Krampus (Rated T)
Cast: Comedy Horror
Genre: Toni Collette, Adam Scott, Emjay Anthony
Dwight's Rating: 2.5 Stars
It's the most frightening time of the year!
Yup, Christmas! Well, at least that's what the folks behind the new film "Krampus" would have you believe -- with all those aggressive and angry shoppers, and ungrateful kids making unrealistic demands of their stressed-out parents and other grumpy relatives.
"Krampus" is an unusual "message" film, pointing out the dangers of a materialistic focus during this time of year, and of the absence of the search for the deeper meaning behind the holidays.
Falling into that odd category "comedy-horror", the movie does indeed hit some amusing and fun notes. But it truly excels at horror, being much darker and more frightening than expected. Exploring ancient European folklore, it warns of Krampus, a horned beast that punishes naughty children at Christmastime.
In the film, when dysfunctional family squabbling causes young Max (Emjay Anthony) to lose his festive spirit, it unleashes the wrath of the fearsome demon, Krampus. As the creature lay siege to his family's home, Max and his mom (Toni Collette), dad (Adam Scott), and sister (Stefania LaVie Owen) must band together with a full house of relatives snowed-in during a blizzard to save one another from a monstrous fate. This thoroughly enjoyable film features impressive production elements. It's dark and snowy, with lavish special effects. It looks spectacularly cold on screen (and if you watch it in a freezing cold theater like the one I sat it, you'll feel you're right there in the middle of that terrifying blizzard).
The many comedic moments come frequently at the hands of comic stars like David Koechner ("Anchorman") and Conchata Ferrell (TV's "Two and a Half Men"). And the feel is reminiscent of countless '80s movies with the same spooky but relatively light tone. "Ghostbusters" or "Gremlins" come to mind. But "Krampus" gets progressively darker and scarier. And many times I wondered if it's not too scary for some in the target audience.
That leads to another issue. Just exactly who is in the target audience? The underlying message is about family, but is it really family fare?
For instance, at one moment, we have seemingly adorable little gingerbread men violently trying to kill our family. "Gingerbread men", you say? Yes indeed. And they make adorable little sounds while they aim a staple gun at their victims.
That might be a bit too whimsical for many adults to see as anything but extreme comedy. But then we get into really creepy territory with a number of hideous monsters, including elves that look nothing that those we see in contemporary pictures associated with Santa Claus. Plus, there are angry snowmen, demonic dolls, and cannibalistic clowns. Grown adults will at times look away from the screen. Not comedy!
Some of the images -- particularly the 'Krampus' -- are more frightening than some of the awful creatures in any of the "Lord of the Rings" or "Harry Potter" films, and as scary-looking as anything we've seen in any horror movie in the last decade. The story is told from the perspective of Max, who seems about 10 to 12 years old. However, "Krampus" is probably too frightening for children any younger than that, and perhaps even too much for many children that age. The typical horror movie audience -- young adults -- won't find the sexiness that permeates most of the nonsense in that genre these days. And there's little of that blood and goriness.
I'm also not sure how the messages about love and family will fly with that crew. So that leaves perhaps teenagers as the perfect audience for the film. That's not to say audiences of all ages won't enjoy it -- again, I liked it. But I'm not sure it's being promoted in the best way, and to those who would appreciate it most.
Although it performed reasonably well at the U.S. box office over the weekend against the final installment in "The Hunger Games" juggernaut, "Krampus" strikes me as something that will likely be "discovered" years from now. Look for it to have a small cult-like following over the next few years, and for that to gradually build over time. Nonetheless, it's definitely worth checking out, especially if you want to send some strong messages to those ungrateful Grinches in your circles, or if you are looking for some dark entertainment as a respite from all the saccharine that's often overflowing at this time of year.
o Dwight Strachan is the host/producer of " Morning Blend" on Guardian Radio. He is a television producer and writer, and an avid TV history and film buff. Email dwight@nasguard.com and follow him on twitter@morningblend969.
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