Christmas Evil
Review by Peter Syslo

CHRISTMAS EVIL (1980) is sort of a mix of a behind-the-killer film, a slasher, and a social commentary. It is a strange film but it does have a lot to say and I think that it is more than just an exploitative, holiday-themed horror movie. It is one of those films that is more character-driven than plot-driven; most of it is an in-depth look at the main character’s mental decline. In short, it is an example of how someone could be driven crazy, by society.

CHRISTMAS EVIL is written and directed by Lewis Jackson and it stars Brandon Maggart (Harry, the killer), Jefferey De Munn, and Diane Hull. Basically, the movie is about Harry, an average guy, who just seems to snap one day and goes off on a string of strange and murderous behavior, around Christmas time. When Harry was a kid, he saw his father (dressed as santa) “feeling up” his mother and that just seemed to drive him over the edge. As an adult, Harry appears to be a nice, even-tempered guy, but he is obsessed with Christmas (his apartment is like a Christmas display at a department store). He lives alone, works at a toy factory, and he spies on neighborhood children, keeping a list of whether they are naughty or nice. It all comes to a head, when a co-worker swindles Harry into working a shift for him – I think that it all has to do with people lying to one another. Harry then goes on a spree of gift-giving and killing, he distances himself from his brother and sister-in-law, and he terrifies a whole community.

CHRISTMAS EVIL is a movie that really leaves you guessing, up until and including the ending. I have to say that it really kept me on my toes; Maggart does a great job of playing Harry and it is really a complex performance. He plays a combination of good and evil and he does it so well that you are wondering how he is going to react in certain situations. For example, he stalks a “naughty” little boy and hides in the bushes at the boy’s house – you think that he may kill the boy, but it actually turns out differently. Conversely, Harry (who is dressed as Santa Claus for the second half of the film) approaches a group of church-goers at a midnight mass. It is on the front sidewalk, with many people around and you don’t expect him to haul-off and bloodily kill a few people. Overall, the film didn’t follow the traditional slasher form ula and it surprised me at every turn.

The movie is all about Maggart’s performance – he makes this film. The movie is slower moving than what a horror fan might be used to, but I think that it is really solid filmmaking. Again, it contains a great deal of social commentary and Maggart reflects that in each scene; you could see it in Harry’s eyes, towards the end – he just seems to be exhausted, almost drained by empty promises, lies, etc. The movie is well shot, with a very foreboding and dark vibe to the whole piece; you know bad things are going to happen, but you don’t know how or when. The music really adds to the film – it is mostly original instrumental music in the “Christmas style”. The stalking/hiding and the kills are all interesting and, like I said, are very suspenseful because you don’t know what this guy is capable of doing.

Cutting to the chase: I liked Christmas Evil – I think that it is a really interesting film and it transcends the exploitative Christmas atmosphere and becomes much more. Again, it is slow-moving and it is not a straight-forward holiday slasher; if you are expecting Santa Claus to be killing people one after another, this is not that type of film. However, if you enjoy behind-the-killer films or character studies of the psychotic mind, then you may enjoy the movie. Also, it does have that whole surreal, dream-like quality to it which enhances the whole experience. Besides wondering what Harry is going to do, you tend to wonder if all of it is really happening (especially the ending) – the whole film is unexpected and it really delves into the dark side of the Holiday Season.