Good afternoon, House of Madness Scrooges:
When you're wrong, you're wrong. It really is that simple. We spend so much time defending poor decisions, points of view, and our own actions, that we often get caught up in trying to be right instead of admitting we're wrong, just to save face with someone even though the only person we're fooling is ourselves. Did I need to buy 'Limited Edition' Bud Light? No, but arguing with my wife that the taste is crisper, and the case will someday be a collector's item seems easier than admitting I paid $10 extra for a shitty beer, simply because I thought the commercial was funny. Do I need to say I hate 80's music when I secretly bust out my Pet Shop Boys CD's? No, but living in PSB denial seems simpler than singing along with 'West End Girls' in public. Do I need to act disgusted when someone says they're thinking Arby's, even though I'd easily crush three roast beef sandwiches if nobody was looking? Of course not, but who really wants to be known as the friend that likes Arby's? Sometimes enough is enough, and you just need to come clean.
I've been enjoying Christmas horror movies. There, I said it. As you can tell by some of my reviews, I certainly haven't enjoyed all of them, but the more I expand my holiday horizons, the more I realize 'tis the season to be honest. Now, to be fair to myself, I did preview "Violent Night" here last month and I said it looked like a lot of fun, but I had my usual Christmas horror cynicism running strong in the background, and figured I'd be disappointed when I finally got to see it. Was I ever pleased to be wrong for a change, and instead of doubling down and depriving people of potential enjoyment, I'm happy to admit my mental misgivings, and shout from the hoove-covered rooftops the absolute pleasure and joy I was filled with while Santa brought the gory cheer I didn't know I was missing. I won't bother going into too much detail, as my original writing on this film provides enough context, but I will say that everything I thought "Violent Night" wasn't going to be, ended up being just that and SO much more. David Harbour is brilliant as the jaded, drunken, violent Santa Claus, but the film still manages to capture the true essence of Christmas, while it ramps up the laughter and blood smear to an 11 on the "Spinal Tap" meter. From Christmas ornaments impaling eyeballs, to a skull crushing sledgehammer, the kills come fast and furious, all while Santa struggles to decide who's been naughty, and who's been downright deplorable. I enjoyed this so much that it will not only become a fixture in my yearly Christmas movie routine, but it may have just earned a spot near the very top of the list. Sorry "Reindeer Games", I'm just not ready yet.
Madness Meter: 7.9/10
NB
