Sure 'It's a Wonderful Life' is a classic, but does it have blood-thirsty living snowmen or a satanic Santa Claus?
A Christmas Carol, It's a Wonderful Life, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas, these are all holiday classics that have been enjoyed for generations. But isn't it time for a change?
Instead of watching the usual seasonal fare, why not deck the halls with a little less holly and a bit more horror?
Here are seven of the craziest, most murderous holiday flicks to watch this Christmas! Just a heads up: You probably shouldn't watch these with your kids.
Jack Frost (1997)
In this ridiculous campy cult classic, which takes place in the town of Snowmonton, serial killer Jack Frost is being transported to his execution when the police van crashes into a "genetic research" truck full of… genetics? It's not really clear. However, they mysterious substance kills Jack and causes his body to fuse with the snow. Soon, he comes back to life as a vengeful, murderous snowman.
Black Christmas (1974)
Considered to be part of the first wave of modern slasher flicks, Black Christmas takes place inside a sorority house and follows a group of terrified sisters who are killed off by a mysterious murderer that may or may not be living in secret inside the house (spoiler: He is). It was remade in 2006, but the original is far more festive.
Gremlins (1984)
This beloved horror comedy follows a young man named Billy, who gets an adorable, furry creature known as a "mogwai" for Christmas, and names it Gizmo. Through a series of mishaps, Gizmo spawns several evil mogwais who turn into murderous, reptilian gremlin monsters. However, the most disturbing part is when Billy's love interest, Kate, tells a chilling, upsetting story about her childhood in which she reveals that her father broke his neck at Christmas when he dressed up like Santa and tried to climb down the chimney as a surprise for the family. This scene scarred a lot of kids back in the day.
Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984)
When Billy Chapman was five years old, he saw his family brutally murdered by a criminal dressed as Santa Claus. He is moved into a Catholic orphanage run by a vicious, cold-hearted nun who torments the children and doles out violent punishments with glee. As a result Billy grows up to be a spree-killing lunatic, because of course he does. That is literally the only way that kind of childhood could turn out.
The Gingerdead Man (2005)
Simply put, The Gingerdead Man is a totally bonkers movie. An executed serial killer's ashes are combined with gingerbread mix by his evil witch mother, and when the mix is used to create a giant gingerbread man, the cookie comes to life and is infused with the serial killer's soul. Also, the murderous cinnamon snack is voiced by the incomparable Gary Busey.
Batman Returns (1992)
While not exactly a horror film, Batman Returns is much creepier than you might remember. It features the slimiest Batman villain (Danny DeVito's Penguin), one of Christopher Walken's more chilling performances, and even depicts Batman flat out murdering a bunch of bad guys. You don't remember Batman being a cold-blooded killer? In the film, Batman burns a man alive with the flame exhaust on the Batmobile, and later he shoves dynamite down a goon's pants and pushes him into an open man hole where he explodes -- all with a smile on his face.
Santa's Slay (2005)
In this bonkers dark comedy, Santa is basically the Antichrist and he is also very creative in finding gory ways to kill people. The first 10 minutes of the movie make it a holiday horror classic all on their own. It would be a shame to give too much away, but it involves some of the funniest, weirdest celeb cameos you could cram into a film, and also some of the most gruesome and totally insane slasher flick kills you could ever hope for in a movie called Santa's Slay.