With the yuletide near it’s time for families to start gathering around the comforting glow of a television to watch films that revel in the mirth of the holiday season.
However, if you can’t bear the thought of seeing the Grinch’s heart grow three sizes for the 800th time, there is another option. Why not fill your family’s heart with fear this year with a selection of horror films that add blood and guts to the Christmas season?
The following titles are guaranteed to make grandma spit up her eggnog on the big day.
Black Christmas (1974)
Canadian director Bob Clark is best known for his B.B. gun classic A Christmas Story, but his first attempt to bring the holidays to the big screen was this pioneering slasher classic about a group of sorority girls bumped off over the Christmas break. Swell with national pride as you watch SCTV’s Andrea Martin get impaled by an icicle.
Gremlins (1984)
Who would have thought a cute little Mogwai named Gizmo would go down as the worst Christmas gift in history by paralyzing an impossibly perfect small town with pintsized monsters. Perfect for parents trying to dissuade their kids from asking for a new pet for Christmas.
Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984)
There are many movies about killer Santas, but the most famous example is this controversial slasher about a deranged man dressed as Santa murdering promiscuous teens. Parents picketed this film’s release in the 80s, but now you can buy it from any video store and share the trashy terror with your entire family.
Jack Frost (1997)
A possessed snowman kills people. ’Nuff said.
Sheitan (2006)
A beautifully deranged French horror flick about an incestuous hillbilly family who kidnap some rowdy young folks to perform a Satanic ritual on Christmas Eve. A heartwarming tale of family torment for you and yours.
