Every holiday season, I like to offset my cookie cutter Hallmark/Lifetime movies with a couple Holiday Horror B movies. Balances it out or something. I've seen some real clunkers and some real gems but Christmas horror movies are especially difficult to get right. This movie however was decent for what it was. Being an anthology film, some segments were of course better than others and the film's limited budget shows but if you enjoy bad movies you'll have a decent enough time here. I found myself wishing that they went a step further to make it pure camp but I wasn't disappointed overall. Anyway grab a beer and have a watch. It definitely isn't the worst of the holiday horrors that's for sure. *No real gore and no nudity.
43 Reviews
Rather Disappointing!
b_kite29 December 2018
This was one I had been anticipating for along while and after seeing Bloody Disgustings review witch pretty much trashed the film, I really knew I had to give it a watch. And sadly I was a little disappointed. The movie only runs at 80 minutes and contains five stories, all having something to do with Christmas in one way or the other! As normal with anthologies the tales are a mixed bag most suffering from the runtime. The first is a saw-esqe story of a group of office workers forced to play a deadly game, its sadly wasted on a half assed rushed ending. There's also a bizarre tale in which a reindeer gets revenge, and one that plays like a horror redo of A Christmas Carol, the best however is one in which a man stranded in a deserted parking lot meets a very strange van with two girls inside and that's not all. Overall it's ok but nothing really what I was hoping for.
Loads of Potential in an Otherwise Poorly Executed Anthology
TwistedContent12 December 2019
Horror anthologies are always fun, more stories/themes/characters/styles etc. means there's more to find - to find something for everyone. I love the format, a compilation of short films, often wrapped in what I call the framing segment. "All the Creatures Were Stirring" is surely an entertaining anthology, but also frustrating - to feel the potential and see it executed so poorly. It also makes the mistake of slowly but steadily going downhill only to never get back up.
"All the Creatures Were Stirring" provides six stories (included the wrap-around segment) set during Christmas time, each one has its own plot and characters. Sadly, it's a very inconsistent anthology (like the most of them). Quite a lot of indie talent is involved, majority of the plotlines are (at least mildly) intriguing albeit not exactly original, some have a bit of that Twilight Zone vibe, but, however, the execution gets worse by each segment. The framing segment, about a guy and a gal going on an awkward date to the theatre on christmas eve, started off decently & ended just simply underwhelmingly - the 70 minute filler before that didn't help. Our awkward couple experience five stories, out of which the first two were the best. Decent acting, intriguing little stories, okay-ish cinematography & b-grade special fx. So far so good. The each next is worse than the last. While the interesting themes stay, the execution, excluding maybe acting, is deteriorating, even the technical aspects grow cheaper. As a consequence, pacing suffers greatly and boredom ensues. That's about it. As the credits start rolling, it becomes clear that the creatures stirring will soon be forgotten.
There's better anthologies out there, even the christmas kind, for example, "A Christmas Horror Story" (2015). I most certainly had low expectations, but out of "All the Creatures Were Stirring" 80 minute runtime only about 30 were enjoyable & with that I mean - about average. Nevertheless, it's not a regrettable holiday filler for horror fans. Recommend to everyone who loves his christmas creepy and bloody & is a forgiving movie watcher. My rating: 4/10.
"All the Creatures Were Stirring" provides six stories (included the wrap-around segment) set during Christmas time, each one has its own plot and characters. Sadly, it's a very inconsistent anthology (like the most of them). Quite a lot of indie talent is involved, majority of the plotlines are (at least mildly) intriguing albeit not exactly original, some have a bit of that Twilight Zone vibe, but, however, the execution gets worse by each segment. The framing segment, about a guy and a gal going on an awkward date to the theatre on christmas eve, started off decently & ended just simply underwhelmingly - the 70 minute filler before that didn't help. Our awkward couple experience five stories, out of which the first two were the best. Decent acting, intriguing little stories, okay-ish cinematography & b-grade special fx. So far so good. The each next is worse than the last. While the interesting themes stay, the execution, excluding maybe acting, is deteriorating, even the technical aspects grow cheaper. As a consequence, pacing suffers greatly and boredom ensues. That's about it. As the credits start rolling, it becomes clear that the creatures stirring will soon be forgotten.
There's better anthologies out there, even the christmas kind, for example, "A Christmas Horror Story" (2015). I most certainly had low expectations, but out of "All the Creatures Were Stirring" 80 minute runtime only about 30 were enjoyable & with that I mean - about average. Nevertheless, it's not a regrettable holiday filler for horror fans. Recommend to everyone who loves his christmas creepy and bloody & is a forgiving movie watcher. My rating: 4/10.
Interesting Concept, Plenty of Talent, Horrendous Execution
Bateman-ka2 December 2018
Truly had to suffer through this film. Picked it up at a redbox hoping for a good new holiday film with a horror twist. Instead we got an eighty minute waste of time. The actors of the subplot had less than zero chemistry. The majority of the anthology style short stories were tired, forced and hard to watch, gaining an easy eye-roll with every turn. Constance Wu's performance in the final short story was arguably the only shining light. She and the general idea for this movie are the only reasons this is getting more than one star. From the writing to the directing, the cinematography to the majority of the acting, this is a downright dreadful movie. Please save yourself the time.
Community Theater Christmas Horror
getconedproductions0919 December 2018
All the Creatures Were Stirring:
Written and directed by David Ian McKendry and Rebekah McKendry
This was not the movie we started the night out with. The movie I was originally trying to watch was something called Christmas Presence, a bizarre English slasher film with some of the most morally repugnant obnoxious characters you ever laid eyes on. You know perfect slasher movie fodder. For some reason or other, I couldn't bring myself to spend more than 7 minutes with them. It was too much for my psyche to bear. I turned it off and turned this movie on instead. An anthology movie with a Christmas theme to most of the stories. It had one of those posters that catches your eye right off the bat. What's this?! A tiny monster exiting a Christmas ornament like some kind of egg. Well alright then I'm on board.
Lies! All lies! No such thing exists in the entirety of the movie. It's like being in a video store back in the 90s searching through the horror movie section being bamboozled by the cover art. I sadly fell for it. I ventured into the community theater on Christmas Eve for what stories it may tell. None of the stories really had any impact. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to be scared or laughing. I did laugh at it. So I'm going to assume that this is meant to be a comedy. It's funny in the way things play out in an oddly stilted way. I laughed at the stuff in the community theater a bunch. You go from the serious bloodshed portion to the same thing being reenacted by two actors on a blank stage in the most over the top way possible.
This was a very cheap looking movie. I don't mean just low budget. I mean cheap. This is a difference. This is a cheap looking movie. I guess they spent all their money on the poster. You could have spared some for some good camerawork. We could have used some of this money for some decent makeup effects. None of the stories were all that good. The first one was a mixture of the Belko Experiment and Saw. This type of story has been handled by better filmmakers. We didn't need a fan film version of this with a Christmas flavor. The second story about the demon keepers was too long. It had some okay elements and the demon creature had a great design. The one doing a low budget version of A Christmas Carol made me roll my eyes. The one with the aliens visiting on Christmas and doing a Christmas dinner with this guy and his girlfriend. It's sort of weird. All the stories are very weird but not engaging.
This is a very weak anthology movie. There is no story good enough to overcome the shabby structure. The poster is the best part of the movie. The rest of it was very meh. I can not recommend it. There are better Christmas related horror movies out there. I give it a D.
