Dismembering Christmas (2015) User Reviews

Cliché Horror Movie

[vitnamee · 3/10 · 12 October 2015]

If you were looking for a generic horror movie this is it. I would like to call BS on most of the deaths. I say that because even a modestly aware person would notice a potential threat coming.

******spoiler**** I reference the snowman death, are you telling me that a killer is able to sneak up on the character coming from the person's front? One may cite blocked line of sight, but really, its like if a killer was fat and trying to hide behind a twig.

Another ***spoiler*** clichés like watch alarm going off randomly when hiding from said killer is very lame. One last bull crap that urked me was when one character, sees their friend get killed, runs out of the house... then stops may 30 feet from the house to take a breather...

I say I am a horror junkie and some films are going to be subpar, but I would think that directors would try to be smart about it.

Not the present I wanted, but it'll do.

[Greenzombidog · 4/10 · 13 September 2016]

This seasonal slasher has a group of friends stay at a cabin in the woods for the holidays. Little do they know a killer is lurking in the forest waiting to kill them off one by one.

Dismembering Christmas brings nothing new to the genre but does somethings well. The snowy setting and Christmas decorations along with the characters clothes all make this feel very Christmassy, really making the seasonal slasher work. Another plus for the film is some of the hand-held camera work. In particular the drinking scene is very well done with the camera swooping around the whole group as they enjoy themselves. Another scene where one of the characters is trying to sneak passed the killer and the camera hides along with our protagonist giving us a little peek of the killer is well done.

The acting is real hit and miss. To be fair most of the cast do a good job with one or two exceptions. But the bad ones are bad. The dialogue is okay, I've definitely heard worse. The sound though is an abomination, Spiking and dropping sometimes during the same scene it's really off putting. The kills are okay a couple off screen but the ones you do see are pretty good a done with practical effects. The editing is all over the place sometimes it really ruins the flow of a scene.

The biggest mistake for me comes in the final scene of the movie when the final girl finally gets the baddie. This moment has the worst sound and the worst editing. Also the blood should be spraying from the bottom of the shot instead it's coming from the side, you can even see a black tube spraying the blood at the actresses face. I can't believe how shambolic this last scene is and that's what the movie ends on.

Dismembering Christmas isn't a terrible film. It does somethings really well but fails on other respects and it's this that's most disappointing. It could easily have been a much better movie if more care had been taking with some aspects.

I said, "WTF!" at least 20 times.

[kimheniadis · 3/10 · 15 January 2016]

I really wanted to like this film, and while I didn't hate it, I think I said, "WTF?!?" at least 20 times. If I hadn't rented it and was watching it for a horror movie challenge, there is a good chance I would have turned it off, due to the really bad sound in some places, especially at the beginning. When they were crunching through the snow and talking, I couldn't even understand what they were saying. I had the TV's sound up really high so I could usually hear them, but then was continually turning it down.

Then there was the editing in spots. There were more spots then this, but I'm trying to keep this review short. Two of the women are down by the lake, and Mark is coming down the stairs, then he's just instantly by their side.

Emma all of a sudden freaks out for no reason (she doesn't yet know there's a killer on the loose). She's staring at us, slowly backing up to the wall. But there is nothing/no one there. Then she wakes up and is laying on the floor right next to the fire place with her head on rock. (Was she drugged and I didn't notice?)

The step-dad at the beginning looks to be around the same age as the kids. And the way he was putting the presents under the tree… shoving them under with the ribbon on the bottom. Petty of me, perhaps, but it was done in such a way that it really stood out.

And some of the shots were played out way too long, like when the step-dad was decorating with the tinsel on the counter. And when they are tromping up the stairs, instead of focusing on the feet forever, at least give us a butt shot!

Some of the actors did a pretty good job, like Mark and Katie. And Justin reminded me looks wise, of a cross between Jensen Ackles and Matthew Lillard, so that was nice. Plus the naked butt shot was appreciated.

