Horror Shorts: Here Are Some Christmas Shorts & Scenes to Put Some Holiday Fear Into You!

The Internet is peppered with all kinds of Short Horror Films. Some are great, some are horrible, while most of them end up being decent-enough for a few minute watch. Browsing around on YouTube last night, I came across a short called The Winter Stalker (below), which made me then look for more Christmas-themed Horror Shorts, clips, and scenes. An hour later, I was like what the hell just happened?

A lot of what I found wasn't great, but there were some fun and creative ones, and I've gathered a few of them here for you to check out. 3 shorts and 4 clips to be exact.

After all, a little extra Christmas Un-Cheer is always welcome, right? 

Santa: You know, in some parts of the world, the legend of Santa Claus originally painted him as a vengeful bastard who exists only to punish the wicked. Which is why we're always nice.

Treevenge: Not sure why we like this one (because it's kinda silly), but watching killer Christmas Trees revolt against the people who cut them down, and then eat them, just feels right to us. Good times.

The Winter Stalker: Short and sweet, this tale of the darker side of Santa Claus is a lot of fun. Would have been nice if it had been a bit longer though.


Seasons of Belief: This episode of Tales From the Darkside has somehow always managed to be able to get under our skin. The Grither song is creepy as hell,  and the ending is wickedly un-PC; not to mention that the title, Seasons of Belief, just sounds like the perfect Christmas Horror title to us... and we cant explain why. Watching this old episode is one of our yearly rituals when it comes to Christmas Horror. *Part 2 can be seen on Youtube as well. 

The Best of Santa's Slay: Whoever put this little compilation together is alright with us, because watching Bill Goldgberg playing a murderous Santa Claus is really, really bad in the every best of ways.

...And All Through the House (movie): This short story is the reason why we love the Tales From the Crypt (1972) movie so much: Joan Collins is smoking hot; homeless Santa is terrifying; and it sets a creepy, bleak mood that absolutely make us fear The Holidays. Great stuff.

...And All Through the House (TV): And finally we have the TV version of ...And All Through the House, which gave us all kinds of frights when we were kids, but in a very fun way. Plus, The Cryptkeeper makes for one hell of a cool Santa. This makes us nostalgia in a big way.

Theatrical Review: Krampus (2015)

(aka Trick 'r Treat 1.5)
Release Date: December 4th.
Country: USA
Rating: PG-13
Written by: Michael Dougherty and Todd Casey.
Directed by: Michael Dougherty.
Starring: Adam Scott, Toni Collette, David Koechner and Allison Tolman.

Like most of us, director Michael Dougherty grew up watching Gremlins as part of his Christmas repertoire, and with Krampus, that's exactly the kind of movie that he wanted to give to his fans; a dark fairytale that the kids can see, while at the same time pleasing the adult horror-lovers in all of us. 

In that, he's succeeded wildly.

On December 22nd, Tom, Sarah and the kids are getting ready for the arrival of Sarah's sister and her family, so that they can celebrate Christmas together. Of course her family are all complete jerks, and it doesn't look like it's going to be a very happy and joyous celebration for anyone, but if Christmas is about anything, it's about putting up with family members who drive you insane. And rum.

YEAH, THAT'S SOME CHRISTMAS CHEER RIGHT THERE.

In the days leading up to Christmas, amidst all of the the infighting and un-cheer, a massive snow storm settles in which kills the power, and makes the roads inaccessible; everyone trapped in the house together drives each other more and more insane; one of the kids goes missing; and then a big horned Demon shows up with his minions of evil toys, intent of taking everyone back to Hell with him.

THERE ARE ALSO EVIL ELVES AND DISTURBING SNOWMEN.

That's all we're going to say, because that's basically the plot, and to say anything more would only serve to spoil how it unfolds, but we will say that we'd welcome a sequel to Krampus every year... not that it was perfect or anything, but it was pretty damned enjoyable, and it wasn't a sequel, remake, or Found Footage bore-fest.

