Krampus (2015) Review
‘Krampus’ is available for purchase on all VOD platforms as well as physical Blu-Ray/DVD. For the best viewing experience, be sure to purchase Scream Factory’s latest 4K UHD upgrade, Krampus: The Naughty Cut; the perfect gift for the Krampus fanatics in your lives.
In 2015, writer/director Michael Doughtery (Godzilla: King of the Monsters) released his Yuletide horror film ‘Krampus’ to the masses. Receiving mostly positive reviews upon its release, this tale became an instant modern holiday horror classic amongst fans and myself. Riding the success of his previous holiday horror film Trick R’ Treat, the violence and gore for Krampus is tamer but the fright and silliness from his previous entry is still very present here. Presenting awe-inspiring visuals, impeccable creature designs, an enjoyable cast of characters, and Doughtery’s signature dark humor, it’s surprising we’ve yet to receive a sequel. With the holidays fast approaching and the bitter chill of winter coursing through the air, what better time to revisit this Christmas masterpiece?
Retail Killed the Christmas Star….
While most children’s letters to Santa consist of the a-typical toys and the latest tech and fashion trends; our protagonist Max (Emjay Anthony) has a more selfless request to share a nostalgic Christmas with his family reminiscent of years past. Shortly after his Uncle Howard (David Koechner from ‘Anchorman‘), Aunt Linda (Allison Tolman), their infant Crissy (Sage Hunefeld) and remaining children Howard Jr. (Maverick Flack), sisters Jordan (Queenie Samuel) and Stevie (LoLo Owen) and Great Aunt Dorothy (late Conchata Ferrell remembered famously as Berta in CBS’ ‘Two and a Half Men‘) arrive after a long day’s travel, tensions soon ensue. Dorothy is constantly complaining on the quality of the food even though Max’s mother Sarah (lovingly portrayed by academy award nominee Toni Collette; ‘Hereditary‘ and ‘Velvet Buzzsaw’) had been slaving away all day in the kitchen prior to their arrival. Howard almost immediately begins showboating his superiority complex and toxic masculinity to Max’s father Tom (played by Adam Scott of ‘Parks and Recreation’ fame) from the moment he walks in the house. Additionally, Jordan and Stevie purposefully embarrass Max at dinner by reciting his private letter to Santa in front of everyone. This sparks an emotional scuffle amongst the kids, and in a fit of rage Max shreds his only wish and tosses the remaining bits of the torn letter out of his bedroom window. Unfortunately for Max and his family, these actions summon not jolly Saint Nicolas but rather, a more sinister shadow and counterpart to the big man dressed in red. In order for Max and his family to survive this unholy night of terror, it’s imperative they set aside their differences and come together, otherwise their souls will be dragged to hell, suffering eternal damnation.
Visually, ‘Krampus’ is beautifully shot as Doughtery is able to capture the chaotic nature that falls on Christmas, but also, the magic bestowed upon it. The production design is flawless as festive decorations fill the screen with their blinking-colored lights, Christmas music blares from radio speakers, and pristine mounds of glistening snow cover the streets. Doughtery also takes lengths to showcase the insanity of holiday shopping in the films chaotic title sequence. Max and his family are clad in winter clothing, showing their slight enthusiasm for the approaching holiday. In grandiose fashion, Krampus christens his arrival into town with an unnatural blizzard, plaguing them in a dreary winter wonderland. You feel the intensity of the cold as our characters struggle bundling for warmth.
Santa Claus ISN’T coming to town
Draped in large red and white robes akin to Saint Nicolas, large, pointed horns curling above his head, the clattering of his massive cloven black hooves booming on rooftops, his face adorned with a mockery of the children’s beloved holiday figure; Krampus has arrived. Time has certainly been kind to Krampus, as 7 years later the character design is still remarkable. Standing close to 7 feet tall, his presence is especially imposing due to his hulking size and rough exterior. For as colossal as Krampus is, it still surprises me just how agile his character is able to swiftly move about. His laugh echoes in twisted delight as his grotesque tongue whips about, echoing his unapologetic personality; for he is there to punish. Whenever on screen, he steals the show as his presence is awe-striking.
