Nightmare On 34th Street, Mr. Red Has A Dark Past
“Nightmare on 34th Street” is an anthology of comedy-horror Christmas movie goodness. Director James Crow put together a collection of dark tales wrapped around the idea of an Evil Santa causing chaos in neighborhood homes. The main wraparound “Santa’s Story” follows a disfigured Santa who unexpectedly visits a young boy named Peter on Christmas Eve. As the night unfolds, the faux Santa shares a series of macabre Christmas horror stories with Peter, creating an eerie atmosphere within the confines of an upstairs bedroom. Pivoting from there the stories show how each of the main villains came to be who they are.
Timelines be damned, Nightmare on 34th Street” jumps around almost as maniacally as the killers in the narrative. And kill they do. In the opening scenes and the first segment, “Toby & Cloe’s Christmas Nightmare” treats a little girl to the invite of her life. Mr. Red and his friends Mr. Green and Mr. White make quick time to kill her entire family before he enlists her help back at the North Pole. The brutally edited horror anthology then does a quick flash forward of five years, adding more fuel to the sinister nature of the man in the ripped and tattered red suit.
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“The Ventriloquist Who Stole Christmas” holds the keys to the life of one of Santa’s sidekicks, following a man called Henry White. His act revolves around crude jokes told by his dummy snowman coincidentally named Dr. White. Failing at life, Henry’s wife wants to leave him after he gets beaten by local bullies and fired from his job. A downward spiral quickly follows when his dummy becomes self-aware, convincing him to concentrate all his skills on being the best serial killer he can be. With a new ambitious attitude, he sets about achieving his new life goal.
The film features a talented cast including Pierse Stevens, Ewen MacIntosh, Lucy Pinder, and Andy Gatenby, who bring their unique talents to their respective roles. Lucy Pinder, known for her performance in “Sharknado 5: Global Swarming” (2017), delivers a solid performance. Additionally, the movie introduces Gillian Broderick, known for her role in “Winnie The Pooh: Blood and Honey” (2023.) “The Lobster” star Ewan McIntosh appears as a guy called Richard. In the role of Mr. Red, is Pierse Stevens who did his utmost best to channel the voice of Karl Urban’s character Billy Butcher. If I closed my eyes long enough, I could almost be convinced the run time was shorter.
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In the third installment, “Merry Krampus” takes a journey into a low-class neighborhood. One woman’s decision on how many offspring she requires leads to her last-born son thinking Black Peter is going to punish him for being alive. This is a segment purely hinged on the horned universe of Krampus and the extenuating circumstances of his mother Louise on her son Luke.
Without any warning Nightmare on 34th Street saves the most disturbing of tales for the grand finale. “12 Kills of Christmas” was hard to stomach with a heavy side-eye towards The Ghost of Christmas Past visiting a priest called Father McShane. Is he responsible for the terrible accusations against him from those within his Church family? This is followed by one last story about Mr. Red himself. “Santa’s Revenge.” You’ll never guess that he was once the best department store Santa ever before being unceremoniously fired from his throne.
With James Crow at the helm as both the writer and director, “Nightmare on 34th Street” runs for more than two hours. Despite moments of clarity and some laugh-out-loud gags, this is not my favorite Christmas horror movie. It will however suffice as a nice holiday horror treat. Crow’s passion for the horror genre shines through as he pays homage to various indie horror flicks. Unfortunately, though, this is a movie that sadly feels unfinished.
You can watch the film for yourself in the USA from 6th December. For more information check RealGood.com or your favorite “where to watch” app.
Nightmare on 34th Street is rated
2.5 Diesel is more efficient than reindeer out of 5
This title was provided as a screener from Wild Eye Releasing Distributors.