WHY CLOWNS WERE EVER USED FOR KIDS PARTIES, WE'LL NEVER KNOW.

From the opening credits where we see what a madhouse Christmas shopping truly is, we knew that we were going to like this movie. Horror fans are already familiar with writer/director Michael Dougherty's 2008 classic Trick' r Treat, and after having seen his latest effort, we can honestly say that the guy has that special touch when it comes to making movies; especially Horror movies that have a Holiday theme.

What Krampus does really well is illustrate what Christmas is supposed to be all about, and show us that for the wicked amongst us, there are no presents, only coal. Murderous, soul-stealing coal. The movie is a visual treat of the Christmas variety, but its characters, at least at the start, are all self-absorbed and horrible. They're missing the point of Christmas completely... until Krampus comes along and reminds them what happens to people when they don't believe.

It makes a good point without being too preachy about it. 

HOW'S THAT XANAX WORKING FOR YOU NOW, MOM?

When Krampus and his twisted little toy minions do show up about halfway through the movie, things kick into a higher, more entertaining gear. The clown, the bear, the gingerbread men, the elves... whoever designed those bad boys did a perfect job, and every second that they were on screen was fantastic.

The whole thing played a lot like Gremlins to us; kinda funny, a lot of fun, mildly sentimental here and there, and even a bit scary in parts. But fun is the order of the day with this movie.

We can't say much about the ending without ruining things for you, but I do have to say that the way it ended brought a smile to our faces. It was perfect. We loved it.

"WE HAVE SUCH CHRISTMAS SIGHTS TO SHOW YOU."

We're glad that Krampus was rated PG-13, so that it could garner as wide an audience as possible; Mike Dougherty deserves commercial success on a bigger level after giving us the brilliant Trick 'r Treat (which was not handled well at all by the studio, release-wise.) That said though, the movie really could have used a bit more of a bloody, R-Rated edge. It felt at times as it they held back on some good kills and gory moments because they opted to go the more accessible route.

Good for them though, as the movie will most likely double its production costs before all is said an done. Hopefully, it will earn even more than that.

TEDDY RUXPIN SURE HAS CHANGED OVER THE YEARS...

We wish that Krampus would visit the houses of some of the people that we know, and teach them a lesson or two. Since he's not real though, we'll just have to add more rum to our eggnog, and do our best to endure them this Holiday Season.

It's just not fair.

YOU'RE 12, KID, WHY ARE YOU STILL WRITING LETTERS TO SANTA?

Being that this movie is rated PG-13, there's not a lot of excessive gore in this one, but what we do get is pretty fun, if subtle. We're betting that there will be an Unrated Cut that shows off some nasty bits that didn't make the movie, when it hits Blu-ray & DVD.

HE NEVER SAW IT COMING.

Nope, because in the movie it's winter, and everyone was wearing sweaters. It just wasn't a Hottie kind of movie.

WE DID GET TO SEE TONI COLLETTE SLIDE HER HAND INTO A "STOCKING" THOUGH. *YOU CAN MAKE ANYTHING SOUND DIRTY WHEN YOU PUT QUOTES AROUND IT.

You'd better celebrate Christmas the right way, or a monster will show up at your house will a bunch of evil toys, and take you straight to hell. That's a pretty good lesson to learn.

YEAH, JUST STARE AT IT. THAT WILL MAKE IT NOT KILL YOU.

Krampus was a great Holiday Horror movie that entertained us from start to finish. It did feel as if they held back on some gore and violence so that the movie could appeal to a wider audience with its PG-13 rating, but hey, it works really well the way that it is, so no harm, no foul.

We can always hold out hope that there will be an Unrated Cut when it hits Blu-ray.

Bottom line, you should go and see Krampus, and support the Genre that you know and love. If it keeps drawing crowds, Trick 'r Treat 2 will almost be guaranteed to have a bigger budget, and see a wide theatrical release too. Now, doesn't that sound nice?

