Have Yourself a Scary Little Christmas
Christmas is a time for tales of terror; for cozy frights and dark delights. Every year we share suggestions regarding films to enjoy over the festive period. There's an emphasis placed on horror, but other genres bob in and out of the reckoning, meaning musicals, animations, humour and whodunnits all find their way onto the list. So from Hitchcock to Hammer, we hope there's something here for everyone to enjoy.
Krampus (2015)
The origins of the Krampus myth stretch back the 6th Century and are said to be rooted in Austro-Bavarian folklore, although several cultures from around the world have similar characters who cast long shadows across Christmas. Explaining the monster in the National Geographic, Tanya Basu wrote, ‘Krampus isn't exactly the stuff of dreams: Bearing horns, dark hair, fangs, and a long tongue, the anti-St. Nicholas comes with a chain and bells that he lashes about, along with a bundle of birch sticks meant to swat naughty children. He then hauls the bad kids down to the underworld.’
He represents, in effect, an evil approximation of Father Christmas. He is the Belloq to Santas Indiana Jones. A shadowy reflection of the spirit of Kris Kringle. Hes also a wonderfully evocative character, and its little wonder that hes featured in countless features and a huge number of short films.
‘Although it’s a funny horror film, it’s actually got a beautiful message at the heart of it…’ – Toni Collette on Krampus.
But to mark its tenth anniversary, were plumping for Krampus (2015), directed by Michael Dougherty and featuring Toni Collette, star of hits including The Sixth Sense (1999) and Knives Out (2019), Adam Scott (Parks and Recreation) and David Koechner (The Office).
The movie opens with all the trappings of a traditional seasonal film. The house where the action predominantly takes place, for instance, looks beautiful with twinkly lights, a gorgeous Christmas tree, candles and a roaring log fire. Or as one visitor snarkily puts it, ‘It looks like Martha Stewart threw up in here.’ But after guests arrive at the Engel household, tensions quickly come to the surface and the kind of trigger points that most families experience are played out in full. Youngster Max Engel is saddened to see arguments, fights and simmering resentment poison the seasonal spirit. Pushed too far by his cruel cousins, he rips up a letter hes written to Santa and flings it from a top floor window of his home… Father Christmas wont reply to his note, but it will not remain unanswered…
Pretty soon things start to go wrong, leaving the Engels and their guests ‘stuck in a house with no heat and no electricity.’ But then things start going very wrong. A sinister jack-in-the-box seems to become sentient and evil gingerbread men spring to life. Not in a good way. But if that doesnt take the biscuit, something far worse is waiting. ‘Saint Nicholas is not coming this year,’ the wise old woman of the gathering tells the Engels, warning them of, ‘…a much darker, ancient spirit… His name is Krampus.’
Sarah and Max Engel (Toni Collette and Emjay Anthony) realise Santa Claus isn’t coming to town any time soon.
Sure enough, the huge, horned one rocks up, and if you thought your Christmasses occasionally took a turn for the worse, the Engels are about to endure something even more horrendous. Theres dark humour alongside the horror, and ultimately Krampus delivers a positive message about family, sticking together, and how an ancient demon wreaking havoc in your front room doesnt necessarily have to ruin your holiday.
Krampus became a box office hit without smashing any world records but has since become a favourite with many fans. Director Michael Dougherty is constantly asked about a follow-up and told Collider back in 2023. ‘We have an idea for a sequel…’ adding, ‘It doesnt necessarily centre around a family as much as it might be about a group of strangers who are trapped somewhere…’
But until that movie materialises its still fun spending time with the Engels, their extended family… and Krampus.
‘Finders keepers…’
Whistle and Ill Come to You (1968)
If you prefer something more haunting and sedate with a psychological angle, Whistle and Ill Come to You might prove ideal viewing. Produced and directed by Jonathan Miller for the BBCs flagship arts programme, Omnibus, it was subsequently inducted into the ongoing strand, A Ghost Story for Christmas, and as such, its often viewed as a seasonal staple, despite the fact its not actually set during the festive period.
Eerie and engrossing, its a curious piece that runs for a smidge under 42 minutes. During the first ten or so, ostensibly at least, absolutely nothing of note happens. Professor Parkin (played by Michael Hordern) arrives at a hotel on the coast and settles himself in. Were almost a quarter of an hour along when anything even vaguely ghostly is suggested, as a fellow resident tells him that his ‘trudge’ across ‘the dunes… beach… cemetery’ would be ‘a bit too spooky for me.’
But the Professor isnt put off, ventures out and finds an old whistle nestling in the ground besides a gravestone overlooking the ocean. He later discovers it carries a Latin transcription which he translates as, ‘Who is this who is coming?’ On a whim he blows the whistle and the long, low note it produces seems to raise a storm outside, as well as something more spectral inside…
Isolated but not alone… The professor trudges into terror.
