Each month, our family chooses two themes that correlate with the time of year. This month, we chose “Holiday Horror” and “Be Careful what You Vote For…”. “Holiday Horror” are horror movies that take place during the holiday season. This theme is a great bridge between the horror movies of October and the hopefulness that Christmas brings. Also, this year is an election year. Elections have consequences. As a result, we should always vote to maximize individual rights. After all, without rights, we have no real democracy as society either skids towards a oligarchy, wherein a few rich individuals control the direction of government, or some sort of authoritarian, where a single party, through a strong man, imposes his will with an iron fist. So, to celebrate these two themes, we have watched the following so far this month:

1. V for Vendetta (2005)

My favorite movie about the people taking back power, V for Vendetta is about a masked anarchist attempting to exact revenge against his captors while defeating authoritarianism along the way. V is based upon Alan Moore’s graphic novel of the same name. This movie illustrates how bad actors can use (or engineer then use) nationally tragedy to consolidate power. In times of uncertainty — hard times — people want the government to “make sense” and “restore order” to the chaos. This theme runs throughout American history as we slip further from a free society. Easy examples include the revocation of habeas corpus during the American Civil War, the internment of Japanese citizens during World War II, the expansion of domestic surveillance after the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks, or the use of the military to quell civil unrest. In the end, V turns out to be “all of us”, meaning we all of an individual responsibility to hold off the overreach of tyrants and their cohorts. V for Vendetta is rated R but should be mandatory watching for all.

Sexual Content: 1/5	Violence/Gore: 5/5	Profanity: 2/5
Alcohol/Drug Use: 1/5	Frightening/Intense Scenes: 3/5	Category: 2a

2. Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 (1987)

Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 is a cult classic. The movie spends the first half of the movie recapping the first. Then it depicts the carnage of this movie’s antagonist. The “GARBAGE DAY” scene is largely why this movie reached cult status. Overall, it is not a very good movie. But, it definitely has its unique charm worthy of a watch (and rewatch) if you one some offbeat Christmas movies. This is an R rated movie with some interesting, but mostly hilarious, kills.

Sexual Content: 3/5	Violence/Gore: 3/5	Profanity: 3/5
Alcohol/Drug Use: 0/5	Frightening/Intense Scenes: 3/5	Category 2b

3. Anna and the Apocalypse (2017)

Anna and the Apocalypse is a musical about a high school student, Anna, fighting zombies with her friends and frenemies. The songs are catchy. The action is steady. But, the movie did not speak to me. Despite intended to be a comedy, laughs were nonexistent. This R-rated zombie flick is easily forgettable with really no memorable scenes. The movie did have a talented cast, being led by Ella Hunt, whose career took off in 2024 with three credits to her name. I will likely never watch this movie again.

Sexual Content: 1/5	Violence/Gore: 4/5	Profanity: 3/5
Alcohol/Drug Use: 0/5	Frightening/Intense Scenes: 2/5	Category: 3

4. Thankskilling 3 (2012)

Thankskilling 3 is the sequel to the cult hit, Thankskilling. Thankskilling is about a mythical turkey going on a killing spree. The bizarre, tongue-in-cheek, black comedy had our antagonist turkey brutalizing unsuspecting and extremely naive people in its quest to exact whatever ancient horror the plot needed it to avenge. The movie is not good is definitely a good time. On the other hand, the crowdfunded Thankskilling 3 is just a pile of garbage. The charm and over-the-top nature of the first was excised from the sequel and exchanged with this strange, meta movie about the turkey trying to destroy the last remaining copy of Thankskilling 2. It starred a weird array of puppets that largely came off like a low budget, public television children’s program instead of a low budge sequel to a bizarre, yet fun, horror black comedy. Do not watch this litter-leftovers of a movie.

Sexual Content: 3/5	Violence/Gore: 2/5	Profanity: 5/5
Alcohol/Drug Use: 0/5	Frightening/Intense Scenes: 0/5	Category: 3

5. Escape from New York (1981)

John Carpenter and Kurt Russell teamed up for the first time to give us one of the greatest anti-heroes of all time, Snake Plissken. In the R-rated, Escape from New York, Snake is sent into the penal colony, New York City, to rescue the President and a precious tape before a global summit. Along the way, Snake interacts with a stacked cast before he eventually sticks it to the man after the man first sticks it to him. John Carpenter’s movies, generally, were much maligned at the time of release (for example, The Thing, They Live, and Big Trouble in Little China). However, many are considered necessary viewing, cult classics, masterpieces, and top movies of all time. John Carpenter’s Escape from New York take place in an alternative “future” of 1997 where the United States becomes a police state. He fights back unapologetically, showing us a “true American hero” in the face of the failing authoritarian government. He walks off into darkness, living the world just a smidge brighter indicating that progress is slow.

