At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

David Koechner is the worst but the movie is okay over all. I think the elements that look visually dark and twisted are awesome. Everything with gingerbread men and David Koechner and just all the goofy stuff is garbage.

It's amazing how quickly the film turned from a humorous introduction to downright terrifying, with great visuals. Unfortunately, though, the film later blends comedy elements with horror, and it doesn't blend that well due to the dark nature of the film. It can't decide if it wants to be a horror or a horror comedy, and the mix doesn't work. This would have been so amazing as a full-on horror, but it gets very weird, and is not serious enough when it ought to be. The effects remain amazing, though. I found Toni Collette way too good an actress for this type of film. I did like the unpredictability of the film.

Throughout this Christmas season, I've wanted to see a horror film from 2015 called "Krampus", directed by Michael Dougherty ("Trick 'r Treat"), and now I finally watched it. Having heard of the praise this movie got, I was interested as to why. Needless to say, I got my answer. For those who don't know, Krampus is from the actual Santa Claus folklore: while Santa rewards those who have been good, Krampus punishes those who have not. It was made in the style of classic 80s horror such as "Poltergeist" and "Gremlins", complete with some of the most impressive practical effects I've seen in a while (hardly any CGI was used), while also subverting some of the usual trappings of that era, which I commend. Plot: All little Max wanted was to celebrate Christmas with his family like they used to, but most of the folks have become increasingly dysfunctional to the point where it's unbearable. Disillusioned, he turns his back on the holiday, which summons the nefarious Krampus and his minions to their doorstep. Now, they struggle to survive this not-so-jolly onslaught while also learning what it truly means to be a family. While I personally wasn't scared, there are plenty of things in "Krampus" that were effectively disturbing with mild comedy. The titular antagonist is a truly fantastical nightmare, sporting a beautifully twisted design and unnerving presence, a perfect antithesis of ol' St. Nick. The little minions are both varied and creepy in each of their own ways, taking all the things we typically associate with the holiday and turning them upside down. The atmosphere and environment offer the appropriate chilling (pun intended) feeling of isolation this kind of story warrants. Surprisingly, I found myself emotionally invested in most of the family. You see how they've fallen apart yet you get shreds of who they used to be and want to see that side of them brought to the forefront. It's kind of like "Christmas Vacation" and "Home Alone" in that respect. The most pure, and personally interesting, of them are Max and his grandmother Omi. As of yet, I can hardly think of anything major to criticize with this film. It's definitely earned its place in the world of cinema and the director is already making it big (currently directing "Godzilla 2: King of the Monsters"). If you want something refreshing to see next Christmas, then I'd say give "Krampus" a try.

"Krampus" is an American 95-minute movie from 2015 and if you have heard the name Krampus before and remember the reference, then maybe you will know that here we have a combination of Christmas and horror, in which the scary component, however, is far more dominant than the harmonic component. The director is Michael Dougherty and he is also one of the many writers working on this one. The most known cast members here are certainly Oscar nominee Toni Collette and Adam Scott from Parks and Recreation. I cannot deny that I am not a fan of the latter at all, also in this film, but it needs to be said in his excuse that honestly the material he and most of the other cast members were given here is never that amazing at all. There are also several child performers in here, who are probably not known to many and for me personally, that also includes the kid in the center of the story. The character of Krampus was included in many other horror films already, but this has to be among his most famous inclusion, probably even the number one. We see him in all kinds of shapes and costumes here and my favorite was probably the harlequin skin if you may want to call it like that. But besides that, I also felt sadly that most of the movie was really forgettable. The general idea about the summoning and the background story of the creature not only never had me on the edge of the seat, but never impressed me at all. It's pretty tough to find huge pros in here. I think the runtime was not (way) too long. The ending when it actually seems they kill the boy was bold and unexpected, but sadly they made up for that kind of quality quickly afterward by including a stupid "oh it was all just a dream" story line. I also did not find this one worth seeing from the Christmas film perspective. The only ones I'd really recommend it to are probably those who really really are into supernatural creature horror films although they probably have seen it anyway already. The ending indicates that there may be plans for a sequel (or prequel), but we will see about that. I am not sure if quality, critical reception and especially box office were successful enough for them to really go for it. All in all, my personal verdict here is rather on the negative side too. Gotta give this one a thumbs-down and it is clearly superior to some recent fairly decent horror films I've seen in previous months. My suggestion is you watch something else as this one clearly tries to include effects (even animation in flashback sequences) to make up for story-telling deficits. It's not worth your time.