Movies
THE 12 SLAYS OF CHRISTMAS: The Best Holiday Horror Movie Kills
Happy Holidays, Horror Press reader! Whether you’re sitting down to celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or just flat-out enjoying the winter season with friends and family, chances are some of you are doing that through horror films. After all, what goes better with milk and cookies than a television playing your favorite holiday horror movies to share with your people? It’s cold out, so cozy up!
Today, we’ve assembled an assortment of gifts for you: a comprehensive list of the best holiday horror movie kills, and the films they come from, for you to watch. Needless to say, a good deal of these kills are spoilers for the movies they’re from, so spoilers ahead.
Happy Holidays, Horror Press reader! Whether you’re sitting down to celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or just flat-out enjoying the winter season with friends and family, chances are some of you are doing that through horror films. After all, what goes better with milk and cookies than a television playing your favorite holiday horror movies to share with your people? It’s cold out, so cozy up!
Today, we’ve assembled an assortment of gifts for you: a comprehensive list of the best holiday horror movie kills, and the films they come from, for you to watch. Needless to say, a good deal of these kills are spoilers for the movies they’re from, so spoilers ahead.
Honorable Mention: Everything In Treevenge
Jason Eisener, you absolute madman. What would we do without you? Treevenge is a now infamous short film by the V/H/S veteran and Hobo With A Shotgun director you all know and love. It follows Christmas trees getting their vengeance on an unsuspecting public after years of abuse. However bloody you’re expecting it to be, expect more.
You might be thinking, “It’s a Christmas Tree exploitation short film! How bad could it be?” My answer is you have NO idea how much worse it gets. Proceed with caution, as the squeamish will squirm and the faint of heart might just faint with how bad the climax of this is! Like all those Christmas tree fire safety PSAs, you have been warned!
12. The Mason Family Dinner (Santa’s Slay)
Santa’s Slay is a horror film that proves first impressions are everything. While David Steiman’s feature about Santa Claus’s demonic origins is weak in many places, its action is not one of those, and the opening scene lets you know upfront.
The sleazy Mason Family’s Christmas dinner is interrupted by the arrival of an enraged Santa Claus (played by the wrestler Goldberg of all people), who proceeds to go to town on all the misbehaved and money-hungry family members. He does this via carving forks, turkey legs, and in one of the most realistically gross kills I’ve maybe ever seen, a massive bowl of eggnog. His thousand years of servitude are up, and he’s going to get his revenge, even if it means taking out a few cameo appearances by James Caan and Fran Drescher.
11. An Explosive End To Christmas Eve (P2)
Given it takes place in a location that is 90% concrete and asphalt, it’s easy to forget it’s a Christmas film in the first place. But the tale of sadistic security guard Thomas (played by Wes Bentley) and his victim Angela (played by Rachel Nichols) is capped off with a much more satisfying result than just wishing all a good night.
Wes Bentley is a character actor at the top of his game when he plays a weasely, nasty villain, so his death here is just beyond cathartic. As he whines and begs Angela to forgive him for the nightmare before Christmas he put her through, Angela ignites a trail of gasoline to the car he’s handcuffed to, resulting in a fiery end to her insufferable enemy. She even wishes him a Merry Christmas while doing it. Come on, that’s classic!
10. A Very Chipper Christmas (Silent Night, 2012)
Silent Night is a very loose remake of the original Silent Night, Deadly Night, which has gotten a lot of flak over the years. Following the aftermath of a mad Santa going on a spree with a flamethrower, a new killer rises to take his place decades later as a cop hunts him down. The killer certainly isn’t as memorable as our good old Billy Chapman was (with or without his transparent skull), and the film is much meaner than the previous five films.
Perhaps the best example of how well that meanness works is its use of a woodchipper during the film’s second act, where a chase into a grove of Christmas trees spells an untimely end for one of Santa’s victims.
