While it’s usually a good rule of thumb to keep Christmas as an unspoken eventuality until at least after Halloween, the trailer for Michael Dougherty’s Krampus is an exception to the rule. Watch the terrifying beauty unfold below:
As if Christmas wasn’t horrifying enough, what with unruly family and political debates looming over every bite of dinner, Legendary decided to give the man who brought us the classic Halloween film Trick ‘R Treat a shot at bringing to life one of the creepiest Christmas traditions from the Old World. Krampus begins where most holiday movies do, as a family headed by Toni Collette and Adam Scott are about to do battle with the holidays. But before any light shows or rocket-powered sledding can be had, someone summons an ancient evil to turn Christmas into a deadly game of survival.
While the concept was rather vague when it was first announced, this in-depth look at Krampus comes off as a deliciously twisted mix between Home Alone and Gremlins, with Trick ‘R Treat mixed in for good measure. With evil minions, deadly toys, and the horned one himself making a grand appearance in this trailer, the vibe is very much that of a classic 80’s horror flick.
Much like Guillermo Del Toro has been given a second shake at his Pacific Rim franchise through the wonderful pairing of Legendary and Universal, Michael Dougherty is being given carte blanche to make a horror flick that looks more dangerous than what the genre has typically looked like under the modern studio system. Considering Trick ‘R Treat was dumped direct to video because of the way Warner Bros. reacted to the film’s tone, you could imagine how horrible this film would have looked in inferior hands. Or rather, you won’t have to, as other studios are looking to have their own Krampus mockbusters on the shelves just in time for Christmas, as you’ll see below in the trailer for A Christmas Horror Story:
Ok, so maybe A Christmas Horror Story looks like some schlocky fun, but it sure as hell isn’t Krampus. It takes a special mind, and a steady hand, to create a film that looks as funny yet terrifying as Krampus, and Michael Dougherty looks like he has given us the yuletide fright fest we’ve always wanted. If this film is half as exciting as his love letter to the spirit of Halloween, then this is going to be another one of those movies you have to drag your friends to – in order to prove that it exists! Here’s hoping Kevin Smith’s dormant project about the same subject matter can either bow out gracefully, or turn itself into some stiff competition.
Krampus works its magic in theaters on December 4th, but keep your eyes peeled for a graphic novel, courtesy of Legendary Comics, at some point in the future.
