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The concept of the holiday movie began back in 1898 with G.A. Smith’s pioneering silent film Santa Claus. The first of its kind to show the depiction of Santa that only runs just shy over a minute.

Since then Hollywood has belted out an array of films that have either been true to the genre such as A Christmas Story; The Holiday; Miracle On 34th Street; Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey or films like Die Hard; Brazil, and Gremlins that have teetered on the edge of identifying as a holiday film.

Then there are the anti-holiday movies and the Christmas horrors. Subgenres of their own like the slasher Silent Night, Deadly Night, Black Christmas, and Christmas Evil, a John Waters favorite, so you are inclined to know what demented viewing you are in for.

Related: 50 Classic Valentine’s Movies Gallery: From ‘Amelie’ & ‘In The Mood For Love’ To ‘Paris, Texas...

1974 remains a banner year for horror movies. This year marks the 50th anniversary of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Black Christmas, as well as smaller films like Abby, The Perfume of the Lady in Black, and Sugar Hill. Buried in that year’s releases, Frightmare stands as a unique relic, a gloriously bloody proto-slasher transmitting a macabre tale about cannibalism. Once described as a “morally repellent British horror film, without an ounce of humour” by The Times critic Philip French, the Pete Walker-directed cult classic carries the essence of 1963’s Blood Feast with its own curiously deranged skin. With the holidays in full swing, it’s time to give thanks for one of the most underrated ‘70s slashers with more going for it than meets the eye.

The film, written by David McGillivray (Satan’s Slave), tells the tale of Edmund (Rupert Davies) and his murderous wife Dorothy (Sheila Keith...

I grew up in Canada, and I’d wager the experience – at least as far as pop culture goes – was probably pretty similar to growing up in the States. Yet, there were some minor, strange differences. Here, we have a regulatory body called the Crtc (Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission), which ensures that about 30% of the content that’s broadcast on TV qualifies as “Canadian Content.” Thus, whenever you turn on the TV, one of our Canadian channels is bound to show something Canadian, including movies. While holiday classics like A Christmas Story and Black Christmas counted as Canadian Content (God Bless Bob Clark) we could reliably see around the holidays, more adventurous TV stations would show something outside the box. One such station was the adult-oriented Showcase (not to be confused with Showtime), which would program an utterly mental movie called The Silent Partner every Christmas Eve.

If you’re not Canadian,...

’Twas the weekend before Christmas… With the holiday season upon us, many of us are starting to revisit some of our of Christmas favourites. I actually went to see a 4K re-release of the original Black Christmas last night here in Montreal. There’s something comforting upon returning to our old favourites every year, whether they be traditional Christmas classics, or perhaps something a little more modern, like Die Hard, which, despite many claiming otherwise, has totally established itself as a Christmas classic over the years.

Whatever the case, there are certainly Loads of Christmas movies, with everything from old-time classics like It’s A Wonderful Life or some of the many versions of A Christmas Carol (the Alistair Sim version is the best Imo), or something like Love Actually, which is virtually inescapable at this time of the year.

With that in mind, we’d love to figure out just...

10 best Christmas movies that you must watch in 2024 (Photo Credit – Facebook)

Few days on the calendar induce audiences like Christmas, making everyone from families to individuals and casual viewers to movie fanatics, to embrace the season through films. With Santa Claus’s arrival just around the corner, here, we present a varied range of those significant holiday movies—from heartwarming fan-favorite holiday classics and superhero flicks to uncomfortable horrors and thrillers that disguise the cozy holiday into a shivering, darker, more twisted experience, proving Christmas isn’t always merry.

10. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Photo Credit – Facebook)

Dr. Seuss’ titular bad guy character is brought to life by Jim Carrey in this 2000 iteration directed by Ron Howard. One of two iconic Christmas fantasies starring Carrey, alongside A Christmas Carol, this adaptation reimagines the Grinch as a bitter, misanthropic humanoid plotting to ruin Christmas for the Whos in Whoville.

Some cliche somewhere said that ‘a picture is worth a thousand words.’ This has proven to be the case for me and especially when it comes to fan art. I have always sought out great fan art and have wanted to share it with as many people as possible. “Awesome Art We’ve Found Around The Net” is the outlet for that passion. In this column, I will showcase the kick-ass artwork of some great artists, with the hopes that these artists get the attention they deserve. That’s the aim. If you have any questions or comments, or even suggestions of art or other great artists, feel free to contact me at any time at theodorebond@joblo.com.

Black Christmas by Mark Gibeault

Die Hard by Forsaken Folklore

Gremlins by Saniose

The Grinch by Ronyzon

Home Alone by Syh

It’s A Wonderful Life by Paul Butcher

The Muppets Christmas...

