Violent Night

Premiered December 2, 2022.

Christmas Eve has arrived. However, Santa Claus (David Harbor) feels cynical about his role in the holiday.  He takes a break from his deliveries to drown his sorrows in a bar.

At the same time, in Greenwich, CT, Jason Lightstone (Alex Hassell), his wife Linda (Alexis Louder) and their daughter Trudy (Leah Brady) are driving to his mother’s mansion for the Lightstone family’s elaborate Christmas celebration.  Linda and Jason’s marriage is in trouble and they’ve been living apart.  Trudy is angry at her father because he forgot to take her to see Santa at the mall.  The only thing she wants for Christmas is for her parents to get back together.  

Jason’s mother Gertrude (Beverly D’Angelo) heads a major international oil corporation and has illegally obtained much of her wealth.  This comes back to haunt her when gunmen led by Jimmy Martinez (John Leguizamo) take the Lightstones hostage and demand billions of dollars.  Jimmy and his minions take on Christmas-related codenames, with Jimmy calling himself “Scrooge.”

When Santa arrives at the Lightstone house to deliver presents to Trudy, he quickly realizes what’s going on.  Santa steps into action and kills several gunmen. 

Can Santa save the Lightstone family and regain his Christmas spirit?  Or will Jimmy and his gang cancel Christmas forever?

J.A. Morris says:

I’ll mention up front that if you’ve heard of Violent Night, you probably know it’s not for kids and contains more violence and gore than just about anything we’ve reviewed here.  It definitely brings the violence its title promises.  Having said that, it's a very good R-rated action movie.  The main attraction here is David Harbor as Santa Claus.  Fans of Stranger Things (where Harbor famously portrayed police chief Jim Hopper)  will probably enjoy Violent Night. With anyone else in the role, this movie wouldn’t have worked.  

Gertrude Lightstone is played by Beverly D’Angelo.  I’m thinking this was a bit of stunt-casting, since D’angelo also plays Ellen Griswold in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (and other Vacation movies).  She’s convincing in Violent Night as a corporate oil executive who will use criminal methods to maximize profit.

Since this is a recently-released film I don’t want to reveal too much here.  So I’ll just say that I thought some of the bad guys in this movie got off easy, which keeps me from giving the movie my highest rating.

Still, it’s a well-made action movie and it’s entertaining from start to finish.  If you’re looking for blood and gore and Santa killing terrorists in novel ways, you will appreciate Violent Night.  

J.A. Morris's rating:

3 candy canes.

RigbyMel says:

Violent Night is an outrageously over the top Christmas action movie. It definitely earns its R-rating and is decidedly not for kids. When we saw the trailer earlier this year, I was reminded of a parody promo from Scrooged called "The Night The Reindeer Died" and thought it might have potential, especially with David Harbor as Santa.

When we went to see Violent Night, my impression was reinforced. David Harbor makes an appealing world-weary, butt-kicking St. Nick. I also enjoyed the way the film managed to tie in some of Santa's mythological connection to Odin in an interesting way. Also, Harbor's experience working with young actors in Stranger Things pays off with his interactions with young Trudy (played by Leah Brady), who makes you root for the family despite some of the loathsome behavior of her relatives.

As its title might suggest, the film is VERY violent indeed, making use of every conceivable holiday decoration -- up to and including a baby Jesus from a manger scene -- into a weapon of some sort or other. Some of the violence is so out there that it becomes humorous. And I am one of those people who tends to wince when people get punched in movies. I still winced, but I also laughed throughout Violent Night.

There are also darkly humorous turns such as the bad guys having ridiculous holiday themed code names ("Scrooge" and "Krampus," of course, but also "Frosty," "Sugarplum," and "Candy Cane.") However, under the mordant humor, violence and gore lies an almost sweet holiday tale of good triumphing over evil and a very entertaining holiday action flick.

RigbyMel's rating: 

3 candy canes 

The Addams Family: "Christmas With The Addams Family"

Premiered December 24, 1965.

It's Christmas time and the Addams family is preparing for the holiday season.  The Addams' daughter Wednesday (Lisa Loring) hopes Santa Claus will bring her a Marie Antionette doll to use on her guillotine, while her brother Pugsley (Ken Weatherwax) wants a bow and arrow so he can shoot apples off the head of his Uncle Fester (Jackie Coogan).  However, their Christmas spirit is diminished when their neighbor tells them there is no Santa.

Pugsley and Wednesday's parents Gomez (John Astin) and Morticia (Carolyn Jones) reassure them that Santa is real and they decide to take action.  They ask Fester to put on a Santa suit and climb down the chimney on Christmas Eve and deliver gifts. Unfortunately, Fester gets stuck and doesn't show up, so the family is forced to improvise.  

Gomez puts on a Santa suit and and visits Pugsley and Wednesday.  He brings them the doll and bow and arrow presents they asked for.

Grandmama Addams (Blossom Rock) also shows up dressed as Santa.  She gives them the same gifts Gomez brought.   

She's followed by the Addams' butler Lurch (Ted Cassidy)...

...Cousin It (Felix Silla)...

...and Morticia!

Each "Santa" gives the kids a doll and bow and arrow.  Which means they end up with five of each!

Will the Addams Family's attempts to play Kris Kringle convince Pugsley and Wednesday that Santa is real?

J.A. Morris says:
The belief in Santa Claus (or lack thereof) is an common trope of Christmas programming.  The topic is dealt with very nicely in "Christmas With The Addams Family."  