Sexual Content: 2/5	Violence/Gore: 3/5	Profanity: 4/5
Alcohol/Drug Use: 1/5	Frightening/Intense Scenes: 3/5	Category: 2a

6. Black Sheep (1996)

Black Sheep is the David Spade/Chris Farley follow up to Tommy Boy. The movie depicts Chris Farley trying to help his brother become the next governor of Washington. It is simply a by the numbers physical comedy. Though not as good as Tommy Boy, it has enough laughs and entertainment value as David Spade and Chris Farley cascade through comedic chaos. This PG-13 movie is definitely targeted towards a younger teen audience. Its jokes just do not land the same for the older audience. But, it is about seeking elective office and campaigning.

Sexual Content: 0/5	Violence/Gore: 2/5	Profanity: 2/5
Alcohol/Drug Use: 1/5	Frightening/Intense Scenes: 0/5	Category: 2b

7. Children of Men (2006)

Children of Men is intense, raw, and terrifying. The central premise of the movie revolves around the first human birth in over 18 years in an authoritarian society. Britain, one of the last bastions of western civilization, wages war against refugees that fled to Britain to escape the horrors of the rest of the world. Factions seek control over the first human baby knowing that possession is power while others seek to smuggle the mother and child to safety. The camera work and longshots bring any viewer into the visceral horror of this hellish world. Each action piece is followed by a quiet moment for you, the viewer, to collect your thoughts and reflect on the chaos. This movie is an ode to the “us and them” mentality that permeates authoritarian regimes. This movie is rated R and is definitely a sobering tale of the horrors of government playing on the fears of the masses. The movie is based upon the 1992 novel of the same name.

Sexual Content: 2/5	Violence/Gore: 5/5	Profanity: 5/5
Alcohol/Drug Use: 1/5	Frightening/Intense Scenes: 5/5	Category: 1

8. Gingerdead Man (2005)

Gingerdead Man is another bizarre entry by Full Moon Features. Full Moon is most well known for making (in)famous, low budget, IP films. Each of its franchises are, to some extent, cult hits. Most have some over-the-top attribute that makes them memorable. Gingerdead Man, about a voodoo, Frankenstein, blood imbued, rise-from-the-ashes gingerbread man, which is an infamous recently executed serial killer, seeking revenge on the girl that led to his capture and escape. The movie is horrible. It lacks the campy charm of other Full Moon films. Yet, Gingerdead Man did launch a franchise, as well as crossing over into other Full Moon Features.

Sexual Content: 1/5	Violence/Gore: 2/5	Profanity: 4/5
Alcohol/Drug Use: 1/5	Frightening/Intense Scenes: 1/5	Category: 3

9. Christmas Evil (1980)

Christmas Evil, also known as You Better Watch Out, is a three-act movie. The first movie is about a toymaker that has a complicated relationship with the Christmas holiday. The movie then becomes a horror movie where our main character, viewing himself as Santa Claus, punishes the “naughty” men and women. Lastly, the movie turns into also a Frankenstein film where the main character is haunted down by mobs with torches. Brandon Maggart perfectly plays the psychotic Santa Claus. You feel compassion for him despite him carrying out horrendous murders. The movie is bookended by the famous poem, “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas”. John Waters names this as one of his essential yearly Christmas movies.

Sexual Content: 1/5	Violence/Gore: 4/5	Profanity: 2/5
Alcohol/Drug Use: 1/5	Frightening/Intense Scenes: 2/5	Category: 2b

10. Dead End (2003)

Dead End is a smart, low budget holiday horror film. You could argue that this movie was a single scene film, featuring a family taking a shortcut to grandma’s house on Christmas Eve. The family is soon stalked by a ghostly woman in a white dress. The movie has a deep psychological element that is more haunting than the supernatural events playing out on the screen. This movie has an interesting twist that will make you ponder your life and the road that you are currently travel. I strongly suggest watching this R-rated film.

Sexual Content: 2/5	Violence/Gore: 3/5	Profanity: 3/5
Alcohol/Drug Use: 2/5	Frightening/Intense Scenes: 4/5	Category: 2b