calthrop and Robert Cochran. Hicks appears as Ebenezer Scrooge, the miser who hates Christmas. It was the first sound version of the Charles Dickens classic A Christmas Carol, not counting a 1928 short subject that now appears to be lost. Hicks had previously played the role of Scrooge on the stage more than 2000 times beginning in 1901, and again in a 1913 British silent film version. This was the first film to be released by the Twickenham Film Distributors, Ltd., founded by Julius Hagen and Arthur Clavering. Hagen acted as producer for the new company, with Clavering handling film distribution.

Stylistically it leans heavily towards German Expressionism and the films of Fritz Lang, involving dark shadows and darkened edges.

The script sticks very closely to Dickens' words.

There is a colorized version that omits the opening scene in which Scrooge is solicited for a charitable donation.

https://archive.org/details/Scrooge_1935

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