9. Santa, Is That You? (Christmas Bloody Christmas)
Between Bliss, Jimmy and Stiggs, and Christmas Bloody Christmas, Joe Begos remains on the nice list here at Horror Press…even if the content of his films are particularly naughty with their foul-mouthed scripts and the grisly ends he puts his characters through. Christmas Bloody Christmas is no different, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
For the approval of the Christmas Society, Begos presents a three-part kill that shows what he can do when he has a budget: our killer robot Santa goes after the neighbors of our main character, Tori, before he goes after her. What results is a heavy metal murder spree (pun slightly intended), with the youngest member of the family discovering that being naughty or nice doesn’t really matter when the man giving out the presents is a malfunctioning military android who is willing to throw your dad through a window.
8. Santa’s Least Favorite Cookies (Black Christmas, 2006)
Smack dab in the middle of the Black Christmas franchise, Black Christmas (2006) is an odd duck of a remake just like Silent Night (2012). In a just and honest world, Black Christmas’s spot on the list would be the teased “Christmas lights dragging someone into a snowblower kill” from the trailer for the film (left on the cutting room floor for reasons no one knows).
Instead, the film delivers on a much grosser visual: after Billy gets revenge on his abusive family, he makes meaty Christmas cookies out of them. How that even works, nobody knows! But what we do know is that the effects by Steve Collins and Co. are absolutely sickening and too gooey to erase from your brain.
7. No Tree Topper For You (Sint)
A gift from the Netherlands to the rest of the world, Sint is how director Dick Maas (of Amsterdamned fame) spreads the joy of the Dutch saint Sinterklaas to us all, albeit, this rendition is a burnt, undead monster who leads an army of zombie black peters, and wields a crosier that is more Dark Souls weapon than it is staff. Maas makes a horror comedy for the holiday season that most people don’t know about, but that more should. So, consider this spot a showcase if we don’t get around to reviewing it on the website.
That crosier Sinterklaas uses throughout the film, by the way, grants us one of the best moments in the movie, where our Sinterklaas uses its razor-sharp edge to take the Christmas tree topper (head) off an unfortunate pine (SWAT officer who never stood a chance). It’s a simple death, but the way it happens is one of a kind.
6. The Home Alone Theory (Better Watch Out)
I’m going to take the coward’s route here and let you know once more: Better Watch Out is an instant cult classic for a reason, and its reputation mostly comes from viewers going in blind on your typical home invasion horror film. If you haven’t seen it, SPOILERS AHEAD once more.
The big reveal of Luke’s villainous intentions and conniving ways was only the beginning of making him a villain you love to hate. But what really punctuates his seedy character’s transformation going into the latter half of the film is the absolutely brutal kill he has planned for Ashley‘s boyfriend: testing whether or not Home Alone is scientifically accurate in its brutalities against Marv and Harry. And how does he do that? By swinging a filled paint can like a pendulum, and smashing it directly into Ricky‘s head. Its mostly offscreen nature is surprisingly subdued but still incredibly effective.
5. Open Your Presents! (Silent Night, Deadly Night 5: The Toymaker)
The fifth entry in the Silent Night series is one of my yearly mandated watches at Christmas time, simply because of how strange it is. A bizarre story that follows a disgruntled toymaker is carried by the good if not kind of weird performance coming from aged movie star Mickey Rooney, which makes this movie a must see. That’s not even mentioning the ending, which is equal parts creepy and hilarious it has in store.
The film’s best kills come in a pair, as a couple are attacked by a swarm of automated toys, with nasty surprises ranging from buzzsaws to bullets. The practicals by horror effects royalty Screaming Mad George still hold up to this day as bloody fun.
4. A Messy Christmas Meal (Gremlins)
Gremlins’ spot on the list is certainly the best effects-wise, thanks to the work of the legendary FX master and creature designer Chris Walas. A gateway horror for many of us, and likely the first Christmas horror movie you ever saw, Gremlins has its most memorable kills in the demise of its creatures rather than its protagonists.
