Rating: 
Summary: CHRISTMAS EVIL: Naughty or Nice?
Review: Originally titled YOU BETTER WATCH OUT (and a.k.a. TERROR IN TOYLAND), 1980's CHRISTMAS EVIL amounts to little more than a crass attempt to hitch onto the holiday-horror gravy train initiated by John Carpenter's universally better HALLOWEEN in 1978. It's only notable for the fact that it was the first of the HALLOWEEN rip-offs to feature a Killer Kris Kringle. (Unfortunately, it wasn't the last!)Character actor Brandon Maggart--who, by the way, was a member of the original cast of TV's SESAME STREET and is the father of pop singer Fiona Apple--portrays Harry Stadling, a sexually repressed middle-manager at the Jolly Dream Toy Factory who is haunted by a childhood incident in which he saw Ol' Saint Nick joyfully boffing mommy amidst the presents under the tree on Christmas Eve. One nasty Noël, the blatant commercialistic attitudes exuded by his family and coworkers burns at his psyche until his subconscious finally boils over, and Harry then blithely dons the red and white and hunts down both the naughty and the nice to mete out their just deserts. To the innocents and the kiddies, he delivers dreamy delights; to the cruel and calloused, he doles out death! Now, a story with a serial-killer Santa is a delightfully twisted concept that offers lots of opportunity for dark humor and satirical subtext. Alas, CHRISTMAS EVIL simply falls flat. The ineptly handled schizophrenic shifting between chills and chuckles makes for confusing viewing, leaving one tempted to conclude that the screenwriter is just as loony as Harry Standling himself. And to top it all off, the film's feel-good surprise-ending is glaringly out of sync with the overall tone of the rest of the film. To be fair, it must be said that CHRISTMAS EVIL does contain a few items of merit. In spite of the mediocre material he has to work with, Brandon Maggart does a great job as psychotic Harry Stadling. Maggart is an offbeat but interesting actor who adds a little consistency to an otherwise arrhythmic flick. And one of the few really good scenes in CHRISTMAS EVIL is a delightful homage to James Whale's FRANKENSTEIN (1931) in which Harry--in full Santa regalia--is chased through the streets by angry citizens carrying fiery torches. For genre fans with a good sense of humor, this scene is a real knee-slapper that just begs to have a better movie built around it. And the DVD from Troma? Well, the digital transfer isn't of the greatest quality, sometimes displaying the type of jittery edges and ghost-like artifacts that leaves one wondering if the much-lauded re-mastering of CHRISTMAS EVIL was done on VHS video tape. However, the extras on the disc are actually better than the movie itself. There is an optional feature commentary with star Brandon Maggart and director Lewis Jackson, as well as individual video interviews with each. A nifty storyboard-to-film utility allows you to first view the director's hand-drawn concept for each scene, then it lets you jump over to view the scene as filmed. Another cool feature allows you to "flip" through the comment cards that members of the audience filled out after a test-screening of the flick. And best of all, each time you select an option at the main menu, a close-up of Santa's face fills the screen as he wickedly utters "Ho-Ho-Ho" before engaging your selection. Fun stuff! CHRISTMAS EVIL review in short: Frankly, the film itself deserves only two stars, while the fun-packed Troma DVD is a four-star product. The average score, then, is three stars.
Rating:
Summary: Lights out !!! A fine performance Brandon Maggart.
Review: Really the only reason to see this film is the riveting performance by Brandon Maggart as Harry. His slow decent into madness, caused by crushed Christmas dreams, is played out to perfection by the veteran actor. Comparisons to 1984's "Silent Night, Deadly Night" are inevitable but there really are no similarities other than the crazed man in a Santa suit. Look out for Harry, as his eyes haunt you in the dark and while you're dreaming. This one stays with you long after you watch it. A must-see psychological thriller.
Rating: 
Summary: christmas evil? um don't think so
Review: saw the bloody knife on the cover and figured there had to be plenty of victims. wrong! try black christmas or silent night, deadly night for some christmas classics. this movie is a classic piece of ... will have to admit that the acting is there but that's about it! not an entertaining flick. nice try troma but don't think so.
Rating: 
Summary: A horror movie where nothing happens!
