Connect with us

News

So What Really Happened at the End of ‘Christmas Evil’?

Published

on

As far as Christmas horror movies are concerned, I think the best and most frightening is 1980’s Christmas Evil. It’s been compared to as the Taxi Driver at Christmas and I pretty much agree with that comparison. It’s much more of a character piece than a body count movie as you watch a man slip into insanity after becoming sick of it all and it’s really lead actor Brandon Maggart’s performance that brings it to life. He’s really intense while being both sympathetic and terrifying. But there’s something about it fans can’t seem to agree on; the ending. A friend and I were discussing it recently and we just couldn’t come to an agreement (rather than how awesome the film is) and it got me thinking and I’d love to hear what you all think, but first, let’s talk a little about the movie. Now, obviously there is going to be spoilers as we discuss this nearly 40 year old movie, but being the internet and all, I have to give a SPOILER WARNING. There. You have been warned.

To sum it up briefly, it’s about a man named Harry who was traumatized as a child and by that I mean that he saw Santa going down on his mommy, so he grows up and has become completely obsessed with Santa and idolizes the jolly ol’ elf. So much to the point where it’s rather unhealthy. Harry now works at a toy factory that’s more interested in profits than donating toys to a children’s home. All of his peers and bosses think of him as a schmuck and take advantage of his kindness. Harry also keeps tabs on the neighborhood kids, watching them and judging who’s being naughty and who’s being nice which he keeps track of in separate naughty or nice books. As the movie progresses, Harry becomes more mentally unstable, even making himself a Santa suit that he wears when he delivers the toys he stole from work in a van with a sleigh painted on it (this is actually important to remember) to a children’s home and all of the good boys and girls in his neighborhood. And then there is the part of Christmas Evil that sort of takes a turn into slasher territory as Harry gets revenge on those that have been naughty to him until he’s eventually chased down by a mob carrying torches (apparently, this town believes in hunting down criminals like they would Frankenstein’s monster) and drives off a bridge to his death.

Or was it?

Believe it or not, some say that Harry didn’t die at the end of Christmas Evil, but rather actually flew off into the night sky as Santa Claus, because the crazy ol’ cook believed so much! This is something that has divided fans of the movie for a long time. Personally, I’m on the side that believes Harry died. After you see the van begin to go off the bridge, it cuts to Harry’s brother (Jeffrey DeMunn for you Walking Dead fans) rolling down a hill and you can hear the van crashing. Now, those that believe Harry lived and became Santa will say that’s the sound of the garbage Harry’s brother is crashing into and they also will point out that as the scene carries on, you will see him look up into the sky, almost in disbelief. However, I could argue that he’s looking at the crash site, but I suppose there’s not that much Christmas whimsy in that. Take a look at the ending in the video below…

So what do you think? Do you think Harry was driven off the side of the bridge, and his sanity, to his own death or flew off that Christmas night, becoming Santa Claus? Both sides have a pretty good argument, so it really comes down to if you want a dark, but realistic ending or something a little magical, yet fits in tone with the film. I think both outcomes could work, but I guess it matters if you’re a glass is half full or empty kind of person.

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

Movies

Another Creepy Spider Movie Hits Shudder This Month

Published

on

Good spider films are a theme this year. First, we had Sting and then there was Infested. The former is still in theaters and the latter is coming to Shudder starting April 26.

Infested has been getting some good reviews. People are saying that it’s not only a great creature feature but also a social commentary on racism in France.

According to IMDb: Writer/director Sébastien Vanicek was looking for ideas around the discrimination faced by black and Arab-looking people in France, and that led him to spiders, which are rarely welcome in homes; whenever they’re spotted, they’re swatted. As everyone in the story (people and spiders) is treated like vermin by society, the title came to him naturally.

Shudder has become the gold standard for streaming horror content. Since 2016, the service has been offering fans an expansive library of genre movies. in 2017, they began to stream exclusive content.

Since then Shudder has become a powerhouse in the film festival circuit, buying distribution rights to movies, or just producing some of their own. Just like Netflix, they give a film a short theatrical run before adding it to their library exclusively for subscribers.

Late Night With the Devil is a great example. It was released theatrically on March 22 and will begin streaming on the platform starting April 19.

While not getting the same buzz as Late Night, Infested is a festival favorite and many have said if you suffer from arachnophobia, you might want to take heed before watching it.

Infested

According to the synopsis, our main character, Kalib is turning 30 and dealing with some family issues. “He’s fighting with his sister over an inheritance and has cut ties with his best friend. Fascinated by exotic animals, he finds a venomous spider in a shop and brings it back to his apartment. It only takes a moment for the spider to escape and reproduce, turning the whole building into a dreadful web trap. The only option for Kaleb and his friends is to find a way out and survive.”

The film will be available to watch on Shudder starting April 26.

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Continue Reading

Movies

Part Concert, Part Horror Movie M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘Trap’ Trailer Released

Published

on

In true Shyamalan form, he sets his film Trap inside a social situation where we aren’t sure what is going on. Hopefully, there is a twist at the end. Furthermore, we hope it’s better than the one in his divisive 2021 movie Old.

The trailer seemingly gives away a lot, but, as in the past, you can’t rely on his trailers because they are often red herrings and you are being gaslit to think a certain way. For instance, his movie Knock at the Cabin was completely different than what the trailer implied and if you hadn’t read the book on which the film is based it was still like going in blind.

The plot for Trap is being dubbed an “experience” and we aren’t quite sure what that means. If we were to guess based on the trailer, it’s a concert movie wrapped around a horror mystery. There are original songs performed by Saleka, who plays Lady Raven, a kind of Taylor Swift/Lady Gaga hybrid. They have even set up a Lady Raven website to further the illusion.

Here is the fresh trailer:

According to the synopsis, a father takes his daughter to one of Lady Raven’s jam-packed concerts, “where they realize they’re at the center of a dark and sinister event.”

Written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, Trap stars Josh Hartnett, Ariel Donoghue, Saleka Shyamalan, Hayley Mills and Allison Pill. The film is produced by Ashwin Rajan, Marc Bienstock and M. Night Shyamalan. The executive producer is Steven Schneider.

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Continue Reading

News

Woman Brings Corpse Into Bank To Sign Loan Papers

Published

on

Warning: This is a disturbing story.

You have to be pretty desperate for money to do what this Brazilian woman did at the bank to get a loan. She wheeled in a fresh corpse to endorse the contract and she seemingly thought the bank employees wouldn’t notice. They did.

This weird and disturbing story comes via ScreenGeek an entertainment digital publication. They write that a woman identified as Erika de Souza Vieira Nunes pushed a man she identified as her uncle into the bank pleading with him to sign loan papers for $3,400. 

If you’re squeamish or easily triggered, be aware that the video captured of the situation is disturbing. 

Latin America’s largest commercial network, TV Globo, reported on the crime, and according to ScreenGeek this is what Nunes says in Portuguese during the attempted transaction. 

“Uncle, are you paying attention? You must sign [the loan contract]. If you don’t sign, there’s no way, as I cannot sign on your behalf!”

She then adds: “Sign so you can spare me further headaches; I can’t bear it any longer.” 

At first we thought this might be a hoax, but according to Brazilian police, the uncle, 68-year-old Paulo Roberto Braga had passed away earlier that day.

 “She attempted to feign his signature for the loan. He entered the bank already deceased,” Police Chief Fábio Luiz said in an interview with TV Globo. “Our priority is to continue investigating to identify other family members and gather more information regarding this loan.”

If convicted Nunes could be facing jail time on charges of fraud, embezzlement, and desecration of a corpse.

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Continue Reading