Whistle and Ill Come to You should be dull and exasperating, but Miller and Hordern somehow ensure its gripping from the opening titles. Atmospheric and brilliantly acted, even before he finds the whistle, we can sense something is coming for Parkin. An entity more terrifying than a monster as obvious as, say Krampus. Something dreadful and indefinable awaits Parkin, and the audience.
Writing for the BFI, Mark Duguid hailed it, ‘A masterpiece of economical horror that remains every bit as chilling as the day it was first broadcast… As the unfortunate Professor, Michael Hordern… is glorious, with each line on his multi-furrowed face used to expressive effect. The drama's success owes much, too, to the gorgeous black and white photography of Dick Bush.’
If you've never had the unnerving pleasure of watching Whistle and I'll Come to You, dont expect too many answers to the questions it subtly poses. But do expect a quietly unsettling ending that makes it a stand-out (if unintended) entry in the A Ghost Story for Christmas series.
Marketing material for The Plague of the Zombies featuring André Morell and Diane Clare.
The Plague of the Zombies (1966)
This isnt the goriest or most gothic of Hammers horrors, but its one of the most satisfying. With a cleverly constructed plot, some wonderfully chilling scenes, truly appalling villains and an outstanding hero, it became a box office hit and won praise from the critics. ‘The best Hammer Horror for quite some time,’ the Monthly Film Bulletin declared, adding, ‘Visually the film is splendid, with elegantly designed sets, and both interiors and exteriors shot in pleasantly muted colours; and the script manages quite a few offbeat strokes.’
Cornwall, 1860, and the inhabitants of a secluded village are under threat from a mysterious plague thats striking down men and women at a bewildering rate. The new local doctor, Peter Tomson, is stymied in his attempts to investigate the illness by Squire Hamilton who prevents him from carrying out any postmortem examinations. As villagers begin to turn on him, he sends an urgent plea for help to his old teacher, Sir James Forbes. Accompanied by his daughter, Sylvia Forbes (whos a friend of the young doctors wife, Alice), the couple hasten to Peters aid and together they discover a village of the (apparently) damned.
The squire is clearly involved with whatever is causing the deaths, but his privileged position offers him protection. His friends/security detail are a vile bunch of fox-hunting bullies who kidnap Sylvia, and prior to Hamiltons intervention, seem set on assaulting her. Even the villagers whom Sir James and his allies are trying to assist are wary and truculent, and just when it seems theyve enough enemies pitted against them… zombies!
It begins as a mystery and ramps up to a full-scale horror. The Daily Cinema pointed out, ‘[Director] John Gilling has contrived some truly terrifying effects’ which is putting it mildly. The film boasts several high-impact scenes, including a sequence where a graveyards residents rise as one from the ground, and a memorably grisly shot where we see a normal corpse slowly transform into a zombified cadaver.
But at its heart, this remains a fast-moving adventure yarn, with a likeable hero played by André Morell on top form. Sir James is confident – a man of action with a snappy line in curmudgeonly put-downs, and his relationship with his daughter, full of good-humoured banter, is a treat. ‘I dont know why I put up with you at all,’ he tells her at one point, aware shes effortlessly manipulated him. ‘I should have drowned you at birth.’
She smiles, genuinely amused. ‘Thank you, father.’
Years before she took over the Federation as Servalan in Blake’s 7, Jacqueline Pearce played Alice (seen here in zombie form) in The Plague of the Zombies.
He's also a rebel, willing to rob graves to ultimately save the village (and maybe the world), and despite knowing he's putting his life on the line, he's got the courage to walk into any situation. Morell had previously played John Watson in Hammer's The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959) and here's he's a combination of Sherlock Holmes and his right-hand man. He displays the Great Detective's perspicacity and drive, allied with Watson's authority and inclination to observe convention. During one dramatic flashpoint he even takes the time to tick off the squire, not for his part in the crimes, but for his lack of courtesy. ‘I'm just trying to remember my manners,’ he confides. ‘I wish I could say the same for you.’
The strain eventually shows, though. When hes forced to behead a zombie, Morell plays the reaction, one of revulsion and regret, perfectly. And when he hints to Hamilton that hes beginning to put the pieces together, the squire retorts, ‘Are you mad?’
‘I almost wish I was,’ he replies with gravitas. ‘this business is so appalling.
Morell was clearly a fan of the picture. ‘I loved it!’ he later recalled. ‘We had great fun. To make a film like this, of course, one doesnt believe in zombies, but one says this is it and does it seriously.’