But where where the boobs?? It's a slasher film! When Katie was in the bathroom getting ready to take a bath, this would have been a perfect opportunity.

If I were to watch this again, it would be as a drinking game with a group of friends. We would drink every time one of us said, "WTF?!?"; because we couldn't hear what they were saying, the story line stumbled due to editing, or some rando shows up even though they are supposed to be in the middle of nowhere, and it is way too cold to just be wandering around the woods in Wisconsin.

Krackoon here with an honest review...

[Krackoon · 1/10 · 12 October 2015]

Are you tired of all the fake reviews? You just know it's the director, or one of those terrible actors sitting behind their computer screens, writing whatever it takes to get you to watch their truly awful horror films, right? Do not fear, Krackoon is here - and I trash on, well, just about everything.

So, what about 'Dismembering Christmas?' Well, after the credits started to roll, I wanted to disremember ever seeing it. You can pretty much guess what you're in for, when you read the phrase 'a group of friends,' because you know there's going to be a cabin, and a person wearing a really cheap mask, right around the corner. So, if you want your halls decked with bad acting, horrible sound/music, poorly written dialogue, then 'Dismembering Christmas' is as good as the director, who wrote the fake review, says it is. The dialogue here is about as robotic as I've seen in a while - 'Sam.. we.. have.. to.. get.. out.. of.. here' These people make Robocop seem like your average every day guy.

The acting is about three notches below bad - The 'Joan' character just paves the way for how bad it's going to get. I must apologize here, because when 'Joan' first made her appearance, I thought the character was actually played by a male dressed in drag. It wasn't until I loaded up IMDb, that I found out the part is actually played by Marla Van Lanen, whom I assume is actually a female. Sorry, Marla. It was an honest mistake.

Random Ramblings of a Madman: Fake reviews aren't going to go away, but let's be honest here - If you thought a movie called 'Dismembering Christmas,' was going to be anything but bad - who is really to blame?

Not worth the film it was printed on!

[jamesdavis88 · 1/10 · 14 December 2020]

Ignore the cast and crew written reviews that gush on this pile of steaming redundance. Bad in every way, stay far away from this grade Z turkey. The average viewer can't get past the 5 minute mark. Abysmal.

Remembering Christmas.

[morrison-dylan-fan · 4/10 · 25 December 2020]

A week before X-Mas I decided to take a look in a local DVD shop. Getting near the end of a shelf, I noticed a festive Horror that I've never heard of before,leading to me setting a reminder for a viewing.

View on the film:

Despite the cast acting more frozen then the iced cold conditions where filming took place for over two weeks, (almost the whole cast also worked as crew on the movie,with the strong Wisconsin accents being straight from the land of RedLetterMedia ) editor/director Austin Bosley warms this frosty Slasher up with excellent, well handled, long fluid one-take panning shots which map out the house and slice into tension on the nutter closing in.

Going on a merry cabin in the woods X-Mas slaying, Bosley nods towards seasonal classics Black Christmas & Silent Night, Deadly Night, (1974 & 1984-both also reviewed)whilst bringing out a extra crunch to the killer set-pieces,via distorted side-shots slashing open a creepy impression of the psycho dismembering Christmas.

Characters and Atmosophere.

[mrhorrorpants · 10/10 · 19 September 2015]

Slasher Studios always prioritizes character likability, and these efforts make Dismembering Christmas fun from beginning to end. When the killer arrived, I found myself worrying about my favorite characters. When the blood started to fly, and when I realized no one was safe, they had me at the edge of my seat.

Watching the film brought back so many video store memories I found myself searching for a big, black clamshell case with the logo on it.

My only regret was that I watched it alone. Dismembering Christmas is made for a living room filled with friends to gasp and giggle along with you. It will be a movie horror fans watch every holiday, as well as when the mood strikes them in the other three seasons. Put on a holiday sweater and enjoy!

Deck The Halls...

