Film genres have formulas and rules, but how well do films follow those formulas?
RULE #1
There will be no warning...
"O holy night the stars are brightly shining
It is the night of our dear Savior's birth
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth"
~ Oh Holy Night.
~ Oh Holy Night.
... for the characters in the Christmas horror film.
1a. Eerie - There will be no warning, but there will strangeness or weird vibe, especially via the use of ironic or creepy Christmas carols. Carollers may be singing just before the killer arrives at a house.
1b. Creepy guy - There may be a known creepy guy around, but not enough to say a killing spree is about to start.
1c. Foreshadowing animal death - If there's a nearby woods, then maybe a dead reindeer, otherwise a pet may be found dead.
RULE #2
Sex & Nudity.
Been an awful good girl
Santa baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight"
~ Santa Baby.
~ Santa Baby.
Pretty much the usual nudity horror nudity rules apply, except in the case of the rare milder horror movies aimed more at children.
2a. Nudity -
i. Female Nudity - Usually some female nudity (or scant clothing), especially from the victims.
ii. Male Nudity - Some, usually less the the females.
iii. Nudity Equals Death - See Rule 6b.
iv. Public vs Private Nudity - There will be public "transgressive" nudity (skinny dipping), however the private nudity (changing clothes, showering) will be salacious and not feature the eventual survivors (even though they must do those things)
2b. Sex -
i. Death - In most cases sex will mean eventual death. See Rule 6a.
ii. Random Sex - Some will be, expecially Christmas party drunk sex.
iii. Relationship Sex - Even relationship sex will be seen as bad (the eventually survivors won't have it on-screen and may even have to wait until after the film).
iv. Rape - Rape probably won't happen. May be part of the back-story as an instigating incident for the killer. The killer may even save a character from being raped, killing the potential rapist.
RULE #3
Characters.
Underneath the mistletoe last night.
She didn't see me creep
Down the stairs to have a peek;
She thought I was tucked
Up in my bedroom fast asleep"
~ I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus.
~ I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus.
A few of the following will appear:
3a. Potential Killers or Victims
i. The Grinch - someone who hates Christmas, or at the very least dislikes it and probably not too happy with their life. They may become the creepy killer (to stop Christmas) or be only one who sees the danger.
ii. The Christmas Obsessed - Someone Who Inflicts Christmas Cheer on Others. They may be the creepy killer (because people aren't living up to their Christmas standards). Probably a pious victim.
iii. The Religious Nut - May be 3a(i) (hate the commercialisation and partying), 3a(ii) (inflicts not just cheer but religion), or both (hates modern Christmas, inflicts religion).
iv. An Inappropriate Santa Impersonator - usually a drunk. Either the creepy killer or a victim of him.
v. Evil Orphan - with a history of abuse. May be the killer.
vi. Good Kids - Seem to be endangered, but the killer may let them live. May accidentally, or deliberately, protect a killer Santa.
vii. Bad Kids - Endangered and in rare cases die.
viii. Partiers - not just celebrating Christmas but over indulging. They could be the horror standard sex and drugs partying teens or adults letting loose at a Christmas party.
ix. The Bimbo - Dumb, blond and female equates to slut. However, more than just being sexually active she is most likely to be dumb and blond. And probably has the biggest breasts. May dress as sexy Santa and thus make herself a victim of the killer.
x. The Sloppy Drunk - While horror films, including these films have partying drunks, a Christmas film will also have a sloppy drunk (possibly a Santa impersonator iv). This character will most likely replace the stoners
3b. Standard Horror Trope Victims
i. The Nerdy/Funny Guy – The more annoying/cowardly/sleazy the character is, the sooner he dies.
ii. Macho jerks - The more bullying they do, the sooner they will probably be killed, the more sensitive they are the longer they last (and may become 3b(iv)).
iii. The Strong Female Character - Not dumb enough or sexual enough to be considered a bimbo (although my do some dumb things or may be sexually active in a more positive way).
iv. The Protector - This is usually an older male character. Possibly the one giving warnings (Rule 1b) either Elderly and Insane, or an Obsessed Expert. If the character is too crazy they may die early, maybe even as the set-up death. If not they may last until near the end or even survive. He may appear near the beginning of the film, and only reappear when needed near the end. While he will save the characters, it will be at great expense and may be killed, appear to be killed or be very badly injured defending them.
v. The Sensitive Guy - This character will act as a possible love interest for a female character. His chances of survival may be inversely proportional to on how much he hits on her.
xi. Animals – These purely innocent characters will usually survive. May be a foreshadowing kill, like a pet or a reindeer.