I’ve said it time and time again, but Christmas is definitely the holiday with the most horror movies centered around it. Classics like Black Christmas which got no sequels, but two Very different remakes, Gremlins, and Christmas Evil gave way to modern classics like Better Watch Out, Krampus, and Terrifier 3. Then you have the one series that decided to make a whole interconnected universe out of the holiday. With 5 movies that sometimes, rarely, kinda connect with each other and 4 of them out of the way, its finally time to look at the last entry in the series before the quasi remake came out in 2012. I’ve had the pleasure to discuss 1, 3, and 4 in one way or another on the channel and part 5 deserves its flowers too. While two is an awfully good movie, 3-5 can all count as a black sheep and 5 especially has its weird moments both in...

In 1974—the year Richard Nixon resigned in the wake of Watergate, and just one year after the United States withdrew from the Vietnam War, having wasted 19 years, five months, four weeks, one day, and nearly 60,000 American lives—confidence in and trust of the United States government was in a shambles.

1974 was a big year for horror. Just months after William Friedkin’s juggernaut The Exorcist shocked audiences around the world, two films electrified the genre and sent it careening in a new direction. While Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre remains one of the most viscerally terrifying films of all time, it’s sister proto-slasher Black Christmas has arguably become more relevant. The film follows Jess (Olivia Hussey) and her friends as they’re targeted by a mysterious man known as Billy (Albert J. Dunk) who hides in the attic of their sorority house. In addition to sparking the slasher revolution, Bob Clark’s film is important for another reason.

Released just one year after the historic Roe v. Wade decision granted US women the right to safe and legal abortion, Black Christmas features a main character who makes the choice to terminate her pregnancy despite her boyfriend’s strenuous—and threatening—objections.

As fall turns into winter, and a chill enters the air, horror fans begin to feast on their favorite holiday horrors. Black Christmas, Gremlins, and Silent Night, Deadly Night are all seasonal staples, and more contemporary offerings, such as Krampus and Better Watch Out, have become new classics. Yet for additional helpings of festive frights, perhaps the following double-feature could be considered; both The Dorm That Dripped Blood and Trapped Alive even hail from the decade where Christmas Horror, as a subgenre, began to take shape and resemble its more modern form.

The Dorm That Dripped Blood also goes by Pranks, The Third Night, and Death Dorm. The later title is what appears on the source print for Synapse Films’ uncut restoration, however, the longer name is what sticks best, even for those who have never seen this 1982 obscurity. And for a lot of folks who have watched the film,...

For a holiday that’s supposed to be about Jesus Christ and/or family (depending on your religious persuasion), Christmas has inspired a lot of horror films. The best Christmas horror film upset a lot of parents and children. That doesn’t change the fact that it’s a masterpiece.

The best Christmas horror film was part of the 1980s slasher trend

Why are there so many Christmas horror films? Perhaps it’s because the wholesomeness of the holiday lends itself to so much bloody subversion. Some Christmas horror films have been widely praised, including Gremlins, but the majority haven’t received their dues.

For example, the original Black Christmas from 1974 paved the way for the slasher boom, but few people who aren’t horror fans have heard of it. Similarly, Christmas Evil is a fascinating character study but it was overshadowed by Friday the 13th, another slasher flick that...

It's the holiday season, which can mean only one thing: it's time to watch Christmas horror movies! Christmas horror is nothing new. In the Victorian era, folks would gather by the fireside around Christmas time to tell each other ghost stories (this is how we got "A Christmas Carol"). Over the years, the horror genre has embraced this idea by unleashing horror films set on or around Christmas. Some of these films are quite bad and seem to recycle the same boring idea ("What if a guy dressed as Santa Claus killed people?!") over and over again. But there are others that make the yuletide bright. Hell, even some of the killer Santa stories work. As the weird year that was 2024 comes to a close, and the horrifying uncertainty of 2025 lurks right around the corner, let's chug some mulled wine, deck the halls, and watch the following Christmas-centric horror movies.

Christmas may be the season of joy and goodwill, but for horror fans, it’s also the perfect time for festive fright. Snow-covered streets, twinkling lights, and the cheerful sound of carols make the ideal backdrop for chills, screams, and yuletide terror. If you’re in the mood for killer Santas, haunted holidays, and seasonal slashers, this list of Christmas horror films will make your holidays frightfully fun.

Let’s dive into The 12 Frights for Christmas, where every film is a bloody gift for your inner horror fanatic.

12 Frights for Christmas 1. Black Christmas (1974)

The Original Christmas Slasher

Long before Michael Myers stalked babysitters, Black Christmas terrified audiences with its chilling tale of a killer targeting sorority sisters during the holidays. With unsettling phone calls and a shocking ending, this cult classic is a must-watch.

Why It Slays: It’s the blueprint for holiday horror and one of the earliest examples...

Christmas is supposed to be about joy, so it’s surprising that there are so many Christmas horror movies. Perhaps we need some darker movies to capture the downsides of the holidays. Furthermore, who would have guessed there are two good movies about killers dressed up as Santa Claus?

