KRAMPUS (2015)
I'm late to the party yet again. I don't remember why I didn't see Krampus upon its release. Fact is, I didn't. Get off my back. Usually, I don't make it a point to watch Christmas-themed films in December. For me, it's just another month. So basically, it's October. The only downside to enjoying twelve Octobers is you miss stuff like Krampus from time to time. I will admit, this is an impressive...family movie? The genius of Krampus is that the first act is indistinguishable from the holiday fare your mother forces you to watch every year. If this is the spooky alternative to National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, the role of Clark Griswold is played by Max. Incidentally, Max is played by Emjay Anthony. He would be fine with boughs of holly if he didn't have to endure the scourge of his aunt's family. His mom's sister's clan has invaded his safe space for a few days, and well, let's just say that Max would welcome the presence of Lampoon's Uncle Eddie. Notice that I haven't mentioned a monster yet. There is one, but we don't meet it until the atmosphere calls for it.
Right off the bat, I need to panegyrize the lighting and sound design. That's a fancy way of saying that everything looks (and sounds) great. The blizzard that batters and besieges Max's neighborhood will leave icicles hanging from your Blu-ray player. This is a PG-13 fright flick, but honestly, I didn't notice a shortfall of R-rated intensity. A side character lets slip an F-bomb, if it means that much to you. The horror isn't limited to Krampus (y'know, in Krampus), which I appreciated. We get to play with a mutant teddy bear and a particularly attitudinal drummer boy. Krampus himself, said to be the very shadow of St. Nicholas, is an effective villain. I wasn't crazy about the ending. Unfortunately, that brings us to the end of this capsule, as I wouldn't want to spoil anything for you. Of course, you've probably already seen Krampus, but still. Maybe you're as late to the party as I was. Recommended for fans of egg-based liqueur and pot-bellied chimney dwellers.
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