With Thanksgiving come and gone, we are officially in the holiday season. That time of year between Thanksgiving and Christmas where Yule logs are lit, presents are wrapped, and everything is joyously decorated. But as with all things, the holidays still have room for just a little bit of the macabre.
You may ask what possible appeal horror movies could have for such a traditionally joyous season? But there are actually quite a few horror films based on corrupting holiday cheer. Some of these films serve to bring ghoulish brevity by mocking holiday values with gore. Others actually have roots in folklore that go back hundreds of years.
The only Thanksgiving horror movie I know of is Thankskilling (2009). A murderous, foul mouthed turkey decides enough is enough and goes on a killing spree. It is essential to point out that this movie is not scary at all, and it doesn't try to be. It's a gory lampoon of a national holiday that's so over the top and ridiculous that you can't help but laugh.
Two other films I want to mention are Santa's Slay (2005) and the upcoming Krampus (2015). Both are spins on old German folklore. In the original German tale, Krampus is a demon that punishes naughty children on Christmas. He is the antithesis of Saint Nicholas, or Santa Claus, who rewards good children. Santa's Slay is much like Thankskilling, using a variation of the Krampus legend to deliver hilarious holiday themed murders. The new Krampus movie seems to go against the theme of "bloody but funny" that the other two aforementioned films have. Judging solely on the previews, it looks like the filmmakers are directly adapting the Krampus legend in an effort to make the first genuinely scary holiday horror movie I've ever seen. I cannot think of a more delightful Christmas present.
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