Thankfully, Krampus isn’t the only character with a fearsome appearance, as his evil elves and twisted animated toys receive ample care equivalent to their master. Drawing inspiration from pagan/folkloric background, these maniacal elves first appear disguised as snowmen mysteriously appearing in Max’s front yard Christmas Eve morning, inching closer to the house ever so slightly with each passing hour. Once their surprise attack springs into action, we see them fully cloaked in dark soot-stained furs with intricately detailed wooden masks and carrying makeshift tribal spears. Whereas Santa’s elves are merry helpers, Krampus’ are anything but, acting more as slaves. His “cheerful” toys are no exception. Consisting of ravaging teddy bears, ghastly noel angles, and buzzsaw wielding robots, each toy feels craftly designed, providing their own unique flare and deadly purpose. One toy that’s remained a favorite of mine in particular happens to be their unofficial mascot and Krampus’ own twisted transport; his hideously cute jack-in-the box. Masquerading first as an innocent child’s toy only to later reveal its gaping mouth and rows of gnashing teeth capable of swallowing multiple victims whole.
‘Krampus’ lasting success can also be attributed to the characters Doughtery brings with his script, as well as the brilliant performances provided by each actor. Krista Stadler is wonderful as Omi, Max’s softhearted grandmother who’s experienced this holiday demon in her past. Scott and Collette’s’ Tom and Sarah exemplify what nurturing parents should be; comforting Max during times of weakness, while acting as the families selflessly fierce protectors. Emjay, however, really shines in this movie with his portrayal of Max. He’s able to convey the emotional stresses we see Max struggles with throughout. At first, Max seems hopeful this will be different than his past few have been. As the night unfolds, that hope quickly fades and shifts to anger. Anger then transcends to fear then guilt for the curse he’s mistakenly brought upon his family up until the final act in which Max finally confronts his demon head-on, accepting responsibility with fearless fervor.
Checked Twice: The Naughty List
‘Krampus’ succeeds in many areas; however, it has its mild issues. For as much as I appreciate Doughtery’s dark humor, there are times where I feel it’s overused in this script taking away from the horror. In a scene paying homage to 1984’s ‘Gremlins‘, rather than fiendish green creatures, we instead see poorly animated CGI gingerbread men that are more of an annoying nuisance than actual threats. This is especially disappointing given the films primary use of practical effects. Koechner’s Uncle Howard and Ferrell’s Aunt Dorothy, though equally hilarious and provide a hand in protecting the family, ultimately feel as the film’s comedic reliefs to me. Max’s sister Beth (Stefania LaVie Owen) feels as though she was only included to fill the role of disinterested snotty sister. Not to say actress Stefania’s performance is bad, it’s not, her character is simply under used which provides lack of development. Those expecting to unwrap a carnage candy cane for the holiday season may be disappointed due to the films more family-friendly PG-13 rating. With his use of meticulous camera placement and expertise with lighting and shadows, Doughtery trades in the gore for jump scares through tension building.
A Beloved Demon of Christmas Past
Throughout the years since its release, ‘Krampus’ has been in my yearly Christmas film rotation for obvious reasons; relatable characters, time lasting practical effects, enthralling cinematography and an impactful surprise twist. At first glance, it may appear as if Doughtery has a disdain for Christmas but, with each revisit, it’s made clearer the respect he has for the holiday. Though a fun chaotic sleigh ride filled with horrific creatures, Krampus is a story told with love reminding its audience the true spirit of Christmas is not the lavish gifts but showing our loved ones the same care and cherishment. Doughtery further establishes his mastery of comedic horror with ‘Krampus‘, providing plenty of sacks of laughs and scary presents worthy of being a yearly tradition for any family.
Be sure to check HauntedMTL all month long for more holiday horror related content, including our ’12 Nightmares of Christmas’. 12 spine-tingling holiday themed short horror stories written by us, including yours truly, dropping every day starting December 12th, leading to Christmas day.
(4 / 5)
Episode two of Amazon Prime’s Fallout was equal parts funny and bloody. This almost always leads to a good time.