3c. Standard Christmas Film Filler Characters
i. Carollers - more hated than normal. Will disappear just before a killing.
ii. Silver-haired jovial old person - in thick woolly jumpers or sweaters.
iii. Someone with a secret - in horror films it may be abuse or a connection to the killer.
iv. Stressed Young Female -in horror films more likely to be targeted.
v. The Single - Either happily single and hassled by family because of it, or desperate for a relationship. There is no in-between.
vi. Someone Career Obsessed - Who is missing the true meaning of Christmas while they are on the phone, also missing signs they are in danger.
vii. Grumpy Old (usually) Man - Possibly 3a(i) or 3a(ii).
viii. Sassy Old (usually) Woman - Possibly 3a(ii).
RULE #4
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
That only comes this time of year
Simply having a wonderful Christmas time
Simply having a wonderful Christmas time"
~ Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time.
4a. Carols - The film will begin and end with carols. As noted in 1a, this will give a creepy air to the film.
4b. Christmas Eve - The film will begin in the Lead up to Christmas, the killings will occur on Christmas Eve, and end, finally, on Christmas Morning.
4c. Christmas is the real monster - Over commercialisation, stress, etc, will all be targets of critcism.
4d. Twisted Christmas title - The title will include the word Christmas or a common Christmas phrase or reference, but will put a creepy twist on it.
RULE #5
People will die when they go…
"But say a prayer, to pray for the other ones
At Christmastime
It's hard, but when you're having fun
There's a world outside your window
And it's a world of dread and fear
Where the only water flowing is the bitter sting of tears"
~ Do They Know It's Christmas Time?
5a. Down to the Basement - Dark, dangerous, seldom used and few easy exits.
5b. Upstairs - The exit to multiple story buildings are on the ground floor. Going upstairs limits escape routes to dangerous window and roof exits.
5c. For a Shower - Showering requires being naked (Rule 6b) and in most cases alone (Rule 5f). If the character is not alone, Rule 6b counts double.
5d. Into old sheds or out buildings - Think of these as outside basements.
5e. Running off to the “safety” of the forest - The forest isn’t safe, and the character is probably alone (Rule 5f), being cowardly (Rule 6g) and in danger of tripping and falling (Rule 7d).
5f. Anywhere alone - Splitting up is bad. Going anywhere alone just allows the character to be picked off one-by-one.
5g. Anywhere Remote, Isolated or Confined - Cabins in the woods, spacecraft, anywhere that you are in a small pick-offable group
5h. Any Old, Abandoned or Presumably Haunted Buildings - That's where evil lives.
RULE #6
Death will be a punishment for...
"He's making a list
He's checking it twice
He's gonna find out
Who's naughty or nice"
~ Santa Claus Is Coming to Town.
...being on the naughty list. Beyond the usual punishment for transgression, the killers in Halloween horrors will often have a more "naughty or nice" way of determining who will die.
6a. Sex - If you have sex you will die. Woman are being punished for being slutty and men for being undeserving of the sex they get. Bonus points for death during sex or while naked.
6b. Nudity - However, nudity also is punishable by death. This goes hand-in-hand with sex=death in a lot of cases, but also just nudity itself can be punished. The more “unnatural” the nudity the bigger the punishment. Skinny dipping, for example, will be more likely to result in death then showering naked. Note, however, even a shower is unsafe and it often said that showering=death. Obviously, everybody baths or changes clothes, however, if a character is shown doing so the more likely the are to die.
6c. Drinking - A time of binging, and thus will have a lot of drunks.
6d. Drugs - Drugs are even worse, drinking is far more socially acceptable than drugs. The altered state of being drunk or stoned may, of course, lead to unknowingly walking directly into their death.
6e. Hitchhiking - Accepting a lift, even with someone you know, will get you killed. Giving someone a lift can almost be as bad. There are entire films built around the premise.
6f. Other Criminal Behaviour - Pretty obvious and direct. May include actual criminals like muggers or burglars.
