 Lionsgate // Buy from Amazon.comWWE wrestler Bill Goldberg (THE LONGEST YARD) stars as Santa Claus in this As a fan of both Christmas and horror flicks, I am naturally drawn to any film that attempts to combine the two. Unfortunately, the end result is usually a half-assed b-horror romp with a few Christmas-themed decorations, but really does little to truly merge the two into one solid presentation. As such, I was not expecting much from a straight-to-video release called "Santa's Slay" - much to my utter disbelief, this movie was not only a perfect melding of the two genres, but was a GOOD movie, a FUN movie, and a HOOT to watch! Starring none other than Mr. Goldberg as St. Nick, the film starts off like a hammer right between the eyes, as Santa slays a family made up of Fran Drescher, Chris Kattan and James Caan (no joke) - those first 5 minutes set the tone for the rest of the film as we learn the true backstory of the son of the devil who lost a curling match (!!) to become jolly ol' St. Nick for 1000 years. Well, the 1000 years are now up, and Santa has a millenia of bad mood to take out on the residents of a small town as he cruises around on his "Helldeer" (buffalo)-pulled sleigh. This movie is fantastic - sure, it's campy and fun, but it's production values far outweight its limited budget, as this is truly a valiant effort by all involved. I loved this film, already count it as one of my favourite b-flicks of all time, and heartily recommend it to anyone looking for something different for viewing entertainment this holiday season. Go support indie cinema! Video The film is presented in a 16x9 anamorphic widescreen transfer and is first-rate though and through. Strong colours, excellent detail, no film noise or damage - just a top-notch transfer for a top-notch film! Audio Dolby 5.1 mix is equally as impressive - while the film is mostly front-heavy, the surrounds do get a bit of a workout at various times and do their part to deliver an excellent audio presentation. Extras Closing Thoughts Absolutely hilarious Christmas horrorfest + some entertaining extras = excellent DVD for anyone interested in a movie about a homicidal Santa Claus! :: This review originally appeared on CalgaryMovies.com :: |
