Director – Michael Dougherty (Trick r’ Treat, Godzilla: King of the Monsters)
Starring – Adam Scott (Step Brothers, The Twilight Zone), Toni Collette (Hereditary, Nightmare Alley), and David Koechner (Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse)
Release Date- 2015
Rating – 3.5/5
UHD Release – 4.5/5
Michael Dougherty doesn’t have many films under his name as director but the few he has helmed are fantastic. In his filmmaking career he has created one of the most iconic Halloween anthologies of the last 30 years with Trick r’ Treat. The creation of little Sam has went on to become a pop culture icon that can be found everywhere during the Halloween season. He then brought in the second Godzilla film in the new Legendary series with Godzilla: King of the Monsters.
In 2015 he directed the horror comedy Krampus which has went on to become a holiday horror classic among fans. I wanted to see this one when it was originally released but work and life got away from me resulting in a missed opportunity. Since then I’ve snagged the blu release but never got around to checking it out. That changed when Scream Factory announced the UHD release of the film. I reached out to them and they were kind enough to send a copy my way. Thanks Scream Factory!
**Spoiler Alert** The film follows a young boy who is not enjoying the holiday season like he used to. His older sister is spending more time with her boyfriend than him and his cousins are mean to him. He writes Santa a letter asking for a return to the way Christmas used to be. That night a storm blows in and sub-zero temperatures resulting in a power outage. When his sister goes to her boyfriend’s and fails to return home his father and uncle go looking for him when they are attacked by something in the snow. When they return home they soon learn that the old myth of Krampus is real and he’s going from house to house adding to his body count. **Spoiler Alert**
Krampus is one of the most popular modern Christmas horror films and for good reason. It’s not on the same level of fun and iconic imagery as Trick r’ Treat but Dougherty’s eye for creating legendary holiday horror films is damn near unmatched. I really liked Krampus and can see this one joining my yearly holiday horror flicks like the original Black Christmas and Silent Night, Deadly Night. My biggest disappointment with the film is that I waited so long to watch it.
The acting in this one is a lot of fun. I’m a huge fan of David Koechner so it was cool to see him appear in another horror comedy. He was underutilized here but the serious tone and grounded characters did make the actual humor stand out. I also liked Adam Scott as well. His character fit the film very well and he did a fantastic job in the role. With that being said, I’m not really a fan of Toni Collette. She always looks confused in every film I’ve seen her in. Here she does show a little more of an emotional range but she is still the weakest point in the film in my opinion.
The story for this one takes the Krampus legend and turns it into a campy horror comedy that completely absorbs itself in the holiday spirit. I loved the creatures Dougherty introduced in the film along with the winter storm setting. I also loved the claustrophobic vibe of the film mixed with the offbeat humor. With that being said, I sincerely hope that this is just the first installment in a series of film set up with this storyline and creatures.
Finally, the film has some amazing creatures that mixes practical effects and visuals. The visuals do stand out but the practical effects look absolutely fantastic. I loved the clown puppets when it opened it’s mouth as well as a few of the other creatures. It’s not the bloodiest or goriest horror flick I’ve seen but the practical and visual effects are very imaginative. Overall, Krampus is a fun holiday horror film with a lot of creativity and Christmas charm. I wasn’t feeling Christmas this year but this movie helped get my head in the right place. I highly recommend snagging this release from Scream Factory. You will not be disappointed.
Special Features:
DISC ONE (4K UHD):
NEW The Naughty Cut With Additional Scenes And Adult Language Cut To Get A PG-13 Rating (Transfer Supervised By Director Michael Dougherty)
NEW Dolby Atmos Track
Audio Commentary With Director/Co-Writer Michael Dougherty And Co-Writers Todd Casey And Zach Shields
DISC TWO (BLU-RAY):
NEW The Naughty Cut With Additional Scenes And Adult Language Cut To Get A PG-13 Rating (Transfer Supervised By Director Michael Dougherty)
NEW Dolby Atmos Track
NEW A Dash Of Mischief – An Interview With Director/Co-Writer Michael Dougherty
NEW Storm Of The Centuries – An Interview With Producer Todd Casey
NEW The Great Protector – An Interview With Actor David Koechner
NEW Something Bad Happened On Christmas – An Interview With Actress Allison Tolman
NEW Max’s Journey – An Interview With Actor Emjay Anthony
NEW Lord Of The Things – An Interview With WETA’s Richard Taylor
NEW Mapping Mythology – An Interview With Storyboard Artist Simeon Wilkins
NEW I, Krampus – An Interview With Performer Luke Hawker
NEW A Winter Chorus – An Interview With Composer Douglas Pipes
Audio Commentary With Director/Co-Writer Michael Dougherty And Co-Writers Todd Casey And Zach Shields
Krampus Comes Alive! – A Five-Part Featurette On The Making Of The Film
Behind-The-Scenes At WETA Workshop: Krampus
Deleted/Extended Scenes, Not Seen In The Theatrical Cut
Gag Reel
Alternate Ending
Theatrical Trailers
Photo Galleries – Creature Art, Storyboards, And More