This was not the movie we started the night out with. The movie I was originally trying to watch was something called Christmas Presence, a bizarre English slasher film with some of the most morally repugnant obnoxious characters you ever laid eyes on. You know perfect slasher movie fodder. For some reason or other, I couldn't bring myself to spend more than 7 minutes with them. It was too much for my psyche to bear. I turned it off and turned this movie on instead. An anthology movie with a Christmas theme to most of the stories. It had one of those posters that catches your eye right off the bat. What's this?! A tiny monster exiting a Christmas ornament like some kind of egg. Well alright then I'm on board.
Lies! All lies! No such thing exists in the entirety of the movie. It's like being in a video store back in the 90s searching through the horror movie section being bamboozled by the cover art. I sadly fell for it. I ventured into the community theater on Christmas Eve for what stories it may tell. None of the stories really had any impact. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to be scared or laughing. I did laugh at it. So I'm going to assume that this is meant to be a comedy. It's funny in the way things play out in an oddly stilted way. I laughed at the stuff in the community theater a bunch. You go from the serious bloodshed portion to the same thing being reenacted by two actors on a blank stage in the most over the top way possible.
This was a very cheap looking movie. I don't mean just low budget. I mean cheap. This is a difference. This is a cheap looking movie. I guess they spent all their money on the poster. You could have spared some for some good camerawork. We could have used some of this money for some decent makeup effects. None of the stories were all that good. The first one was a mixture of the Belko Experiment and Saw. This type of story has been handled by better filmmakers. We didn't need a fan film version of this with a Christmas flavor. The second story about the demon keepers was too long. It had some okay elements and the demon creature had a great design. The one doing a low budget version of A Christmas Carol made me roll my eyes. The one with the aliens visiting on Christmas and doing a Christmas dinner with this guy and his girlfriend. It's sort of weird. All the stories are very weird but not engaging.
This is a very weak anthology movie. There is no story good enough to overcome the shabby structure. The poster is the best part of the movie. The rest of it was very meh. I can not recommend it. There are better Christmas related horror movies out there. I give it a D.
This is a disappointing horror short story anthology
kevin_robbins8 December 2021
All the Creatures were Stirring (2018) is a movie currently available on Shudder. This movie is made up of a series of short stories involving Christmas activities from work gift exchanges, family holiday dinnners, to holiday traumatic experiences and everything in between.
This movie is codirected by David Ian & Rebekah McKendry in their directorial debut and stars Constance Wu (Crazy Rich Asians), Jonathan Kite (2 Broke Girls), Matt Long (Mad Men), Katie Parker (The Haunting of Hill House) and Makeda Declet (Being Mary Jane).
The movie definitely has a surprise opening and the first story has potential but quickly disappoints. All the stories end up being kind of blah with some having more potential than others but mostly with few elements to get excited about once they conclude. There's no gore or worthwhile kill scenes in this, unfortunately.
Overall this is a disappointing horror short story anthology that I would score a 2/10 and recommend skipping.
This movie is codirected by David Ian & Rebekah McKendry in their directorial debut and stars Constance Wu (Crazy Rich Asians), Jonathan Kite (2 Broke Girls), Matt Long (Mad Men), Katie Parker (The Haunting of Hill House) and Makeda Declet (Being Mary Jane).
The movie definitely has a surprise opening and the first story has potential but quickly disappoints. All the stories end up being kind of blah with some having more potential than others but mostly with few elements to get excited about once they conclude. There's no gore or worthwhile kill scenes in this, unfortunately.
Overall this is a disappointing horror short story anthology that I would score a 2/10 and recommend skipping.
Solid Anthology of Holiday Horror
SlaughterFilmPodcast10 January 2019
Just when you thought it was safe to celebrate Christmas again, here come the writer/director team David Ian McKendry and Rebekah McKendry with their new anthology holiday horror flick All the Creatures Were Stirring.
Don't let the title and cover art fool you. All The Creatures Were Stirring is NOT a rip-off of Gremlins, or Critters... or Ghoulies for that matter. No, the titular critters in this flick come in the form of performance artists who are putting on a show during the holidays, that is taken in by a couple on their first date. Each of the shorts in this anthology are bookended by the performance artists acting out the events of each tale.
These stories are each very different, and in the interest of avoiding spoilers I'll discuss each of the short tales, but only briefly.
"The Stockings Were Hung" - This story is focused on an office holiday party with a secret Santa from hell. The unfortunate employees are locked in and threatened with death if they don't open their gifts in a timely manner - the gifts themselves could also spell their doom. So will they work together to foil their predator, or will they tare themselves apart trying to survive?
"Dash Away All" - This one is focused on a young father who is picking up a few last minute gifts for the family, on Christmas Eve, when he locks his keys in his car. He soon meets two helpful, attractive, and suspicious women who offer more than this father bargained for as they try to unload a demon that they have been trapped with for years.
"All Through the House" - Simply put, this is a new take on A Christmas Carol, about a young bachelor who is a stick in the mud when it comes to the holidays. He'd rather get wasted and get laid than spend quality time with those who appreciate him the most. But things all change when he's confronted by holiday spirits.
"Arose Such a Clatter" - Here's one PETA would love. After a man runs down a deer on a dark and lonely stretch of road, someone or some thing gets sweet revenge. Without saying too much, the avenger in this story has close ties to Santa, and this time, it's personal.
"In a Twinkling" - Last but not least is a story about a man on Christmas who is surprised by a visit from a friend who wants to share the holiday with him. The only problem here is that he's expecting visitors, from beyond the stars. These unwanted visits are something that he's been dealing with for years and now he runs the risk of his friend learning his intergalactic secret.
The strength of this film is how each tale is creative and fresh even when it doesn't seem so original. The first story, "The Stockings Were Hung" seemed to borrow from the likes of Saw or The Belko Experiment with a contained group of people being forced to kill or be killed. But I think the feeling of being trapped in a social situation with your co-workers often feels to some like being trapped with a gun against your head, especially during the holidays.
This sentiment is also seen in "In a Twinkling" where sitting down with family who are visiting your home, again for the holidays, feeling as if you're held hostage by alien invaders who bring with them their stubborn traditions and unwanted opinions about your lifestyle.
I also give this story props for working against the grain of traditional holiday horror, bypassing the tired "deranged Santa Claus wielding an axe" trope. It isn't everyday that Christmas is invaded with science fiction and aliens. And no, I'm not forgetting Santa Claus Conquers the Martians.
The "Dash Away All" and "Arose Such a Clatter" are the segments that steal the show. If the holiday theme was stripped from these, they could have fit well into ANY modern anthology - "Dash Away All" being my favorite with it's slowly unfolding story. And the demon is pretty awesome too.
The ugly kitten of the litter is "All Through the House" which does little to breath new life into Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Not only that, but it tries a little too hard to make it's main character edgy. In fact, I think the most entertaining part comes in the form of the uptight neighbor who is left scratching his head at our bachelor's new found - post Christmas spirits - behavior.
With that said, I enjoyed All the Creatures Were Stirring quite a bit. There seems to be a new holiday tradition that is watching at least three or four new Christmas themed horror films, all of which are cheaply made, unoriginal, star a Krampus and are a real slogg to get through. And with my expectations set THAT low, All the Creatures Were Stirring blew me away! It is a fun and creative take on the holidays that I fear will be lost in a sea of other lesser films that have been released in recent years. It's definitely worth your time this season.
All the Creatures Were Stirring is currently available on DVD and VOD from the fine people at RLJ Entertainment. I screened it for this review on Shudder. And if you are interested in the other works of the McKendys, they have worked on several short films together and are both involved with the Blumhouse Podcast Network and the Shockwaves Podcast.
