A tale of ancient yuletide horror gets a modern update.
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I recently had the opportunity to review the Blu-ray of KRAMPUS, courtesy of the good folks at Click Communications. When I asked my wife if she wanted to watch it with me, she gave me a look that said, “Are you serious?” Horror movies—even tame ones like KRAMPUS—aren’t her thing. But my inner 80’s child—as well as my actual 12-year-old son—had been looking forward to it for a while. (However, I wanted to view it first before I let son watch it.)
So how was it? Keep reading after the clip to find out.
In case you missed it when it was in theaters last year, here’s a synopsis of KRAMPUS:
When his dysfunctional family clashes over the holidays, young Max (Emjay Anthony) is disillusioned and turns his back on Christmas. Little does he know, this lack of festive spirit has unleashed the wrath of Krampus: a demonic force of ancient evil intent on punishing non-believers. All hell breaks loose as beloved holiday icons take on a monstrous life of their own, laying siege to the fractured family’s home and forcing them to fight for each other if they hope to survive.
KRAMPUS is very much an homage to classic 80’s horror movies, most notably, Gremlins. Both movies are set during Christmas, both involve nasty creatures terrorizing an unsuspecting family, both are sort of campy, and both use lots of practical effects.
A couple of years ago I re-watched Gremlins for the first time since I was a kid. I was surprised at how violent and gory it was, even for 1980’s standards. Even though it was rated PG, it was one of two movies that year (the other being Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom) that brought about the PG-13 rating. I find it interesting that KRAMPUS is not quite as gory as Gremlins. (I don’t recall any scenes in KRAMPUS of elves exploding in microwaves.)
I admit that I enjoyed KRAMPUS. It’s a little bit silly, doesn’t take itself too seriously, and features a good number of well-imagined evil creatures. The depiction of Krampus himself is creepier than I had remembered from the movie trailers. I was surprised to learn that the story is based on a legend that’s been around a long time—a legend I’d never heard before.
If you enjoy scary movies (but not too scary) and wonder what it be like to have your Christmas ruined by an ancient force of evil, give KRAMPUS a shot. You’ll find yourself having a good bit of fun.
KRAMPUS releases on DVD and Blu-ray today, April 267.
BLU-RAYTMAND DVD BONUS FEATURES:
- Alternate Ending
- Deleted Scenes
- Extended Scenes
- Gag Reel
- The Naughty Ones: Meet The Cast – At the center of this crazed story, filled with horrifying creatures and massive set pieces, are some of the funniest and most talented actors working today. This piece shines a light on the cast of Krampus as they share their experiences making this movie.
- Galleries – Still Images from the set
- Feature Commentary With Director/Co-Writer Michael Dougherty and Co-Writers Todd Casey & Zach Shields
BONUS FEATURES EXCLUSIVELY ON BLU-RAYTM:
- Krampus and His Minions – In this exclusive feature see how Krampus and his twisted underlings gave the visual-effects superstars at Peter Jackson’s New Zealand-based Weta Workshop some creative and technical challenges. Viewers will have an insider look at how Krampus and his evil minions were created and executed.
- Practical Danger – Stunt Coordinator Rodney Cook walks viewers through how the film’s thrilling stunts were done live on set while facing challenges with the creatures, children and set design.
- Inside the Snowglobe: Production Design – Filming almost entirely on sound stages in the middle of summer in New Zealand, the art department and special effects team had to pull out all of their tricks to create sets that were realistic, ready for stunts and practical effects, all while creating the look of a winter wonderland.
- Behind the Scenes at Weta Workshop: Krampus – Go behind-the-scenes at the world famous Weta Workshop to see how they brought the amazing Krampus creatures to life.
- Dougherty’s Vision – In this featurette Director Michael Dougherty, along with the film’s cast and crew, reveal how his approach informed the tone, pacing, humor and performances of Krampus.
Source: 30dB.com – Krampus
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Photo: Legendary Pictures
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