The story
We begin this episode with the birth of some puppies that look like they’ve had a rough start to life. Each one is weighed, with the ones who fall short being incinerated.
One pup who is just below the correct weight gets a bit of a thumb on their scale. The scientist weighing them, Wilzig, writes down the proper weight. He later takes the puppy home to raise instead of putting them into what looks like an unforgiving training program.
Eventually, we see Wilzig put some blue glowing thing into his neck. When a soldier comes for him, Dog attacks the soldier, and the two escape.
We go from there to the wilderness, where Lucy is recovering from the last episode and enjoying a campfire at night. Wilzig and Dog come out of the shadows, saving Lucy from a bug monster. Wilzig tells Lucy she should go home. And if she’s not going to go home, she needs to evolve.
The next day Lucy finds her way to a town called Filly. As a Pennsylvanian, it hurts me to spell it that way. Lucy is entranced by this town, though clearly put off by the fact that no one is very nice here.
She eventually finds her way to a shop run by a delightful woman named Ma June. Ma doesn’t seem particularly interested in helping Lucy. Or, frankly, having Lucy in her shop.
Or in her town.
Eventually, Wilzig is tracked to this same shop, being tracked by The Ghoul. This is our final primary character. Lucy defends Wilzig, being aided at the last moment by Maximus.
Maximus, by the way, has been having a terrible time. After finally becoming a squire he’s disappointed to find that his knight, Knight Titus, is a terrible person.
Fortunately, Maximus doesn’t have to put up with Titus for long. After Titus gets the bright idea to go hunting, he’s attacked by a mutated bear. Maximus freezes, unable to save him. Then, well, he decides not to save him.
It was Titus’s idea to go hunt the bear, after all.
What worked
The first thing I want to draw attention to is the shootout scene at Filly. This scene checked every box a fight scene should check. It was fun to watch, with great effects. But it also gave us insight into the characters. Lucy is a decent fighter and has a strong moral compass. The Ghoul is callus and desensitized to death. And Maximus continues to be, well, sort of bad at this whole fighting thing. But with enough moral fortitude that we have a hard time blaming him.
Of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the dog. Who’s name, as far as I’ve been able to ascertain, is just Dog. Which is fine. He doesn’t need to have a name to be a very good boy. He’s sweet, loyal, and fearless.
Also, puppies. Puppies are always great.
Finally, I’d like to shine a spotlight on Lucy’s reaction to the world at large. She is both amazed and terrified by everything. And while she certainly doesn’t want to be rude, she also doesn’t want to be taken advantage of. The best example of this is when she stops to ask for directions with a bright smile and a gun.
Once again, I don’t have anything bad to say about this episode. It was funny, dark, and fun to watch. I’m very much looking forward to the rest of the season.
(4 / 5)
Launching with worldwide excitement, Fallout is based on the extremely popular game series of the same name. Fans of the series have waited with anticipation and trepidation to see if the Prime series would live up to the game.
Having now watched the first episode I can say that, so far, it’s successful.
The story
Our story begins with a children’s birthday party. A performer is there with his daughter, giving horse rides and taking pictures with the kids.
As much as the adults try to focus on the party and the kids, it’s impossible to ignore the looming threat of war that’s on everyone’s mind.
Of course, it’s during this party that war comes, and the bombs drop.
We then cut to after the war and into one of the vaults established to protect humankind and the American Way. For future reference, this is Vault 33. We meet Lucy, our first main character, who’s petitioning to be married to a man from Vault 32 to ensure DNA diversity.
On the wedding night, though, Lucy and the rest of Vault 33 are met with a horrible surprise. The group they let in is not in fact from Vault 32, but is instead a team of raiders from the surface. The raiders kill a lot of the vault dwellers and kidnap Lucy’s father.
We are then introduced to our second main character, Maximus. He is in training to become a Knight in the Brotherhood of Steel. And, well, he’s not doing great.
Things get worse when his best friend Dane becomes a squire before him. But when Dane is hurt, Maximus gets their spot.
We then go back to Lucy, who has decided to leave the vault and find her dad. Of course, the council of her vault doesn’t want her to go. So she is aided by her brother Norm and cousin Chet in a wild escape.