As with Whistle and I'll Come to You, this work doesnt have a festive backdrop, but with its setting, old-fashioned hero and classic sensibilities, it feels perfect for this time of the year. And after all, what could be more Christmassy than visiting a friend, expecting a simple catch-up but getting something much more gruelling? And next time youre shopping in December and you feel like youre surrounded by flocks of zombies, at least this movie will remind you what a proper plague of zombies looks like.
Hitchcock named his production company, Shamley Productions, after Shamley Green in Surrey. His UK home, Winters Grace, was located close to the heart of the village.
Back for Christmas (1956)
If you want something shorter to while away a half hour or so whilst your third turkey dinner of the week goes down, Back for Christmas (1956) might be the answer. Its an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents and one of only 17 which Hitch himself directed. Set on the run-up to Christmas it concerns a husband and wife (Herbert and Hermione Carpenter) who plan to visit the States for a brief holiday over Yuletide. One of them, however, might never be seen again…
Early on we find Herbert in his homes basement, having dug a trench-like hole he says hell eventually convert into a wine cellar. However, when his spouse stands at one end of it, a shot across the narrow ravine and up her frame tells us the hole is for a body, not bottles.
What follows is a kind of kitchen sink horror, delivered with Hitchcocks trademark dark comedy. Friends come for a pre-Christmas get-together, Hermione fusses over last minute preparations, and the maid tries to assure them (unsuccessfully) that shes taken care of everything in advance of their seasonal sojourn. All the time, an understated horror plays out alongside the normality as we know the crime Herbert intends to perpetrate. Even when theyre alone in their house, hes repeatedly foiled in his plans to kill his wife, but will he finally seize his chance, if and when one is ever presented to him?
There are some great moments of tension, such as when pals unexpectedly re-enter the Carpenters home at a crucial moment, or when Hermione unwittingly saves herself by indulging in the kind of behaviour thats made her husband want to murder her in the first place. And inevitably, of course, being Hitchcock, theres a twist at the end which comes as a very welcome and unexpected gift.
Hitchcock, seen here behind-the-scenes of Psycho (1960).
Herbert Carpenter is played by John Williams, best known today for his role in two Hitchcock thrillers, playing Chief Inspector Hubbard in Dial M for Murder (1954) and Hughson To Catch a Thief (1955). Hermione is played by Isobel Elsom, credited here as Isabel Elsom. In a film career that stretched from silents to the 60s, she regularly portrayed upper-class types and her most widely remembered part came in one of her later pictures, the lavish Warner Bros. musical, My Fair Lady (1964).
Fans of Universals Holmes movies starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce will delight in finding two regulars from that series making cameos in this production. Gavin Muir and Gerald Hamer both feature as friends of the Carpenters, but luckily for Herbert, Sherlock is not in their wake this time…
In his intros and final words that sandwiched the tales told in Alfred Hitchock Presents, the director would occasionally spell out the ‘moral of the story’. He doesnt do that here, but maybe the lesson is a simple one. If you have a partner who unexpectedly suggests going away this Christmas, be sure to check theyre not digging a wine cellar that they want you to assess shortly before leaving…
Death and lycanthropy… It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in the Hammer House of Horror.
Not forgetting…
Last year we offered a few suggestions for Christmas viewing and those ideas are still worth looking at. For example, if youre fan of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, you can check out Cash on Demand (1961), a fabulous and surprisingly heartwarming thriller that delivers the fable of Scrooge through the medium of a heist movie. Starring Peter Cushing as an icy, brittle bank manager and André Morell as a charismatic crook whos plotting to give himself an ill-gotten Christmas bonus, its a beautifully scripted piece and one of the most effective crimers Hammer produced during the 50s and early 60s.
The Curse of the Werewolf (1961) is another movie that has seasonal elements, but being a Hammer film, Christmas spells horror as opposed to happiness. When Leon Corledo is born on Christmas Day, the date of his birth gives him bigger problems than friends flaking out and only buying him one present to cover Crimbo and his birthday. His 25th December delivery means hes going to become a werewolf, destined to go through life as a ravenous shapeshifter. Even as a child his lycanthropic leanings almost get him killed, but as he grows older, the werewolf factor will become even more dangerous.
You can read more about both films at Hammer House of… Christmas.
Critic Robert Ebert said of Gremlins, ‘At the level of Serious Film Criticism, it’s a meditation on the myths in our movies: Christmas, families, monsters, retail stores, movies, boogeymen.’
Four more festive frighteners…
Gremlins (1984). When Randall Peltzer buys a cute-looking creature for his son, Billy, for Christmas, hes given three rules to follow. Keep the little fellah away from strong light, dont let it come into contact with water and (all together, now) DO NOT FEED IT AFTER MIDNIGHT. Okay, guess what happens. Correct! Chaos and horror ensue.
