That's right. It's another double review! Bet you weren't expecting two in one month. Only unlike the last one both films are horror movies.
Christmas at the Kringles is an action horror comedy that's produced by 19th Hole Productions and Astria Studios with distribution by Briarcliff Entertainment. It's directed by Kevin Lewis and written by Zack Imbrogno.
The story is, Mark & Julie Severson along with their son Bobby move to a suburban neighborhood where they're neighbors with the Kringles, who celebrate Christmas throughout the year. Soon the Seversons become suspicious and unsettled by the Kringles. They soon learn the Kringles are part of a cult that wants to force their new neighbors into their way of life. Now, Mark along with a disgraced mall Santa must join forces in order to free Mark's family.
Initial Reaction
Now originally I didn't know this movie existed. It wasn't until later when I saw an ad on YouTube and decided to give a look. It seemed like it was gonna be a fun little holiday horror flick.
Cons
Oh boy...where do I start? Let's start with the biggest aspects that were marketed (despite me seeing very little marketing), those being the comedy and horror. The comedy fails because the jokes fall flat. I think maybe me and the audience chuckled at one or two moments, but everything else is just terrible. Sometimes it feels like sketches that go on for too long. One moment I remember and I think illustrates that point is two characters are talking about "shit hitting the fan". And when shit hits the fan it's bad. It's really bad when shit hits the fan. Or if shit, actually real shit hits the fan that'd be gross. That was an actual bit in the movie and I felt like it was going on for like ten minutes. So if the comedy sounds disappointing to you, you're not gonna like the horror either. The horror is undercooked. It's not scary. It doesn't provide much turn off your brain entertainment. And when something gory happens it cuts away. I'm serious, other than a decapitation, everything else cuts. Which I don't understand. Because Kevin Lewis directed Willy's Wonderland and that was pretty gory. Not to mention the movie's rated R so it could get away with stuff like that. Then there's the characters. The writing for the characters biggest disservice is the fact they're underwritten. The Severson's have bland family drama so you're not really rooting for them because by the end you know where they're story is gonna go. And when their storyline isn't bland, sometimes they're not likable. The Kringles could've been pretty good villains, especially with their Christmas obsession, but again, the writing doesn't help. They don't have that much menace to them, pretty funny considering they're a cult. But other times they're just generic. Not to mention but sometimes the plot will set stuff up but never go anywhere. One example I can think of is there's something to do with crypto but then it goes nowhere. I guess the filmmakers wanted to make fun of crypto? But I'm pretty sure crypto is low hanging fruit in this day and age.
Middle Ground
I've got nothing.
Pros
I'll give the production design credit. It really captured the Christmas overload that the Kringles has. The excessive design helped support the "toxic positivity" angle very well. I'll also give the cast some credit as well. They're committed to the bit and they looked like they were having fun. It just seems like this is one of those movies where the cast had fun making, but the final product isn't good.
Christmas at the Kringles could've been something fun, but sadly the quality of the writing doesn't live up to that expectation.
My final rating is, Bad.
Now onto the next movie.
The Cat and The Hatchet is a slasher short film that tells a dark reimaging of Dr. Seuss' book, The Cat in the Hat, but also taking a lot of influence from the 2003 live-action film. Production is done by both Prime Capitol Entertainment and Six Side Studios and was distributed on YouTube. Cameron Dodd directed and wrote the story with Kaleb Carmichael.
The story is, siblings Connor and Ellie were messing with each other as siblings do until something quite strange happened. They meet Scratches the Cat and all he wants to do is have fun with the kids. But things turn sinister when Scratches shows what he finds fun.
Initial Reaction
Much like the previous movie I didn't know this existed. But I didn't discover it on YouTube. I scrolling through X on my timeline and Geek Vibes Nation reposted one of the poster. It was then I went to YouTube and watched the teaser. I thought it'd be a good idea to review. Especially since this wouldn't be the first time I reviewed a movie that took a classic Dr. Seuss character and turned him into a horror villain.
Cons
I've got nothing.
Middle Ground
Now let me just say this is actually a really good short film and I'll explain why later. Having said that by the end you do get a proof-of-concept feeling. Granted by the end the director does plug in a Kickstarter, but even without that part of the video you'd still get that feeling. Cause a lot if not all of the hallmarks are there. A strong focus on Scratches' visual/performance hooks and just enough story to show the vibe without having to go with a full narrative arc.
Pros
Alright let's get into the good stuff. Starting with Mark Ricci as Scratches. The guy was great. At first he captures a Cat in the Hat like whimsical charm, and then he was able to capture a more twisted version of that personality. Also, unlike Christmas at the Kringles, this could actually be a little scary. Mainly because Dobb and Carmichael really build tension. There's one scene involving a fish where I was actually wide eyed and wondering if Scratches was gonna rip apart one or both of those kids apart. The last thing I'll praise is the production. Despite a limited budget, Dobb and co. pulled off so much. Especially the Scratches suit. That thing looks creepy even when it's just a still image.
The Cat and The Hatchet is a fun little short film you should give a watch. So much fun I actually do hope Cameron is able to reach his goal of making this a feature length movie.
My final rating is, Good.
Well folks, this sadly wraps up my Halloween themed reviews. But thankfully there's next year. Come back on Monday, Nov 2nd, for my return to the Road to Ice Age: Boiling Point. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day and I hope you're all having a safe and fun day. Happy Halloween 🎃.
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