Review by Cory Carr of the Slaughter Film Podcast
Don't let the title and cover art fool you. All The Creatures Were Stirring is NOT a rip-off of Gremlins, or Critters... or Ghoulies for that matter. No, the titular critters in this flick come in the form of performance artists who are putting on a show during the holidays, that is taken in by a couple on their first date. Each of the shorts in this anthology are bookended by the performance artists acting out the events of each tale.
These stories are each very different, and in the interest of avoiding spoilers I'll discuss each of the short tales, but only briefly.
"The Stockings Were Hung" - This story is focused on an office holiday party with a secret Santa from hell. The unfortunate employees are locked in and threatened with death if they don't open their gifts in a timely manner - the gifts themselves could also spell their doom. So will they work together to foil their predator, or will they tare themselves apart trying to survive?
"Dash Away All" - This one is focused on a young father who is picking up a few last minute gifts for the family, on Christmas Eve, when he locks his keys in his car. He soon meets two helpful, attractive, and suspicious women who offer more than this father bargained for as they try to unload a demon that they have been trapped with for years.
"All Through the House" - Simply put, this is a new take on A Christmas Carol, about a young bachelor who is a stick in the mud when it comes to the holidays. He'd rather get wasted and get laid than spend quality time with those who appreciate him the most. But things all change when he's confronted by holiday spirits.
"Arose Such a Clatter" - Here's one PETA would love. After a man runs down a deer on a dark and lonely stretch of road, someone or some thing gets sweet revenge. Without saying too much, the avenger in this story has close ties to Santa, and this time, it's personal.
"In a Twinkling" - Last but not least is a story about a man on Christmas who is surprised by a visit from a friend who wants to share the holiday with him. The only problem here is that he's expecting visitors, from beyond the stars. These unwanted visits are something that he's been dealing with for years and now he runs the risk of his friend learning his intergalactic secret.
The strength of this film is how each tale is creative and fresh even when it doesn't seem so original. The first story, "The Stockings Were Hung" seemed to borrow from the likes of Saw or The Belko Experiment with a contained group of people being forced to kill or be killed. But I think the feeling of being trapped in a social situation with your co-workers often feels to some like being trapped with a gun against your head, especially during the holidays.
This sentiment is also seen in "In a Twinkling" where sitting down with family who are visiting your home, again for the holidays, feeling as if you're held hostage by alien invaders who bring with them their stubborn traditions and unwanted opinions about your lifestyle.
I also give this story props for working against the grain of traditional holiday horror, bypassing the tired "deranged Santa Claus wielding an axe" trope. It isn't everyday that Christmas is invaded with science fiction and aliens. And no, I'm not forgetting Santa Claus Conquers the Martians.
The "Dash Away All" and "Arose Such a Clatter" are the segments that steal the show. If the holiday theme was stripped from these, they could have fit well into ANY modern anthology - "Dash Away All" being my favorite with it's slowly unfolding story. And the demon is pretty awesome too.
The ugly kitten of the litter is "All Through the House" which does little to breath new life into Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Not only that, but it tries a little too hard to make it's main character edgy. In fact, I think the most entertaining part comes in the form of the uptight neighbor who is left scratching his head at our bachelor's new found - post Christmas spirits - behavior.
With that said, I enjoyed All the Creatures Were Stirring quite a bit. There seems to be a new holiday tradition that is watching at least three or four new Christmas themed horror films, all of which are cheaply made, unoriginal, star a Krampus and are a real slogg to get through. And with my expectations set THAT low, All the Creatures Were Stirring blew me away! It is a fun and creative take on the holidays that I fear will be lost in a sea of other lesser films that have been released in recent years. It's definitely worth your time this season.
All the Creatures Were Stirring is currently available on DVD and VOD from the fine people at RLJ Entertainment. I screened it for this review on Shudder. And if you are interested in the other works of the McKendys, they have worked on several short films together and are both involved with the Blumhouse Podcast Network and the Shockwaves Podcast.
Review by Cory Carr of the Slaughter Film Podcast
Bad.
TuesdayThe17th8 December 2018
Soo, I was looking forward to seeing this but after buying the dvd on its release date I sadly was let down... It's cool that it was created by what I think is a husband/wife team, but that's kind of where the "coolness" ends. Many of my favorite indie horror actors are in this film, including Graham Skipper, Chase Williamson, Jocelin Donahue, Amanda Fuller, Matt Mercer, etc...but the thing is, this movie really sucks and im kind of taken back that they would even take part in such a b film. They probably had no idea how poorly it was going to turn out. It is rare that I have so much negative to say about my beloved horror films, but seriously, what were the directors thinking? Clearly they made a movie just to say they did and did not plan well at all. I bet they spent all their money getting the known actors on board and then had like nothing left to work with for effects and sets. I would not recommend it. The directors should be embarrassed
A Fun Christmas Anthology
Reviews_of_the_Dead18 December 2018
Warning: Spoilers
I heard about this film from one of the podcasts I listen to, which writer/director Rebekah McKendry is part of, talking about this film. I was intrigued that this is a Christmas based horror film as well as part of 2018 round-up. To get into my review of the film, the official synopsis is when an awkward date on Christmas Eve leads a couple into a strange theater, they're treated to a bizarre and frightening collection of Christmas stories, featuring a wide ensemble of characters doing their best to avoid the horrors of the holiday.
As the synopsis states, we have Jenna (Ashley Clements) and Max (Graham Skipper) meeting up for what feels like a first date. It is Christmas Eve and neither of them had anything going on. They come to a small performing arts theater, where the workers and the patrons are quite weird as well. An example is that there's a guy staring at them and Max takes a phone call right after they get there. Each of the stories is acted out on stage by three actors while we see the actual shorts of this anthology film.
The first tale is of an office gift exchange entitled The Stockings Were Hung. We have a group of workers that most don't really want to participate. Things take quite the turn when one of the gifts kills one of them and they get a call on the office phone. It is telling them to keep participating or this unknown person will kill them. Things get revealed that and tensions run high as poison gas is pumped into their room.
This one I thought was quite interesting as I work in an office and have been to gift exchanges like this. I really liked though that there is some hidden emotions and thoughts amongst co-workers that finally come to the surface when the situation gets tense and their lives are on the line. The unknown of what is in the gifts is quite scary as well.
Another of the tales has a man making some last minute Christmas shopping in Dash Away All. His name is Eric (Matt Long) and without paying attention, he locks his keys and phone in his car. There is a strange van that is across the parking lot. He goes to ask for help from Sasha (Catherine Parker) and Frankie (Makeda Declet). There is something not quite right with them and they are hiding something in the van that will change his life forever.
For this short, I thought there were some interesting concepts in it. There is a reveal that I thought was pretty solid and quite scary for multiple reasons. The details at the reveal about how long this has been going on added an extra element to me. It is a good choice that we know about Eric's family as it raises the stakes.
All Through the House is an interesting take on A Christmas Carol. Chet (Jonahtan Kite) hates Christmas and tries to ruin the holiday for those around him. His television will only show a film called Chet's Soul and it is very Charles Dickens. He calls up his lady friend, Linda (Amanda Fuller) who is currently with her family. Chet is then haunted by things trying to get him to change his ways, or he might not survive the night.
The only issue I had with this one as that I felt it moves a little too quickly. Being that it is an update of the Dickens tale, you can't focus too much time on it so it has to be condensed down. I almost feel this one might have been a little bit too ambitious for a short this length. I will say that I like the modern take on that story though. This one had some solid humor and I would actually like to see this one fleshed out a bit more.