5. ‘Christmas Evil’

Harry is a down-on-his-luck toy factory worker. His childhood trauma has left him with an unnervingly intense obsession with Old Saint Nick. As his life gets worse, he starts to believe he’s Santa Claus himself. That doesn’t stop him from getting violent.

This little-seen gem was released at the height of the slasher film boom in 1980. While a movie like Friday the 13th goes for the jugular, Christmas Evil is a slow burn. It’s more about character and atmosphere than bloody violence. Stuff it in your stocking — if you dare!

4. ‘Gremlins’

Gremlins starts as a cute family film a la E.

Blumhouse and Universal’s Black Christmas reinvents the 1974 cult classic with a daring reimagining of the slasher genre. While the original built its tension around the enigmatic presence of an unseen killer, the 2019 remake pivots toward a chilling battle against a sinister cult. Merging horror with a sharp critique of systemic abuse, the film centers on Riley, a survivor determined to reclaim her voice. As she takes a stand against fraternity-wielding dark, supernatural forces, Black Christmas transcends its slasher roots, unfolding into a powerful narrative of resilience, solidarity, and the fight to dismantle oppression.

Spoilers Ahead

Black Christmas (2019) Plot Summary & Movie Synopsis:

“Black Christmas” opens with a scene where we see Lindsay has decided to go to her grandmother’s house instead of going back to the hostel during the time of Christmas. Soon we see a black figure chasing Lindsay and she begs for help from one door to another.

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Christmas is just around the corner, and it’s time to see brilliant classic movies, but if you are not in the mood to see Home Alone or Jingle All the Way for a millionth and want to see some adult movies. We at CinemaBlind have prepared a list of 11 best R-rated Christmas movies you can check out.

Violent Night (Starz & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – Universal Pictures

Violent Night is a Christmas action comedy film directed by Tommy Wirkola from a screenplay co-written by Pat Casey and Josh Miller. The 2022 film follows Santa Claus as he comes across a wealthy family’s compound, where an elite team of mercenaries has kidnapped the family on Christmas Eve. Violent Night stars David Harbour, John Leguizamo, Alex Hassell, Alexis Louder, and Beverly D’Angelo.

Die Hard Credit – 20th Century Fox

Die Hard...

Black Christmas (1974) is a chilling, early entry in the slasher genre that set the stage for many of the tropes and conventions we now associate with horror films. Directed by Bob Clark, the movie is credited with being one of the earliest examples of a slasher, predating Halloween by several years. The story takes place in a sorority house where a group of college girls is celebrating the holidays. Unbeknownst to them, a mysterious killer lurks in the shadows, ready to terrorize them in a way that feels both personal and deeply unsettling. What follows is a harrowing sequence of murders, a tense investigation, and a haunting conclusion that still leaves viewers with a sense of dread long after the credits roll.

Black Christmas Plot Explained Margot Kidder in “Black Christmas” (1974) An Intruder in the House

The film opens with a disturbing sequence as an unseen man climbs the exterior...

Tired of rewatching the same ol’ Christmas creepies?

We hear you, which is why the Halloweenies gathered around the fire, spiked some nog, and pulled out their crumpled lists to share a handful of holiday horror that’s often missed. These go beyond Black Christmas and Gremlins — two films we’ll also be covering this month — and are a tad more left of the dial than Eyes Wide Shut or Batman Returns .

Stream below and get your remote ready.

Subscribe to the Halloweenies via Apple Podcasts , Stitcher , Spotify , and RSS . New to the Halloweenies? Catch up with the gang by revisiting their essential episodes on past franchises such as Halloween , A Nightmare on Elm Street , Friday the 13th , Scream , The Evil Dead , Chucky , and Alien ! Next year they’ll be covering the Universal Monsters!

You can also become a member of their Patreon, The Rewind , for hilariously irreverent commentaries, one-off...

Given that one of the most beloved yuletide tales of all time contains four ghosts (that would be Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol"), you'd think people would've been immediately accepting of horror movies set at Christmas. But once upon a time, people were so scandalized by the notion of slasher Santa Claus that they ran the movie, "Silent Night, Deadly Night" out of theaters.

Now that families routinely gather in front of the television every holiday season to watch such violent delights as "Gremlins" and "Black Christmas," it feels like everything's in play. People are even treating Stanley Kubrick's "Eyes Wide Shut," which contains an orgy centerpiece, as a must-watch Christmas classic. So nothing's shocking anymore. Right?

Have you seen "Adult Swim Yule Log?"

From Casper Kelly, the maker of the 2014 viral sensation "Too Many Cooks," "Adult Swim Yule Log" turned the genre of televised fireplace mood-setters on its soot-coated ear.

The Peacock Holiday 2024 lineup includes over 300 titles! Catch classics like Miracle on 34th Street, I’ll Be Home for Christmas, and A Christmas Carol, as well as hits like Christmas at Dollywood and Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story.

Peacock has the whole family covered with festive titles, like Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Peacock Original film Genie, and The Legend of Frosty the Snowman. Chilling thrillers like Krampus and Black Christmas are also available.

