List of holiday horror films
Holiday-themed horror films or holiday horror are a horror subgenre of films set during holidays. Holiday horror films can be presented in short or long formats, and typically utilize common themes, images, and motifs from the holidays during which they are set, often as methods by which the villain may murder their victims.[1][2]
Film scholars Chris Vander Kaay and Kathleen Fernandez-Vander Kaay explain the subgenre as such: "The expression "adding insult to injury" is an excellent encapsulation of the motivation behind the horror movie obsession with holidays (aside from the obvious desire to brand a killer with a theme and costume that can be revisited many times within a lucrative film franchise). The holiday is a place for happiness and family... The horror movie loves nothing more than irony (except perhaps a good death scene), and there is very little more ironic than the fear and isolation of a horror movie taking place right in the middle of the festivities."[3]
List of films
The following is a list of holiday horror films that depict and/or are set during a holiday or holiday season.
|
Films that feature St. Valentine's Day |
|
Films that feature April Fools' Day |
|
Films that feature Halloween |
|
Films that feature Thanskgiving |
|
Films that feature Christmas |
| X | Films that feature New Year's Eve |
1970s
| Year | Film | Country | Holiday(s) | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Whoever Slew Auntie Roo? | United Kingdom |
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| 1972 | Tales from the Crypt | United Kingdom |
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[4] | |
| 1972 | Home for the Holidays | United States |
|
Television film | |
| 1972 | Silent Night, Bloody Night | United States |
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| 1974 | Black Christmas | Canada |
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| 1975 | Night Train Murders | Italy |
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| 1978 | Halloween | United States |
|
[5] |
1980s
| Year | Film | Country | Holiday(s) | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | To All a Goodnight | United States |
|
[6] | |
| 1980 | Christmas Evil | United States |
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| 1980 | New Year's Evil | United States | X | ||
| 1981 | My Bloody Valentine | Canada |
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| 1981 | Halloween II | United States |
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| 1981 | Home Sweet Home | United States |
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| 1982 | Halloween III: Season of the Witch | United States |
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| 1982 | Trick or Treats | United States |
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| 1982 | X-ray | United States |
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| 1984 | Don't Open till Christmas | United Kingdom |
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| 1984 | Gremlins | United States |
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| 1984 | Silent Night, Deadly Night | United States |
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| 1985 | The Midnight Hour | United States |
|
Television film | [7] |
| 1986 | April Fool's Day | United States |
|
[8] | |
| 1986 | Killer Party | Canada/United States |
|
[9] | |
| 1986 | Slaughter High | United Kingdom/United States |
|
[10] | |
| 1986 | Trick or Treat | United States |
|
[11] | |
| 1987 | Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 | United States |
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| 1987 | Blood Rage | United States |
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| 1987 | Bloody New Year | United States | X | ||
| 1988 | Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers | United States |
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| 1988 | Night of the Demons | United States |
|
[12] | |
| 1989 | 3615 code Père Noël | France |
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| 1989 | Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers | United States |
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| 1989 | Elves | United States |
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| 1989 | Silent Night, Deadly Night 3: Better Watch Out! | United States |
|
1990s
| Year | Film | Country | Holiday(s) | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Silent Night, Deadly Night 4: Initiation | United States |
|
Direct-to-video | |
| 1991 | Silent Night, Deadly Night 5: The Toy Maker | United States |
|
Direct-to-video | |
| 1994 | Night of the Demons 2 | United States |
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| 1995 | Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers | United States |
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| 1995 | Jack-O | United States |
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| 1996 | Santa Claws | United States |
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| 1997 | Intensity | United States |
|
Television film | [13] |
| 1997 | Night of the Demons 3 | United States |
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| 1997 | Jack Frost | United States |
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| 1998 | Alien Abduction: Incident in Lake County | United States |
|
Television film | [14] |
| 1998 | Halloween H20: 20 Years Later | United States |
|
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| 1999 | Lovers Lane | United States |
|
Direct-to-video | [15] |
2000s
| Year | Film | Country | Holiday(s) | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Jack Frost 2: Revenge of the Mutant Killer Snowman | United States |
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| 2001 | Valentine | United States |
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| 2001 | The Christmas Season Massacre | United States |
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| 2002 | Halloween: Resurrection | United States |
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| 2003 | Dead End | United States |
