Christmas Evil

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Movie
German title Christmas Evil
Original title You Better Watch Out
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1980
length 96 minutes
Age rating FSK 18
Rod
Director Lewis Jackson
script Lewis Jackson
production Peter Kameron ,
Burt Kleiner
music Don Christensen ,
Joel Harris ,
Julia Heyward
camera Ricardo Aranovich
cut Linda Leeds ,
Corky O'Hara
occupation

Christmas Evil (Original title: You Better Watch Out ) is an American horror film with thriller elements from 1980 . It belongs to the sub-genre of the slasher film .

action

On Christmas Eve 1947, Harry and Phil Stadling witnessed Santa Claus coming through the fireplace and handing out presents. Later in bed, Harry doesn't want to hear Phil's suspicions that Santa Claus is really her father. He sneaks out of the room and witnesses his mother being seduced by Santa Claus. The distraught boy takes refuge in the attic and cuts himself on a broken snow globe.

33 years later, Harry works in a toy factory. His colleagues don't take him seriously and keep teasing him. At home, Harry wants to make himself the next real Santa Claus. He sleeps in a Santa suit, his apartment is full of Christmas decorations. He observes the neighborhood children to see whether they are good or bad.

Frank asks Harry to take over his shift so he can spend time with his family. On his way home, however, Harry sees him going to a bar with friends. The disappointed Harry cancels Thanksgiving dinner with his brother Phil the next day. Phil is annoyed, his wife Jackie is more indulgent.

At the company's Christmas party, it was announced that they wanted to donate toys to the children of a nearby hospital. However, this is to be achieved through increased production and financial participation by the workforce. Harry is outraged, at home he fills bags with toys that he stole from the company. He fills other bags with dirt.

On the night before Christmas, Harry glues a white beard on. Now he is completely convinced that he is the real Santa Claus. In his costume, he can sneak into his brother's house unnoticed and deposit presents for his nephews there. His neighbor Moss Garcia gets a bag of dirt placed in front of the door. In the hospital, he brings gifts to the children and is warmly welcomed by the staff. In the street, Harry is molested by three young men. This enrags Harry, he kills the three men with an ax. At a Christmas party in the neighborhood, he is greeted by the unsuspecting guests. Then he breaks into Frank's house and kills him with the Christmas decorations. He leaves gifts for Frank's children.

The next morning, Christmas Day, Harry invades his company in a dirty costume and destroys the toys, which in his eyes are worthless. Then he drives through the city in his van, but gets stuck in a drift. The residents realize that the suspicious Santa Claus is the murderer of the dead that has since been found. Harry is able to free his car from the drift and seeks out his brother Phil, who is worried about his brother's strange behavior. Harry blames Phil for his trauma. After the incident in 1947, Phil had explained to him that the violent Santa Claus was really her father. Phil realizes that his brother is the murderous Santa Claus and knocks him out. He gets him into the van, but there Harry comes to, knocks Phil out of the car and drives away. On a bridge he is pushed away by angry residents. In the final scene the van flies up to the moon while a voice recites the poem The Night Before Christmas .

Reviews

The lexicon of international films describes the work as a “cheaply produced horror thriller which, within the scope of its (technically limited) possibilities, condenses into a black and humorous study of an outsider and loser. The independent production is already considered a classic among genre lovers ”.

AllMovie's Donald Guarisco writes that the film is more of a black satire than a horror film. Director Jackson directs with dry humor and makes good use of the unusual editing technique and the nervous synthesizer music.

Michael Kienzl described the film on critic.de as a strange film in the best sense of the word. Jackson evades the classic slasher pattern, does not rely on suspense or bloody effects, does not structure the plot with murders and instead devotes himself to the psychogram of a nerd who is more victim than perpetrator. The strange thing in the best sense of the word is that the film indulges in an ode to childish fantasy between the rudiments of its slasher plot. That is not good for a scandal, but all the more for lasting alarm.

The TV Guide critic found the film surprisingly intelligent and compelling. He particularly praises Ricardo Aronovich's camera work.

background

The film premiered in Pittsburgh in November 1980 . In Germany, it came to the video rental shop on September 23, 2002 in a version shortened by five minutes. The independent company Troma Entertainment was responsible for the publication in Germany .

Mark Margolis can be seen in a small supporting role .

Several typical American Christmas carols can be heard in the film, such as: B. Winter Wonderland , Deck the Halls , Santa Claus Is Coming to Town , Angels We Have Heard on High and Jingle Bells .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Christmas Evil. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed April 14, 2019 .Template: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used 
  2. ↑ Donald Guarisco on AllMovie (Engl.)
  3. ↑ Michael Kienzl on critic.de
  4. ↑ Critique of the TV Guide