What worked
The first thing that deserves attention is the exceptional character work. Our three main characters are fleshed out and relatable right away. We feel sympathetic for The Ghoul before he’s even introduced as such. We love Lucy’s nativity and selflessness. And we love Maximus for his honesty and passion for his cause.
While these characters are their own people, they also exhibit the three responses we might expect to see in a post-apocalyptic world. We have the hopeful optimist who doesn’t understand how bad things are. We have the aspiring hero who wants to make the world better by force. And we have the self-serving individual who’s given up on the rest of humanity and is only focused on surviving.
Another thing I enjoyed about this episode was the balance of humor and gore. Because there was certainly enough blood and guts for even the most hardcore horror lover. We had a violent sabotage, a brawl with raiders, and even several nuclear bombs.
But there were a lot of funny moments as well. Usually from Lucy. Her overall goodwill and fearless gumption are absolutely hilarious, especially given the horrors she’s facing. It never ceases to amuse me.
Both of these aspects are done perfectly. The jokes land and the bloody scenes pull no punches. It was delightful.
All in all, this was an exciting start to a much-anticipated series. Here’s hoping they’re able to stick the landing.
For more tv shows based on video games, check out my review of Witcher.
(4 / 5)
Episode seven of American Horror Story Delicate was a classic AHS flashback episode. If you were excited to see what Preecher had to say to Anna at the end of the last episode, I’m sorry to say that you will not get that satisfaction. However, we did learn all sorts of other fascinating things about the strange coven hunting Anna. And, we learned all sorts of things we didn’t know about Dex’s first wife, Adeline.
The story
We begin our story with a woman giving birth alone in a barn. When it becomes clear that she’s not going to be able to deliver vaginally, she pulls out a knife and cuts her stomach open to pull out her children.
For whatever reason, this is when the coven of witches decides to make themselves known.
We then cut to 2013, when Dex was still married to Adeline. In true Dex fashion, he’s surprised her with a puppy.
While that sounds great in theory, dogs are something a couple should talk about, not gift each other with as a surprise. An adult would know that. A trust fund boy like Dex does not.
Adeline owns a vegan restaurant called Ave Hestia. Love that name. She seems to be living a great life. She has a career she’s passionate about, friends who love her, and a husband she seems kind of fond of.
Maybe that’s why she didn’t want a puppy. She already had one.
Of course, things aren’t as good as they appear. We soon find out that Adeline was one of those babies we saw at the start of the episode. The other baby was Sonia, the painter.
And yes, both of these characters are played by Annabelle Dexter-Jones.
Adeline has stepped away from their family, and whatever dark things they do. But the family isn’t happy with her decision. And if she isn’t going to come back willingly, they’re going to make her.
What worked
To start with, I loved the character, Adeline. She is fierce, she is fearless, and relentless. I feel like this would have been a far different story if Adeline had been our main character. It was astounding to see her interact with the same people Anna has, and get a completely different response. It’s clear now, how much everyone around Anna resents her for simply not being Adeline.
I also appreciated that there was just a shocking amount of blood in this episode. From the start when Adeline and Sonia are born, to the climactic end of Adeline, this episode is just drenched in blood.
Finally, I’m fascinated by the changes in this season from the book it’s based on. Because absolutely none of this was in the book. Compared to this, the book is heartwarming.
The book is kind of heartwarming even without the comparison.
But I love the fact that, even with just two episodes left in the season, I have no idea what’s going to happen. I do not know what Anna is carrying. I do not know if she’s going to survive this. I do not know what these people want with her.
But I can’t wait to find out.
What didn’t work
All that being said, it is a bit frustrating to have no forward momentum in this episode. This was all backstory, and it felt like there wasn’t enough backstory to fill a full forty minutes. Because of that, it dragged. There were a lot of scenes that just didn’t need to be as long as they were. It felt like they could have cut that down considerably, and had some time to check in with our main characters at either the start or the end of the episode.
There are only two episodes left in the season, and I can honestly say I have no idea what’s going to happen. But so far the story has been dark, bloody, and provocative. So I hope they can manage to end it on a high note.
(4 / 5)
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