[gavin6942 · 6/10 · 17 September 2015]

Not long ago, Slasher Studios screened their film "Don't Go to the Reunion" before a full house at HorrorHound Indianapolis. The crowd cheered, laughed, and it was a big hit. Maybe not scary, but the kind of movie you want to see with some friends and a few beers.

Now they're back... with a vengeance. That same great mix of blood and belly laughs, but with an improved video quality, some great camera shots, and a beautiful soundtrack. We even have a killer with black gloves, which can only be a nod to the great Italian giallo films. (Indeed, in some respects this is more of a mystery than a slasher, at least for the first half.)

"Dismembering" retains that independent feel. There is still some amateur acting at times (one actress in particular) and minor sound issues that come from not having a sound stage or boom mics, but it's part of the Slasher Studios charm. This is a low-budget, high-fun film. Most of the actors double as crew – including the director-editor (Austin Bosley) and makeup artist (Marla VanLanen).

And for being shot over 12 days, it comes off as quite professional. (Even notorious rush artists like Jim Wynorski typically allow 17 days in case of retakes.) Though he did get a "thanks" on "Reunion", hinting at some sort of involvement, director Austin Bosley is new to the Slasher Studios family. He has acted and directed a few things, but one hopes he sticks around with this group a while. He seems to have the magic touch. (With all due respect to Slasher Studios' former regular director Steve Goltz, who co-wrote this screenplay.)

Worth singling out is the actor who plays Mark: Baker Chase; he is the strongest of the cast – a good actor, with a good look, who has a bright future if he wants it. His IMDb credits show him very busy over the next year or two, and it would be no shock if he made the transition to mainstream films or television.

Slasher fans will have to check this out. Christmas and slashers have been going hand in hand since the 1970s, but never before have they been this highly entertaining. This Christmas, be sure to deck the halls with lots of bodies!

Christmas Slasher that is a Cut Above The Rest

[nnn1499 · 10/10 · 10 September 2015]

Over the years, countless holiday-themed slasher films (mainly set on Halloween) have came and went. But it has been a while since I've seen holiday horror with as much of a rewatchable quality and such creative and fun deaths as Slasher Studios' Dismembering Christmas.

Don't Go to the Reunion writer/producer Kevin Sommerfield teamed up with Survival of the Dumbest director Austin Bosley to create this lovely winter slasher. From start to finish, it's oozing with Christmas cheer but slowly the feeling that something's not quite right creeps in and the characters are blithely unaware of it. Each character has their own distinct personality and are so well played by the actors that you truly care for them when bad things start happening. The cabin setting feels like a perfect blend of the Paramount Friday the 13th films and Raimi's The Evil Dead and the beautiful Christmas decorations and lighting bring it all together. Dismembering Christmas feels like the winter Friday the 13th film fans have wanted for years and have finally received.

For an independent low-budget slasher, the acting, writing, and cinematography are all top notch (complete with beautiful, long tracking shots that will please any cinephile) and each and every character feels like a real small town teenager. Each and every one feels like they could be your neighbor and someone you know and that makes you concerned when they start getting picked off one by one.

Without many spoilers, I have to point out that the deaths are some of the most creative and fun ones I've seen in a very long time. Think wreaths, candy canes, and Christmas trees can't kill anyone? Think again. Each and every death oozes with holiday spirit and the killer's costume is near perfection. To top it all off, a wonderful soundtrack composed by Beasta Music's Dylan Curzon (who also worked as the gaffer on the film) is made use of in the most creative of ways and coupled with some fantastic foley work.

If there's one problem with this movie, it's that it's only a little over an hour in length. This movie could be three hours long with these characters and deaths like these and I'd be hooked. There isn't a single dull moment in the film and all the characters feel like real friends who bicker but deep down truly love and care for one another.

I don't like singling out certain actors (because each and every one brings something unique to the film), but I have to say that Nina Kova's Sam and Leah Wiseman's Emma are two of the best of the best. They almost feel like sisters and it's hard to believe that they haven't known each other their entire lives outside of the movie. They both have so much chemistry together that it makes the hour and seven minute runtime a breeze to watch.