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| 2004 | Hellbent | United States |
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| 2004 | Satan's Little Helper | United States |
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| 2005 | The Gingerdead Man | United States |
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| 2005 | Santa's Slay | United States |
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| 2006 | Halloween Night | United States |
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| 2006 | Black Christmas | United States |
|
Remake of 1974 film | [16] |
| 2006 | Séance | United States |
|
[17] | |
| 2007 | April Fools | United States |
|
Direct-to-video | [18] |
| 2007 | Halloween | United States |
|
Remake of 1978 film | |
| 2007 | Trick 'r Treat | United States |
|
[19] | |
| 2007 | Inside | France |
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| 2008 | April Fool's Day | United States |
|
Remake of 1986 film | |
| 2008 | The Children | United States |
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| 2008 | Gingerdead Man 2: Passion of the Crust | United States |
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| 2008 | Pontypool | Canada |
|
[20] | |
| 2008 | ThanksKilling | United States |
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| 2009 | My Bloody Valentine | United States |
|
Remake of 1981 film | [21] |
| 2009 | Halloween II | United States |
|
Sequel to 2007 remake. | |
| 2009 | Deadly Little Christmas | United States |
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| 2009 | Silent Night, Zombie Night | United States |
|
2010s
| Year | Film | Country | Holiday(s) | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale | Finland |
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| 2010 | Sint | The Netherlands |
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| 2011 | The Melancholy Fantastic | United States |
|
Re-released in 2016 as Doll in the Dark | |
| 2011 | Gingerdead Man 3: Saturday Night Cleaver | United States |
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| 2012 | Silent Night | United States |
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| 2013 | All Hallows' Eve | United States |
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| 2013 | Christmas Cruelty! | Norway |
|
[22] | |
| 2013 | Gingerdead Man vs. Evil Bong | United States |
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| 2014 | Kristy | United States |
|
[23] | |
| 2015 | All Through the House | United States |
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| 2015 | A Christmas Horror Story | United States |
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| 2015 | Krampus | United States |
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| 2015 | Red Christmas | Australia |
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| 2015 | Tales of Halloween | United States |
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| 2017 | Better Watch Out | Australia/United States |
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| 2017 | Mercy Christmas | United States |
|
References
- ^ Vander Kaay & Fernandez-Vander Kaay 2016, p. 99.
- ^ Baker, Tom "10 Ridiculous Holiday Horror Films", What Culture, 11 December 2014.
- ^ Vander Kaay & Fernandez-Vander Kaay 2016, pp. 98–9.
- ^ Ed. Allan Bryce, Amicus: The Studio That Dripped Blood, Stray Cat Publishing, 2000 pp. 84-93.
- ^ Vander Kaay & Fernandez-Vander Kaay 2016, p. 16.
- ^ Mannikka, Eleanor. "To All a Goodnight (1980) - Trailers, Reviews, Synopsis, Showtimes and Cast - AllMovie". AllMovie. Retrieved August 30, 2017.
- ^ Collis, Clark (October 1, 2017). "Hatchet and Victor Crowley director picks the perfect Halloween movie". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved October 3, 2017.
- ^ Muir 2012, p. 298.
- ^ "Killer Party". tvguide.com. TV Guide. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Paul, Zachary (1 April 2017). "Through the Cracks: April Fool's Edition – Slaughter High". bloody-disgusting.com. Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
- ^ Muir 2012, p. 548.
- ^ Muir 2012, p. 682.
- ^ Shales, Tom (5 August 1997). "Fox's Intensity: A Deadly Sin". washingtonpost.com. The Washington Post. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Zachary, Paul (23 November 2017). "Through the Cracks Thanksgiving Edition: Incident in Lake County". bloody-disgusting.com. Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
- ^ Condit, Jon (8 July 2005). "Lover's Lane (1999)". dreadcentral.com. Dread Central. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
- ^ Jones 2010, p. 252.
- ^ "Séance (2006)". allmovie.com. AllMovie. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
- ^ Condit, Jon (10 September 2007). "DVD Releases: Double Feature A Go-Go!". dreadcentral.com. Dread Central. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
- ^ Nemiroff, Perri (October 16, 2016). "Why Trick'r Treat Is My Favorite Halloween Movie". Collider. Retrieved October 3, 2017.
- ^ Holden, Stephen (28 May 2009). "A Surprise Is in Store for This Shock Jock". nytimes.com. The New York Times. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Vander Kaay & Fernandez-Vander Kaay 2016, p. 100.
- ^ Lauren Rosewarne (2017). Analyzing Christmas in Film: Santa to the Supernatural. Lexington Books. p. 320. ISBN 9781498541817. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
- ^ Qateel, Nav. "Kristy: Review". influxmagazine.com. Influx Magazine. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help)
Works cited
- Jones, Alan-Bertaneisson (2010). Fright Xmas. AuthorHouseUK. ISBN 978-1-452-06199-3.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Muir, John Kenneth (2012). Horror Films of the 1980s. Vol. 1. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland. ISBN 978-0-786-47298-7. OCLC 840902442.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Vander Kaay, Chris; Fernandez-Vander Kaay, Kathleen (2016). Horror Films by Subgenre: A Viewer’s Guide. McFarland. ISBN 978-1-476-62283-5.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help)