24 Days of Christmas Films: Day 8- An ode to the Christmas Horror Film

I knew I wanted a horror film on this list but when it came to what film to include I couldn’t decide as they all seemed as equally bad/good. So I thought why not dedicate a whole post to the massively underrated genre of Christmas horror films (insert heavy dose of sarcasm here).

In all seriously though I do genuinely love a horror film at Christmas as I don’t think there’s a better way to count your blessings than to see someone on screen literally have the worst Christmas ever. You might be unlucky such as in the case of Krampus and your family is being hunted by a horned demon from folklore and his evil elves,  or maybe your new pet has spawned evil lizard skinned creatures such as in Gremlins, or maybe it’s just that your sorority house has just been revisted by the cannibalistic son who used to live there as in Black Christmas. Either way as an audience member you’ll realise you have a lot of blessings to count.

You certainly won’t find the smartest or scariest horror films in this genre but they’re the perfect guilty pleasure films, and sometimes the source of a good laugh considering how laughably bad some of them are.

Not to mention that there’s a film for someone on either end of the horror film fan scale, from Gremlins which definitely errs on the black comedy side of things, to the original Black Christmas which provides jump scares whilst the remake is a full on slasher flick. Other highlights (or lowlights depending on your preference), include Jack Frost where a serial killer comes back as a killer snowman, Silent Night Zombie Night (pretty self explanatory there), or one of the many evil Santa films, you’ll find the perfect film for every type of horror fan.

After today we’ll be returning to the typical Christmas genre films but I just thought I’d include a few suggestions for someone looking for something a little different this Christmas time (and maybe a little scare). Please, please, please let me know if you’ve seen any of these films, or whether you have a personal favourite horror film as I’d love to know if there’s any other hidden gems out there!

 

 

 

A Halloween Film For Everyone

My favourite time of year is finally upon us, Halloween! For those of you that don’t fancy venturing out this year I thought I’d suggest some of my favourite spooky films to get you in the Halloween mood. There’s something for everyone from classic horrors, an indie take, one for those who aren’t a fan of scares and some blasts from the past, so let’s get cracking.

Halloween

A cult classic and one of the few original horror films that still stands the test of time in delivering heart-stopping moments, so a perfect one for true horror fans. Not to mention as the title suggests, it’s perfectly suited to watching at this time of year, although not one I’d recommend watching alone (trust me on this).

It Follows

This is one of my standout films of 2015 and one of the few films I’ve seen recently that’s genuinely scary. It’s a great choice for hardcore horror fans that are looking for something different although I warn you after seeing this film you’ll probably never want to have sex again…

Hocus Pocus

Possibly the most famous Halloween film of all time, and trust me it’s a cult classic for a reason. With songs, magic and brilliant 90’s fashion it perfectly epitomises everything that’s good and fun about Halloween and makes you wish you could go trick or treating again.

Monster House

This is one of those films that although being a children’s film it is deceptively scary. Playing on the classic scary neighbourhood house idea, it’s about three kids who find out once they get trapped inside it that it quite literally has a mind of its own. It’s the perfect mix of being brilliantly creepy but with a heartfelt story at its core and is definitely one that people of every age will love.

Sleepy Hollow

Another lesser known spooky film starring Johnny Depp (when he was still making brilliant films) and made by Tim Burton which should give you an idea of how brilliantly Gothic it is. With Christina Ricci (who holds a large place in my heart due to Wednesday Addams), some swoon worthy costumes and lashings of blood and beheading it treads the balance between gore and guts and a genuinely good storyline at its core.

I hope this post has given you a couple of ideas of what to watch this weekend and let me know what your favourite Halloween films are as I’d love to know. Finally I just hope that whether you’re staying in or heading out tomorrow night you have fun!