If you're in the mood for a fast-paced, gory, creative slasher film with tons of holiday atmosphere and great cinematography, look no further. Slasher Studios has outdone themselves with this latest feature and I can't wait to see what they accomplish in the future.

A Christmas cracker.

[rosswilcock1 · 8/10 · 16 September 2015]

Dismembering Christmas is in my opinion Slasher Studios best project. Although I am a fan of their previous work I think this film goes above and beyond anything they have done before. The film is just overall a lot sharper looking and is very well filmed. Austin Bosley does an amazing job directing this. It was nice to see Steve Goltz return with a writing credit to this film along side Slasher Studios co- creator Kevin Sommerfield.

The film was delightfully awesome! The tone was a lot more present in this film and although there was less gore than previous SS features, when there was gore it was done extremely well.

The cast done fantastically. Lead by Nina Cova and Leah Wiseman and with a few Slasher Studios Favourites thrown in for the fans this film will go down as Slasher Studios break through film. Although Don't Go To The Reunion was a personal favourite of mine I feel on the wider scale of thinsg this will will be the studios break out hit!

Slashy Thrills Await!

[FatalFollower · 8/10 · 2 October 2015]

My favorite time of the year is approaching, Fall! Sometimes,...(well most of the time), retailers start pulling out the Christmas decorations and candy before we have even gotten through Halloween. So what better way to start prepping for fall/winter holidays, start pulling out the holiday themed horror movies! I think the best part about the cold weather is snuggling up with your lovey and popping in some classic horror movies. As a rabid slasher fan, the Christmas Holiday has influenced some great horror films, I really enjoy 70's and 80's titles like ---> To All A Goodnight, Home for the Holidays, Silent Night Deadly Night, Elves and the ultimate classic, Black Christmas (and I love the remake too...don't judge me!). So what does a slasher movie called 'Dismembering Christmas' have to offer for the "old school" slasher fans, such as myself? Plenty!!!

First, upon watching you may recognize a couple familiar faces and names from the crew of Don't Go to the Reunion (2013), this was what got me excited since I am a huge fan of that film as well as Slasher Studious other releases. Kicking the film off was a pretty awesome cameo from co-writer/executive producer Kevin Sommerfield, I thought it was a great scene and really set the tone for the film. From there we are introduced to eight friends that are traveling to stay in a cabin for the Christmas Holiday, unbeknownst to them there was a few murders years ago and somebody wants to make sure they remember this holiday....cue horror synth!

What was exciting about this film was the chilly setting. Here, you have the cabin out in the sticks with nothing but snow for miles, this already isolates the viewers and sets up a nice dynamic later for some great chase scenes. Speaking of chase scenes, this movie had some great stalk and chase, major thumbs up. From running through treacherous terrain, to having to maneuver through the interiors of the cabin, the hide and seek with this killer was highly effective. Also, there were some really nice pov shots of the interiors of the cabin and the decorations, I immediately thought of Black Christmas as "Billy" made his way throughout the house.

Now, on to the slasher, my favorite part of the film. This killer sports a wicked mask, it kind of reminded me of an interpretation of "Boo Hag" from Canadian Folklore, pale with long dark hair. Armed with a very interesting blade, this slasher gave good KILL. The kills ranged from stabbings to decapitations, to a very fun "wreath kill". Goltz and Sommerfield know what their fans want, practical creative deaths, giving this film a pretty decent body count.

On to the negatives, which mirror my one complaint with Don't Go to the Reunion, the runtime for the movie. This movie was short, at about an hour and seven minutes of content, I would have loved for about 10 more minutes. But this is a minor complaint, and if anything it shows just how much I enjoyed this movie too! Aside from the excellent cast and direction (Bosley is one to definitely keep an eye on), I say give this one a buy and support indie horror!