A-

Krampus is in theaters now.

Here are a few more pictures of Krampus, to whet you appetite a bit.

10 Christmas Horror movies to darken your Holiday Season!

*Technically it's 12 Christmas Horror movies, because we combined three remakes with their originals, so just consider that a bonus.

It's not easy finding a "good" Horror movie that revolves around Christmas or Santa Claus; oh, they're out there in abundance, but for the most part, they tend to be B-grade junkers that don't really offer much in the way of quality entertainment. 12-24; A Cadaver Christmas; Bloody Christmas; Christmas Nightmare; Deadly Little Christmas; Elves; One Hell of a Christmas; Psycho Santa; Santa Claws; Satan Claus; Silent Night, Zombie Night; The Thirteenth Day of Christmas; Tinsel... See? There's lots to choose from, but most of them end up being about as good as their cheesy titles suggest.

Below you'll find some of the better Christmas-themed offerings that the Horror Genre has given us over the years. Some of them are true Genre classics and some are just silly fun, but they all offer an entertaining glimpse at the darker side of Christmas.

BLACK CHRISTMAS (1974) & (2006)

In 1974, Bob Clark gave the world Black Christmas; one of the first (and best) slasher flicks ever, which would go on to inspire the crazy run of slasher movies that saw release between the late 70's and late 80's. It's a simple, atmospheric story about a creeper named Billy, who hides in the attic of a Sorority House during Christmas Break, and goes about terrorizing and killing off the coeds. The original Black Christmas is not only one of the best slasher flicks ever, but it's also the seminal Christmas Horror movie. If you've never experienced this movie first hand, you owe it to yourself to grab a copy, and enjoy.

*Fun Fact: Bob Clark is also the guy who gave us what might be the most beloved Christmas movie of all-time, A Christmas Story. Not a bad one-two punch,if you ask us.

The 2006 remake of Black Christmas may not be anywhere near as good as the original, but it's still a fun and serviceable effort in its own right. It differs greatly from the original in parts, but it's still basically Billy offing a bunch of coeds at Christmastime, just with more modern polish and a lot more gore. Don't miss out on this one just because a lot of critics panned it; it's a fun movie for what it is, and it's nowhere near the worst remake that came out in the 2000's.

Our review of Black Christmas (1974)
Our review of Black Christmas (2006)

...AND ALL THROUGH THE HOUSE (1972) & (1989)

If you grew up in the 80's, then you most likely have a fondness in your heart for Tales From the Crypt, and especially for its charismatic host, The Cryptkeeper. In its first season, the show gave us what is probably our favorite of its episodes, ...And All through the House. Directed by Robert Zemekis, the story of a murderous Santa Claus who brings some Christmas payback to a cheating wife who murdered her husband, was a half-hour of creepy fun.

What we didn't know back then, was that ...And All through the House was not only based on a Vault of Horror comic, but it was also a "remake" of a segment from the 1972 film version of Tales From the Crypt. Where the TV version played more like a bit of deviant fun, the film version was a straight-forward, disturbing vignette, that boasted one of the creepiest Killer Santa's ever.

Two versions of the same story, both of these gems are definitely worth checking out during the Holiday Season.

Get the Tales from the Crypt movie here.
Get Season One of the Tales from the Crypt TV Show here.

SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT (1984) & (2012)

In 1984, Silent Night, Deadly Night caused a huge controversy with parent groups across the country, which lead to the film being pulled from theaters after only two weeks of release. Apparently the idea of Santa Claus going around killing people was just too horrible of an idea for people to handle in the 80's, which is funny to us, because a movie like that would barely raise an eyebrow these days, let alone cause a mass protest of any kind. Silent Night is a decent slasher flick that must be seen if you're at all interested in Killer Santa flicks. Avoid the sequels though. They aren't very good at all.

The 2012 remake (reboot, whatever) of Silent Night was actually a solid effort that ended up being far better than we thought it would be. It's basically the same thing as the original; a guy in a Santa suit goes around killing people, but the wood chipper scene alone makes it worth seeing.