Stream into the spirit of the season with a wide array of holiday specials from familiar favorites like Parks and Recreation, New Girl, The Office and more to have you feeling merry and bright all month long. Peacock has an exclusive gift for fans of The Office when The Office Superfan Episodes Season 8 arrives on December 12.

Stuff your stocking with laughs before the New Year with a hilarious year-end recap when 2024 Back That...

There are enough celebrities who are currently vying (if unofficially) for the title of Christmas Queen that Lucy van Pelt has some serious competition. In terms of sheer cultural ubiquitousness, Mariah Carey seems to be the frontrunner on the strength alone of her 1994 multi-Platinum single, "All I Want for Christmas Is You." Hot on her heels are some other pop divas, including Kelly Clarkson, Ariana Grande, and Sabrina Carpenter, who've all had a holiday hit that has remained popular for years afterward. While that's all happening in the music world, things seem a little more clear-cut in Christmas movie land. Sure, numerous actors have been in huge holiday films that are watched year after year, but it's hard to think of another actor who's been in more Christmas movies then Lacey Chabert.

Chabert may not be the Christmas Queen per se, but she is certainly the queen of Hallmark movies,...

Sharing a meal with family and friends is all well and good as far as Christmas celebrations go, but for the film lovers among us, it's the perfect time to hibernate in front of the television with a cozy blanket and mug of hot chocolate with a watch-list of some of the greatest Christmas films ready to go. While not every cinephile finds satisfaction out of the genre, it's a time so magical that everything from horror films, '80s action, and even German Impressionism can all find a place in Christmas films.

Ranging from the corny and ridiculous to generational classics, Christmas films have introduced to us some of cinema's most memorable characters. The traditional George Baileys and multiple Santa Clauses hit us in the feels and remind us of the season's merriment, while the Christmas-adjacent Gizmos and John McClanes grant us the space to clench, laugh, and gasp with festive cheer.

Horror fans are in for a nostalgic treat as Fright-Rags unveils two exclusive collections celebrating the anniversaries of two iconic slasher films. Honouring the 50th anniversary of Black Christmas and the 40th anniversary of A Nightmare on Elm Street, the brand’s new merchandise line promises to deliver chills to collectors and fans alike. Both collections are now available for purchase at Fright-Rags.com.

First up, Black Christmas, widely regarded as one of the first true slasher films, is receiving the royal treatment with custom designs that nod to its legacy as a holiday horror staple. The collection includes an “ugly” acrylic sweater that perfectly blends festive cheer with unsettling undertones. A fresh 50th-anniversary design is also available on T-shirts and zip-up hoodies, allowing fans to show their love for this influential cult classic in style.

For collectors, the Black Christmas trading cards offer a nostalgic throwback. Available as individual...

Sherlock Holmes investigates Jack the Ripper in Murder By Decree, hitting 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray on January 14 via Kino Lorber.

From Black Christmas director Bob Clark, the 1979 murder-mystery has been newly mastered in 4K by StudioCanal.

Christopher Plummer and James Mason star as as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson, respectively, alongside David Hemmings, Susan Clark, Anthony Quayle, John Gielgud, Frank Finlay, Donald Sutherland, and Genevieve Bujold.

Disc 1 – 4K Uhd:

Uhd Sdr Master by StudioCanal Audio Commentary by Director Bob Clark Audio Commentary by Film Historians Howard S. Berger and Steve Mitchell Theatrical Trailer 5.1 Surround and Lossless 2.0 Audio

Disc 2 – Blu-ray:

HD Master by StudioCanal Audio Commentary by Director Bob Clark Audio Commentary by Film Historians Howard S. Berger and Steve Mitchell Theatrical Trailer 5.1 Surround and Lossless 2.0 Audio

John Hopkins (Thunderball) penned the script, inspired by Elwyn Jones & John Lloyd‘s 1975 book The Ripper File, Stephen Knight‘s 1976 book Jack the Ripper: The Final Solution,...

One of the most popular Christmas horror movies among genre fans is the 1974 classic Black Christmas (watch it Here) – and this December, some of the movie’s fans are going to have the chance to catch it on the big screen! Variety reports that the American Genre Film Archive is celebrating the 50th anniversary of Black Christmas by bringing a 4K restoration to theatres across North America from December 7th through 22nd!

Directed by Bob Clark, the same filmmaker who brought us the family friendly classic A Christmas Story, from a screenplay by A. Roy Moore, Black Christmas has the following synopsis: As winter break begins, a group of sorority sisters, including Jess and the often inebriated Barb, begin to receive anonymous, lascivious phone calls. Initially, Barb eggs the caller on, but stops when he responds threateningly. Soon, Barb’s friend Claire goes missing from the sorority house, and a local adolescent girl is murdered,...

Bob Clark’s classic masterpiece Black Christmas has gotten not one but two remakes over the years, but it’s the original slasher from the 1970s that continues to endure over the years.