There is also Arose Such a Clatter where a man looks at a file labeled Suzy. He hits a deer, but it isn't dead and he has to kill it with a rock. We see that something is watching him from the woods as well as a collar. The man is Guy (Mark Kelly) and he comes home to Suzy (Megan Duffy) who surprised him for Christmas. Whatever was watching him from the woods follows him home.
This is interesting in that I thought the misdirection really makes this better. It starts you off thinking one way and then as things are revealed it goes a completely different direction. Going from that though, what the outcome of this one is was quite funny to me.
The final story we see is In a Twinkling. It starts with a man looking up at a full moon with a bag. It turns out to be chains and his girlfriend calls him. He is Steve (Morgan Peter Brown). He tells her that he needs to spend the holiday alone and he isn't very happy when his girlfriend, Gabby (Constance Wu) shows up with Mary (Stephanie Drake), Michael (Peter Cilella) and Jill (Tiffany Elle). This isn't the normal dinner that they thought it would be, but we do learn about how important Christmas is to some.
This one also has a solid misdirection that I didn't see coming. I liked that aspect of it. I will say that I'm not entirely sure this one fits with the other with how it plays out and ends. I like the story and everything as well as the message it is getting across. It doesn't have much in the way of horror though.
There is an intermission where we see something is not quite right between Max and Jenna. The final performance also strikes an eerie similarity to their night and alludes to what could be happening next.
I want to toss out my thoughts with saying that I'm a fan of anthology films when they are done right. The structure of this one is something I'm a fan of. Each story is given and concludes before we go on to the next one. The other thing is that I like they did a wraparound story that have its own eerie qualities as well. I'd really like to know more about it like how did Max hear about this performance. The only thing that could have made it better would be to intercut the stories a bit more, but I'm not going to hold that against this film. That is something I personally like to see.
While looking up the names of the segments for this, I came across someone else's review where they said the pacing was off to them. I have to say that I disagree. I thought this film moves through its 80 minute runtime quite quickly. If anything, I would have liked a little more for some of the stories as I think a little more fleshing out might have brought up my rating. None of the stories outstay their welcome and the endings actually left me wanting more. It didn't hurt it, but I'd like to see how it plays out.
Acting for this film was pretty solid. My favorite person in the film was Jocelin Donahue and I'm quite sad she didn't have more. She appears as Alissa in the office party segment. I'm a big fan of her and she is gorgeous. Wu I thought did a really good job in conveying the emotion she does in her short. Kite was quite funny in his. Clements was interesting in that we get sections of her story and she knows something isn't quite right. It was fun to see Fuller, Duffy and the rest of the cast. I thought everyone fit their roles well and I really don't have anything negative to say.
Something that wasn't always the greatest though was the effects. The ones that were done practically I thought were fine. An example would be the effects of a gunshot in the office party segment. I also thought the creature at times in the parking lot one looked good. My real issue though came from the CGI. Most of the creatures that were done with computers didn't look good and it took me out of the film. The film was shot very well overall. I did like the editing effect during the In a Twinkling segment. It has people changing facial expressions, but we are missing the frames in-between. This is something that really unnerves me.
Now with that said, I thought this film was pretty solid. I really like that the film embraces the Christmas spirit, despite the use of snow. That is something that can be quite difficult to do and I was impressed. I thought all of the shorts were pretty solid overall, only one of them didn't really seem to fit, but even that one I thought was good. I thought it was paced well and if anything, they could have expanded on some of the stories a little bit more. The acting was good and some of the effects were. I wasn't a fan of the CGI that was used though. The score didn't really stand out to me, but I do think it helped with the Christmas vibe of the film. I would say that overall this film was pretty solid. If you like anthologies and want to see a solid one around Christmas, I would recommend this one.
As the synopsis states, we have Jenna (Ashley Clements) and Max (Graham Skipper) meeting up for what feels like a first date. It is Christmas Eve and neither of them had anything going on. They come to a small performing arts theater, where the workers and the patrons are quite weird as well. An example is that there's a guy staring at them and Max takes a phone call right after they get there. Each of the stories is acted out on stage by three actors while we see the actual shorts of this anthology film.
The first tale is of an office gift exchange entitled The Stockings Were Hung. We have a group of workers that most don't really want to participate. Things take quite the turn when one of the gifts kills one of them and they get a call on the office phone. It is telling them to keep participating or this unknown person will kill them. Things get revealed that and tensions run high as poison gas is pumped into their room.
This one I thought was quite interesting as I work in an office and have been to gift exchanges like this. I really liked though that there is some hidden emotions and thoughts amongst co-workers that finally come to the surface when the situation gets tense and their lives are on the line. The unknown of what is in the gifts is quite scary as well.
Another of the tales has a man making some last minute Christmas shopping in Dash Away All. His name is Eric (Matt Long) and without paying attention, he locks his keys and phone in his car. There is a strange van that is across the parking lot. He goes to ask for help from Sasha (Catherine Parker) and Frankie (Makeda Declet). There is something not quite right with them and they are hiding something in the van that will change his life forever.
For this short, I thought there were some interesting concepts in it. There is a reveal that I thought was pretty solid and quite scary for multiple reasons. The details at the reveal about how long this has been going on added an extra element to me. It is a good choice that we know about Eric's family as it raises the stakes.
All Through the House is an interesting take on A Christmas Carol. Chet (Jonahtan Kite) hates Christmas and tries to ruin the holiday for those around him. His television will only show a film called Chet's Soul and it is very Charles Dickens. He calls up his lady friend, Linda (Amanda Fuller) who is currently with her family. Chet is then haunted by things trying to get him to change his ways, or he might not survive the night.
The only issue I had with this one as that I felt it moves a little too quickly. Being that it is an update of the Dickens tale, you can't focus too much time on it so it has to be condensed down. I almost feel this one might have been a little bit too ambitious for a short this length. I will say that I like the modern take on that story though. This one had some solid humor and I would actually like to see this one fleshed out a bit more.
There is also Arose Such a Clatter where a man looks at a file labeled Suzy. He hits a deer, but it isn't dead and he has to kill it with a rock. We see that something is watching him from the woods as well as a collar. The man is Guy (Mark Kelly) and he comes home to Suzy (Megan Duffy) who surprised him for Christmas. Whatever was watching him from the woods follows him home.
This is interesting in that I thought the misdirection really makes this better. It starts you off thinking one way and then as things are revealed it goes a completely different direction. Going from that though, what the outcome of this one is was quite funny to me.
The final story we see is In a Twinkling. It starts with a man looking up at a full moon with a bag. It turns out to be chains and his girlfriend calls him. He is Steve (Morgan Peter Brown). He tells her that he needs to spend the holiday alone and he isn't very happy when his girlfriend, Gabby (Constance Wu) shows up with Mary (Stephanie Drake), Michael (Peter Cilella) and Jill (Tiffany Elle). This isn't the normal dinner that they thought it would be, but we do learn about how important Christmas is to some.
This one also has a solid misdirection that I didn't see coming. I liked that aspect of it. I will say that I'm not entirely sure this one fits with the other with how it plays out and ends. I like the story and everything as well as the message it is getting across. It doesn't have much in the way of horror though.
There is an intermission where we see something is not quite right between Max and Jenna. The final performance also strikes an eerie similarity to their night and alludes to what could be happening next.
I want to toss out my thoughts with saying that I'm a fan of anthology films when they are done right. The structure of this one is something I'm a fan of. Each story is given and concludes before we go on to the next one. The other thing is that I like they did a wraparound story that have its own eerie qualities as well. I'd really like to know more about it like how did Max hear about this performance. The only thing that could have made it better would be to intercut the stories a bit more, but I'm not going to hold that against this film. That is something I personally like to see.
