Color, R (violence, gore, language, sexual situations, drug use), 94 min., VHS $34.95, DVD $24.95
DVD: behind-the-scenes footage
Street: Dec. 10, Prebook: now
First Run: Video Premiere
Cast: Tola Montana, Thure Lindhardt, Erik Holmey, Zlatko Buric
Director: Shaky Gonzalez
FANGORIA/MTI
Story Line: Released from a Nevada prison in time for the Christmas holidays, Carlitos (Montana) resolves to become a positive role model for his 5-year-old son. Carlitos eventually yields to temptation, however, and in so doing falls victim to demonic forces released via a claw-shaped talisman he has obtained.
Bottom Line: Originally intended as a 20-minute short, this stylish horror movie was expanded to feature length when writer/director Gonzalez failed to secure funding for another project. One Hell of a Christmas reflects unusual care in lighting and scene composition, and it contains several visual homages to such classic genre films as The Evil Dead and Texas Chainsaw Massacre. In other ways it's a bit uneven, with effectively underplayed sequences rubbing shoulders with wildly over-the-top horror setpieces (including one in which Carlitos is attacked by a possessed Santa doll). Gonzalez successfully establishes a supernaturally mysterious mood, but genuine scares are few and far between, possibly because the director spends so much time referencing familiar fright films. On balance, horror fans won't be disappointed. As low-budget, shot-on-video thrillers go, Christmas is pretty good. The packaging is eye-catching, which should help. --Ed Hulse