Our review of Silent Night.
Get Silent Night, Deadly Night here.

GREMLINS (1984)

Gremlins is a creepy and fun movie for all ages that has that comfy Seasonal vibe about it. Set during Christmastime, Gremlins is the tale of a Dad who gives his son the very rare and precious gift of a Mogwai; an odd, adorable creature that captures everyone's heart... until it multiplies, and its brethren go on a murderous rampage, destroying everyone and everything in their path.

Much like Black Christmas, Gremlins may not be a Killer Santa flick, but it's every bit the Holiday Horror Classic. It's just charming and fun, and for us, it's required Holiday viewing every year around this time.

Get Gremlins here.

SEASONS OF BELIEF (1986)

Much like the aforementioned Tales From the Crypt, Tales From the Darkside was a Horror Anthology series from the 80's, although it had a decidedly less humorous bent about it. It may play a bit more on the nostalgic side of things now that we're grown, but when we were kids, this shows was absolutely terrifying stuff

The episode in questions here, Seasons of Belief, is the story about a Father (who looks way more like a Grandfather) and Mother who decide tell their bratty children (who don't believe in Santa Claus) an "entertaining" tale on Christmas Eve. The story is that of The Grither; a evil creature that lives near the North Pole that seeks out and kills anyone who says its name aloud. Charming, isn't it?

This little 30-minute episode of Christmas un-cheer is genuinely disturbing, boasting not only the creepiest Christmas song ever (that for some reasons still unsettles us to this day), but a truly vicious and horrific ending, that makes us fear Christmas... and The Grither.

Watch Seasons of Belief here.
Get Tales From the Darkside here.

CHRISTMAS EVIL (1980)

When a young boy witnesses his Mother being felt-up by Santa (who is really his Father in disguise), he runs upstairs and cuts himself. Thirty-three years later, that little kid is all grown up and is still disturbed by that childhood incident to the point where he believes that he is actually becoming Santa Claus? Part of his self-imposed Santa duties involve him stealing toys and delivering them to hospitals, leaving dirt on the porches of bad children, and murdering anyone who makes it onto his naughty list.
 
Christmas Evil may be the most bizarre Killer Santa movie that we've seen, which makes it an oddly compelling watch. Its crazy, WTF?!? ending makes it worth seeing alone.

Our review of Christmas Evil. 
Get Christmas Evil here.

THE CHILDREN (2008)

One of the absolute best Horror movies of the 2000's, The Children is a terrifying tale of a family's Christmas Holiday gone incredibly wrong, in which their children become infected by some sort of gooey substance, turn into cold-blooded killers, and kill every adult in sight. It's kind of like Children of the Corn only with snow. And British people. And way, way more disturbing violence.
 
It's not as Christmas-y as are most of the other movies on this list, but it's definitely worthy of a mention (and a watch), as it is one hell of a great Horror flick.

Our review of The Children.
Watch The Children here.

RARE EXPORTS: A CHRISTMAS TALE (2010)

Rare Exports is a very different type of Killer Santa movie that focuses more on Santa's horde of killer elves than it does on he himself.

Rare Exports is a fun and fresh ride, and is definitely a movie that caters towards the younger Horror fans out there; it's not totally a kids movie, but rather is enough of one in tone and content that it's not only safe for them to watch, but they should love the hell out of it when they do. Imagine if the Monster Squad and The Thing had a baby, and it was adopted and raised by The Goonies and Vikaren. That's this movie in a nutshell. The best news is, it's a great watch for adult Horror fans too.

Our review of Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale.
Watch Rare Exports here. 

SANTA'S SLAY (2005)

It's kinda fun to watch former WCW Wrestler Bill Goldberg playing a Santa who runs around killing people in silly, holiday-themed ways. Mostly.

Santa's Slay is nothing but a silly, humorous, goof of a good time.

