By Melissa Antoinette Garza
I love horror anthologies. Even the worst of the bunch, generally have at least one or two good tales. Going into Xmas Tales, I already had that guarantee as I had the pleasure of seeing and reviewing the final tale a few months ago.
The anthology takes place during Christmas which gives Halloween a run for its money when it comes to great scary movies. Whether looking at classics like Black Christmas (1974) and Child’s Play (1988) or lower budget gems like Silent Night, Bloody Night (1972) or Dead End (2003) the holidays are the perfect time to petrify the audience. I think it’s partially because Christmas is supposed to be such a pleasant and cheery time of year so when a good horror film utilizes that knowledge to create a powerful and frightening atmosphere, the audience is petrified even more. It’s the same way that shooting horror scenes in the day can have more of an impact than the night as it is unexpected. Typically, one feels safe and secure during the day so when masterpieces like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) showed the attacks when the bright sun still shined in the sky, it still horrifies and packs a punch.
This anthology opens with the wraparound tale which is by far the weakest of the bunch. Two scantily clad women, Jennifer (Kyra Tiffany) and Valentina (Valentina Jey) are holding Harry (Brandon Dorsey) hostage. From what I gathered, these women are upset with him for being a cheating louse. Jennifer is making cookies for the holidays. She takes them out of the oven and then sits down next to Harry where she starts telling him about the first story.
The Lady Bruins Christmas Slumber Party
Rita (Cori Collins) is hosting her annual white elephant Christmas trade with her girlfriends who all stay the night. All of her gal pals are partiers except her cousin Charlotte (Valeria Pellegaud) who everyone treats like a wet blanket. As the other girls get changed in front of one another and wear lingerie, Charlotte goes into the bathroom and puts on flannel PJS. She admits to being a virgin and doesn’t drink alcohol.
Soon, everyone exchanges presents. Once the gift exchange is done, the doorbell rings indicating that the pizza man has arrived. When Rita opens the door she screams bringing the other women to see that the poor delivery man had been butchered. In the distance, the criminals can be seen dressed almost like ninjas in capes but making growling sounds indicating that what they are dealing with is not human. The cell phones don’t work and the phone lines are cut leaving the ladies on their own to battle whatever these creatures are.
This tale was okay but it could’ve been much better. First, the costumes for the creatures should have been more elaborate. Second, the origin of the beings is never discussed. Though a short, I don’t think it’s a reason to leave an intricate part of the story out. A perfect example of an anthology short that gives a beginning, middle and end is Hair in John Carpenter’s Body Bags (1993). Though much of it was done via exposition, the backgrounds of the aliens were discussed in the tale.
Still, there were a few elements to this story done well. The best aspect was the way that traditional Christmas tunes were used but the melody was changed to make the songs sinister. Another point made is how much liquor the women were drinking so that when rash and questionable decisions were made to confront the killers, it’s excusable. Attention was made to small details like that which was great, it was just the bigger picture that I would have liked to know more about.
Some of the acting was shaky which can be expected in a low-budget film. I will say that Pellgaud’s acting was excellent. She portrayed the mousy innocent very well and I would love to see what her future holds for her.
Overall Rating: 5/10
Alexandria
The second tale follows Alexandria (Elyse Dufour) who is having emotional problems including hallucinations after having an abortion. She begins seeing psychiatrist Dr. Brennen (Josh Murray) who prescribes medication that doesn’t seem to help. In fact, things begin to get worse as her and her husband Martin (Brent Bauer) start to get presents from their dead child. Martin is at his wits end and blames Alexandria while she is unsure if Martin is the culprit or if she is going crazy.
The conclusion is a cool twist that I didn’t see coming and it does leave the viewer with several possible answers as to what actually happened.
Though some may think this is controversial and anti-abortion, I don’t really see it that way. I know recently the film The Life Zone (2011) received similar criticism. I’m not one to delve into the politics of a movie and I really don’t know if the makers of this tale are pro-choice or not. All I do know is that the tale fascinated me and kept me hooked until it was over. I didn’t find it preachy or insulting to women. I thought the acting was really good and the story was solid.
Overall Rating: 5.5/10
The Crann Doll
The last tale is the one that originally made me interested in seeing this anthology and remains my favorite of the bunch.
The Crann Doll starts with Aloisius (Nicholas Wagner)and Bedillia (Sarah Lomke) walking down the street with their sick infant. The two live a simple life and are the decedents of Hezekiah Crann. Not much is known about the Crann family other than they are looked down upon or feared by most of the outside world.
Allen (John C. Bailey) sees the couple and stops his car. Aloisius runs over and asks for him to take them to town. Allen asks if he has anything of value that he can trade. The only thing he has is a necklace with an amulet at the end of it. Allen becomes very sarcastic and even doubts that Bedillia is holding a child. He thinks that the two may have a gun in the blanket and that the scam is to rob him. He doesn’t stop there. He insinuates the two lovers are siblings and makes fun of the Crann lineage.
He speeds away but as he does he nearly hits Bedillia who drops the baby. He runs over the child. For a moment he gets out of his car, but without remorse or apology he jumps back in and quickly drives away. Unknown to him, a parking pass is dropped and Aloisius now knows where he lives.
Three months later, on Christmas Eve, Allen gets a gift from the couple. He opens it and it’s a doll with an amulet. He invites a hooker over and she brings drugs but when she sees the doll and finds out who it’s from, she quickly leaves fearful of what it may do.
This was a great story with great actors. There were several interesting camera angles including one that showed the doll’s perspective from inside the box. There were innovative techniques used to really capture the audience’s attention.
The only gripe I have is that it ended too soon. It leaves the audience wanting more. I certainly understand it’s a short, but I just wish there was more action with the Crann doll. I could actually see this as a successful full length picture.
The Crann family is definitely an interesting one and we as the viewer know very little about it. Showing their lifestyle and explaining their legacy would make for a great story. I would love to know how they obtain their powers and what they do to intruders. There’s a story within the film about a young boy who goes to the farm and never returns. This could merely be a rumor, but exploring what happens to them. I imagine the Twilight Zone episode where the young boy wishes everyone into the cornfield. I would love to see what actually occurs.
I also want to see what exactly the Crann Doll is capable of. I understand that the amulet gives power but I would love to explore that as well.
Overall it was a fast paced short that definitely delivered.
Scared Stiff Rating: 6/10
Overall, I definitely suggest Xmas Tales. I think it is a well-balanced anthology with more high points than low and can definitely be something to watch with your friends. I think a more frightening title may serve it better. Something like Christmas Stalking: A Horror Anthology or something as simple as Santa’s Nightmares may attract more fans who haven’t heard about the film. Still with word of mouth being what it is, I have hope that this will find its core audience and be a success.
It can be rented or purchased via Video on Demand at: http://vimeo.com/ondemand/xmastales
Overall Rating: 5.5/10
