Christmas Evil (1980) and the Holiday Spirit

Christmas slashers are a beloved subgenre that horror fans tend to gravitate towards throughout the holiday season. Films such as Black Christmas (1974), which frequents the upper half of “greatest slasher movies” lists, and Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984) dominate the month of December, but it’s a less popular slasher flick that truly understands the spirit of Christmas.

Lewis Jackson’s Christmas Evil (also titled You Better Watch Out and Terror in Toyland) was released in 1980 during the slasher craze. Unlike many of the films that predate it or came after its release, however, Jackson’s killer is the empathetic central character of this story. 33 years prior to the main events of the film, young Harry Stadling sits joyfully on the stairs with his brother, Philip, and their mom, watching as Santa Claus delivers presents and helps himself to the milk and cookies that the Stadlings have left for him. Harry, eager to believe in the fantastic, cannot be persuaded by Philip that the Santa in their living room was simply their father in disguise. Harry leaves his bed to sit on the stairs, attempting to once more catch a glimpse of Santa Claus, only to discover that Santa was, in fact, his own dad.

Now an adult, Harry (Brandon Maggart) has never quite healed from the heartbreak of that evening. All he ever wanted from life was something to believe in and for someone to believe with- a wish that was never granted by his younger brother (Jeffrey DeMunn). He’s an outcast among his peers at the toy factory in which he works, but he takes the toy business very seriously. Away from work, Harry is obsessed with becoming the real Santa Claus: His apartment is filled with holiday decor, he sleeps in a Santa outfit, and he spies on the local children, marking their behavior on a list, just as St. Nicholas would. On Christmas Eve, Harry takes it upon himself to deliver gifts to all the good boys and girls, and slash the parents who would dare ruin the holiday.

Christmas Evil isn’t without tension or bloodshed, but those things aren’t the homestead of what makes this film so special. By focusing primarily on Harry as a character, the audience has empathy for him and what he seeks to accomplish, even if it’s deranged and creepy. There’s a twinkle in his eye when he spots a well-behaved child, and while that may prove sadistic in another horror film, it’s quite innocent here. Harry, fueled by his own disappointment, wants to give these children something to believe in other than the cruel world around them. He wants to provide the sense of magic that was robbed from him during his lonely youth.

His mental anguish drives him to commit terrible, reprehensible atrocities such as killing bullying adults outside of a church on Christmas Eve, but on the same evening, he delivers a van (decked out with sleigh art on its sliding door) filled with presents to sick children in a hospital. He’s complex, and so is the film he belongs to. This is a horror film that celebrates youthful innocence and punishes those who take it away. It’s a slasher flick, but even more so, it’s a Christmas movie. It’s a slow-burning character study that gives us a glimpse into the mind of a madman, while also showcasing the genuinely pure spirit of Christmas that he abides by.

If that very same spirit is what you seek this December, I encourage you to give this largely ignored film a shot. You’ll be frightened by the mind of a deranged man, but you’ll be inspired by the goodness in his heart. What more could you want from a Christmas film?

'98.6%' Short Film Review: Compatibility is Delicious

Cindy Maples as Mel

I've heard that dating is complicated. I wouldn't know anything about that, since I'm in an exclusive relationship with staying home and shoving junk food in my face until I pass out on my couch of sadness- but I digress. When you're in the awkward stage of choosing a partner, compatibility is key. It's everything. If sparks don't fly, you might as well be sitting across from a brick wall with wads of Juicy Fruit from 1964 stuck all over it. Or a human-sized cold sore.

When sparks do fly, however, it can be magical. I know that sounds like the sort of cliche you'd find in the diary of some teenager who is hopelessly in love for the first time, but it's quite true. With the right person, everything clicks into place. Those awkward complications become an effortless success. In 98.6%, the new short film from indie darling Cindy Maples, that effortlessness is on full display as a potential couple, matched at the compatibility suggested by the film's title, return from their first date. The chemistry between them is palpable, as both characters appear to be like-minded, sweet, and respectful of each other's wishes.

But rarely are first impressions accurate.

Halfway through the short, the blossoming romance takes a dark turn- one that you may expect, but will likely find ways to surprise you regardless. That darkness, though, does not come without a welcome dose of humor, especially in regard to lead character Mel (Cindy Maples, also in a starring role), whose nonchalant reactions to danger are amusing and worthy of chuckles. Maples proves to have an impeccable funny bone, and her short greatly benefits from that sense of humor and self-awareness.

More importantly, 98.6% takes a feminist approach to storytelling. Too many times, especially in the horror genre, have women been hopeless victims, relying on a bit of good fortune to defend themselves, or rather, they've been forced to exhaust every bit of their bodily limits in order to survive. Especially in recent years, "final girls" have evolved into something more capable and badass, and Mel is no exception. While she doesn't necessarily fall under the label of a final girl, she's appropriately conditioned to take care of herself instead of being a damsel in distress, and she does so with a grin on her face.

Where the short may lack production value, it more than compensates with the chemistry between Mel and Bradley (Rusty James), the established tone and direction by Maples, and the infectious fun that she appears to be having in front of and behind the camera. It's a simple little feature, but it's the kind that makes you want to gather your friends and shoot a horror film. Fun is infectious. Give yourself over to it.

Interested? Lucky you! 98.6% is available to watch for free on YouTube.