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So What Really Happened at the End of ‘Christmas Evil’?

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As far as Christmas horror movies are concerned, I think the best and most frightening is 1980’s Christmas Evil. It’s been compared to as the Taxi Driver at Christmas and I pretty much agree with that comparison. It’s much more of a character piece than a body count movie as you watch a man slip into insanity after becoming sick of it all and it’s really lead actor Brandon Maggart’s performance that brings it to life. He’s really intense while being both sympathetic and terrifying. But there’s something about it fans can’t seem to agree on; the ending. A friend and I were discussing it recently and we just couldn’t come to an agreement (rather than how awesome the film is) and it got me thinking and I’d love to hear what you all think, but first, let’s talk a little about the movie. Now, obviously there is going to be spoilers as we discuss this nearly 40 year old movie, but being the internet and all, I have to give a SPOILER WARNING. There. You have been warned.

To sum it up briefly, it’s about a man named Harry who was traumatized as a child and by that I mean that he saw Santa going down on his mommy, so he grows up and has become completely obsessed with Santa and idolizes the jolly ol’ elf. So much to the point where it’s rather unhealthy. Harry now works at a toy factory that’s more interested in profits than donating toys to a children’s home. All of his peers and bosses think of him as a schmuck and take advantage of his kindness. Harry also keeps tabs on the neighborhood kids, watching them and judging who’s being naughty and who’s being nice which he keeps track of in separate naughty or nice books. As the movie progresses, Harry becomes more mentally unstable, even making himself a Santa suit that he wears when he delivers the toys he stole from work in a van with a sleigh painted on it (this is actually important to remember) to a children’s home and all of the good boys and girls in his neighborhood. And then there is the part of Christmas Evil that sort of takes a turn into slasher territory as Harry gets revenge on those that have been naughty to him until he’s eventually chased down by a mob carrying torches (apparently, this town believes in hunting down criminals like they would Frankenstein’s monster) and drives off a bridge to his death.

Or was it?

Believe it or not, some say that Harry didn’t die at the end of Christmas Evil, but rather actually flew off into the night sky as Santa Claus, because the crazy ol’ cook believed so much! This is something that has divided fans of the movie for a long time. Personally, I’m on the side that believes Harry died. After you see the van begin to go off the bridge, it cuts to Harry’s brother (Jeffrey DeMunn for you Walking Dead fans) rolling down a hill and you can hear the van crashing. Now, those that believe Harry lived and became Santa will say that’s the sound of the garbage Harry’s brother is crashing into and they also will point out that as the scene carries on, you will see him look up into the sky, almost in disbelief. However, I could argue that he’s looking at the crash site, but I suppose there’s not that much Christmas whimsy in that. Take a look at the ending in the video below…

So what do you think? Do you think Harry was driven off the side of the bridge, and his sanity, to his own death or flew off that Christmas night, becoming Santa Claus? Both sides have a pretty good argument, so it really comes down to if you want a dark, but realistic ending or something a little magical, yet fits in tone with the film. I think both outcomes could work, but I guess it matters if you’re a glass is half full or empty kind of person.

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New Vampire Flick “Flesh of the Gods” Will Star Kristen Stewart and Oscar Isaac

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Kristen-Stewart-and-Oscar-Isaac

80s nostalgia is still going strong in the horror community. As proof of this, Panos Cosmatos (Mandy) is developing a new 80s themed vampire film. However, unlike some of the other nostalgia bait films that have come out recently, Flesh of the Gods is packing some serious talent.

First, the film is written by the legendary Andrew Kevin Walker (Se7en). If that wasn’t enough, the film will star Oscar Isaac (Moon Knight) and Kristen Stewart (Underwater).

Kristen Stewart
Oscar Isaac, Flesh of the Gods article

Variety gives us a glimpse into the story line, stating that: “Flesh of the Gods is set in glittering ’80s L.A., where married couple Raoul (Oscar Isaac) and Alex (Kristen Stewart) each evening descend from their luxury skyscraper condo and head into the city’s electric nighttime realm. When they cross paths with a mysterious and enigmatic figure known as Nameless and her hard-partying cabal, the pair are seduced into a glamorous, surrealistic world of hedonism, thrills and violence.”

