A Christmas Horror: A Review

23rd December, 2018.

You know, it’s the night before Christmas Eve, and all through the house?

There’s the odd bit of dust.

I think that — potentially — I should be doing the odd but of … you know … sweeping up.

Possibly.

If I can … you know …



Get motivated.



Or get bothered!

At ANY rate … ?

It can’t have escaped you — or me — what time of year it is.

Yes … 

It’s Christmas.

And frankly?

Whilst I’m not working, now, I can, at least be grateful I bought a few presents, whilst I was … !

Not much … 

But someone’s going to get a lot of Lego*.

~≈§≈~



At any rate … ?



It’s Christmas: with all that implies.

If, like me, you’re at home?

You’ve a couple of options.

Some of them repeatable in public.

In my case?

Well, in my case, the first thing I did, was do my mother a favour: updating her iPad to the most recent version of the operating system it could deal with, and updating some apps.

THEN … ?

Well, I figured a movie would be the thing.



I’d seen Christmas horror films, before now — Rare Exports and Krampus — and felt the genre was maybe something to explore.

The big question … ?

Did I make the right decision, with A Christmas Horror Story?

Hmmm … 

~≈§≈~

A Christmas Horror Story opens with DJ, Dangerous Dan — William Shatner — opening his show on the local station for Bailey Downs† …



Storming Norman, the weatherman, is feeling distinctly Scrooge-like, and Dan’s unseen producer, Susan, is permanently on his case.

That’s just background.

Weaving in and out of this … ?

The story of Dylan, Ben and Molly (Shannon Kook, Alex Ozerov and Zoé De Grand’Maison): investigating a hideous killing at school, the previous Christmas.

The story of Scott (Adrian Holmes), one of the police officers who investigated that killing, and he and his wife, Kim (Olunike Adelikyi).   That killing … ?   Earned Scott a year’s worth of stress related time off: and convinces him he should get a real tree for his wife and son … 

The story of brother and sister, Caprice and Duncan (Amy Forsyth and Percy Hynes White): who are stuck in a car, at Christmas, with their parents.   And really not expecting the Krampus to turn up.

All these?

All these, combined with a forth story: Santa’s at the North Pole … getting attacked by zombie elves … 

You can tell the eggnog’s having an effect, can’t you … ?

~≈§≈~

Now … 

Good, bad, indifferent … ?



Mmmm … 

I’m thinking, right now, that A Christmas Horror Story is an OK film.

It’s well acted, well written, the cast do their best with the script and direction.

The plots could be a little tighter.

I’ve seen one other anthology film — Patient Seven — and the two are comparable.

Although, personally?



I think A Christmas Horror Story scores, somewhat, in that it weaves its story together into a whole: rather than, as Patient Seven does, a loose collection.

It’s not necessarily perfect, but is watchable.

Keep that in mind.

A Christmas Horror Story
★★☆☆

*        My nephew, Jude?   Decided to do a drawing of his favourite uncle … 

†        OK … did the producers think “Christmas, Christmas, what do we name a town after?   EASY … !   George Bailey, the Jimmy Stewart character in It’s a Wonderful Life.”   I think the answer’s yes …