6g. Annoying/Cowardly/Sleazy/Grumpy/Rude - Sure these aren’t actual crimes, but it is satisfying for the writer, audience and possibly killer to see an annoying person die.
6h. Being a Bystander - More so in slasher films where there is more likely to be a group of potential victims, the Christmas horror will have more opportunity victims, being first introduced in the scene they're killed, or close to it.
RULE #7
Especially When They Are Most Needed, The Following Things Cannot Be Relied On…
"Through the years we all will be together
If the fates allow
Hang a shining star upon the highest place
So have yourself a merry little Christmas"
~ Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.
...Anything. But especially:
7a. Communications devices - Phones, Radios, and Mobile Phones, these are usually the first things to fail.
7b. Lighting - First the lights will go. Then the flashlights/torches and candles. Banging on the flashlight may or may not fix them briefly. The flashing of Christmas lights may be the only lighting.
7c. Vehicular Transport - Any vehicle that does not break down getting you into this situation, will in the most cliché way possible fail to start when needed.
7d. Your Own Legs - Stumbling and falling will happen when being chased.
7e. The Authorities – The police and other authorities will not believe the crazy claims of the heroes. Once they believe, the will be out in force, but make fatal mistakes (kill Santa-impersonators instead of the evil Santa.)
7f. Weapons – Obviously, weapons will break or fail in a crucial moment during the showdown.
7g. Escape Routes - Especially Bridges and tunnels.
RULE #8
The Killer has a Connection to…
"I knew that God had sent that little boy
To remind me just what Christmas is all about."
~ The Christmas Shoes
...Christmas.
8a. The Killer will either be:
i. a slasher/serial killer killing in the guise of Santa or some other Christmas character.
ii. the actual Santa or some other Christmas character, who is for some reason an evil killer, probably due to a misunderstanding of the original myth.
8b. The Killer will have:
i. Specific rules about who to kill (naughty or nice).
ii. A Specific Look - as justified by what they are (dressed as, or actually, a Christmas character)
iii. A Specific Weapon - Especially an axe, although anything that comes to hand, especially the things with a Christmas connection.
iv. To be killed the twice - In Horror and Action films the Bad Guy will be down and defeated, clearly dead. And, while then when everyone feels safe they will attack again. In Horror films this may occur a number of times, including the final scare.
8c. Other
i. The Camera - at some point the audience will be shown things from the killer's POV, or close-ups of part the POV. (Then again, the killer POV may not be "honest")
RULE #9
The End.
"On on they send,
On without end,
Their joyful tone
To every home."
~ Carol of the Bells.
9a. Happy Ending - More likely to have a happy ending than the standard horror film. The killer and a lot of other people are dead, but the survivors are together on Christmas morning.
9b. Evil Lives - After all is said and done there will be a final scare for the audience (that the characters may not be aware of). This is often accused of being a sequel hook, but is in reality to create a lingering fear in the audience.
9c. Evil is Immortal - May have begun as immortal being that the legends are based upon.
RULE #10
Sequels and Remakes
"Christmas Eve will find me
Where the lovelight gleams
I'll be home for Christmas
If only in my dreams"
~ I'll Be Home For Christmas.
Christmas horror films are often cult successes (the premise alone will make give them major "so bad they're good" points) rather than box office hits.
10a. Sequels - Because of their cult success they will rarely have sequels. On very rare occasions they may be "at Christmas" sequels to other horror films. Also more likely to be in-name-only Christmas Horror sequels.
10b. Remakes - Because of their cult status they may have an inexplicably more serious minded remake.
10c. Anthologies - May be a segment in a horror anthology.
FILMS
- Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984) [Slasher test]
- Black Christmas (1974) [Slashe test]
- Silent Night, Deadly Night part 2 (1987) [Slasher test]
- Futher Silent Night, Deadly Night sequels and remake.
- Black Christmas (2006) remake.
- Home For the Holidays (1972)
- Christmas Evil (1980)
- To All A Good Night (1980)
- Gremlins (1984) and sequel.
- Elves (1989)
- Santa Claws (1996)
- Jack Frost (1997) and sequel.
- Puppet Master vs Demonic Toys (2004)
- Santa's Slay (2005)
- P2 (2007)
- The Children (2008)
- Rare Exports (2010)
- Krampus (2015) and sequel.
- Better Watch Out (2016)
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