Cosmatos offers his own opinion of the film. “Like Los Angeles itself, ‘Flesh of the Gods’ inhabits the liminal realm between fantasy and nightmare. Both propulsive and hypnotic, ‘Flesh’ will take you on a hot rod joy ride deep into the glittering heart of hell.”

Producer Adam McKay (Don’t Look Up) seems to also be excited about The Flesh of the Gods. “This director, this writer, these incredible actors, vampires, choice ’80s punk, style and attitude for miles… that’s the film we’re bringing you today. We think it’s wildly commercial and wildly artful. Our ambitions are to make a movie that ripples through popular culture, fashion, music and film. Can you tell how excited I am?”

Flesh of the Gods is set to begin filming later this year. It will launch at Cannes with WME Independent, CAA Media Finance, and XYZ Films. The Flesh of the Gods does not currently have a release date.

That’s all the information we have at this time. Make sure to check back here for more news and updates.

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The Pope’s Exorcist Officially Announces New Sequel

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The Pope’s Exorcist is one of those films that’s just fun to watch. It isn’t the most terrifying film around, but there’s something about Russel Crow (Gladiator) playing a wise cracking Catholic priest that just feels right.

Screen Gems seems to agree with this assessment, as they have just officially announced that The Pope’s Exorcist sequel is in the works. It makes sense that Screen Gems would want to keep this franchise going, considering the first film scared up almost $80 million with a budget of only $18 million.

The Pope's Exorcist
The Pope’s Exorcist

According to Crow, there may even be a The Pope’s Exorcist trilogy in the works. However, recent changes with the studio may have put the third film on hold. In a sit-down with The Six O’Clock Show, Crow gave the following statement about the project.

“Well that’s in discussion at the moment. The producers originally got the kick off from the studio not just for one sequel but for two. But there’s been a change of studio heads at the moment, so that’s going around in a few circles. But very definitely, man. We set that character up that you could take him out and put him into a lot of different circumstances.”

Crow has also stated that film’s source material involves twelve separate books. This would allow the studio to take the story in all kinds of directions. With that much source material, The Pope’s Exorcist could even rival The Conjuring Universe.

Only the future will tell what becomes of The Pope’s Exorcist. But as always, more horror is always a good thing.

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New ‘Faces of Death’ Remake Will Be Rated R For “Strong Bloody Violence and Gore”

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In a move that should surprise absolutely no one, the Faces of Death reboot has been given an R rating from the MPA. Why has the film been given this rating? For strong bloody violence, gore, sexual content, nudity, language, and drug use, of course.

What else would you expect from a Faces of Death reboot? It would honestly be alarming if the film received anything less than an R rating.

Faces of death
Faces of Death

For those unaware, the original Faces of Death film released in 1978 and promised viewers video evidence of real deaths. Of course, this was just a marketing gimmick. Promoting a real snuff film would be a terrible idea.

But the gimmick worked, and franchise lived on in infamy. The Faces of Death reboot is hoping to gain the same amount of viral sensation as its predecessor. Isa Mazzei (Cam) and Daniel Goldhaber (How to Blow Up a Pipeline) will spearhead this new addition.

The hope is that this reboot will do well enough to recreate the infamous franchise for a new audience. While we don’t know much about the film at this point, but a joint statement from Mazzei and Goldhaber gives us the following info on the plot.

“Faces of Death was one of the first viral video tapes, and we are so lucky to be able to use it as a jumping off point for this exploration of cycles of violence and the way they perpetuate themselves online.”

“The new plot revolves around a female moderator of a YouTube-like website, whose job is to weed out offensive and violent content and who herself is recovering from a serious trauma, that stumbles across a group that is recreating the murders from the original film. But in the story primed for the digital age and age of online misinformation, the question faced is are the murders real or fake?”

The reboot will have some bloody shoes to fill. But from the looks of it, this iconic franchise is in good hands. Unfortunately, the film does not have a release date at this time.

That’s all the information we have at this time. Make sure to check back here for more news and updates.

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