I love this movie so much

Sorry, this movie sucks

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

Christmas EvilSanta Claus tells burglars that home invasion is okay so long as you bring a gift.Regrettably, the only gift the malefactor in this horror movie bares is a swinging axe.Toymaker Harry (Brandon Maggart) takes his job so seriously he believes he's destined to be Kris Kringle. Wearing the red and white costume and compiling a nice/naughty list of his neighbours, Harry dispenses his brand of Christmas justice upon them.While some get gifts from him, others - like his shiftless coworker (Joe Jamrog) or mouthy hipsters – get a taste of Harry's hatchet.Originally titled: You Better Watch Out, this B-Movie from 1980 set the standard for the seasonal slashers that started appearing shortly after its release. Cheesy, but tinged with social commentary, this Christmas story straddles the line between goodwill and pure evil. Still, the creepiest thing about Santa remains his fixation with having children sit on him.Yellow Lightvidiotreviews.blogspot.ca

One Christmas night, little Harry sees Santa kissing mommy. And, you know, not on the lips either. Cut to thirty years later when he has grown up to be a toy factory worker, stalker of little children, keeper of naughty or nice ledgers and an all around Christmas lunatic. And once again the jolliest time of the year is approaching and Harry (Brandon Maggart) is starting to feel the pressure of the Yuletide.Christmas Evil stands apart from its slasher horror brethren by the virtue of its quality. Maggart is a very believable lead as a man that has never quite fit in with the adult society and is constantly being exploited because of his helpful, downtrodden attitude. The film opens beautifully with slowly revealed signs about the lengths of his obsession with Christmas and when he finally has had enough, it feels believable. Like you'd almost do the exact same thing if put into the same situation.The film is also shot very well and contains some genuinely nice Christmas imagery. Sure you can see the limitations of the budget, but the camera-work is nicely done, all the actors are directed well and the pacing works, keeping you on the edge of your seat as Harry wanders the town in his getup. All the Christmas gags and jokes are also hilarious, especially keeping in mind that the film has a very dark sense of humour, being a slasher film.I liked the film. It's not a masterpiece and I kind of hope they had focused a bit more on Harry's slow descend into madness. Now the dark comedy is there, but not the creepiness. Still, well worth a watch for all horror fans, especially around the holidays.

Christmas Evil is no feat of film making. You'd be hard pressed to find anyone convince me of that. That being said there are some things about this film that make it stand out from other slashers that came after or even before it. It has a distinctive Psycho vibe to it and it is clear that the director actually cared about this film and was trying to make a good solid horror flick. I didn't find it nearly as campy as other B-horror 80's flicks I have seen and the performance by our lead actor is downright disturbing. Certainly it borders on being comedic in some sort of twisted way but so much of the style, scenes, sound effects and acting is just too weird and creepy to be funny. I absolutely understand why this has become a cult classic in certain circles because as far as I know and can tell this was really the first movie to turn everything sacred about Christmas into a terrifying idea. Yes, Black Christmas was set at Christmas time but our killer is literally obsessed with Christmas, children, Santa and having his dreams shattered as a child. I'm not a film expert and I rarely notice things like camera angles or specifics in cinematography and yet I couldn't help but notice some of the smart and equally creepy shots in this movie.Perhaps in the most disturbing concept Sesame Street 70's alumni Brandon Maggart who has also had a lucrative Television career is fascinating in this movie as the completely deranged killer. I know many of you that hate B-movies will scoff and wonder if I'm crazy but Maggart is excellent in this. He displays his very best Norman Bates given the very shallow character development he gets. His mental breakdown and obsessions drives this movie and honestly his performance is far better than a movie like this deserves. I anxiously awaited his snap when he would finally lose it and he is actually a very good actor who makes such a ridiculous film concept seem viable. Its almost a one man show for him because every other person in the movie are small supporting roles so the main focus is squarely on him and it actually probably makes the film that much better. How incredible he is from the time he puts on the suit for the first time through delivering the gifts to the hospital (just a jaw droppingly disturbing scene) to his murderous spree. Not the kills are where the film really starts to get campy because they are ridiculous and poorly shot with dollar store special effects. But thanks to (once again) the music and the camera angles...it is just disturbing. Jeffrey DeMunn (a recognizable character actor) plays Harry's brother and does a solid job. Same with Dianne Hull as his sister in law. They don't get a ton of screen time and they are there strictly to show how far Harry falls from humanity.I have honestly never seen a horror film like this. I mean, it didn't just freak me out but it legitimately got under my skin. It just felt wrong...the killer is completely sadistic and his descent is terrifying to watch. As a horror fan I would never add this to my collection because I simply don't think I could watch it a second time and yet I have to give it kudos for style and just the sick dark nature of it. Writer and director Lewis Jackson has virtually no other credits to his name and I'm actually surprised because I keep emphasizing there is some talent here. The problem with the movie is the story is incredibly weak. I mean, it would have made a great difference to have something other than Harry spotting his Dad dressed as Santa and fooling around with his mother to leave a disturbing impression on him. If some aspects of another B-Horror Christmas classic Silent Night, Deadly Night mixed with this they would have had a real terrifying movie on their hands. I have to call it like I see it and this is brilliantly crafted in so many ways. It drags and dawdles a lot but its like a horrifying car wreck that you can't look away from. His Santa suit is so well done and every time you see a child on the screen you feel sick to your stomach because this guy is truly so messed up. Watch this but with caution because it is something really sick. Only horror fans looking for something outside of the box should watch this one. The last half hour of the film turns into a bizarre homage to Frankenstein and just about nearly de-vilifies our killer and makes him an anti-hero. But I would argue with anyone who says this belongs in a "campy horror" film section. It is a bizarre and twisted film that needs to be seen to be believed. 7/10

You Better Watch Out (aka Christmas Evil) is much more of a black comic character study than a slasher film. It centers on a man named Harry, who has a serious Santa fetish and works at the local toy factory . Harry dresses up like Santa and finds out who's naughty or nice . Very creepy and brilliantly darkly hilarious . This flick takes Santa back closer to the old mythology. He's totally down with the good folks. If you are a bad kid, he will bring you something horrible . If you mess with Santa, you get taken out.You Better Watch Out is the perfect cinematic experience if you have seen to many bad Christmas movies on the Hallmark Channel. Great holiday horror film.