On that note, Variety has announced this afternoon that the original Black Christmas is headed back to U.S. theaters this holiday season from the American Genre Film Archive!

The theatrical re-release celebrates the 50th anniversary of the classic proto-slasher, and American Genre Film Archive will be presenting a 4K restoration of the film on the big screen.

Screenings in North American theaters will take place December 7 – December 22.

Participating locations include…

Olympia Film Society in Olympia, Wash. Grand Illusion Cinema in Seattle New Beverly Cinema and Vista Theater in Los Angeles Brattle Theatre in Boston Rivoli Theatre in La Cross, Wis. Afs Cinema in Austin Denver Film in Denver, Co. Rubber Glove Studio in Denton, Texas Cinema Moderne in Montreal,...

In celebration of its 50th anniversary, the American Genre Film Archive is releasing a 4K restoration of Bob Clark’s holiday horror classic “Black Christmas” in theaters.

Teaming up with the Agfa, Texas-based collectible company Mutant has created an 18″ by 24″ “Black Christmas” poster that will be available exclusively at select 50th anniversary screenings. The five-color screen print, produced by Night Swim in an edition of 285, features brand-new artwork by Phantom City Creative. Additional white and red variants of the poster will be released on Mutant’s website Nov. 29 — Black Friday.

“I am so honoured that the American genre Film Archive and Mutant are presenting the 50th Anniversary of ‘Black Christmas’ in movie theaters this year, star Olivia Hussey said of the rerelease. “The film world is lucky to have the Agfa, which continues to show the meaningful impact of going to the movies through screenings like this one. I’m...

Raúl Castillo, star of Smile 2, is the latest talent to join the cast of 20th Century Studios' eagerly awaited remake of The Hand That Rocks the Cradle. With his exciting addition, Castillo will be bringing his unique flair and depth to the project, and we can't wait to see him in action. He will reportedly have a supporting role in the movie. We shared more about who he will be portraying down below.

This new cast announcement comes just a little over a month later after the announcement that Mary Elizabeth Winstead was in discussions to join the cast. It appears that Winstead is now officially a part of the project. She and Castillo join Longlegs' Maika Monroe, who was the first to be cast in this remake.

Michelle Garza Cervera will direct from a screenplay written by Micah Bloomberg. Additionally, Ted Field will produce through his Radar Pictures,...

Go To The Fucking Boiler Room.

After seven weeks of our Icons and Anniversaries theme, which included titles like Bob Clark’s Black Christmas (listen), Kevin S. Tenney’s Night of the Demons (listen), and Robert Zemeckis’ Death Becomes Her (listen), we’re ready to wrap things up with Wes Craven‘s iconic slasher entry, A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984).

In the film, Nancy Thompson (Heather Langenkamp), her boyfriend Glen (Johnny Depp), best friend Tina (Amanda Wyss) and Tina’s on again/off again boyfriend Rod (Nick Corri) are all plagued by the same nightmare of a burned man with knives for fingers.

Then Tina is brutally murdered in her sleep and Rod is blamed for her death. Nancy tries to tell her mother Marge (Ronee Blakely) and Lieutenant father Don (John Saxon) about Fred Krueger (Robert Englund), but the evasive parents refuse to listen.

With no choice but to...

Now, a warning.

After wrapping up October with discussions of horror classics like Tobe Hooper’s original The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (listen), Bob Clark’s Black Christmas (listen) and Kevin S. Tenney’s Night of the Demons (listen), we’re checking in with two of cinema’s fiercest divas in Robert Zemeckis‘ Death Becomes Her (1992).

In Death Becomes Her, novelist Helen Sharp (Goldie Hawn) loses her fiancé Ernest (Bruce Willis) to movie star and former friend Madeline Ashton (Meryl Streep), she winds up in a psychiatric hospital. Years later, she returns to confront the now-married couple, looking radiant. Madeline, desperate to one-up her former rival, is offered a mysterious potion that allows her to look young and beautiful forever, but she soon discovers that immortality has a price…

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get a new episode every Wednesday. You can subscribe on iTunes/Apple Podcasts,...

For Halloween, critics pick their most nightmarish baddies, from Count Orlok in Nosferatu to Annie Wilkes in Misery

You wouldn’t have Michael Myers if it weren’t for Billy from Black Christmas. We’re not talking casual inspiration here. According to director Bob Clark, John Carpenter asked him what he would do with a sequel to his now 50-year-old cult holiday horror pic. Clark responded that his killer who preys on assertive and sexually empowered young women would escape from an institution and return to town … on Halloween. A genre was born.

Weirdo Angela

Our run of Gay Icons and Anniversaries continues. After kicking off October with discussions of David Fincher’s Gone Girl (listen), Tobe Hooper’s original The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (listen), and Bob Clark‘s Black Christmas (listen), we’re celebrating Halloween early with Kevin S. Tenney‘s Night of the Demons (1988).

