So here I am in Rhode Island going through our first blizzard of the winter. The storm, which dumped 15+ inches of snow and sleet, could have been a lot worse. In addition to having 50+ mile an hour winds, it is also bitterly cold. Flights are cancelled and workplaces are shut down. With the high winds and heavy snows, many branches came down and on a personal level, my greenhouse collapsed from the weight of the snow and ice. Through it all though, I am thankful that we didn’t lose power, phones or heat and the storm hit the day after Christmas. One thing I try to do now is find the positive in any given situation which is why I am not complaining, even though it has started snowing again. After discussing this with my co-blogger he suggested a piece on horror movies that take place in similar situations that I am going through now. After thinking about it I realized that there are quite a few movies out there that take place during snowy, winter conditions. This list is not intended to be complete in any way…these are the films that came to mind quickly and they are listed alphabetically since, in my opinion, they stand on their own and this list is not meant to compare one to the other.
Author Archives: David Albaugh
Killer Santas & Christmas Slasher/Horror Films!
It’s that time of year again…the weather is cold and people are dreading maxing out their credit cards while purchasing gifts they can ill afford. Though commercialism seems to have destroyed the Christmas spirit in many people, certain traditions still hold true. Like, for example, Christmas music played by local radio stations the week after Halloween, the customary office holiday party, and the myriad of television specials hitting the airwaves. Fortunately, amid the forgetable new ones, you can still find such timeless staples as Rankin Bass’ RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER, THE YEAR WITHOUT A SANTA CLAUS and SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN’ TO TOWN.
As adults, we can still enjoy those shows along with an entirely new holiday tradition…the Christmas horror movie. As mentioned In our earlier piece regarding Thanksgiving films, Christmas has an impressive array of its own entries in the holiday slasher sub genre. Naturally, these movies often garner bad press for portraying the holiday’s most endearing figure, jolly old Santa Claus, as a sadistic killer. While also promising lots of nudity and gore to accompany the “blasphemy,” the controversy rarely, if ever lived up to the hype.
Aside from that, a bit of parental “common sense” would go a long way. These films were obviously never meant to be seen by kids and certainly not intended to be seen as a double feature along with IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE or A CHRISTMAS STORY (even though the director of A CHRISTMAS STORY, Bob Clark, also directed the zombie classic CHILDREN SHOULDN’T PLAY WITH DEAD THINGS and the 1975 Christmas horror movie BLACK CHRISTMAS).
What we now present to you is a list of some of the most noteworthy Christmas horror movies to get you back into the Christmas spirit.
The Amazing Masks and Props from Bump in the Night FX!
If you’re a mask collector like me then you have probably been burned on at least one occasion. You ordered a mask or bust out of a catalog or off of a website only to find that when it arrived it looked nothing like the picture you based your mask-buying decision on! The paintjob may be horrible, the hairwork can be falling out or in some cases, the piece was folded up so that it could be put in a smaller box to save on shipping (so that it now has permanent creases across the face). There is nothing worse than spending your hard-earned money, especially in this economy, only to open a box of something you ordered and your only reaction is “What the f**k?” Thankfully most companies, like Morris Costumes, will take a return, but oftentimes, when dealing with an artist directly they get all offended at what your complaint is, making for a very uncomfortable and disasterous situation. Thankfully we have companies like BUMP IN THE NIGHT FX (formerly BUMP IN THE NIGHT PRODUCTIONS).
The Wicked Wonders of Salem!
David A. here. Welcome to the final chapter of an excellent series of blogs started by Dave F. on his visit to my home state of Rhode Island this past October. I am a New Englander through and through…always have been, always will be. What is not to love? The summers are warm and beautiful and the winters are tolerable. We have some of the best fall foliage ever seen and we also have some of the best “true” vampire stories in the world! We also have Salem. Salem, best known for its witch trials of 1692, is a place I always wanted to visit but never did. My problem is that I’m not a big fan of road trips, especially by myself and the majority of my New England friends do not share the same interests and enthusiasm for these types of things.
Girlfriend from Hell – An ’80s Cult Classic!
So we’ve all been there…been in that one relationship where everything you did was for that someone special. Of course you later find out that you were just being taken advantage of…the relationship from Hell. There is nothing quite like being used for your kindness and generosity! And who can forget being set up with someone by your friend, only to find out they were not what you expected? This is where our movie, GIRLFRIEND FROM HELL (1989), comes in.
My Top 13 Movies for the Halloween Season!
Anyone that knows me knows that I love horror, sci-fi and monster movies and pretty much watch them all year-long. When it comes to October though there are a handful of movies that I feel I must watch to get me in the Halloween spirit. This list is not in any way meant to be a list of my top 13 horror movies of all time but a list of top 13 Halloween movies. These are movies that may not necessarily be scary as hell…some are just charming and fun! Even if these films do not fall into your top 13 list, perhaps there are some titles here you haven’t seen and may be tempted to watch!