While looking up the names of the segments for this, I came across someone else's review where they said the pacing was off to them. I have to say that I disagree. I thought this film moves through its 80 minute runtime quite quickly. If anything, I would have liked a little more for some of the stories as I think a little more fleshing out might have brought up my rating. None of the stories outstay their welcome and the endings actually left me wanting more. It didn't hurt it, but I'd like to see how it plays out.
Acting for this film was pretty solid. My favorite person in the film was Jocelin Donahue and I'm quite sad she didn't have more. She appears as Alissa in the office party segment. I'm a big fan of her and she is gorgeous. Wu I thought did a really good job in conveying the emotion she does in her short. Kite was quite funny in his. Clements was interesting in that we get sections of her story and she knows something isn't quite right. It was fun to see Fuller, Duffy and the rest of the cast. I thought everyone fit their roles well and I really don't have anything negative to say.
Something that wasn't always the greatest though was the effects. The ones that were done practically I thought were fine. An example would be the effects of a gunshot in the office party segment. I also thought the creature at times in the parking lot one looked good. My real issue though came from the CGI. Most of the creatures that were done with computers didn't look good and it took me out of the film. The film was shot very well overall. I did like the editing effect during the In a Twinkling segment. It has people changing facial expressions, but we are missing the frames in-between. This is something that really unnerves me.
Now with that said, I thought this film was pretty solid. I really like that the film embraces the Christmas spirit, despite the use of snow. That is something that can be quite difficult to do and I was impressed. I thought all of the shorts were pretty solid overall, only one of them didn't really seem to fit, but even that one I thought was good. I thought it was paced well and if anything, they could have expanded on some of the stories a little bit more. The acting was good and some of the effects were. I wasn't a fan of the CGI that was used though. The score didn't really stand out to me, but I do think it helped with the Christmas vibe of the film. I would say that overall this film was pretty solid. If you like anthologies and want to see a solid one around Christmas, I would recommend this one.
You'll be visited by three... Oh, wait, you'll be soundly asleep long before then...
paul_haakonsen21 November 2019
This 2018 horror anthology was nothing extraordinary, and it is not really one that I can recommend that you waste your time, money or effort on. And it is definitely not a movie that will be a Christmas time horror classic, that's for sure.
The stories told in "All the Creatures Were Stirring" felt mediocre and half-hearted at best. In fact, it was so mundane and tedious that I gave up halfway through the movie. I just couldn't take anymore of the torment.
The acting in the movie was adequate, although the actors and actresses were struggling with the fact of having a lack of proper script, storyline and interesting characters. So it was a losing uphill battle for sure.
There really isn't any continuity or structure to the stories, so it is essentially just a random mash of collected stories told in a less than entertaining manner. This is one of the biggest flaws that this anthology had to it.
In between the various stories is some atrocious theatrical performance that just makes you cringe.
"All the Creatures Were Stirring" is an anthology that came and went without leaving anything of a lasting impression. And I have no interest in returning to finish the last half of the movie, simply because it completely failed to entertain me, and much less captivate me.
My rating for "All the Creatures Were Stirring" is a mere three out of ten stars, solely based on the production value and the effort they put into that.
The stories told in "All the Creatures Were Stirring" felt mediocre and half-hearted at best. In fact, it was so mundane and tedious that I gave up halfway through the movie. I just couldn't take anymore of the torment.
The acting in the movie was adequate, although the actors and actresses were struggling with the fact of having a lack of proper script, storyline and interesting characters. So it was a losing uphill battle for sure.
There really isn't any continuity or structure to the stories, so it is essentially just a random mash of collected stories told in a less than entertaining manner. This is one of the biggest flaws that this anthology had to it.
In between the various stories is some atrocious theatrical performance that just makes you cringe.
"All the Creatures Were Stirring" is an anthology that came and went without leaving anything of a lasting impression. And I have no interest in returning to finish the last half of the movie, simply because it completely failed to entertain me, and much less captivate me.
My rating for "All the Creatures Were Stirring" is a mere three out of ten stars, solely based on the production value and the effort they put into that.
Would you like to say a blessing?
nogodnomasters8 December 2018
Warning: Spoilers
A couple, both alone on Christmas Eve, go and watch a live stage show of short subjects. While they see the stage show, we get to see the movie version. The theater was surrealistic. The features were cute clever horror tales which included the Dickens tale and the last one was "Twilight Zone" like including a short riff.
Guide: F-word. No sex or nudity.
Guide: F-word. No sex or nudity.
Blah humbug
BandSAboutMovies25 December 2018
Warning: Spoilers
An awkward Christmas Eve date leads a non-dating couple into a strange theater where they're forced to confront an assemblage of odd and scary Christmas tales -- from a boring office party livened up by murder to stalkers, demons, aliens and more. All the Creatures Were Stirring offers a portmanteau take on holiday horror.
The first full-length film written and directed by David Ian and Rebekah McKendry, this tale starts in the theater, where Max and Jenna go on their first date, a production of a play with the same name as this movie. Each of the tales takes on a common theme -- an office party, last minute shopping, hating the holidays -- and spin them into a darker theme. Here are the stories:
The Stockings Were Hung: An office Secret Santa (shot in the warehouse of Blumhouse) turns into a game of death.
Dash Away All: A man is locked out of his car on Christmas Eve and is trying not to give his wife any ammunition to say he's ruining Christmas. However, when he meets a van full of two girls and an ancient evil, he'll wish that he'd stayed in the store.
All through the House: A neighbor that hates Christmas continually sees how he's going to die by the end of the night.
Arose Such a Clatter: A reindeer gets his revenge.
In a Twinkling: Constance Wu (Crazy Rich Asians) shows up in this tale of aliens trying to understand the holidays.
The stories -- other than The Stockings Were Hung and Dash Away -- never really seem to go anywhere once their premise is set up. Even the wraparound gives no real resolution. There's the setup and the sort of ending, but like so many of the modern crop of anthology films, the whole is nowhere near the sum of its parts. Filmmakers should look back to Amicus Productions, where each story often felt strong enough to be its own film.
This was a fine but of background music while I was finishing holiday preparations, but in no way was satisfying. Consider it the appetizer before you watch a much better holiday horror film.
The first full-length film written and directed by David Ian and Rebekah McKendry, this tale starts in the theater, where Max and Jenna go on their first date, a production of a play with the same name as this movie. Each of the tales takes on a common theme -- an office party, last minute shopping, hating the holidays -- and spin them into a darker theme. Here are the stories:
The Stockings Were Hung: An office Secret Santa (shot in the warehouse of Blumhouse) turns into a game of death.
Dash Away All: A man is locked out of his car on Christmas Eve and is trying not to give his wife any ammunition to say he's ruining Christmas. However, when he meets a van full of two girls and an ancient evil, he'll wish that he'd stayed in the store.
All through the House: A neighbor that hates Christmas continually sees how he's going to die by the end of the night.
Arose Such a Clatter: A reindeer gets his revenge.
In a Twinkling: Constance Wu (Crazy Rich Asians) shows up in this tale of aliens trying to understand the holidays.
The stories -- other than The Stockings Were Hung and Dash Away -- never really seem to go anywhere once their premise is set up. Even the wraparound gives no real resolution. There's the setup and the sort of ending, but like so many of the modern crop of anthology films, the whole is nowhere near the sum of its parts. Filmmakers should look back to Amicus Productions, where each story often felt strong enough to be its own film.
This was a fine but of background music while I was finishing holiday preparations, but in no way was satisfying. Consider it the appetizer before you watch a much better holiday horror film.
