PopHorror Let's Get Scared
The Christmas season is officially here! It’s time to dust off your stocking, put up your tree, and visit your Great Uncle Lewis that you only see once a year. The winter season is special to just about everyone in some way. Starting as a former pagan holiday before working its way through the religious faiths and then ending at the over commercialized settings of today, Christmas has gone through more phases than a late in life goth kid. While we here at PopHorror love the cheer and good tidings, we’re also excited to start spreading the terror. Let’s explore the dark side of the holidays with our Sinister Snowy SINema: Chaotic Christmas Capers movie list.
Check out our Sinister Summer SINema Triple Feature list here!
Gremlins (1984)
Let’s start with one of the more friendly choices from our Sinister Snowy SINema list. Gremlins greeted the world in June of 1984. Executively produced by Stephen Spielberg and directed by Joe Dante (Piranha 1978 – read our retro review here), Gremlins follows Billy (Zach Galligan: Waxwork 1988 – read our retro review here) after he receives a special Christmas present in the form of a creature called a Mogwai (Cantonese for “Devil”) which he names Gizmo (voiced by Howie Mandell: America’s Got Talent TV series). However, this charming little critter comes with a few rules.
- Rule #1: Don’t let Gizmo get wet.
- Rule # 2: Don’t expose him to any light, especially sunlight.
- Rule #3: Never, ever feed him after midnight.
After an accidental water spill, Gizmo reproduces a number of other Mogwais, including Stripe. While Gizmo is kind-hearted and lovable, the others are mischievous. Things go from bad to worse after Stripe and his cohorts are accidentally fed after midnight… that’s when the cute and fuzzy Mogwais turn into evil, reptilian Gremlins.
Writer Chris Columbus (Home Alone 1990) first conceived the story after hearing mice running around in the walls of his loft. Stephen Spielberg came across the tale and decided it needed to become a movie and pinned Joe Dante to direct due to his experience with horror/comedy.
This Sinister Snowy SINema pick has a few controversies to go with it, the biggest of which was the marketing. Most of the trailers released at the time showed the movie as a light-hearted family affair that lacked many horror elements. Spielberg received complaints from parents all over the country, which forced the Motion Picture Association to create the PG-13 rating in response.
Despite all of that, Gremlins remains a fan favorite that has spawned a sequel film in 1990 and a recent animated prequel series, as well as rumors of a third film from Columbus and even a full reboot. Not to be confused with 2017’s Gremlin. If you’re looking for some pitch black fun, then this Sinister Snowy SINema pick is for you.
P2 (2007)
We all know that monsters don’t always have fangs and hide under your bed. Some of them could be a person you pass on the street or sit next to on the bus. You might even work with one. Our next feature on Sinister Snowy SINema is P2, a horror thriller from Writer/Debut Director Franck Khalfoun (Maniac 2012).
P2 follows Angela (Rachel Nichols: GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra 2009) who, after working late on Christmas Eve, finds herself locked in her office building. The only other souls in the place are security guard Thomas (Wes Bentley: American Beauty 1999) and his Rottweiler. Thomas befriends Angela… just before drugging her and revealing his obsession with her. She does escape his clutche, but finds herself trapped in the building with him.
P2 served as a reunion for Filmmakers Alexandre Aja, Gregory Levassuer, and Franck Khalfoun who all collaborated on Haute Tension (2003 – read our retro review here) together. Both of these films portray the length one is willing to go to survive. Khalfoun has stated that he considers P2 a continuing exploration of survival.
If you’re interested in watching a woman fight for her life while literally having her hands tied, then this Sinister Snowy SINema pick is for you.
Anna and the Apocalypse (2017)
The next movie on our Sinister Snowy SINema list is super dark with a level of drama I wasn’t prepared for. Anna and the Apocalypse is a British Christmas zombie musical that debuted in 2017.
After a zombie apocalypse, Anna (Ella Hunt: Les Misérables 2012) has to navigate the bloodthirsty obstacles in her life through song and dance numbers. She and her best friend, John (Malcolm Cumming: The Magicians TV series), sing their way to their secondary school where other survivors have gathered. The dangers they face force them to align with new allies as well as some enemies. Just don’t expect a happy ending… there’s literally a song warning you not to.
