‘It’s A Wonderful Knife‘ is a fun, albeit twisted, take on Frank Capra’s 1947 holiday classic, It’s a Wonderful Life. We all know the story. Good ol’ George Bailey’s problems start adding up, and he wonders if the town would have been better off without him. As he considers jumping from a bridge, an angel appears, showing him what things would be like if he hadn’t been around to do all his good deeds, and ultimately leaving him with a new lease on life. It’s a sincerely touching story. A true cinematic gem that will live on for generations to come. 

‘It’s A Wonderful Knife’ is not that kind of film. It won’t cause you to think deeply about your life, or bring you some moral epiphany in any way, shape, or form. It’s a bloody slasher film with a clever twist, that’s here to do one thing, and one thing only. Entertain horror fans for the holidays. You can read the synopsis below:

“Winnie’s life is less than wonderful one year after saving her town from a psychotic killer on Christmas Eve. When she wishes she was never born, she finds herself magically transported to a nightmarish parallel universe. With the murderous maniac now back, she must team up with a misfit to identify the culprit and get back to her own reality.”

Written by Michael Kennedy and directed by Tyler MacIntyre, ‘It’s A Wonderful Knife’ stars Jane Widdop (Yellowjackets), Joel McHale (Deliver Us from Evil), and genre stalwart Justin Long (Barbarian). Recently, we had the opportunity to chat with Jane about their leading role, and the film in general! 

iHorror: Hi, Jane. How are you doing?

I’m good, how are you, Joshua?

I’m good! Pleasure to speak with you. So, you have a movie coming out, IT’S A WONDERFUL KNIFE!

I do, I do. A lovely play on words!

What can you tell us about it? Without spoiling too much. 

Winnie is a teenage girl, and you would think everything is great in her life. She loves photography, she wants to go to NYU. She’s at a Christmas party with all of her best friends and the whole school, and it ends up that her best friend is attacked by this crazy serial killer dressed up in an angel costume. I end up running after her because I want to save her, and the angel comes after me. My brother and I chase it and fight it off, and I kill him. 

Fast forward a year later, Winnie is super depressed, PTSD, but it seems like everybody else has just moved on, and are just living their lives and I’m still stuck in the past where I was a year ago. Things really go downhill for Winnie, she makes a wish, and surprise, surprise- she ends up in an alternate reality, and has to defeat the killer, yet again.

The film also stars Justin Long, and Joel McHale. What was it like working with them?

It was so good. Both of these actors are so crazy funny, and crazy good, and are both veterans in their field. It was just amazing to watch. Everything is a bit with Joel. He could be drinking water, and it could be a bit. It’s just how he is. So, it was really cool to see what bits he used for this character, and he was so dad mode. That’s just Joel. He has so many good zingers. 

Justin is just so good. He’s so immersive in every character that  he plays. He uses the costumes, the veneers, the wig, everything, to influence the character. Being able to watch that was so, so cool. This man can go off for days, just on a random topic while in character. It was so cool to be able to watch.  Also, Catherine Isabelle is an amazing horror icon. She was incredible to work with. 

What was the vibe like on set, did you all get along?

Oh, for sure. I feel like we were all a little family. It was the most team-like set that I’ve ever been on. We really all worked together, and wanted everything to be at its best. We gave 110% every single day, and that was really cool to be a part of, to feel like this little unit. 

It’s funny, Joel and Justin never met before. With all their circles you would think they might have met. As soon as they met they were like instant best friends. 

When the whole cast and the director vibe, and everybody gets along, it gives another dimension to the film. 

It does. We were having our producers and director and wonderful writer in the greenroom with us between takes, eating food with us, or telling a story, or going over the script again. It was cool that they were so hands on. It allowed for us to be like, what if I do it this way, or put in this line? They were always so receptive.

The film is a nice little play on the classic , It’s a Wonderful Life. Did you watch that before filming to brush up on it?

Oh, yeah. I’ve seen it. It was one of those (films) my family always put on during the holidays, but I watched it probably five, or six times for this. Also, just because I loved it so much, it was nice to have an excuse to be able to watch it so many times. It’s one of my girlfriend’s favorite films, so it was nice that we cozy up in the middle of March and watch a Christmas film. 

Okay, so if you had to sell us the movie in one sentence, what would you say?

You should watch it because it has a heartwarming gooey center, which not a lot of films have. Also, it’s really queer, which not a lot of films have. 

Awesome! I do have one more question for you, Jane. A lot of people know you as Laura Lee  from Yellowjackets. What was that experience like?

That was so good! It’s crazy. When I first read the pilot, that was fall 2019, and I was seventeen years old at the time, the same age as Laura Lee. That was really cool, to feel like I was in those shoes, at that time. Obviously, it wasn’t in the ’90s. (Laughing.) Once we got picked up and we were in Canada, that was the first time I ever lived away from home for that long. All of them really took me under their wing. All of the other Yellowjackets. The one who’s the next oldest up from me is Sophie Thatcher, and she’s, like, 23. 