Its a lot more violent than many people remember it (the scene where Stripe attacks Billy in the local store wouldnt look out of place in a slasher movie) but it proved a box office belter and spawned a sequel six year later - Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990). Now theres news of a third instalment: Warner Bros. recently announced, ‘Few titles are as beloved and iconic as Gremlins, and were beyond excited to bring it back for both lifelong fans and a whole new generation… we look forward to audiences experiencing the next instalment of the magic, mayhem, and heart of Gremlins on the big screen in 2027.
That sounds great. Just dont feed them after midnight, this time.
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) remains our seasonal go to stop motion gothic fantasy. Whats not to love about a film that involves the ruler of Halloween Town (‘I am the Pumpkin King!) deciding hes going to ‘improve’ Christmas? The entire production feels totally Tim Burton-esque with its offbeat charm and mixture of darkness and innocence, but it was actually directed by Henry Selick.
As critic Roger Ebert noted, ‘Henry Selick is the person who has made it all work. And his achievement is enormous. Working with gifted artists and designers, he has made a world here that is as completely new as the worlds we saw for the first time in such films as Metropolis (1927), The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari or Star Wars’.
Watching The Nightmare Before Christmas today, it still feels fresh and thrilling. And yes, the pay off to the question, ‘…what did Santa bring you, honey?’ still raises a guilty laugh…
Holy Night, Batman! Michael Keaton swoops back as the Caped Crusader in Tim Burton’s visual spectacular which became America’s third highest grossing film of 1992. (Home Alone 2: Lost in New York and the all-conquering Aladdin, in case you were wondering.)
Batman Returns (1992) on the other hand, definitely was directed by Burton. It looks wondrous. Sounds wondrous. But is it a Christmas film? The debate has been raging for years, but ultimately, does it matter? With such lush visuals and the talents of Keaton, DeVito, Walken, and Michelle Pfeiffer as one of the most striking Bat-foes ever (‘I am Catwoman – hear me roar!’) its one mad, marvellous sleigh ride of a picture, so it easily makes this list.
Some of the themes and scenes, especially those featuring killer clowns or Oswald Cobblepot, stray into the realms of horror, but were invariably tugged back into fantasy by visions of weaponised penguins attacking Gotham, or the same creatures serving as silent undertakers. Christopher Walken gets many of the best lines, such as when he tries to broker a truce with Catwoman, offering her anything she wants. ‘I know I can get it for you, with a minimum of fuss,’ he tells his former employee. ‘Money… Jewels… A very big ball of string’.
Theres a radiant, gothic grandeur to this whole batty fairytale which showcases the director at his most macabre. As Phil Thomas put it, writing for Empire, ‘…despite Burton's professed irritation at having his work described as "dark", it is hard to conceive of film being any darker than Batman Returns if the audience are to see anything on the screen at all.
Forest Whitaker plays Jeronicus Jangle in a warm treat of a movie which The Hollywood Reporter called, ‘…a proudly over-the-top, entertaining musical comedy extravaganza’.
If youre looking for a family friendly film with considerably less horror, but even more fantasy, Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (2020) might be the stocking filler youre after. Its the story of Jeronicus Jangle (Forest Whitaker), an inventor and toymaker who finds a way to make his toys more than toys. He can make them live. Hammer fans will know that bringing inanimate figures to life seldom ends well, but clearly Jeronicus has never seen The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), and he pays the price for his oversight. This is an all singing, all dancing extravaganza (the Guardian called it a ‘frenzy of Yuletide fun’) and although its surprisingly dark early on with a few scary moments thrown into the mix, theres never any doubt that by the time the credits roll, the good will triumph and the bad will find themselves firmly on Santas naughty list.
Whitakers given first class support from Madalen Mills, Phylicia Rashad, Keegan-Michael Key, Hugh Bonneville and Anika Noni Rose, and the music comes courtesy of stars like John Legend and John Debney who give the production a bold, Broadway vibe. Indeed, the project was originally intended to be a stage show until writer/director David E. Talbert was unable to secure financing for the theatre and transferred his immense ideas into a movie script.
Uplifting and unashamedly heartfelt, the films message is clear. As one character puts it, ‘No matter who you are, no matter what you do, the magic lives inside of you.’ Schmaltzy? Sure. But its Christmas. Its allowed.
If none of these ten titles light up your Christmas tree, you can always check out the movies available right now at Hammer’s online shop. From Count Dracula to Professor Quatermass, Baron Frankenstein to Doctor Jekyll, youll find a whole host of old friends who are free to visit over the holidays…
But whatever your plans for the festive season, stay safe, enjoy the break, and have a Happy Hammer Christmas!
