‘You better not cry’
Christmas Bloody Christmas is a 2022 American horror film about a female record store owner battling against a rampaging robotic Santa Claus.
Written, directed and co-produced by Joe Begos (VFW; Bliss; The Mind’s Eye; Almost Human) who also has a screen role. Also produced by Josh Ethier. Executive produced by Emily Gotto, Mark Ward and Sam Zimmerman.
The Channel 83 Films production stars Riley Dandy, Sam Delich, Jeremy Gardner, Jonah Ray, Dora Madison, Jeff Daniel Phillips, Abraham Benrubi, Graham Skipper, Kansas Bowling, Josh Ethier, Elliott Gilbert, Adam Dietrich, Matt Mercer and Aerial Washington.
Plot synopsis:
It’s Christmas Eve and fiery record store owner Tori Tooms (Riley Dandy) only wants to get drunk and party for the holiday — until a robotic Santa Claus at a nearby toy store goes haywire and begins a rampant killing spree that forces her into a blood-spattered battle for survival…
Writer-director Joe Begos commented: “Since I was a young kid I’ve dreamed of making both a crazy holiday horror movie unlike any other and a no-holds-barred killer robot flick but never imagined I could make them the same movie. The maniacs at RLJE Films and Shudder have allowed this fantasy to play out and greenlit this neon-soaked robot fever dream, championing the choice to shoot on film and build a real-deal robot in 2022. This truly is the place to be making cool and original filmmaker-driven genre films that, frankly, nobody else has the balls to finance.”
Reviews:
“Begos sustains the same aesthetic as the movie throughout, even though he allows himself more freedom in this regard. Christmas Bloody Christmas never tries to do more than it can handle, but some of the most enjoyable scenes are ones where the storytelling doesn’t feel restricted by the setting. This horror film is full of bloody Christmas fun and exactly what its audience is looking for.” All Horror
“Christmas Bloody Christmas is an unabashed holiday treat that knows exactly what it is and what its audience is hoping to get from a “killer robot Santa” horror film. It’s deliriously bloody with a striking color palette and kaleidoscopic visuals […] Infinitely engaging and wildly wicked, Christmas Bloody Christmas lives up to its lofty promise.” 4.5/5, Bloody Disgusting
“I loved every minute of this fast-paced 87-minute thrill ride. What’s cool about this movie is that you clearly can see that the producers gave Begos a bigger budget than his previous films, so that means more blood, sex, gore, and live explosions. The kills and the animatronic Santa were pretty damn awesome, courtesy of Josh & Sierra Russell of Russell FX (2022’s Hellraiser).” Daily Dead
“It’s never clearly explained why this electronic Father Christmas is so intent on killing Tori and Robbie when surely there are plenty of other people to attack, but you get the sense writer-director Joe Begos wasn’t so interested in motivation and logic. Sadly, that makes the film less engaging…” 2 out of 5, The Guardian
” …the movie is neon-soaked and vibrant, beautifully filmed on 16mm, and the final stretch is every bit as gloriously over-the-top as one would hope. Who wouldn’t want to see a Santa go full-Terminator mode? Riley Dandy emerges as a badass heroine, channeling bits of Jena Malone and Scout Taylor Compton […] Christmas Bloody Christmas is the real deal.” Josh at the Movies
“So we’ve got a robot Santa killing folks at Christmas, all filmed in 16mm. Talk about harkening to the past! Christmas Bloody Christmas feels like The Terminator had a lovechild with a myriad of Christmas horrors – in particular the sleazy Silent Night, Deadly Night – and Begos then put his neon-strewn, ultra-stylized stamp on it!” 5 out of 5, Nerdly
” …it’s not really giving much away to note that Tori is able to give as hard as she gets at certain points, and it’s when RoboSanta+ sustains serious damage that effects creators Josh and Sierra Russell truly get a chance to shine […] Christmas Bloody Christmas demonstrates once again that they’re MVPs in the special makeup/creature creation field. They, the rest of the artisans and cast Begos has assembled and Begos himself has delivered an intense and thrilling holiday treat…” Rue Morgue
“The idea isn’t half bad, but the characters couldn’t possibly be more obnoxious. Gets better when the cast starts dying, meaning they’re no longer able to vomit vulgarities, which isn’t exactly high praise. However, blatantly ripping off The Terminator in the final act somehow works in its favor.” Splatter Critic
“Christmas Bloody Christmas ends up feeling almost like a reworking of Bliss. It has the same reliance on neon-lit scenes as well as a female-led cast of sex and drug-obsessed characters. Unfortunately, it also has the same poor pacing with a hard-to-get-through first half leading into a wild last act that saves the film from disaster and makes it worth seeing.” 3 out of 5, Voices from the Balcony
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