We are of course talking about the very slimy kitchen confrontation, the climax to a scene in which Peltzer matriarch Lynn takes out a trio of attacking Gremlins who have transformed in her home. While one is taken out by blender, and another via kitchen knife, it’s the last one that explodes in the microwave and leaves its impact. Gooey, nasty chunks splattering the inside of the oven is a visual many fans will carry with them forever.
3. Rudolph’s Big Moment (Silent Night, Deadly Night)
You might be annoyed there is no mention of the iconic “Garbage Day” kill from Silent Night, Deadly Night 2 yet on this list. It’s a scene-turned-meme that tore through the internet in the 2010s like wildfire. But given that movie is mostly a clip show of the first film, I needed to give love to the actual most iconic kill from the franchise: Billy Chapman hoisting the unlucky Denise onto a pair of deer antlers mounted on the wall, spine first.
Denise’s demise isn’t just the most iconic kill in the Silent Night, Deadly Night franchise, it’s an all-time great horror movie kill in general. And in horror history terms, it’s the kill that made Linnea Quigley a scream queen icon, in a role she believes got her a spot as Trash in Return of the Living Dead. Who would have known a pair of antlers could do so much with so little?
2. The Shower Scene (Terrifier 3)
Look. We all knew this would be here on this list. It couldn’t have been anywhere else. It’s the scene that shocked people in theaters across the world, and that’s saying something given it’s the Terrifier films; people are to expect the complete depravity of Damien Leone, and every time he outdoes himself. You might even be mad that it’s not at number one, given how iconic the scene became by virtue of Terrifier 3’s firestorm of a release.
Rivaling Terrifier 2’s bedroom scene is no easy feat, but Art the Clown’s work with a chainsaw in the shower scene of Terrifier 3 manages to do it. If you haven’t seen it, you want to know if it’s really that bad. If you have seen it, you know how legendarily gory it is. Ending with Art making snow angels in the blood of his targets, it is an irreverent and wild scene that goes on and on, displaying some of the best practical effects in slasher history. The Shower Scene is a grotesque and unending sequence that will shock any crowd, large or small.
1. The Glass Unicorn (Black Christmas, 1974)
One of the most iconic, if not one of the best slashers of all time, Bob Clark’s Black Christmas is an eerie holiday mystery that burns itself into your brain. From the iconic voice of our killer on those harassing phone calls, to the slow and frightening point-of-view shots that will send more shivers up your spine than a winter wind, it’s a film you can’t forget.
And the most iconic kill from the film is that of the unfortunate Barb (Margot Kidder). A collector of glass figurines, the mysterious killer Billy wields her glass unicorn and uses it as a weapon to take her out. Only seen framed in shadow with one maniacal eye in the light, it’s the scene that defines the film. The sequence is shot in slow motion and intercut with a group of carolers who drown out the attack by singing an incredible rendition of “Come All Ye Faithful”, adding an eerie calm to things. While most of the entries here are plainly entertaining, few horror movie kills have ever been able to match this kind of chilling tone as well.
And that’s our list! Do you agree with the rankings? Do you think there are more deserving kills we’ve left behind that should have been highlighted? Let us know on Twitter and Instagram, @HorrorPressLLC! And for more of everything horror, holidays and otherwise, stay tuned to HorrorPress.com!
Movies
‘Queens of the Dead’ Took a Bite Out of Brooklyn Horror Fest
Brooklyn Horror Film Fest kicked off its 10th year with a screening of the highly anticipated Queens of the Dead. This sparkly and zombie-fied night was presented by Horror Press and set the tone for at least two after parties. As a good queen does.
Before the movie began, director and co-writer, Tina Romero, took the stage to share that she is “very proud to be my dad’s kid, and proud to carry his torch, and super super proud to do it in a way that shows queer joy and queer resilience.” After watching the film, it’s clear Romero meant business as she expanded on the zombie world built by her dad, the genre icon George A. Romero.