Watch Santa's Slay here.

Horror Hotties: The Christmas Edition!

Tis' the season to be jolly, and what is jollier than a bunch of hot chicks being murdered on-screen in some Christmas-themed Horror flicks? Lots of things, but for the purpose of this article, the answer is nothing.

Below you'll find a bunch of Horror Hotties from some of the best Christmas-themed Horror movies of all-time, so check them out, and then check their movies out, because who says Christmas can't be sexy & bloody, as well as merry?

BLACK CHRISTMAS (1974)

Is there a better Christmas Horror movie than the original Black Christmas? The answer is no, but you can feel free to debate that fact all you like. Wherever you do land on that issue, you can't debate the 70's hotness of the movie's leading ladies: Olivia Hussey, Margot Kidder, and Lynne Griffin.

BLACK CHRISTMAS (2006)

Not nearly as good as the original, this remake of the 1974 classic was still a fun movie in its own right. It also boasted a large bevy of beauties for Billy and Agnes to kill off: Michelle Trachtenberg, Katie Cassidy, Lacey Chabert, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and Crystal Lowe.

SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT (1984)

Remember all of the controversy that this movie caused when it was released way back in 1984? You know, all of those butt-hurt parents picketing its release because it was ruining Christmas for their sweet, sensitive little kids? Well it was pulled from theaters after only two weeks of release, but it went on to become one of the biggest Cult Classics ever... and Santa impaling a topless Linnea Quigley on some antlers remains to this day an all-time classic Horror scene.

SILENT NIGHT (2012)

A remake of the 1984 Cult Classic, Silent Night stands on its own as one hell of a fun Killer Santa flick. Cortney Palm is the hottest chick in this one, but Jamie King and Courtney-Jane White are no slouches either. And that wood chipper scene...

GREMLINS (1984)

A Christmas Horror movie of the family variety, Gremlins is one of our sentimental favorites. A Hottie of the near-perfect variety, Phoebe Cates is also one of our favorites... thanks to that perfect dream sequence scene from Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Ah, memories...

THE CHILDREN (2008)

A great little movie about a Christmas Vacation gone wrong, The Children boasted not only a bunch of creepy, murderous little whelps, but a trio of hot, sassy Irish & British Birds as well: Hannah Tointon, Eva Birthistle, and Rachel Shelly.

SANTA'S SLAY (2005)

Who knew that LOST damsel Emilie De Ravin starred in this cheesy, fun Killer Santa flick? We totally forgot about it, but then again it's never been high on our Holiday watch list. Fun Fact: this isn't the only "Santa" movie to feature a Pro Wrestler (Bill Goldberg); in 1996, Hulk Hogan starred in a way worse movie called Santa With Muscles. Yeah, that's a real thing.

TO ALL A GOODNIGHT (1980)

Jennifer Runyon made for a perfect 80's Final Girl in the Christmastime slasher flick, To All a Goodnight. She's probably most famous for the 80's TV Show, Charles in Charge, but let us not forget that she was also in Carnosaur... which was the last thing she ever starred in. We miss her.

JACK FROST (1997)

This C-Grade Horror flick is memorable for one scene in which an evil snowman rapes a pre-American Pie Shannon Elizabeth... and then he says this:

"Looks like Christmas came a little early this year!" Real subtle, Jack Frost.

DON'T OPEN TILL CHRISTMAS (1984)

We had to mention Don't Open Till Christmas, because of the bizarre cameo appearance of classic Scream Queen, Caroline Munroe; she just shows up, as herself, and performs some shitty song that sucked even by 80's Generic Pop standards. Still, she looked good doing it.

SINT (2010)

Finally, we bring you Escha Tanihatu and Caro Lenssen, sexy stars of the vengeful Sinterklaas flick, Sint. Unless you're big on movies from The Netherlands, you probably aren't real familiar with these ladies, but that's why we're here... to bridge those cultural gaps so that everyone can know the good things in life from all over the globe!

Or something.