In the film, Judy (Cathy Podewell) is lured by her prospective boyfriend Jay (Lance Fenton) to a party at Hull House, hosted by the school weirdo Angela (Amelia Kinkade) and her boy crazy best friend Suzanne (Linnea Quigley). Along with friends Frannie, Max, Stooge and Helen, as well as Judy’s secret admirer, Sal (William Gallo), the party will accidentally unleash Evil Dead-esque demons that kill and infect the partygoers.

Can the group survive until dawn? Or will Angela and the other demons dance and lipstick boob them to their doom?

Be sure to subscribe to...

Bitchin’ Barb.

After kicking off October with discussions of David Fincher’s Gone Girl (listen) and Tobe Hooper’s original The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (listen), we’re tackling another juggernaut of horror history with a look at Bob Clark‘s Black Christmas.

Black Christmas follows sorority sisters Jess (Olivia Hussey), Barb (Margot Kidder) and Phyl (Andrea Martin) as they begin to receive anonymous, obscene phone calls in the days leading up to Christmas. When their other sorority sister Clare (Lynne Griffin) goes missing from the house, the girls frantically search for her, unaware that the mysterious caller has made a home for himself in their attic.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get a new episode every Wednesday. You can subscribe on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, iHeartRadio, SoundCloud, TuneIn, Amazon Music, and RSS.

Episode 304: Black Christmas (1974) feat. Alexandra Heller-Nicholas

Bust out those American flags and...

"Terrifier 3" spoilers follow.

No one goes to a slasher flick looking for a deathly serious drama about an unstoppable killing machine who offs their victims in wildly inventive fashion. The point of every slasher movie that sprung up in the wake of trailblazers like "Psycho," "Black Christmas" and "Halloween" is to give fright-seeking viewers a Grand Guignol good time at the movies. Granted, some slashers can blend serious themes into their stalk-and-kill-a-thon structures (Joseph Zito's "The Prowler" offers up tough commentary about America's post-war treatment of its veterans), but those movies know to lighten up when it comes to delivering the splatter.

This is a lesson filmmaker Damien Leone has learned well. The twisted creator of the "Terrifier" franchise and its greasepaint-slathered antagonist Art the Clown grew up a fan of slashers, and knows full well what sickos like him are looking for out of the genre. They...

Earlier this year, The Horror Collective announced that they’ll be bringing us a Christmas-set (and 80s-set) slasher called He Sees You When You’re Sleeping this holiday season – and now we know exactly when we’ll have the chance to watch the movie! He Sees You When You’re Sleeping will be receiving a digital and VOD release on November 1st, and with that date right around the corner, a trailer for the film has dropped online. You can check it out in the embed above.

Directed by Charlie Steeds, who is also producing the film with Tom Malloy under his Trick Candle Productions banner, He Sees You When You’re Sleeping has the following synopsis: A young man’s Christmas homecoming turns into a nightmare as a killer in a Santa suit gruesomely picks off his estranged, wealthy family for their fortune.

Shaked Berenson, CEO of The Horror Collective’s partner company Entertainment Squad,...

Slaughterhouse Rules.

Back in mid-September, we began a themed collection of episodes featuring Gay Icons and Anniversaries. Trace and I kicked off the series with a revisit of Jennifer’s Body (listen) before delving into Jonathan Glazer’s controversial Birth (listen), and David Fincher’s Gone Girl (listen) for its 10th anniversary.

Now it’s time to tackle the 50th anniversary of Tobe Hooper‘s classic text, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. It’s a film that hardly needs an introduction, but in case folks have never seen it, the film follows a van full of teenagers travelling through Texas to ensure the resting site of a relative hasn’t been disturbed by a recent wave of grave robberies.

Of course what they do is run afoul of a family of men who have resorted to murder and cannibalism following the closure of the slaughterhouse. With masked killer Leatherface doing most of the heavy lifting,...

Back in late September 2024, 20th Century Studios announced that it would be remaking the 1992 thriller classic The Hand That Rocks the Cradle with Longlegs actress Maika Monroe leading the cast. Now, we've just learned of a potential new cast addition. Scream queen Mary Elizabeth Winstead is reportedly in talks to join the remake, starring opposite Monroe.

Conversations are currently being had about Winstead joining the movie, but she has not officially signed on yet. Fingers crossed, an official agreement is reached because we would love to see her and fellow scream queen Maika Monroe act together, especially after knowing who they will be playing in the movie.

A Gentleman in Moscow | FYC Event in NY | Santiago Felipe/GettyImages

Winstead is best known for starring in movies such as Final Destination 3, Death Proof, Black Christmas, Live Free or Die Hard, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, The Spectacular Now, 10 Cloverfield Lane,...

Director Bob Clark’s seminal slasher Black Christmas is now 50 years old – and its conversation about reproductive rights is as relevant today as ever.