A Scrumptious Evening
The opening night film was also unforgettable because it was followed by a Q&A afterward moderated by New York’s baddest emcee, Xero Gravity. Tina Thee Romero took the stage with cast members Samora la Perdida, Julie J., Tomas Matos, and Nina West. They kept the vibe fun but also addressed why this movie is especially important in dire times like these.
Nina West said, “I’m really proud that this movie is coming out specifically right now.” West explained, “We talked about how important this film is right now. How queer people, I think, are going to have the opportunity to grab onto it and hopefully feel a sense of community, a sense of self, and a reminder of how vital it is to have chosen family and the ability to have space. Watching it tonight with an audience, that’s what I’m reminded of.”
The Romero Legacy is Very Much Alive and Well
Gravity opened the talk by addressing Romero’s dad’s work, “So, Tina, your father’s legacy is invaluable to the horror community, especially the horror community of marginalized people. When I look into the audience, I see a bunch of queer people, a bunch of different skin tones, I see people with disabilities, and for that, I know we all appreciate George A. Romero’s legacy in terms of allyship.”
When the applause died down, she asked Romero what Queens of the Dead has to say about our current state in society. Romero said she felt incredibly grateful that Shudder and IFC Films are putting this movie out in 2025.
Romero elaborated, “It’s not easy to get a little indie movie out into the world. It’s so important that it’s coming out this year because what a year we have had. Holy shit.”
Romero continued, “It feels so good to have a big queer movie coming out in a time when our community is feeling really under the threat of erasure and under attack. I feel like what our movie says is we are here and we are wonderful, come along for the ride. I really hope that this movie brings a little bit of empathy. A little bit of ‘I can’t help but laugh at and love these characters.”
Romero concluded, “I really love my father. I love the films he made. It was very important to me to make sure his legacy continued in a way that said some shit and with queerness on screen.”
A Night of Glitter and Gore
During the talk back, Romero shared a lot of cool facts. One being that her and co-writer Erin Judge worked on this film for ten years. She also shared that Dawn of the Dead is her favorite movie in her dad’s franchise when Gravity pointed out a couple of nods to the movie in Queens of the Dead.
The Q&A went by entirely too quickly as the audience fell in love with this amazing crew. However, the love and community spilled into the bar area afterward. People were given the opportunity to thank everyone for their work and tell them they loved the film. People were offered penis-shaped cakes, which is a fun gag from the film. Attendees were also given a chance to get a little bloody at the hands of local makeup artist Dime. They applied bite marks and blood to everyone who wanted to feel like they were a part of the hottest zombie movie of the year.
It was another scrumptious evening in Brooklyn. It also left many of the audience with an axe wound right in the heart. I’m excited to see how Brooklyn Film Fest follows this movie, and I will be in the bar area this weekend, waiting to see.
Queens of the Dead will slay in theaters on October 24.
Movies
The Worst Blumhouse Movies and Why They Miss the Mark
I feel like I’m always taking swings at Blumhouse Productions and would like to explain why I’m usually frustratedly screaming into a mic, “For whomst?!” My relationship as a horror fan with most of the movies this company produces cannot be summed up in quick, snide comments and eyerolls. It’s bigger than that because when Blumhouse gets it right, they get it right. Get Out, Us, Creep, Creep 2, Happy Death Day, Freaky, M3GAN, and Drop are some of my favorite movies from the last 10 years. The Paranormal Activity franchise is the reason I show up for found footage films today.
However, while the mission to seemingly greenlight anything is good on paper, it does lead to some questionable films. Some projects feel irresponsible to fund, and some that are just bad make up the majority of their library. For every diamond, we get a bunch of movies that leave us scratching our heads and wondering if the obvious conversations were not being had. Which is why I picked four Blumhouse movies I have legitimate beef with. I think these are prime examples of why I have a hard time getting excited when the company’s PR starts up for a new project. I’m also respectfully asking if there are things in place to avoid these issues and concerns in the future.
