‘Elf’ Too Innocent for You? Watch These Holiday Horror Movies Instead

By: Elizabeth Eckhart

It’s the holiday season, and that means it time for, eggnog, Christmas carols, and mandatorily enforced cheer. Right? Wrong. Christmas can be a second Halloween for horror fans who know where to look. In the silence of a deep winter night lies a sense of foreboding terror — or at the very least, one of Santa’s darker jokes.

Jack Frost (1997)

This horror-comedy features a serial killer brought back to life as a snowman. In this film, actor Scott MacDonald stars as the eponymous Jack Frost, who escapes his own execution only to be killed and somehow fused with a patch of snow in a freak accident. Thus begins his bloody, snowy rampage through the town where he had been arrested. Jack Frost is notable for being one of Shannon Elizabeth‘s first movie roles, with the actress playing one of the snowman’s victims.

Black Christmas (1974)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SODLknaAHs

What do you get when you put Juliet, Lois Lane, and a serial killer in a sorority house at Christmas? The answer is the original Black Christmas. This film stars Olivia Hussey and Margot Kidder as sorority sisters and features John Saxon of A Nightmare on Elm Street fame as a helpful police officer. In addition to having one of the top 100 scariest movie moments according to Bravo, it went on to inspire later slasher films and had a 2006 remake.

Gremlins (1984)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-14d51QTVjo

It’s always inadvisable to give pets for Christmas. It’s especially inadvisable to give Mogwais. Gremlins introduced the world to Gizmo, the fuzzy little scamp who won the hearts of millions of the 1980s. The scaly gremlins struck such fear into the hearts of children that it spurred the MPAA into introducing a new rating: PG-13. Even today, youngsters clamor for the creepy little ghouls, particularly around the holidays (check for local listings here). It’s important to remember the most important rules of owning a Mogwai: keep it out of sunlight, don’t get it wet, and never feed it after midnight. Gremlins features an early appearance by Corey Feldman, and fans of Breaking Bad can see Jonathan Banks as Deputy Brent.

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

Kids and the young at heart shouldn’t be left out of the holiday horror fun. This Tim Burton-produced claymation movie is a staple of many households since its release. It tells the story of Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, who decides to take over another holiday after becoming fascinated with Christmas. Danny Elfman’s songs are catchy (just try getting “What’s This?” out of your head after watching, I dare you) and the visuals are striking and timeless over two decades later. While Chris Sarandon of The Princess Bride fame stars as Jack, Danny Elfman provides his singing voice.

Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984)

This film was clearly made for all those who thought that there was something sinister about Santa Claus spying on children and breaking into their homes. When a five-year-old boy witnesses his family being slaughtered by a man dressed as Santa Claus, it understandably messes him up. When he grows up and decides to punish the naughty by dressing up as Santa and killing them, you’ve got Silent Night, Deadly Night. A 2012 remake starred Malcolm McDowell and Jaime King.

The tradition of Christmas horror continues with the release of the new film Krampus, out December 4. Remember, the holidays don’t have to be just about cookies and milk–sometimes a little corn syrup blood is what’s needed to really put everyone in the spirit.

Elizabeth Eckhart is a film and entertainment writer. She has written for Thunder Treats before and currently her home base is in Chicago. You can follow her on Twitter at @elizeckhart.

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