Review: The best of the Christmas horror genre? Most likely self-proclaimed. I've never been so bored during a so-called horror movie. Sure, it has the Troma requisite bad acting, but this movie is horrible, even by Troma's standards. Long, uneventful sequences endure throughout, and while this movie retains the cheesiness of most Troma efforts, it lacks the delightfully twisted qualities that make Troma's releases so intoxicating and fun. (A man standing in front of a mirror and laughing maniacally while applying spirit gum and then a fake Santa beard over the course of one of many excrutiatingly padded scenes in an effort to make the movie longer does NOT count.) Everybody has a flop now and then in their careers, and this is Troma's. For truly entertaining and unsettling Christmas horror, try Silent Night Deadly Night and Black Christmas, respectively. For trademark Troma cinema, stick with The Toxic Avenger, Class of Nuke 'Em High, Tromeo and Juiet, and Surf Nazis Must Die.
Rating: 
Summary: Simply the best!!!
Review: The greatest of all Christmas themed horror movies, Christmas Evil is about one man's descent into madness. What really sets this movie apart from other similiar ventures is its intelligence and genuinely disturbing elements that may be a bit to "real" for some to handle. It is the films realism that gives it power. As hard as it may be to believe, this movie is actually packed Christmas spirit! It is a true holiday movie, albeit a holiday film for those that enjoy anything but conventional. This is not a slasher movie though, it is a psychological thriller. The emphasis is not on killing and gore (there is actually very little), but loneliness, childhood trauma, and the commercialization of Christmas. There is plenty of "evil" in Christmas Evil, but not what you would think. A true cinematic masterpeice of the highest order that deserves to be seen by any true movie fan! Thank Troma for having the guts to give this wide distribution. The DVD has several extras of merit, and the menus are a joy to look at. The film transfer is rough at times, but this only adds to the tension of the film. Great movie, great DVD! From Troma...of course!!!
Rating:
Summary: Christmas Evil disturbing yes good horror film no
Review: The movie is somewhat entertaining at times. The killings in the film were gorey enough, but a little dissapointing. The first killing was pretty unexpected "the church step killing" But the way it was shot was really choppy and I think that took away from the scene a bit. A good thing about it was it was pretty original: a sharp toy through the eye followed by a stabbing (I think the people were stabbed?) There are a couple of more deaths in the film but none as original as the first except for the Christmas tree star throat cutting that is. The music in the film was creepy at times but mostly annoying. The particulary annoying sounds were the ones that seemed to be heard at innapropriate times. For instance the scene were "Santa" is hidding from the townspeople. There was some sort of cymbil sound there and my question is why. I was like it belonged in a different scene. I think the lead role was performed well by the lead actor but the writing of the film was lacking. Although the beggining of the film was somewhat shocking and original alot of the film is not and the ending definatly leaves something to be desired. I will say this. This is the best horror film about a killer santa and only because its the only one I have seen.
Rating:
Summary: Christmas Evil disturbing yes good horror film no
Review: The movie is somewhat entertaining at times. The killings in the film were gorey enough, but a little dissapointing. The first killing was pretty unexpected "the church step killing" But the way it was shot was really choppy and I think that took away from the scene a bit. A good thing about it was it was pretty original: a sharp toy through the eye followed by a stabbing (I think the people were stabbed?) There are a couple of more deaths in the film but none as original as the first except for the Christmas tree star throat cutting that is. The music in the film was creepy at times but mostly annoying. The particulary annoying sounds were the ones that seemed to be heard at innapropriate times. For instance the scene were "Santa" is hidding from the townspeople. There was some sort of cymbil sound there and my question is why. I was like it belonged in a different scene. I think the lead role was performed well by the lead actor but the writing of the film was lacking. Although the beggining of the film was somewhat shocking and original alot of the film is not and the ending definatly leaves something to be desired. I will say this. This is the best horror film about a killer santa and only because its the only one I have seen.
Rating:
Summary: The best Christmas time horror film- hands down!
Review: When it comes to Christmas themed horror films, "Christmas Evil" blows the competition away! In short, its about a guy who works at a toy factory and is obsessed with Christmas. His apartment is decorated for the holiday all year long! Slowly, over the course of the film, he starts to flip out over the crass commercialization of the holiday. It seems the toy factory is more concerned with making money than manufacturing qulity toys. Throughout the film, our protagonist gets revenge in variety of ways that ultimately become murder.
What sets this film apart from the pack is that we see the world through the eyes of the killer. We understand what it is that makes him want to kill. His victims, while not deserving of death, are not all innocent.
The DVD has some great extras including a running commentary from director Lewis Jackson and star Brandon Maggart.
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