OK, how many of you knew the killer Santa in "Christmas Evil" was Fiona Apple's father?

[Human Torch]

http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=25047



When he was a young boy, Harry Stadling had his faith in Santa Claus shaken when he saw the jolly old elf up to no good with his more than willing mother. Scarred for life, the emotionally distraught man has reconfigured his life around a desire to be the seasonal symbol, even going so far as to seek employment in a toy factory, fashion lists about children he views as 'naughty' or 'nice' and prepping his own personal Kris Kringle persona. As December 25th grows near, Harry has problems adjusting to the demands of his new, imaginary position. As he battles his co-workers during the day, he spends his nights making real tin soldiers and hand-carved dolls.

While his brother Bill worries about him, Harry seems nonplused in going about his Yuletide mandates. Once Christmas arrives, however, Harry loses all touch with reality. He paints his van with sleigh images, dons his realistic red suit, and patrols the neighborhood for houses he can enter. There, he substitutes his homemade toys for the pre-packaged plastic junk already waiting under the tree. Oh, and he kills a few people along the way, individuals who've either wronged him in the past, or who question his legitimacy as the annual bringer of holiday cheer. If they don't watch out, this mild mannered maniac will go all Christmas Evil on their ass -- and the results won't be festooned with wassail or plates of figgy pudding.



Almost all the movie's magic rests squarely on the shoulders of actor Brandon Maggart. Perhaps better known for his numerous TV turns -- as well as being the father of singer Fiona Apple -- Maggart delivers a tour de force performance of such power and perception that one has a hard time distinguishing our fact from his fantasy. He is so real as the perplexed manchild who considers himself a modern incarnation of the mythic gift giver that you never once doubt his motives – even when the mannerisms he uses to illustrate them go from basic to bizarre. It takes a lot of guts to use the standard holiday features -- lists of whose naughty and nice, climbing down the chimney, attacking the blatant commercialism of the season -- as ways of providing insight into one man's massive breakdown, but thanks to Maggart (and some fine scripting by Jackson), Harry Stadling becomes a true three dimensional mess. There is a moment when our amiable anti-hero secures his fake beard to his face that is simply astounding. As Maggart tugs on the false facial hair, his eyes light up in a combination of innocent delight and frightening demonic glee. You can practically see the crazed cogs turning over in the character's fracturing façade. It's a credit to the actor's determination and drive that Harry never becomes a cliché. Instead, he turns into a cause for curiosity, and eventually, a considered reason for concern.

But it's not just Maggart who's magnificent here. Jackson shows how creativity and invention can change even the most ludicrous or laughable material into a disturbing and dread-filled experience. Several scenes are staged in a manner that keeps us consistently off guard (like Harry's hounding of the "bad" boy Moss Garcia) and more than a little uneasy (a moment where children form a human shield around our killer is rather disquieting). Equally evocative are the moments where Jackson juxtaposes cheer with fear, as when Harry is forced to crash a holiday party. The look on his face indicates a mix of hate and happiness, while the guests have no idea the trail of blood that has lead this man to their doorstep. With references to classic monster movies (gotta love the torch carrying mob that hounds Harry through the third act) and an unsettling opening that completely sexualizes Santa, Jackson makes his statements with moves both subtle and spectacular. For anyone who has ever wanted an alternative view of the typical tinsel and glad tidings holiday hokum, Christmas Evil will act like a pure eggnog enema. It constantly confounds expectations as it creates a classic cinematic legacy all its own. Fans of the unusual and the arcane should not miss this demented decking of the halls.

[tigereye]

1. aw, Crap.

I thought you were going to say he was the Santa in that bizarre Spanish-alien film. I always forget what that is called.


A Santa slasher film... who knew?