The Exorcist: Believer
Two girls disappear in the woods and return to their families, who soon learn they are possessed by an evil entity. My surface problem with this Blumhouse movie is that they learned nothing from greenlighting the Halloween trilogy and put the cart before the horse again. However, my main grievance is that I was led to believe this would be a Black-led Exorcist movie. That would have been groundbreaking in this almost exclusively white franchise. More importantly, Leslie Odom Jr. and Lidya Jewett were more than capable of leading this movie. So, why were they shoved into the margins? We had a double exorcism and gave the non-Black child most of the cool things to do. The film also made Odom Jr.’s character the chauffeur for Chris MacNeil, who was shoehorned in for fan service and given nothing important to do. The Exorcist: Believer was unbelievably bad to boot.
Dashcam (2021)
Two friends livestream the most terrifying night of their lives while on a road trip. This movie would have done fine because it was from the team that brought us Host. As we were still in pandemic mode, many of us were curious to see what they would do next. So, there was a lot of face cracks when it came out that problematic Twitter personality Annie Hardy would be basically playing herself in the film. From her political stances, COVID denial, racist rants, and that time she turned a pride flag into a swastika on Twitter, she’s very blatantly a person who does not need a bigger platform.
It’s irresponsible to allow a movie to use her as stunt casting in a Blumhouse production. Again, this movie would have been better off without her because it would have ridden the steam of Host. Instead, it turned people off, and some refused to see it or review it.
They/Them (2022)
A group of teens at an LGBTQ+ conversion camp suffer psychological torture at the hands of the staff while being murdered by a masked killer. I feel there were too many cis people weighing in on this movie. I personally watched an awful person who masquerades as a journalist leap into Twitter conversations where Trans and non-binary people were discussing why this movie wasn’t it. So, I chose to keep my thoughts to myself and listen to the community, who should get a say.
I encourage you to do the same. Here is the Horror Press review by Bash Ortega. I also encourage you to read Kay Lynch’s essay at Bloody Disgusting. Consequence of Sound also had a review that is worth reading. While this was one of the movies under the Blumhouse banner that had its heart seemingly in the right place, we know intention and impact are not the same thing.
Soft & Quiet (2022)
An elementary teacher meets with other white supremacists and then commits a hate crime. This movie felt like a bunch of shocking events strewn together, and I wanted my money back for this rental. I have no idea how this film came to be what it is. Personally, I hope there is a version that doesn’t feel like racial trauma porn somewhere, but this is not it. I kept wondering who this movie is for, and the internet confirmed it wasn’t for POC. With all the ways to capture white supremacy on film, this is what they did? I feel this is the most irresponsible movie Blumhouse has subjected me to. It’s the reason I no longer get excited when I hear a filmmaker I am rooting for is working with the company.
In Closing…
I know I come across as flippant when I drag most of Blumhouse’s films. However, it stems from a place of concern and frustration. Bad movies like Firestarter, Unhuman, Night Swim, and Imaginary are one thing. These movies that clumsily handle important topics that are the reason I’m usually waiting for their titles to hit streaming. Whether they’re putting Black leads in the backseat, greenlighting movies where internet trolls are being given roles, or adding to the canon of racial trauma porn, I’m tired. I don’t know how to fix it because I don’t know if it’s a lack of support or interference regarding the writers and directors.
I don’t know if it’s just quantity over quality leading to some messy and unnecessary movies making it through the cracks. However, if Jason Blum can unpack why M3GAN 2.0 flopped, then it would be cool for him to unpack what he’s learned from the movies that should actually be cause for concern. As a film girl, I would love to see these Blumhouse choices laid out like case studies. Whatever lessons learned and actionable items taken to not make these mistakes again, could be beneficial to other production companies that are also struggling. All I know is an honest investigation is needed if they’re going to keep yeeting films out at this rate. We want to root for all horror. However, it’s hard to do that if we’re wondering who is (or is not) in the room for so many important conversations that need to happen.