A bold slasher that has carved its path to become a festive favourite, Black Christmas – released 50 years ago today – is also an unwitting pro-choice manifesto.

Five decades after the Canadian movie first graced the big screen, and as we witness reproductive rights being eroded, its abortion storyline rings as a chilling, powerful reminder of what’s at stake in the 21st century.

Premiered on the 11th October 1974, Canadian director Bob Clark’s holiday-themed film is perhaps best known as one of the original slasher horrors, inspired by a real-life murder spree in Montreal. Following in the footsteps of cult thrillers such as Peeping Tom and Psycho, the film lays the groundwork for future mainstream blood-fests – most obviously John Carpenter’s seminal Halloween in 1978.

Received with mixed reviews at the time,...

The explosive ending of the first season of The Diplomat is right where the trailer for the second season opens. Did a car bomb kill the husband of Kate Wyler (Keri Russell), the U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom? The answer arrives fairly quickly in the clip when Wyler approaches her husband, Hal (Rufus Sewell), in a hospital bed, setting the tone for the season.

There’s tension and black humor galore in the two-minute clip, including a tossed off nod to the horror movie classic Black Christmas with the line,...

Horror movies might be known more for death scenes than anything else. For that reason, pinning down the best horror movie death should be challenging — but it isn’t. One obscure, eerie Yuletide scene from the 1970s takes the cake.

The best horror movie death involves a bizarre weapon

When people think of the great murder set pieces, they often think of slasher sequences like the shower scene from Psycho and the time Kevin Bacon’s throat got slit in Friday the 13th. One of the more underappreciated slashers is 1974’s Black Christmas. It’s not forgotten, but it never inspired the sort of fandom as A Nightmare on Elm Street or Child’s Play. Regardless, Black Christmas has some incredible tension and tantalizing unanswered questions.

The premise revolves around an unseen, unknown assailant who breaks into a sorority house during the Christmas season and starts living in the attic. One by one,...

Just ahead of Halloween, a horror-centric Fast channel is set to make its debut in the United States.

Scream TV, owned by Nyx Media Corp., will debut via the Distro TV app on Oct. 13 and be available to stream via Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices, as well as on mobile platforms. Nyx, which is based in Edmonton, Alberta, also operates Fast channels in Canada and the U.K.

“We are so excited to launch Scream TV and bring our unique horror entertainment experience to the fans across North America for free,” Nyx Media Corp. CEO Corinne Ferguson said in a statement. “One of our passions as horror fans is to painstakingly craft a journey through the horror genre worthy of the viewer’s time every night and 24/7. Our programming is done with the utmost respect towards our viewer’s time — which we feel is one of the most precious...

The Final Girl trope defined characteristics of the last character left alive to confront the killer in horror films, particularly in slasher films. The rise of feminism in the 1970s became a milestone in the genre as the damsel in distress did not need a man to rescue her anymore. Sally Hardesty (Marilyn Burns) from The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) in the Alien franchise and Jess Bradford (Olivia Hussey) from Black Christmas all portrayed strong female characters who all fought back against their assailant.

Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) is one of the most famous final girls in the Halloween franchise that was first released in 1978 and deemed Laurie as the victim of her brother Michael Myers. As the final girl characteristics have developed, like the franchise, she no longer waits around for Michael instead is ready to fight him and is no longer a target.

Today marks the launch of No Sleep October, a month-long celebration for Halloween and horror fans alike. Max’s brand new exclusive films, horror library, imaginative curations, designs, and specially designed art featuring iconic stars from fans’ favorite scary movies will haunt viewers and keep them up all night with fear.

No Sleep October brings horror fans three films only available to stream on Max, including Salem’s Lot on October 3. In the film, author Ben Mears returns to his childhood home of Jerusalem’s Lot in search of inspiration for his next book, only to discover his hometown is being preyed upon by a bloodthirsty vampire.

The new Max Original film Caddo Lake debuts on October 10. When an eight-year-old girl mysteriously vanishes, a series of past deaths and disappearances start to link together, forever altering a broken family’s history. And in Trap, debuting October 25, a father and teen daughter attend a pop concert,...

October is here! Which means peak Halloween season is now underway, and that includes the launch of “No Sleep October,” a month-long celebration for Halloween and horror fans alike at Max. Max’s brand new exclusive films, a best-in-class horror library, imaginative curations, and specially designed art featuring iconic stars will keep you busy all month long.

Look for new Max Original Film, Salem’s Lot on October 3. In the film, “Author Ben Mears returns to his childhood home of Jerusalem’s Lot in search of inspiration for his next book only to discover his hometown is being preyed upon by a bloodthirsty vampire.”

Max Original Film Caddo Lake arrives on October 10. “When an eight-year-old girl mysteriously vanishes, a series of past deaths and disappearances start to link together, forever altering a broken family’s history.” Celine Held & Logan George (Topside) wrote and directed for New Line Cinema, and the film...

