Oftentimes, movie ideas can come from strange situations, such as with writer/director Lewis Jackson, whose idea came from drugs. Specifically, while smoking a joint, Jackson saw an image of Santa Claus holding a knife, which gave him an idea. He spent several years developing a script, but he had trouble finding financing, as his concept was a hard sell. In the end, he managed to acquire $450,000 for the budget, though the budget went overboard due to his cinematographer. Enter Ricardo Aronovich, an Argentinian cinematographer who was critically acclaimed for his work, but was very expensive to work with. For the cast, Jackson originally wanted major talent, but for budgetary reasons, could only afford relative unknowns or character actors. Filming took place from 1979-1980 around New Jersey, though it was a struggle because of the dwindling funds. Originally released as You Better Watch Out, it was retitled Christmas Evil.
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Synopsis
As a child, young Harry (Gus Salud) watches his mother being groped by his father dressed as Santa Claus. This leaves him heartbroken, so much so that as an adult, Harry (Brandon Maggart) still clings to his beliefs. He works at a toy manufacturer, where he’s made fun of and taken advantage of by his coworkers. At home, Harry watches the neighborhood children and writes their names in a naughty/nice book based on their actions. His ultimate goal is to become Santa Claus, or at least his version of Santa Claus, and spreading holiday cheer. His brother Phil (Jeffrey DeMunn) is constantly frustrated by Harry’s behavior despite his wife Jackie (Diane Hull) being more sympathetic. Meanwhile, Harry finally snaps after seeing the hypocrisy around him, dons the Santa suit, and goes on a rampage. It all builds up to an ending you’ll never see coming and certainly never forget.
Review
Christmas Evil or You Better Watch Out as the director intended is a very unique holiday horror/thriller hybrid film. The premise and some of the cover art would make you think it’s a horror film, which isn’t completely inaccurate. However, it plays more like a thriller akin to Scorsese’s Taxi Driver in that it’s a character study of madness. Brandon Maggart, like Robert De Niro, plays the part of a mentally-ill man driven insane perfectly, though with more intensity. While you do feel sorry for him given his situation, you’re also terrified by just how manic he is. There are several moments where you’re not sure if what you’re seeing/hearing is real or only in his head. Plus, many scenes are shot with a very soft focus, which gives off a somewhat dreamlike quality to them. It’s well-made and well-acted given its low budget.
Not only does it work as a psychological thriller, but it also works as something of a dark comedy. In a way, it’s a dark look at the Santa lore: how he watches children, judges their actions, etc. Not only that, but it shows how corporate the holiday has become, Harry’s bosses more concerned with productivity than charity. Admittedly, it’s not a perfect film, especially when there are moments where the low budget becomes obvious. For instance, there’s a scene where someone rolls down a hill, and you can see white blankets used for snow. Granted, these and other moments don’t detract from the power the film has, though they do generate unintended laughs. Lastly, I won’t say what the ending is, but it truly is something you need to see to believe. Overall, Christmas Evil is an underrated holiday thriller that’s worth checking out.
Buy Christmas Evil on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2KQBzq4
