When he is met with hypocrisy and cynicism, the resulting snap causes him to go on a yuletide killing spree to complete this dark comedic horror. SCARE ME that released October 1st on Shudder! Harry's coworker Frank asks Harry to cover his shift on the assembly line in order to be with his family. He then breaks into Frank's home and murders him in his bed, leaving toys behind for his kids. Thirty-three years later, an adult Harry (Brandon Maggart) works in a low-level position at the Jolly Dreams toy factory, where his colleagues consider him a "schmuck" and make fun of him. Christmas Evil follows Harry Stadling, a mentally ill toy factory worker who is left traumatized from childhood, after witnessing his father dressed up as Santa Claus pleasuring his mother. Donned in his Santa suit, Harry starts doing his rounds on the van that he decorated with a sleigh picture, and that he believes to have been trained by Santa Claus's reindeer. Harry becomes angry and rushes home, hums a Christmas tune, and breaks one of his maledollhouse figures. Burt KleinerPete Kameron Harry catches his mother being sexually groped by his father, who is dressed up as Santa. Coincidentally, Frank and George are also attending the midnight mass, and witness "Santa's" bloody crime. During his escape, the oncoming mob forces him and his van off a bridge; in Harry's mind, the van is shown to fly off into safety as a voice-over reads the end of "The Night Before Christmas". The set for the police station line-up was built in a union hall. However, on his way home from work, Harry sees Frank drinking with friends at a local bar. This week you might have been hearing the buzz about the new horror/comedy (hormedy?) Alternate Versions Down in his basement workshop, he begins smelting toy soldiers with swords at attention and small axes. It features audio commentary from the director and cult filmmaker John Waters, who is quoted as saying it is the "greatest Christmas movie ever made." As the movie progresses, Harry becomes more mentally unstable, even making himself a Santa suit that he wears when he delivers the toys he stole from work in a van with a sleigh painted on it (this is actually important to remember) to a children’s home and all of the good boys and girls in his neighborhood. It can be improved by: Take your favorite fandoms with you and never miss a beat. It’s a great-looking film, too: one shot of a suburban street lined with glowing reindeer looks more like Spielbergian sci-fi than low-budget horror. Our goal is to save you time and money by sharing our thoughts and recommendations on which movies to race to theaters for, which to watch at home and those to actively avoid. Later, his van becomes stuck in the snow on a beautifully decorated street with plenty of lights, sending him further into a delusional state. As far as Christmas horror movies are concerned, I think the best and most frightening is 1980’s Christmas Evil.It’s been compared to as the Taxi Driver at Christmas and I pretty much agree with that comparison. We want to celebrate our different opinions, and celebrate yours as well. At the company Christmas party, the owner of Jolly Dreams announces that, if production increases sufficiently, the company will be able to donate toys to the disadvantaged children at Willowy Springs State Hospital. The trivia items below may give away important plot points. Harry returns to Jolly Dreams and activates the assembly lines, breaking even more toys in the process. Death Waltz Recording Company are overjoyed to bring you a bit of early Christmas spirit in the form of the score to the classic 1980 yuletide slasher movie Christmas Evil.The music is composed by the trio of Don Christenson, Joel Harris, and Julia Heywood, who created a score both menacing and upbeat, with tunes in the Christmas tradition. Suburban New Jersey, Christmas Eve, 1947. Lewis Jackson Take a look at the ending in the video below…. 100 Minutes What makes Alternate Ending different from other film sites and podcasts? It's a site about discovering good movies... one bad movie at a time. Director Jackson later stated that this release "was done under false pretenses. At the company Christmas party, the owner of Jolly Dreams, Mr. Wiseman, announces that the company will donate toys to the children of the local hospital, provided production increases sufficiently and the employees contribute with their own money. Join us for our weekly review of movies worth seeing, worth avoiding and our Top 5 lists – and don’t forget to play along at. $450,000 Christmas Evil is sad, touching, startling, and heartwarming all at once. The legendary finale is as wondrous as the holiday itself. In suburban New Jersey, on Christmas Eve 1947, a young boy named Harry Stadling sees his mother being sexually groped by his father, who is dressed up as Santa Claus. The following morning he phones his younger brother Phil and cancels Thanksgiving dinner. The film had previously been released by Troma in December 2000. Synopsis. John Waters recommends this as his favorite Thanksgiving/Christmas themed film. This version is presented in its matted widescreen ratio of 1.85:1 and is also of the director's cut version. Jackson’s concerns are bigger: social responsibility, personal morality, and the gaping gulf between society’s stated aims at Christmastime—charity, hope, goodwill to all men—and the plight of those left on the outside: the children, the mentally