Not good
jessicawedwards14 December 2018
A Nightmare- and not in a good way
aidanratesmovies6 October 2021
Painful to watch and horribly executed- All the Creatures Were Stirring is a mind numbing christmas horror film that tries too hard and yet not at all all at once. The film goes through a series of short tales, much like other horror classics like Creepshow, Trick 'r Treat, or even A Christmas Horror Story. Now imagine any of those films without a decent production value, capable actors, or anyone who knows how to edit a film- and you have this mess. For most of this film, I was incredibly dumbfounded that someone actually took the time and effort to make this film, and still thought it was a good idea to release it. It's a nightmare to watch, and not in a good way. The story with now headlining actress Constance Wu was entertaining, but for the most part all the stories are ridiculous, bland, incredibly forced- and simply a bore to watch. In the end, All the Creatures Were Stirring is a film I almost immediately forgot after it ended, and if it wasn't for the story with Constance Wu- I could have easily said it's one of the worst horror films i've ever seen, and honestly it still is.
My Rating: 1.1/10.
My Rating: 1.1/10.
A Horror Anthology With A Bit Of A Twist.
meddlecore24 December 2021
In All The Creatures Were Stirring two friends are out on a date at a theatre, watching a series of bizarre Christmas-themed plays (alongside a bunch of creepy people) on Christmas Eve.
For us, however, these plays manifest as 5 Christmas themed horror short films.
So effectively, the two friends are in a short film, watching plays that we are seeing as short films...(with a bunch of creepy people).
After each short film, it kicks back into the narrational film, on top of their being an intermission and ending sequence.
Despite being pretty low budget, the short films are really quite good.
I particularly enjoyed the first one...where the employees of an office building are being held at hostage at that their secret santa gift-giving, in a saw like scenario, where they must open gifts one at a time. Gifts that might kill them.
The whole thing starts off with quite the bang!
The second one is an occult film about a group of people that are targeted by a demonic presence, which attaches to them, when they are born on Christmas.
Then there is a sort of modern day retelling of scrooge.
A slasher film where a man accidentally hits and kills a reindeer while racing home on Christmas Eve, only to find that it's herd of (im sure can you guess which one) are hot on his tail and out for vengeance.
That's when things start to get weird...as the next one is a sci-fi film about two friends being abducted by aliens on Christmas, in some sort of simulated reality, in the bodies of their friends...before being put back into their own lonely existence.
This one is the coolest because it leaves you with the question, is our reality just a cage? Are we just living in a digitally enhanced terrarium in a zoo for aliens that exist on whole other level (think the ending of men in black, with the aliens playing with the marble with our universe in it).
Which cleverly leads into the finale of the narrational short, which keeps on the theme of simulated reality, with a real trippy twist at the end!
All-in-all, while a couple of the shorts are a bit slow, most are really quite decent...especially for being a low budget film.
I really quite enjoyed it, and highly recommend it for a fun watch with friends on Christmas.
6 out of 10.
For us, however, these plays manifest as 5 Christmas themed horror short films.
So effectively, the two friends are in a short film, watching plays that we are seeing as short films...(with a bunch of creepy people).
After each short film, it kicks back into the narrational film, on top of their being an intermission and ending sequence.
Despite being pretty low budget, the short films are really quite good.
I particularly enjoyed the first one...where the employees of an office building are being held at hostage at that their secret santa gift-giving, in a saw like scenario, where they must open gifts one at a time. Gifts that might kill them.
The whole thing starts off with quite the bang!
The second one is an occult film about a group of people that are targeted by a demonic presence, which attaches to them, when they are born on Christmas.
Then there is a sort of modern day retelling of scrooge.
A slasher film where a man accidentally hits and kills a reindeer while racing home on Christmas Eve, only to find that it's herd of (im sure can you guess which one) are hot on his tail and out for vengeance.
That's when things start to get weird...as the next one is a sci-fi film about two friends being abducted by aliens on Christmas, in some sort of simulated reality, in the bodies of their friends...before being put back into their own lonely existence.
This one is the coolest because it leaves you with the question, is our reality just a cage? Are we just living in a digitally enhanced terrarium in a zoo for aliens that exist on whole other level (think the ending of men in black, with the aliens playing with the marble with our universe in it).
Which cleverly leads into the finale of the narrational short, which keeps on the theme of simulated reality, with a real trippy twist at the end!
All-in-all, while a couple of the shorts are a bit slow, most are really quite decent...especially for being a low budget film.
I really quite enjoyed it, and highly recommend it for a fun watch with friends on Christmas.
6 out of 10.
The average horror fan will enjoy
dar041718 December 2019
All The Creatures Were Stirring (2018)
jonahstewartvaughan18 December 2022
Warning: Spoilers
All The Creatures Were Stirring (2018)
(7/10):Not Great,but enjoyable enough.
This is a low budget horror anthology set around Christmas,the main plot centres around a couple going on a date to a show of some kind,it seems like it's some kind of play but it only vaguely resembles what the story is. This play divides itself into segments and each segment is one of our little horror stories.
First one is a office gift exchange that goes awry when an unknown man holds them hostage and forces them to open booby trapped presents. It's definitely one of the more memorable segments, with a very standout idea.
The second and third segments aren't really particularly memorable, they just are more or less there, but overall they're kinda forgettable.
The fourth and final story is another standout one though as it's a woman on a date with a man and they're both trapped inside a picture perfect family Christmas,the other people inside often incur glitches in their sentences as it appears to be some kind of program that they are stuck in.
The wraparound comes back and delivers a fifth story but only to have it be a rather interesting if a bit lacklustre twist ending.
It's not great by any stretch of the means but it's still a fun little slice of holiday horror.
(7/10):Not Great,but enjoyable enough.
This is a low budget horror anthology set around Christmas,the main plot centres around a couple going on a date to a show of some kind,it seems like it's some kind of play but it only vaguely resembles what the story is. This play divides itself into segments and each segment is one of our little horror stories.
First one is a office gift exchange that goes awry when an unknown man holds them hostage and forces them to open booby trapped presents. It's definitely one of the more memorable segments, with a very standout idea.
The second and third segments aren't really particularly memorable, they just are more or less there, but overall they're kinda forgettable.
The fourth and final story is another standout one though as it's a woman on a date with a man and they're both trapped inside a picture perfect family Christmas,the other people inside often incur glitches in their sentences as it appears to be some kind of program that they are stuck in.
The wraparound comes back and delivers a fifth story but only to have it be a rather interesting if a bit lacklustre twist ending.
It's not great by any stretch of the means but it's still a fun little slice of holiday horror.
It's been a while since an anthology movie raised any interest
mason2521 November 2022
Definitely not a style I normally watch because of how many poor ones from decades ago I used to watch, like Creepshow, where you might get one good skit in 10, and a mainly annoying over arching narration from the skeleton host.
So this one seemingly being very low budget in format, is one that I find I really really enjoy.
The premise of watching a live standup theater, bit having it imagined (shown to us) as if it were set in a staged TV show with totally different actors and backdrops to what is actually being shown at the theater.
I guess I'm saying it's as if watching a play, and being able to view it as a movie.
First scene The stockings were hung.
Did an amazing job of making me think it was going to be a comedy skit/day to day portrayal of light hearted nature, only to turn instantly dark with the gunshot. Very nice jump scare so to speak.
Very not sure of what the motivation was of the imprisonment though or who was responsible.
Scene two Dash away all Very low key and well acted and shot, nothing over the top, just an intriguing skit that makes me want to know more about the story behind it, and how it got to where it is. If someone were to expand on it and make a feature length film, I would watch that in a heartbeat.
