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‘Home Alone’ as a Horror Film: Unearthing ‘Deadly Games’

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The killer Santa in "Deadly Games"

I try to watch “Home Alone” around this time every year, and one of the thoughts that often pops into my head is that this plot would make a great horror movie. I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered Rene’ Manzor’s “Deadly Games” on Shudder, and even more surprised when I discovered it came out a year before “Home Alone!”

Manzor’s 1989 film has been known by many names, including “Dial Code Santa Claus,” “Game Over,” “Hide and Freak,” and “Deadly Games.” It stars Thomas (Alain Musy), a 10-year-old genius who programs computers, builds gadgets, dresses like Rambo, sports an awesome mullet and believes in Santa Claus. Thomas’ mother owns a chain of toy stores, so he has all the toys a kid could ever want, and he lives in a mansion full of high-tech gadgets.

"Deadly Games" is like "Home Alone," but horror

Deal / Garance / L.M. Productions

Using Minitel, an internet precursor, Thomas thinks he’s telling Santa what he wants for Christmas. However, a psycho (Patrick Floersheim) uses a public terminal to pose as Santa and find out more about Thomas. He steals a Santa costume, paints his beard white, and stows away in a delivery truck bound for Tommy’s home. The intruder leaves bodies in his wake before breaking into Thomas’ house — coming in through the chimney, of course.

His mother is working on Christmas Eve, and Thomas is home taking care of his elderly grandfather. He’s determined to prove that Santa is real, so he’s rigged his mansion with surveillance cameras and staked out a spot. When the deranged Santa shows up, a thrilling cat and mouse chase ensues. However, Thomas is hardly helpless. He uses his security cameras and an array of booby traps to keep the madman at bay.

Tommy in "Deadly Games," dressed like Rambo

Deal / Garance / L.M. Productions

Whereas the “Home Alone” films lean heavier on the humor and feature cartoonish violence, “Deadly Games” is grisly in a grindhouse vein. It also has a lot of heart, and I really enjoyed seeing Tommy protect his diabetic, partially blind grandfather.

There are some truly beautiful shots here. My favorite is of Floersheim in his Santa suit standing in the snow with an eerie light behind him. It’s magical, even with the bloody knife in his hand.

“Deadly Games” is destined to be a Christmas classic. I’m just so glad this previously forgotten gem is now available to a wider audience. It was only available by bootleg VHS until 2018, when the American Genre Film Archive restored it. The film made it’s North American premier at last year’s Fantastic Fest in Austin. It’s now available on Blu-Ray and it’s currently streaming on Shudder.

If you’re looking for a new movie to add to your Christmas season watch list, I can’t recommend this one enough. Check out the restored trailer below:

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Watch ‘The Burning’ At The Location Where It Was Filmed

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Fangoria is reporting that fans of the 1981 slasher The Burning will be able to have a screening of the film at the location where it was filmed. The movie is set at Camp Blackfoot which is actually the Stonehaven Nature Preserve in Ransomville, New York.

This ticketed event will take place on August 3. Guests will be able to take a tour of the grounds as well as enjoy some campfire snacks along with the screening of The Burning.

The Burning

The film came out in the early ’80s when teen slashers were being churned out in magnum force. Thanks to Sean S. Cunningham’s Friday the 13th, filmmakers wanted to get in on the low-budget, high-profit movie market and a casket load of these types of films were produced, some better than others.

The Burning is one of the good ones, mostly because of the special effects from Tom Savini who had just come off of his groundbreaking work on Dawn of the Dead and Friday the 13th. He declined to do the sequel because of its illogical premise and instead signed on to do this movie. Also, a young Jason Alexander who would later go on to play George in Seinfeld is a featured player.

Because of its practical gore, The Burning had to be heavily edited before it received an R-rating. The MPAA was under the thumb of protest groups and political bigwigs to censor violent films at the time because slashers were just so graphic and detailed in their gore.

Tickets are $50, and if you want a special t-shirt, that will cost you another $25, You can get all the information by visiting the On Set Cinema webpage.

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‘Longlegs’ Creepy “Part 2” Teaser Appears on Instagram

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Longlegs

Neon Films released an Insta-teaser for their horror film Longlegs today. Titled Dirty: Part 2, the clip only furthers the mystery of what we are in for when this movie is finally released on July 12.

The official logline is: FBI Agent Lee Harker is assigned to an unsolved serial killer case that takes unexpected turns, revealing evidence of the occult. Harker discovers a personal connection to the killer and must stop him before he strikes again.

Directed by former actor Oz Perkins who also gave us The Blackcoat’s Daughter and Gretel & Hansel, Longlegs is already creating buzz with its moody images and cryptic hints. The film is rated R for bloody violence, and disturbing images.

Longlegs stars Nicolas Cage, Maika Monroe, and Alicia Witt.

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Exclusive Sneak Peek: Eli Roth and Crypt TV’s VR Series ‘The Faceless Lady’ Episode Five

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Eli Roth (Cabin Fever) and Crypt TV are knocking it out of the park with their new VR show, The Faceless Lady. For those unaware, this is the first fully scripted VR horror show on the market.

Even for masters of horror like Eli Roth and Crypt TV, this is a monumental undertaking. However, if I trust anyone to change the way that we experience horror, it would be these two legends.

The Faceless Lady

Ripped from the pages of Irish folklore, The Faceless Lady tells the story of a tragic spirit cursed to wander the halls of her castle for all of eternity. However, when three young couples are invited to the castle for a series of games, their fates may soon change.

So far, the story has provided horror fans with a gripping game of life or death that doesn’t look as if it will slow down in episode five. Luckily, we have an exclusive clip that may be able to satiate your appetites until the new premiere.

Airing on 4/25 at 5pmPT/8pmET, episode five follows our final three contestants in this wicked game. As the stakes are raised ever higher, will Ella be able to fully awaken her connection with Lady Margaret?

The faceless lady

The newest episode can be found on Meta Quest TV. If you haven’t already, follow this link to subscribe to the series. Make sure to check out the new clip below.

Eli Roth Present’s THE FACELESS LADY S1E5 Clip: THE DUEL – YouTube

To view in the highest resolution, adjust the quality settings in the bottom right corner of the clip.

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