You really come to appreciate these Christmas slasher flicks around their due season. I’m getting into the Christmas spirit in one of the many ways a horror fan can, by watching Christmas Horror films! There are many of them out there, but unfortunately I have only seen three. But that won’t stop me, little by little I’ll catch up. I have seen Black Christmas (the original) which was very good, Silent Night, Deadly Night, which was good, and now Christmas Evil, which has become my favorite Christmas horror film. I came upon a top ten list online on the subject and said film was ranked number one, and rightfully so. Yes, this movie IS one of the many "man in a Santa suit killer" films, but apart from that the story is as rich, complex, and intriguing as any psychological horror film out there.

It’s Christmas Eve, 1947 and the Stadling boys: Harry and Philip, are joined by there mother midway on the stairs peering at Santa Claus from a distance as he sticks presents under the tree. Later that night Harry comes down stairs and catches Santa seducing his mother. Santa is of course the boys father but that peculiar image has traumatized young Harry for the rest of his life.

Present day. Harry wakes up in his Santa pajamas, in a Santa decorated house. Although it is Christmas season I doubt Harry’s love for Christmas is strictly seasonal. He is a kind hearted man, but demented. I guess he sees Santa and Christmas as the last good part of humanity, a time for children, innocence and charity. From his apartment window he spies on the neighborhood kids, keeping a list of who’s naughty or nice. No kidding, he has a large hardcover book full of names and good or bad deeds the kids do. In one example this young boy is reading a penthouse magazine and Harry, angrily writes the information in his book.

Harry is a manager at a toy company and he loves his job. He is idealistic and his co-workers don’t like him at all. Frank, who works the assembly line, asks Harry to fill in for him because he needs to get off early for a family vacation. Harry covers for him, but it was all a ploy. Harry got taken for a sucker and Frank left early. Poor Harry then has flashbacks of his over-sexed parents making love in inopportune moments, when Harry is watching. I have never seen my parents have sex, and I thank God for that. I can’t imagine the repercussions of seeing that more than once, like Harry.

During a company Christmas party Harry loads up several bags with toys and when Christmas eve comes around he gives them away to the kids. He even has his homemade Santa outfit which is shoddy. During his mad excursion he drops by a hospital to unload more gifts and then kills some people outside a church with a hand axe. Then he crashes a party, gives out more gifts to kids and dances for awhile. I can’t explain how creepy Harry can get, it’s as if he was drunk on madness and managed to keep himself from killing even more people, for the sake of the children. Later on he goes to Frank’s house to leave toys for his kids, but then decides to also cut open his (Frank’s) throat with the edge of a Christmas tree star.

Christmas day. Harry, as Santa, is at a street corner giving out even more gifts to the children. The children’s parents are frightfully watching because the exploits of the Santa suit killer was on the news. A mob begins to form as Santa flees in his van, which is painted on the sides to look like a sleigh. Harry drops by his brother Phil’s place and accuses him of never believing in Santa, WTF? Phil gets upset and chokes him till he passes out. He carries his brother’s body outside and places him inside the van. Harry wakes up, punches Phil and drives away. The mob follow him and watch in awe as the van crashes through a barricade but instead of falling down and crashing below, the van flies through the air, up, up and way. Yes, that’s exactly how it ends.

This movie is great stuff. You really need to see Brandon Maggart’s performance as Harry. This, right here is what crazy people are really like. This film should be considered a classic slasher. The ending was perfect. It takes us with him to his fantasy world and he triumphs in a way over those that wronged him. There could have been more killings, more blood, but the insanity factor is top notch.

- Jorge Antonio Lopez