Director John McPhail (Where Do We Go From Here? 2015) admits that he was influenced by a number of films, including West Side Story (1961) and Shaun of the Dead (2004 – read our tribute here). While the movie starts off as whimsical, it quickly showcases the dire situations the characters face, which serves to make a truly memorable film. If you’re looking for a goofy film that has both zombies and musical numbers, then this is for you.
Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (2010)
Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale is a Finnish dark fantasy thriller released in 2010. This Sinister Snowy SINema movie is about young Pietari (Onni Tommila: Big Game 2014) who witnesses a nearby archaeological dig. He and his friend overhear two of the workers talking about the spot being the origin of the Father Christmas legend. Later, Pietari’s father, Rauno (Jorma Tommila: The Christmas Party 1996), finds animals that look like they have been ripped apart by wolves. The three soon realize they are up against something much more dangerous… Father Christmas himself!
Rare Exports is part of a trilogy from Director Jalmari Helander, the first of which was a 2003 mockumentory called Rare Exports, Inc. following a trio of hunters going after a legendary beast. The second mockumentary, The Official Rare Exports, Inc. Safety Instructions (2005) follows the same men who are still hunting the beast from the first film… after it gets a taste for blood. Filmmaker Petri Jokiranta’s company, Cinet, picked up the film rights and developed the concept into a full length feature.
If you’ve never seen it, then I suggest hunting Rare Exports down. You certainly won’t forget it.
Black Christmas (1974)
As a rule, I try to include at least one classic in these lists, and Sinister Snowy SINema gets to have two. Directed by Bob Clark (A Christmas Story 1983), Black Christmas (1974) is about a sorority under siege. The film follows an unseen killer as he takes refuge in the attic of a sorority house, intent on making the girls his victims.
Taking inspiration from both urban legends and actual murders in Montreal, Black Christmas is one of the earliest slasher flicks in filmmaking history. The film is praised for several innovations, including not revealing the killer. No real explanation is given about who the psycho is, other than his name… Billy. You never actually see him as the majority of his scenes have Cinematographer Albert J. Dunk (The Addams Family 1991) wearing a camera harness for a first person POV. The handful of times the killer is shown, you usually only see his eye or his silhouette. This trope adds a level of tension that is missing from a lot of modern horror.
The cast includes Olivia Hussey (Romeo and Juliet 1968), Margot Kidder (Superman franchise), John Saxon (A Nightmare On Elm Street 1984), and Andrea Martin (My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2002). Later, when Olivia Hussey auditioned for Steve Martin’s Roxanne (1987), he told her that she was in one of his favorite movies. Hussey assumed he meant Romeo and Juliet but was surprised to learn he was talking about Black Christmas. It’s also rumored that this was Elvis Presley’s favorite Christmas film.
My first time watching this was only last week. I watched the 2006 remake in theaters but this one outdoes it for the mystery alone. The reboot has some fairly gory kills and a great cast, but 1974 version has the much needed subtlety. Give this Sinister Snowy SINema a pick this Christmas.
***Bonus***
Die Hard (1988)
Die Hard is a jewel of the action genre and is a Christmas movie in it’s own right. Don’t think so? Fight me!
Released in 1988 and directed by John McTiernan (Predator 1987), Die Hard is the story of NYPD officer John McClane (Bruce Willis: The Sixth Sense 1999) who tries to save his wife and several others taken hostage by German terrorist Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman: Harry Potter franchise) and his crew during a Christmas party at the Nakatomi Plaza in Los Angeles. Little did these guys know that an off duty cop would cause so much trouble.
Die Hard is based off of the book, Nothing Lasts Forever, by Roderick Thorpe, the sequel to The Detective, which also had a film release starring Frank Sinatra. Sinatra was contractually obligated to appear in the sequel but declined due to his advanced age. Can you imagine Die Hard starring a 70 year-old Frank Sinatra?
This film spawned a massive following that includes 4 sequels, several video games, and a boatload of meme gold.
Die Hard’s status as a Christmas movie is argued about until this day, but the festiveness of the party and the family dynamic shared between brothers Karl and Tony, as well as John’s devotion to Holly, adds a familial layer to the action film. This season, gather up your family and watch this Sinister Snowy SINema classic.
That about wraps up our 2019 Sinister Snowy SINema list. Did we forget anything? Let us know in the comments!