Scene three All through the house.
Nice quick short imagining of A christmas carol.
Scene four Arise such a clatter.
Very very cheaply done, not actually bad though, just gives more of an impression of what someone might submit to get a movie gree lit. Like a pilot for a TV show.
Scene five In a twinkling.
A bit off of the Christmas theme imo, but well shot and differentiated for what was going on.
A bit clichéd but I think it should've been the last skit, with the note left on the tree as fitting for an ending of anthologies.
Scene six And to all a good night.
Very very creepy and would be an amazing type of thing to pull off on an actual audience member at a theater.
Overall I was impressed with a low budget anthology movie, wouldn't feel ashamed recommending it either on it's production and intended portrayals.
So this one seemingly being very low budget in format, is one that I find I really really enjoy.
The premise of watching a live standup theater, bit having it imagined (shown to us) as if it were set in a staged TV show with totally different actors and backdrops to what is actually being shown at the theater.
I guess I'm saying it's as if watching a play, and being able to view it as a movie.
First scene The stockings were hung.
Did an amazing job of making me think it was going to be a comedy skit/day to day portrayal of light hearted nature, only to turn instantly dark with the gunshot. Very nice jump scare so to speak.
Very not sure of what the motivation was of the imprisonment though or who was responsible.
Scene two Dash away all Very low key and well acted and shot, nothing over the top, just an intriguing skit that makes me want to know more about the story behind it, and how it got to where it is. If someone were to expand on it and make a feature length film, I would watch that in a heartbeat.
Scene three All through the house.
Nice quick short imagining of A christmas carol.
Scene four Arise such a clatter.
Very very cheaply done, not actually bad though, just gives more of an impression of what someone might submit to get a movie gree lit. Like a pilot for a TV show.
Scene five In a twinkling.
A bit off of the Christmas theme imo, but well shot and differentiated for what was going on.
A bit clichéd but I think it should've been the last skit, with the note left on the tree as fitting for an ending of anthologies.
Scene six And to all a good night.
Very very creepy and would be an amazing type of thing to pull off on an actual audience member at a theater.
Overall I was impressed with a low budget anthology movie, wouldn't feel ashamed recommending it either on it's production and intended portrayals.
ORIGINAL BUT NOT QUITE THERE
kirbylee70-599-5261794 January 2019
Warning: Spoilers
When I finished watching this film I felt that the group behind it deserved an A for effort but a solid D for execution. I have little doubt that this was due to a miniscule budget being allotted for the film but still, it would have been nice to see some of the pieces done with enough money on hand to employ better actors and special effects people since it relies heavily on both. At least the stories were solid.
What we have is an anthology film with the Christmas theme running through each. Tying them all together is a couple out on a first date on Christmas Eve. The guy has bought them tickets to a small theater with a new production to present. Each episode is introduced by these minimalist plays on stage that morph into the filmed pieces.
The first tale involves an office party that most of the people at aren't thrilled about but participate in. That changes when the first one to open a gift from their gift exchange is killed by the gift. The phone rings and an anonymous caller lets the group know that they are trapped and can't escape from the room. The gifts might be tame or they might kill them. But they must continue opening the gifts in order to reach a point where whoever survives can leave. The story is interesting and plays on the fearful part of not knowing what gift you will receive while at the same time having a humorous touch in the fact this is an office party no one cares about turned deadly.
The second story involves a young man doing his last minute shopping before heading home. Parked far from the mall he realizes he's talking to his wife and then as he puts a package in back locks both his keys and his phone in the car. Looking around the only other vehicle in the lot is a van that he walks to. He meets two young women in the car and asks for assistance. Both act a bit strange and he sees something unusual in the back of the van. The odds of his making it home in time for Christmas seem to diminish as the story moves forward.
Next up is a retelling of "A Christmas Carol" of sorts. A middle aged businessman hates Christmas and always does what he can to ruin it for everyone else, like stealing his neighbor's lawn ornament. He calls his girlfriend and expects her to leave her family on Christmas Eve for a booty call. Eventually while sloppy drunk he falls and hit his head on a coffee table which allows him to begin seeing different ghosts of Christmas who will provide him the opportunity to change his ways.
We're not through yet! Fifth is the tale of a man driving home on Christmas Eve who isn't paying attention to the road and hits a deer. Getting out of the car he finds the wounded animal and rather than leave it there suffering he smashes its head in with a rock. What he failed to notice was the reindeer's name on his collar, one of Santa's finest. Getting home he finds his girlfriend has come over to surprise him. When he hears something upstairs he goes up to investigate. What he finds is not what he expects. Though short and incomplete as far as effects go this was one of my favorites among the 6 stories.
Yes I said six because the last story involves a man who is avoiding his friends and wrapping chains around himself as a full moon appears for Christmas. Unfortunately his girlfriend has brought the party to him in spite of him asking her to not come over. I'll stop there because what happens next I didn't see coming. Suffice to say it was an interesting story that kept me watching.
The wraparound story concludes the film with the couple seeing the stage play suddenly recreating their date. Once more, watch and you'll see what happens.
So the good news is the stories here are original and interesting. The writing isn't bad and the concepts they play with here will hold your interests. The bad news is that the film looks like it was shot on an obvious set, the acting ranges from good to terrible and the special effects, the mainstay of most horror films, are lacking quite a bit of the time. Also portions of the stories that should have had money invested in them weren't and that leaves a lot to the imagination and not in a good way.
So what's the end result? Good or bad? Well for me I'd say the movie was definitely entertaining and for something different to watch I would recommend it. I don't know that it will become a part of my regular Christmas viewing list but it was fun for a single night. My guess is most horror fans will find something in it to like. And many others might as well. Just know going in it could have been just a little bit better.
What we have is an anthology film with the Christmas theme running through each. Tying them all together is a couple out on a first date on Christmas Eve. The guy has bought them tickets to a small theater with a new production to present. Each episode is introduced by these minimalist plays on stage that morph into the filmed pieces.
The first tale involves an office party that most of the people at aren't thrilled about but participate in. That changes when the first one to open a gift from their gift exchange is killed by the gift. The phone rings and an anonymous caller lets the group know that they are trapped and can't escape from the room. The gifts might be tame or they might kill them. But they must continue opening the gifts in order to reach a point where whoever survives can leave. The story is interesting and plays on the fearful part of not knowing what gift you will receive while at the same time having a humorous touch in the fact this is an office party no one cares about turned deadly.
The second story involves a young man doing his last minute shopping before heading home. Parked far from the mall he realizes he's talking to his wife and then as he puts a package in back locks both his keys and his phone in the car. Looking around the only other vehicle in the lot is a van that he walks to. He meets two young women in the car and asks for assistance. Both act a bit strange and he sees something unusual in the back of the van. The odds of his making it home in time for Christmas seem to diminish as the story moves forward.
Next up is a retelling of "A Christmas Carol" of sorts. A middle aged businessman hates Christmas and always does what he can to ruin it for everyone else, like stealing his neighbor's lawn ornament. He calls his girlfriend and expects her to leave her family on Christmas Eve for a booty call. Eventually while sloppy drunk he falls and hit his head on a coffee table which allows him to begin seeing different ghosts of Christmas who will provide him the opportunity to change his ways.
We're not through yet! Fifth is the tale of a man driving home on Christmas Eve who isn't paying attention to the road and hits a deer. Getting out of the car he finds the wounded animal and rather than leave it there suffering he smashes its head in with a rock. What he failed to notice was the reindeer's name on his collar, one of Santa's finest. Getting home he finds his girlfriend has come over to surprise him. When he hears something upstairs he goes up to investigate. What he finds is not what he expects. Though short and incomplete as far as effects go this was one of my favorites among the 6 stories.