Ready for Halloween? So is Max. The streamer just debuted their month-long Halloween and horror movie celebration, dubbed “No Sleep October,” and we’ve got the full list for your perusal.

There’s a batch of A24 horror movies that includes favorites like “Bodies Bodies Bodies” and “Midsommar” alongside new releases “MaXXXine” and “I Saw the TV Glow.”

Timed to the release of Max’s “Salem’s Lot” adaptation from “Anabelle Comes Home” director Gary Dauberman, which debuts on Oct. 3, Max also has a collection of Stephen King movies, including Tobe Hooper’s 1979 mini-series adaptation, “It” and “It: Chapter Two,” “The Shining” and “Doctor Sleep.”

And with the streaming debut of “Trap” landing on Max on Oct. 25, M. Night Shyamalan is also getting the spotlight with a collection that includes “Unbreakable,” “The Sixth Sense” and “The Visit.”

Finally, there are of course plenty of horror and Halloween classics, including “A Nightmare on Elm Street,...

If you're a horror fan, you're familiar with Blumhouse Productions (cited as Blumhouse from here out). Even if you're not a horror fan, you've probably watched a Blumhouse film without knowing it ("Whiplash?" "Jem and the Holograms?" "Tooth Fairy?"). Jason Blum's nightmare factory is synonymous with today's mainstream horror pillars, securing the rights to everything from "Halloween" to "The Exorcist" and beyond. Indeed, it's impossible to banter about our contemporary horror era without acknowledging how prevalent and prodigious Blumhouse has become — so why does it feel like it's ghosting us this year?

Blumhouse decimated last year's horror movie market. In 2023, Blum's juggernaut scared up nearly $800 million worldwide in box office totals. Emma Tammi's video game adaptation "Five Nights at Freddy's" boasted a high score of $297 million on a $20 million budget — one of nine films released by Blumhouse. Now, there's no metric for reporting for streaming titles like...

Horror films have always been a way to interrogate the anxieties of a time, society, or culture and reflect them to the viewer -- like a twisted funhouse mirror. Fear is a universal emotion and history is known to repeat itself, so horror is a genre filled with remakes, some of which are very good. Sometimes, like in the case of Leigh Whannell's "The Invisible Man," a remake evolves into something entirely different than the original story to better resonate with modern audiences. And sometimes a remake is, unfortunately, nothing more than a blatant cash grab from a studio looking to squeeze some blood out of the all-holy stone of "Recognizable IP."

And then there are the most controversial of all remakes: the Americanized remake.

Despite the knee-jerk reaction claiming otherwise, American remakes are neither inherently inadequate nor synonymous with "unnecessary." TV shows like "Shameless" and "The Office" are American remakes,...

Presented by Paramount Scares, Friday the 13th Week sees Bloody Disgusting heading to Camp Crystal Lake for a series of features that celebrate the Voorhees family and their influence. Yesterday, Jenn Adams celebrated the franchise’s final girls, and today, Rachel Reeves, sings praises for the music man behind the mayhem.

Harry Manfredini’s score for Friday the 13th is iconic. More than just beautifully evocative and eerily unsettling, the music is one of the key elements that elevates the film from a copycat cash grab to a worthy slasher successor. Manfredini’s score is as integral to the Friday the 13th franchise as Jason himself, offering a seamless blend of his original ideas and potent reference points. To celebrate this Friday, the 13th, let’s examine what makes Manfredini’s score such a powerful asset to the film and a pivotal score that helped redefine the slasher sound.

When...

Happy holidays! Okay, sure, we're technically still in summer, but the bloody new "Terrifier 3" trailer just arrived to get us in the holiday spirit. While the first two "Terrifier" movies were set during Halloween, the upcoming "Terrifier 3" changes things up by giving us a Christmastime setting. Here's the official synopsis:

After surviving Art the Clown's Halloween massacre, Sienna and her brother are struggling to rebuild their shattered lives. As the holiday season approaches, they try to embrace the Christmas spirit and leave the horrors of the past behind. But just when they think they're safe, Art the Clown returns, determined to turn their holiday cheer into a new nightmare. The festive season quickly unravels as Art unleashes his twisted brand of terror, proving that no holiday is safe.

Holiday horror has become a beloved subgenre, with horror flicks set during Christmas arriving yearly. Some of these movies are bargain basement,...

Alien is one of the most beloved classic horror movies and no classic comes out of thin air. The film was the culmination of two horror trends from the 1970s. One of these trends was retro at the time but the other was very modern.

‘Alien’ was a response to horror films from the 1950s

Science fiction and horror have been soulmates since Mary Shelley published Frankenstein in 1818. While science fiction can help us understand how new technologies could change the world, horror can show us what happens when those technologies go wrong — whether they be nuclear energy, androids, or space travel. The dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II caused lots of anxiety over new innovations, paving the way for a boom in science fiction horror films during the 1950s.

Most of these films were creature features, such as Robot Monster, Creature from the Black Lagoon,...