80s slasher for the future

[thepetaupairsussex · 9/10 · 17 September 2015]

I have been so excited about this movie coming out, so to my excitement I get to watch and review this movie before it comes on DVD where I will also be buying the DVD. I love supporting independent films, and aspiring filmmakers and their cast and crew. Dismembering Christmas lived up to all my expectations and more.

This film was directed by Austin Bosley who is known for survival Of The Dumbest as acting, director and writer. Written by Kevin Sommerfield and Steve Goltz. Kevin who I have got to know through him on facebook and researching him on the internet, I know that he is inspired by Wes Craven and his horror films, he loves 80s slashers, owning up to 5000 (?) DVDs. I know that Dismembering Christmas is set as a 80s slasher. If you are comparing Dismembering Christmas to Scream or Wes Cravens other slasher horrors I would say its up to same standards and considering Dismembering Christmas is a low budget, independent horror. Its high class indeed. Steve Goltz the other writer, he and Kevin are both involved in the same horror films Teddy and Popularity Killer. Teddy was the first "Entry Into Terror" (as quoted on IMDb). Again Steve was also inspired by by the horror sub-genre slashers, being Friday The 13th and I know What You Did Last Summer. Lets hope there will be a lot more horrors from them both. The cast includes Nina Kova, Leah Wiseman, Danielle Doetsch, Johnathon Krautkramer, (who was also in Don't Go To The Reunion) Shannon McInnis, Jennifer Lenius, Austin Bosley, Scott Seagren and Marla Van Lanen. Most of these actors are new to the acting scene (Less than 5 years). With Marla, Leah and Danielle being in many horror films and earning the rights to be on my Wall Of Horrors. When I started watching this film I noticed was the sound tracks. There was a lot of music depending on how the film went. It was brilliant. The music fitted very well with the film, characters and everything that was happening. Also the start where "Slasher Studios" came on screen and the sound effects there, it amused me. I haven't seen many Christmas horror films but it felt very 80s style when I compared it with other cabins/houses in the middle of no where and the mysterious happenings. Im loving how there are no cliques, no blond bimbos who run up the stairs with a banana instead of out the door with a knife or something. I noticed they all meshed well together as "friends and family". You can tell which ones are family too, there is a way they look, and mess around together that makes it perfect because this is how me and my sister talk to each other and messes around. The best part (which is the thing that I have to stop myself giving away), is the creativity of the murder weapons and how they are used. This movie is only just over 70 minutes long, there could have been a lot more action to make it go longer. But nonetheless I enjoyed this film very much and will watch many more times. Overall it was amazing, if you like fast paced, intense and creative Christmas horror I recommend this one you will NOT be disappointed.

Solid seasonal slasher outing

[Woodyanders · 8/10 · 22 December 2016]

Seven high school students decide to spend Christmas at a remote cabin in the woods. Things go awry when the teens find themselves being stalked by a mysterious killer.

Director Austin Bosley, working from a compact script by Steve Goltz and Kevin Summerfield, does a sound job of crafting a strong yuletide atmosphere, relates the absorbing story at a brisk pace, makes fine use of the bleak snow-covered sylvan landscape, takes time to develop characters that the viewer truly cares about, and generates plenty of tension. The competent acting by the capable cast keeps this picture on track: Baker Chase Powell as the easygoing Mark Turner, Danielle Doetsch as the snippy Katie, Leah Wiseman as the sweet, but jealous Emma, Bosley as the amiable Travis, Nina Kova as the perky Sam, Johnathan Krautkramer as the wimpy Justin, Marla Van Lanen as friendly neighbor Joan, Jennifer Lenius as the charming Claire, and Scott Seagren as jerky local Frank Fuller. The sharp cinematography provides a pleasing polished look, with plenty of impressive and invigorating dynamic hand-held camera-work. Dylan Curzon's spirited shivery score offers several neat variations on familiar noel tunes. A worthwhile slice'n'dice romp.