Yes I said six because the last story involves a man who is avoiding his friends and wrapping chains around himself as a full moon appears for Christmas. Unfortunately his girlfriend has brought the party to him in spite of him asking her to not come over. I'll stop there because what happens next I didn't see coming. Suffice to say it was an interesting story that kept me watching.
The wraparound story concludes the film with the couple seeing the stage play suddenly recreating their date. Once more, watch and you'll see what happens.
So the good news is the stories here are original and interesting. The writing isn't bad and the concepts they play with here will hold your interests. The bad news is that the film looks like it was shot on an obvious set, the acting ranges from good to terrible and the special effects, the mainstay of most horror films, are lacking quite a bit of the time. Also portions of the stories that should have had money invested in them weren't and that leaves a lot to the imagination and not in a good way.
So what's the end result? Good or bad? Well for me I'd say the movie was definitely entertaining and for something different to watch I would recommend it. I don't know that it will become a part of my regular Christmas viewing list but it was fun for a single night. My guess is most horror fans will find something in it to like. And many others might as well. Just know going in it could have been just a little bit better.
some original ideas
meljr-9290915 August 2022
Most anthologies I have watched have some that are good and some not so good. This movie was like that. I enjoyed some of them and while the others I didn't enjoy but also didn't hate.
The actors i did a very good job. I thought the theater actors distracted from the stories, just have the couple talk between the short films.
The actors i did a very good job. I thought the theater actors distracted from the stories, just have the couple talk between the short films.
Segment "All Dash Away" is fantastic, but raises several questions
medelste13 May 2022
Warning: Spoilers
This film is pretty much as dreary as other reviewers indicated - with the striking exception of second segment "All Dash Away", which is tight, frightening, and unforgettable. So good in fact, that it doesn't belong anywhere near this disappointing collection.
Summary: Two odd women in a grungy van run into nice family man Eric Turner in a deserted store parking lot on Christmas Eve. After discovering his birthday is December 25, Sasha and Frankie saddle him with the vicious entity living inside their van - a demon (call him Tether) that will slay Eric and murder his family if he ever ventures more than 25 feet away. Branding Eric frees them of their bondage, whilst trapping him until he can rope another Christmas-birthday sucker to take his place.
"All Dash Away" makes excellent use of its contained setting - basically three characters in a deserted Wal-Mart parking lot. Like Stephen King's "Thinner", a victim must hand off the curse to be rid of it, bringing up all sorts of interesting moral quandaries. And in the best storytelling fashion, "All Dash Away" also raises more questions than it answers.
But after several viewings, I have a few questions myself.
First off, Sasha and Frankie seem quite unimaginative to me. They've spent three furtive years living out of this dirty van, tethered within 25 feet of a flesh-eating demon. Eric strikes me as a smart guy... Perhaps he might come up with a few interesting wrinkles. For instance, why hide his predicament? Why not come clean and reveal his secret to the world, which according to the established rules, shouldn't be a problem? Unlike Sasha and Frankie's paranoid approach, this opens a world of possibilities.
If Eric breaks the barrier, the demon will kill him and his family anyhow. As long as he obeys the rules, they are safe. So why not go home? 25 feet is a surprisingly wide radius. With an abundance of caution - plus some creative parking and construction - he could sleep in his own bedroom, shower in his bathroom, and eat in his own kitchen with his family.
Next option: Ask the government for help! Seems to me the authorities would be quite interested in a murderous demonic threat to mankind, and happy to assist Eric with his plight. Did anyone ever try an exorcism over the past 2000 years? Or how about just putting a shotgun to Tether's head and pulling the trigger? There were no vans in Christ's time. So where did Tether live back then - a closet, perhaps? This suggests it can be safely removed from the van, maybe to some secure facility for testing.
But even if Tether is indestructible, the government could still help Eric other ways as well. Volunteer tether substitutes could be found and exchanged on a regular basis, thereby managing the length of the curse for each victim. How about sentencing criminals born on Christmas Day to serve as tethers in their cells? More importantly, does a tether even need to be human? Perhaps dogs or rabbits could be bred on Christmas Day and branded as tethers, dozens at a time.
Finally, a nagging plot hole. Frankie and Sasha have been trapped by the Tether's curse for three years; if they can successfully brand Eric against his will, they will apparently both be freed. Which raises a question: If only one handoff victim is required to transfer the curse, then how did two people like Frankie and Sasha ever become branded at the same time?
Sequel, please.
Summary: Two odd women in a grungy van run into nice family man Eric Turner in a deserted store parking lot on Christmas Eve. After discovering his birthday is December 25, Sasha and Frankie saddle him with the vicious entity living inside their van - a demon (call him Tether) that will slay Eric and murder his family if he ever ventures more than 25 feet away. Branding Eric frees them of their bondage, whilst trapping him until he can rope another Christmas-birthday sucker to take his place.
"All Dash Away" makes excellent use of its contained setting - basically three characters in a deserted Wal-Mart parking lot. Like Stephen King's "Thinner", a victim must hand off the curse to be rid of it, bringing up all sorts of interesting moral quandaries. And in the best storytelling fashion, "All Dash Away" also raises more questions than it answers.
But after several viewings, I have a few questions myself.
First off, Sasha and Frankie seem quite unimaginative to me. They've spent three furtive years living out of this dirty van, tethered within 25 feet of a flesh-eating demon. Eric strikes me as a smart guy... Perhaps he might come up with a few interesting wrinkles. For instance, why hide his predicament? Why not come clean and reveal his secret to the world, which according to the established rules, shouldn't be a problem? Unlike Sasha and Frankie's paranoid approach, this opens a world of possibilities.
If Eric breaks the barrier, the demon will kill him and his family anyhow. As long as he obeys the rules, they are safe. So why not go home? 25 feet is a surprisingly wide radius. With an abundance of caution - plus some creative parking and construction - he could sleep in his own bedroom, shower in his bathroom, and eat in his own kitchen with his family.
Next option: Ask the government for help! Seems to me the authorities would be quite interested in a murderous demonic threat to mankind, and happy to assist Eric with his plight. Did anyone ever try an exorcism over the past 2000 years? Or how about just putting a shotgun to Tether's head and pulling the trigger? There were no vans in Christ's time. So where did Tether live back then - a closet, perhaps? This suggests it can be safely removed from the van, maybe to some secure facility for testing.
But even if Tether is indestructible, the government could still help Eric other ways as well. Volunteer tether substitutes could be found and exchanged on a regular basis, thereby managing the length of the curse for each victim. How about sentencing criminals born on Christmas Day to serve as tethers in their cells? More importantly, does a tether even need to be human? Perhaps dogs or rabbits could be bred on Christmas Day and branded as tethers, dozens at a time.
Finally, a nagging plot hole. Frankie and Sasha have been trapped by the Tether's curse for three years; if they can successfully brand Eric against his will, they will apparently both be freed. Which raises a question: If only one handoff victim is required to transfer the curse, then how did two people like Frankie and Sasha ever become branded at the same time?
Sequel, please.
Ok, But Could've Been Better
gwnightscream14 December 2020
Warning: Spoilers
This 2018 horror anthology film features a first date couple attending a theatre of strange people treating them to a play of eerie Christmas tales featuring demons, aliens, killers & ghosts. This is ok, but could've been better. The film has some shocking/creepy moments, an eerie score and is sort of similar to "Nightmare Cinema." If you like horror or horror anthologies, give this a try maybe once.
Oof
gicathyu-0028426 November 2020
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