ill, the ones who don’t fit in. The plot: On December 24, 1949, little Harry Stadling is traumatised to see Mommy getting it on with Santa Claus. Learn how and when to remove this template message, Celebrate 30 Years of Christmas Evil in Austin, Chicago & LA, "City toy factory plays big part in Santa filming", "Christmas Evil (1980) - Rotten Tomatoes", "Christmas Evil, directed by Lewis Jackson", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Christmas_Evil&oldid=982248011, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles needing additional references from July 2018, All articles needing additional references, Articles to be expanded from January 2020, Articles to be expanded from December 2016, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 7 October 2020, at 00:38. Written By Phil quickly realizes that his brother is the homicidal Santa announced on the news and proceeds to choke him unconscious. He’s really intense while being both sympathetic and terrifying. Produced By 31 years later, the Christmas-obsessed Harry (Brandon Maggart), newly promoted to a management position at […] But there’s something about it fans can’t seem to agree on; the ending. This page needs improvement. Pan American Pictures Christmas morning, Phil begins to suspect something is seriously wrong with his brother and argues with his wife Jackie. At home, he has taken it upon himself to become the next true Santa: he sleeps in costume, and his apartment is resplendent with Christmas toys and décor. Though lesser known, it predates the horror film Silent Night, Deadly Night, in which a deranged man goes on a murderous rampage dressed in Santa Claus clothing. Christmas Evil (1980) is a Santa slasher film. At home, he has taken it upon himself to beco… Suburban New Jersey, Christmas Eve, 1947. Believe it or not, some say that Harry didn’t die at the end of Christmas Evil, but rather actually flew off into the night sky as Santa Claus, because the crazy ol’ cook believed so much! Heartbroken, the child then rushes up to the attic and cuts his hand with a shard of glass from a shattered snow globe. IMDb rating of 5.1 Christmas Evil (originally titled You Better Watch Out, also known as Terror in Toyland) is a 1980 American psychological slasher film written and directed by Lewis Jackson and starring Brandon Maggart. That night, his Santa suit disheveled and dirty, he drives off, and his van becomes stuck in mud on a beautifully decorated street with plenty of lights, sending him further into a delusional state. [6] The toy factory featured in the film was a real toy factory in New Brunswick owned by Lynn Pressman, mother of the film's executive producer, Edward R. Pressman; scenes shot at the toy factory were completed in early December 1979, with additional shooting occurring over three days in February 1980. | Goofs Joe: Operation Blackout’ is a Failed Mission, [Beyond Fest 2020] Review: ‘Archenemy’ A Gritty Take On Superheroes and Former Glory. At home, Harry realizes that people generally consider him a "schmuck", and is constantly exploited by others. Heartbroken, the child then rushes up to the attic and cuts his hand with a shard of glass from a shattered snow globe. Menu. In his Santa suit, Harry breaks into the factory after hours to steal toys which he wraps, loads into his van, and drops off at the hospital. Director Lewis Jackson came up with the basic idea for this film after smoking marijuana one night during the 1970s and seeing a vision of Santa Claus holding a knife. [7] AllMovie gave the film a positive review, complimenting the film's unique editing style, cinematography, music, and sense of humor, concluding, "Christmas Evil is not for all tastes, but it's well worth the time for those looking for a darker, different kind of yuletide film". So much to the point where it’s rather unhealthy. Distressed by the man's duplicity, Harry breaks one of his dollhouse figures while humming Christmas tunes. I thought that Troma owned the rights, but of course Troma never does what they say they're going to do. While not prosecuted for obscenity, the film was seized and confiscated in the U.K. under Section 3 of the Obscene Publications Act 1959 during the video nasty panic. Movies. Funny, sad, everything in between. Widely recognized as the best of the Christmas horror efforts, Christmas Evil is the story of a boy who loves Christmas. Horror Film Wiki is a FANDOM Movies Community. Ricardo Aronovich Too many film sites cater to the same kind of audience, with one overwhelming voice in the writing, but what we treasure at Alternate Ending is diversity: diversity of opinion, diversity in belief about what film should do and how it should do it. [10], In December 2000, Troma Video released the film as a director's cut version, containing material not seen in the theatrical and 1983 reissue prints. adminDecember 22, 2016Editorials, Holiday Horror, VideosLeave a Comment. | Images of Christmas Evil. Harry catches his mother being sexually groped by his father, who is dressed up as Santa. https://horror.fandom.com/wiki/Christmas_Evil_(1980)?oldid=129720. Directed By On his way home, Harry peeps into the window of a local bar and sees coworker Frank Stoller, who earlier that day had phoned in sick, requiring Harry to take his place on the assembly line. This version is in 4:3 full screen, but is presented in unmatted form showing more vertical information than the theatrical widescreen ratio.