So, there was a bit of a jump, and I felt so loved and appreciated, even though I was the baby. I was expecting to be shunned, but I wasn’t. I was taken in, and felt like I was at home. I loved the script, ever since I read the pilot I was on board. I loved the mystery of it. I loved that Laura Lee was able to have this really strong, brave moment in season one, because I was supposed to die in the plane crash. 

I was really just grateful for every day that I was able to be on set. I loved how they were able to do flashbacks so well. I think that’s really hard to do and they nailed it. The soundtrack is amazing. Everything about the show is amazing, and being able to do it when I was young, and just being able to have that experience – I’ll remember it for the rest of my life. I’m so grateful for that. 

We really appreciate your time, Jane! Thank you so much!

You can catch Jane in IT’S A WONDERFUL KNIFE, streaming December 1st on Shudder, AMC+, and VOD, courtesy of RLJE Films!

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Psycho II, released in 1983, is a sequel to Alfred Hitchcock’s iconic 1960 film Psycho. While the original Psycho is widely regarded as a classic and one of the greatest horror films ever, Psycho II has developed its own following and has proven to be a fan favorite of the series over the years!

Psycho II benefits from a compelling storyline that picks up over two decades after the original film’s events. Norman Bates, played again by Anthony Perkins, is released from a mental institution and attempts to reintegrate into society. The film explores themes of rehabilitation, forgiveness, and the consequences of Norman’s actions. The narrative is crafted with enough twists and turns to keep audiences engaged, and it offers a fresh perspective on the character of Norman Bates, which was a fantastic attribute to the film’s success, in my opinion.

Ultimately, the strong following of Psycho II can be attributed to a combination of a well-crafted storyline, Anthony Perkins’ captivating performance, and the film’s ability to pay homage to the classic original while taking the narrative in a new and intriguing direction. While not achieving the same acclaim as Hitchcock’s masterpiece, Psycho II has earned its place as a respected sequel within the horror genre.

Filmmaker Tom Holland released an all-new 176-page book, Oh Mother, What Have You Done? The book is now available from Holland House Entertainment. The book, authored by Tom Holland, contains unpublished memoirs by the late Psycho II director Richard Franklin and conversations with the film’s editor, Andrew London. This book will offer fans a unique glimpse into the continuation of the beloved Psycho film franchise.

I was offered the chance to speak to Tom Holland about his new book, and I leaped at the opportunity to interact with the man responsible for creating some heavily memorable films in cinematic history. Despite Tom’s evident talent, he remains remarkably humble, and it was a pleasure speaking with him. During our conversation, we spoke about his new book and much more! We hope that you enjoy it.

Oh Mother, What Have You Done? is available now in both hardback and paperback through Amazon and at Terror Time. (for copies autographed by Tom Holland).

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In essence, the popularity of Christmas horror films can be attributed to how they play with established holiday norms, offering a fresh and sometimes unsettling perspective that captures the imagination of audiences during the festive season. I, for one, cannot get enough of Christmas Horror, and I am excited to see new titles released yearly.

Speaking of the new Christmas Horror, a new film, It’s A Wonderful Knife, opened in theaters on November 10th, 2023. It will stream on Shudder on AMC+, and everywhere you rent movies soon.

Film Synopsis – “After saving her town from a psychotic killer, Winnie Carruthers’ life is less than wonderful. When she wishes she’d never been born, she finds herself in a nightmare parallel universe where, without her, things could be much, much worse.”

It’s A Wonderful Knife will bring moviegoers quality gore and holiday cheer, an enjoyable Christmas slasher.

I was fortunate enough to speak to Director Tyler MacIntyre about his new Christmas Horror flick. We discussed how the film came about, holiday horror films, the relationship between writing and directing, and much more!

Tyler MacIntyre – BIO

TYLER MACINTYRE–Director Originally from Canada, Tyler MacIntyre is a Los Angeles-based director with a passion for creating genre films with a unique voice. His first feature, PATCHWORK, debuted on Netflix in 2015, while his sophomore film, TRAGEDY GIRLS, has become a cult classic after its successful premiere at SXSW in 2017. In 2020, Tyler directed GOOD BOY (starring Judy Greer) for Hulu and Blumhouse, then went on to write and direct a segment of the acclaimed horror anthology V/H/S/99, which premiered at the TorontoInternationalFilm Festival before its release in October 2022, becoming the biggest premiere ever for AMC Shudder. Most recently, Tyler co-created the series MIXTAPE MASSACRE, which is in development with Sony Television, and is excited for the release of IT’S A WONDERFUL KNIFE for the 2023 holiday season.

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