This is a very sweet episode that features the "creepy" and "spooky" Addams Family going the extra mile to make sure their children believe in Santa Claus.  It's a reminder that Morticia and Gomez had one of the best and healthiest marriages in the history of sitcoms and "Christmas With The Addams Family" shows they were also very good parents.  It's also nice to see their extended family of Uncle Fester, Grandmama, Lurch and Cousin It helping out too.

The plot of this episode isn't very complicated.  It's basically just a series of scenes that feature the cast in Santa suits and they eventually bump into each other!

The episode closes with the cast breaking the forth wall and singing "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" to the viewers, which makes me smile every time I watch it.  

"Christmas With The Addams Family" is a touching episode that serves as a reminder that families often go to great lengths to make Christmas a magical experience for children.

J.A. Morris' rating:

4 candy canes!

Father Christmas (1991)

Premiered December 24, 1991

Another Christmas Eve mission has just been successfully completed and Father Christmas (William Dennis Hunt) returns to his simple house where he lives alone with his cat, dog, and two reindeer.  

After consulting some travel guides, Santa decides to visit the south of France.  

He converts his sleigh into a camper..

...and his reindeer fly him to his destination.  

He dines on the local cuisine and buys clothes that will help him "fit in" with the locals.  He's having good time until he samples some French cuisine, which does NOT agree with his digestive system.  This prompts Father Christmas to leave France.

His next stop is Scotland, where he dances at a pub, wears a kilt and swims in Scotland's cold waters.  His visit ends when a little girl notices that he's Santa Claus.

Father Christmas decides his next stop will be Las Vegas.  He enjoys elaborate stage shows, gambling and relaxing in the hotel pool.  

However, once again, he's recognized and decides to head home.

When he arrives at his house, Father Christmas is greeted by a huge pile of letters!  

He observes that Christmas seems to come sooner every year and gets started with reading letters and preparing for Christmas.  Santa has to rush to get everything ready for Christmas Eve.  

He sets out on his annual trip around the world.

He delivers everything and has time to visit the annual Snow Man Christmas party at the North Pole.  

During the party, Father Christmas discovers that he still has two presents in his sleigh that weren't delivered.  

Can Santa get them delivered in time before the children wake up on Christmas morning?

J.A. Morris says:

Father Christmas is a nice, light special that features a more down-to-earth Santa.  There is no Mrs. Claus, no castle at the North Pole, no scenes of elves making toys.   There is a passing reference to a gift being sent to Santa by his elves, that's the only concession to the "conventional" portrayals of Kris Kringle.  The "plot" consists of Father Christmas visiting various vacation destinations, until circumstances force him to leave.  The story isn't very deep, but that's okay, since the beautiful animation and solid voice-acting by William Dennis Hunt are entertaining enough to carry the special.  

If I'd seen Father Christmas when I was a child, I might have been a bit unnerved at first to see a version of Santa that doesn't live in his "traditional" trappings.  And I would've wondered what happened to his other six reindeer.  

Having said that, it's nice to see Santa kicking back and taking a much-deserved holiday, gambling and drinking (I believe my "younger self" would've been glad to know Santa gets to relax now and then!). 

It treats Father Christmas as a human being who lives a simple life in a modest home with his dog and cat.  Speaking of his pets, we're treated to multiple scenes that show Father Christmas adoring them, which is an endearing touch.  

If it's not obvious from our summary, Father Christmas is a sequel (of sorts) to The Snowman (1982), an earlier classic TV special.  The Snowman and the boy from that special are seen during the Snowman party.  

Father Christmas is an enjoyable special that features gorgeous animation and a unique take on Santa Claus and I recommend it to every fan of holiday programming.  However, I wouldn't say it's a classic that I intend to watch every December.

J.A Morris' rating:

3 candy canes.

RigbyMel says: 

Father Christmas is an enjoyable and VERY British little animated short.  It is based on two books - Father Christmas (1973) and Father Christmas Goes on Holiday (1975) - by English author & illustrator Raymond Briggs.    It also takes place in the same universe as the 1982 film The Snowman. 

The film's version of Father Christmas is a bit more grumpy than the American incarnation and lives modestly in a little row house somewhere in the UK sans elves or Mrs. Claus.  It's rather fun to see this curmudgeonly version of Santa Claus engaging in daily tasks like gardening and taking care of his (adorable) pets.  I also quite like the pun inherent in his referring to his reindeer as "m'dears".  

As he prepares for his vacation, Father Christmas comes off as something of a stereotypical British tourist,  trying to learn a bit of French while converting his sleigh into a camper van, and griping about the food/weather.  

Interestingly, the version of this short animated film that is most readily available here in the U.S. is a bit different from the original release.  In the original version, Father Christmas is voiced by English comedian Mel Smith  - possibly best known to American audiences as The Albino in The Princess Bride.  You can see/hear Smith performing the song from the film at this link!  

The American edition of the film (which is the most common home video release per Wikipedia) makes a few changes - most notably opting for a more jolly voice over for Father Christmas by William Dennis Hunt and the elimination of over 75 instances of Santa using the British slang term "blooming" and some tweaks for American cultural mores. 

(Personally, I get a bit irked by "translated" versions of UK programming for American audiences, but studios are going to do what they think they need to do to make their films accessible to particular markets, I suppose.)  

Overall, this is a lovely and humo(u?)rous little animated special and worth seeking out even if it is not quite a classic. 

RigbyMel's rating: 

3 candy canes