ALL THE CREATURES WERE STIRRING (2018) Reviews and overview

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All the Creatures Were Stirring is a 2018 American anthology horror film written and directed by David Ian McKendry (Zombies March) and Rebekah McKendry (producer of Blood and Guts with Scott Ian TV series).

The movie stars Amanda Fuller, Constance Wu and Brea Grant.

Plot:

When an awkward date on Christmas Eve leads a couple into a strange theatre, they’re treated to a bizarre and frightening collection of Christmas stories, featuring a wide ensemble of characters doing their best to avoid the horrors of the holidays.

From boring office parties and last-minute shopping to vengeful stalkers and immortal demons, there’s plenty out there to fear this holiday season…

Reviews:

“The McKendrys came up with an array of compelling short films relating to Christmas and found an ingenious way of connecting them all together. This makes the film stand out from others like it because it is rare for the short films in an anthology film to have the same writer/directors. It is even more rare for shorts by the same writer/director to be so varied in style and tone.” The Blogging Banshee

“The six segments that comprise the film are diverse in both style and tone. The McKendrys, along with cinematographer Cameron Cannon (The Last Lovecraft: Relic of Cthulhu), push themselves to explore different aesthetics, which may make the film feel slightly less cohesive as a whole, but it’s a lot more interesting that way. The picture is also well-paced…” Broke Horror Fan

“Its best segments tell strong stories with strong performances, alongside some inventive camerawork. Even its weaker ones still manage to chill (“Dash Away All”) or gain a laugh (“Arose Such A Clatter”) – not to mention, there is still an extra twist in its tail with the couple. This film should prove to be a treat for any horror fan…” Cryptic Rock

“As a collective whole All the Creatures Were Stirring is a perfectly passable diversion. The second short is damn good while the other four plus the wraparound are a mix of meh and merely okay making for a harmless but forgettable experience […] the shorts that don’t work stumble in their execution and/or ambition.” Film School Rejects

“Overall, All the Creatures Were Stirring is a Christmas disaster.  The film is unable to pull together a consistently entertaining film.  We do get some very entertaining death scenes but they go unnoticed against an unoriginal anthology.” Horror Society

” …All The Creatures Were Stirring has proven to be another Christmas holiday horror film worthy enough of a top ten list! Husband and wife duo Rebekah & David McKendry who served as writers and directors of the film, executed a well balanced low budget horror film with nicely done visual aspects and use of practical effects.” iHorror

“The short films are an eclectic bunch, from office parties and last-minute shopping, to vengeful stalkers and immortal demons, there’s wide variety. I definitely had my favourite segments, but I remained thoroughly entertained throughout the movie.” Love Horror

” …there is probably a few too many stories. If there were two or three cut to give the better ones some time to gestate and build further, this might have been one of the best horror films of the latter half of the year. As is, All the Creatures Were Stirring is a very entertaining anthology that features some truly great segments, but it’s one that is padded a bit much.” Matt Reifschneider

All The Creatures Were Stirring is definitely one of my favourite modern festive horror movies. With each segment highly entertaining (there’s no duds) and a whole lot of originality in each story, I’d happily like to see the franchise release a new anthology every year!” Nerdly

“I found myself laughing out loud many times while also cringing at the more horrific moments. As I mentioned earlier, in regards to practical effects, I love how much it was used in this movie. Whether through creature design or the gory kills the attention to detail that was used to make it look as real as possible was brilliant.” Nightmarish Conjurings

Release:

All the Creatures Were Stirring was released in the USA by Image Entertainment on DVD and VOD on December 4, 2018, and Blu-ray on January 8, 2019.

In the UK, Danse Macabre releases the film on DVD on November 23rd 2020.

Main cast:

  • Amanda FullerStarry Eyes; Red, White & Blue; Creature
  • Constance Wu – Deadly Revenge
  • Brea Grant200 Hours; Dead Night; Bad Apples; Dead Awake; Beyond the Gates; Smothered; et al
  • Jocelin DonahueDead Awake; HolidaysSummer Camp; Insidious: Chapter 2House of the Devil
  • Jonathan Kite – Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
  • Ashley Clements – Edgar Allan Poe’s Murder Mystery Dinner Party TV series
  • Chase WilliamsonDead Night; Bad Match; Victor CrowleySequence Break; Camera ObscuraCabaret of the DeadSiREN; Beyond the Gates; Lace CraterJohn Dies at the End
  • Stephanie Drake
  • Michelle DeFraites
  • Maria OlsenKrampus OriginsGhost in the Graveyard; Impuratus; The Bone Box; The Remains; Mark of the Witch; The Levenger Tapes; et al
  • Diane Sellers
  • Archie Hahn
  • Megan Duffy
  • Matt Mercer
  • Larry Zerner

Film Facts:

This feature should not be confused with a short film project of the same title by Braeden Orr.

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