The day after Halloween, the world started to prepare for the Christmas holiday season. Shops and streets started with their decorations, commercials on the internet, radio, and TV, and cinemas and digital platforms starting to promote and release their good-hearted holiday-oriented new (and old) titles. The machinery of what probably is the MOST ANNOYING season of the year already started. But, don’t worry, because this year the white Christmas is going to be drenched in red, bloody red, as two violent movies from two very special filmmakers are coming out to our rescue: Tommy Wirkola’s Violent Night (2022) and Joe Begos’ Christmas Bloody Christmas (2022).
People might have suspected that Norwegian director Tommy Wirkola, the creator of the fan favorites Dead Snow (2009), Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013), and Dead Snow 2: Red vs. Dead (2014), perhaps embraced the honey of more accessive (but yet interesting) films in the Holywood style with his two latest works What Happened to Monday (2017) and The Trip (2021), but this year he is bringing a tale of violence that will probably satisfy the most intense experiences goers.
In Violent Night (2022), a team of elite mercenaries breaks into a wealthy family compound on Christmas Eve, taking everyone inside hostage. But the team isn’t prepared for a surprise combatant: Santa Claus is on the grounds, and he’s about to show why this Nick is no saint.
Pat Casey and Josh Miller, the tandem of writers responsible for the horror comedies Shotgun Wedding (2013), Transylmania (2009), and the two Sonic the Hedgehog films, have been responsible for the screenplay. Beverly D’Angelo, Cam Gigandet, Edi Patterson, Alex Hassell, Mike Dopud, Alexis Louder, and Mitra Suri form the main cast that also includes the typical Christmas characters of Santa Claus, played by David Harbour, John Leguizamo as Scrooge, and the fans favorite Krampus incarnated by Brendan Fletcher.
Violent Night (2022) is Rated R for strong bloody violence, language throughout, and some sexual references. The movie had its world premiere at the New York Comic Con on October 7, 2022, and is scheduled to be released in the United States on December 2, 2022, by Universal Pictures. Other international release dates might vary.
Watch here the trailer for Violent Night (2022).
Who never disappoints and it’s on his way to destruction in neon colors is Joe Begos. After interesting Almost Human (2013) and The Mind’s Eye (2015), the thrilling VFW (2019), and the absolute masterpiece Bliss (2019), Christmas Bloody Christmas (2022) is destined to be one of the most exciting horror movies of the year.
Produced, written, and directed by Begos, the movie centers on Tori Tooms, a fiery record store owner who just wants to get drunk and party on Christmas Eve. That is until the robotic Santa Claus at a nearby toy store goes haywire and makes her night more than a little complicated. Santa Claus begins a rampant killing spree through the neon-drenched snowscape against a backdrop of drugs, sex, metal, and violence, ultimately forcing Tori into a blood-splattered battle for survival against the ruthless heavy metal Saint Nick himself.
Riley Dandy (Interceptor (2022)), Sam Delich (The Marshes (2018)), Jonah Ray (Victor Crowley (2017)), Dora Madison (Bliss (2019)), and Jeff Daniel Phillips (all the latest Rob Zombie flicks including his role of Herman Munster in The Munsters (2022)) form the main cast in Christmas Bloody Christmas (2022). Abraham Benrubi, Jeremy Gardner, Graham Skipper, and Kansas Bowling also star.
And this is how Joe Begos sells us his film.
Do you like:
SLEAZY ASS YULETIDE YARNS?
ANIMATRONIC KILLER ROBOTS?
WIDESCREEN 16MM PHOTOGRAPHY?
SEX, DRUGS, BOOZE AND MURDER?
What about a pornographic array of SNOW, FOG, and NEON?!
Behold, the trailer for CHRISTMAS BLOODY CHRISTMAS.
DECEMBER 9TH. EVERYWHERE. pic.twitter.com/gvK92sMDhQ
— Joe Begos (@joebegos) November 9, 2022
Trust the man, he knows what he’s talking about.
How fucking dope is it that we get TWO completely different, HARD R, original, genre bending, Santa led, ultra violent, Christmas genre movies ON THE BIG SCREEN this holiday season?!?
Violent Night fucking rules. I hear the robot one is pretty sick too. https://t.co/wZYkMsrqQ4
— Joe Begos (@joebegos) November 13, 2022
Christmas Bloody Christmas (2022) had its world premiere on October 5, 2022, at Beyond Fest. After that, it was also part of the Sitges Film Festival, Philadelphia International Film Festival, and Imagine Film Festival. December 9 will mark its release on DVD and digital platforms, including Shudder.
Watch the trailer for Christmas Bloody Christmas (2022) here.
