Low budget, over the top, modern, stylized, somewhat frenetic, a little bit forced. Gratuitous nudity, pointedly incongruous score of largely comprised of electronic music (yes, dubstep), wholly overt but admittedly fun costume design. There's a lot going on in 'Slay belles,' and not only is it decidedly ham-fisted, but it's such an intentionally ridiculous slice of low-grade cinema that calling it a B-movie may be a bit generous. With all that said, it's also beyond question that all the inelegance (subjective and objective alike) is by design. This movie has no illusions about being anything it's not, so all that's left as a viewer is to decide whether or how much we enjoy it. For my part, I recognize this is undoubtedly an acquired taste, but I think it's a fair bit of fun.
It's gratifying that Krampus actually looks really great - I'm hardly used to creatures in features like this being even halfway decent, but here we are. Why, garish as the production generally is, everything is executed surprisingly well. From rounding details like hair, makeup, blood, gore, and special effects, to more prevalent technical aspects like direction, set decoration, filming locations, or sound design, there was an unexpected level of care put into this film. There's some definite wit and intelligence in the screenplay - dialogue, scene writing, the connection between Santa and Krampus; even the overall plot takes a turn or two I didn't anticipate. Action scenes look great, and 'Slay belles' delivers a few solid laughs along with the broad entertainment. I don't think there's anything especially remarkable about the acting, but all on hand perform admirably to bring the ridiculousness to life. That does mean a lot of chewing of scenery, and typical horror reactions of screaming, yet every now and again the cast are allowed to demonstrate a measure of their skills, and it's clear that given the opportunity, they'd prove themselves quite capable.
This is hardly going to be for everyone. I've seen other small-time horror movies with far worse production quality, but that doesn't mean this is perfect. More to the point, so much of the bombast is blunt and forthright to an extent that is surely off-putting for a lot of viewers. Whether it's the acting, stylization, music, or something else, there are a lot of elements here that walk a fine line. Still, this is a picture that knows exactly what it wanted to be, and in every way that matters, I think it very well succeeded. Anyone who appreciates silly, violent, independently produced horror comedy is likely to have a good time here. It's no exemplar of the genre, but very suitably enjoyable all the same. One needn't necessarily go out of their way to find 'Slay belles,' but it's a "jolly" good time if you come across it.
It's gratifying that Krampus actually looks really great - I'm hardly used to creatures in features like this being even halfway decent, but here we are. Why, garish as the production generally is, everything is executed surprisingly well. From rounding details like hair, makeup, blood, gore, and special effects, to more prevalent technical aspects like direction, set decoration, filming locations, or sound design, there was an unexpected level of care put into this film. There's some definite wit and intelligence in the screenplay - dialogue, scene writing, the connection between Santa and Krampus; even the overall plot takes a turn or two I didn't anticipate. Action scenes look great, and 'Slay belles' delivers a few solid laughs along with the broad entertainment. I don't think there's anything especially remarkable about the acting, but all on hand perform admirably to bring the ridiculousness to life. That does mean a lot of chewing of scenery, and typical horror reactions of screaming, yet every now and again the cast are allowed to demonstrate a measure of their skills, and it's clear that given the opportunity, they'd prove themselves quite capable.
This is hardly going to be for everyone. I've seen other small-time horror movies with far worse production quality, but that doesn't mean this is perfect. More to the point, so much of the bombast is blunt and forthright to an extent that is surely off-putting for a lot of viewers. Whether it's the acting, stylization, music, or something else, there are a lot of elements here that walk a fine line. Still, this is a picture that knows exactly what it wanted to be, and in every way that matters, I think it very well succeeded. Anyone who appreciates silly, violent, independently produced horror comedy is likely to have a good time here. It's no exemplar of the genre, but very suitably enjoyable all the same. One needn't necessarily go out of their way to find 'Slay belles,' but it's a "jolly" good time if you come across it.