A Few Of My Favorite Holiday Horror Movies
“Your future is whatever you make it, so make it a good one,” Doc. Brown
The holidays are that time of year to take inventory of the year and our lives. It is a time to spend with friends, family, and coworkers. For many, the holidays can be a lonely time. A time when people remember the way things used to be or friends and loved ones who have passed away.
It is the time of year when people are bombarded with feel-good movies and cute, charming television shows. Another tradition, especially in recent years, is the mean-spirited holiday horror movies. Even though there are many feel-good movies for people to enjoy, there are releases of horror movies during this time of year for horror fans who think Halloween ended too quickly. And for people who just want something different from the usual holiday fare.
The following films are some of my favorite holiday horror movies.
A Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
This one is one the entire family can enjoy for the holiday season. Some people would consider this a Halloween movie, and others a Christmas movie. I think the movie lies somewhere in between. This year marks the 30th anniversary of A Nightmare Before Christmas.
The film skillfully blends horror elements with whimsical charm, making it a delightful experience for the entire family. The film is an adventurous tale that takes place in Halloween Town, a fantastic land where every day is Halloween.
The protagonist, Jack Skelington (Danny Elfman ), The Pumpkin King, becomes disillusioned with the monotonous tactics of Halloween. He accidentally discovers Christmas Town, leading to an enchanting yet misguided attempt to blend the spooky essence of Halloween with the joyous spirit of Christmas.
A Nightmare Before Christmas is one that every family member can watch, and you will not feel embarrassed about watching it with certain family members.
Thanksgiving (2023)
Thanksgiving is this year’s holiday slasher film. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea. Thanksgiving is based on the fake trailer from the 2016 film Grindhouse. The trailer was so popular that fans have wanted to see a film version of the trailer for years. Much like fans wanted to see a film version of the trailer Machete which was also a Grindhouse fake trailer. Eli Roth gave fans what they had been waiting for.
The story unfolds in Plymouth, Massachusetts, known as the birthplace of the Thanksgiving holiday. The plot is triggered by a tragic Black Friday riot, which sets the stage for a terrifying sequence of events. A year after this catastrophe, a mysterious killer who goes by the name of John Carver begins to kill and terrorize the town’s inhabitants, who were involved with the Black Friday event the previous year.
If you like old-school-style horror movies like My Bloody Valentine, Happy Birthday to Me, or Halloween, you will probably like this one too. For a different kind of Thanksgiving horror movie check out Amanda Kusek 90 Minute Movie Substack.
Black Christmas (1974)
Black Christmas is a great place to start if you would rather watch an old-school slasher. It is said that Black Christmas was Elvis’s favorite horror movie, and he would screen it at his house every year around Christmas time. Who can argue with the king? Black Christmas was ahead of its time with the themes of feminism and abortion. It was a controversial film on multiple levels.
The women in the film weren’t victims or damsels in distress but capable and resourceful characters, aligning with the feminist movement. They weren’t just cookie-cutter characters waiting to be killed off but were shown as independent and complex characters with distinct personalities. Black Christmas influenced many horror slashers to come, including Halloween.
Gremlins (1984)
The original screenplay of Gremlins was a dark horror movie. The script was changed to a lighter, funnier vibe so that it could reach a wider audience. It is now a family classic that people watch during the holiday season.
Gremlins is a movie that can be watched during Halloween, Thanksgiving or the Christmas holiday season and be enjoyed. The film was directed by Joe Dante and produced by Steven Spielberg before Spielberg would go on to direct and produce more serious films, Empire of the Sun and Schindler’s List.
The film is set in the small, idyllic town of Kingston Falls. The story revolves around Billy Peltzer (Zach Galligan) , who receives a mysterious and adorable creature called a mogwai as a pet. The creature is named Gizmo () and comes with three critical instructions: Never expose him to bright light, never get him wet, and never feed him after midnight. Of course, those rules are broken, and the film takes a darker turn. Although the film has dark elements, it is also a charming film that the entire family can enjoy.
Halloween (1978)
Probably the greatest holiday horror movie of all time. The slasher film that became a successful franchise that is still going on today. The film was directed by John Carpenter, and films like Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street owe a debt to the trail blazed by Halloween.
Halloween is set in the small town of Haddonfield, Illinois, and introduces audiences to Micheal Myers (Nick Castle) for the first time. Micheal Myers is a masked figure who, after committing murder as a child, escapes from a mental institution 15 years later and returns to his hometown to kill again. Halloween launched the career of Jamie Lee Curtis, who played Laurie Strode, one of the world’s favorite final girls.
I hope you are having a wonderful holiday season and be kind to those who may be feeling lonely or left out this time of year. If you haven’t checked out the movie The Holdovers, do so before it leaves the theaters. It does a beautiful job of capturing the lonely feeling that some people have during this time of year.
When you are a kid, you don’t realize how much you will miss the family members, friends, and coworkers who used to be sitting at the holiday table. You begin to miss the family members who may have annoyed you in the years that have passed.
You didn’t realize what you had and how good those days were. Or maybe the holidays have always been a horrible time of year for you. Perhaps you were abused or traumatized during the holidays, and instead of a joyful time of year, the holidays trigger bad memories.
Either way, Let’s try to be kind to each other this year. Let’s try to make it a good holiday season if we can. In the past few years, we have been through some rough spots with COVID-19, political indifference, and wars.
Let us lay our differences aside, break bread, and try and enjoy each other’s company. We will only have one 2023 holiday season. Next year will be another holiday season; if anything, the last few years have taught us that you never know what a year will bring.
“Your future is whatever you make it, so make it a good one,” Doc. Brown
Until next time, I’m hoping you have a wonderful holiday season this year.
I just watched Krampus last night which is another great addition to this list!
You have certainly put Christmas into perspective about Love and Kindness and what Christmas is really about . Very heartwarming ❤️ I agree we need to reach out to a lonely person at Christmas and we take our family and friends for granted and think they will always be with us until they are gone . Thank you and I enjoyed your trailers . Have a great Holiday season !