Krampus

Opening with a slow-motion sequence depicting frantic Black Friday shoppers stampeding a big-box store to the strains of Bing Crosby's “It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas,” this holiday horror tale follows wistful young Max Engle (Emjay Anthony), his teenage sister Beth (Stefania LaVie Owen), and their constantly bickering, dysfunctional, extended family. The siblings' stressed-out parents—Tom (Adam Scott) and Sarah (Toni Collette)—are hosting Sarah's submissive sister (Allison Tolman), gun-toting brother-in-law (David Koechner), and their obnoxious children, along with boozing, cantankerous Aunt Dorothy (Conchata Ferrell). When an ominous wintry blizzard cuts off heat, electricity, and the phone/Internet, the group are suddenly besieged by nightmarish versions of familiar holiday icons—sharp-toothed teddy bears, menacing snowmen, goblin-like gingerbread men, homicidal elves, and a huge jack-in-the-box clown—that are inadvertently summoned when a disillusioned Max rips up his letter to Santa Claus. According to German folk legend, malevolent Krampus is a horned, cloven-hoofed creature that appears every yuletide season to punish children who have misbehaved. Writer-director Michael Dougherty clearly loves his marauding beasties, but doesn't really know what to do with them in any interesting narrative sense, making for a formulaic film that is neither scary nor funny. Optional, at best. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by director Michael Dougherty and writers Todd Casey and Zach Shields, deleted and extended scenes (18 min.), “The Naughty Ones: Meet the Cast” (5 min.), a gag reel (5 min.), an alternate ending (2 min.), art and storyboard galleries, and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are “Krampus Comes Alive!” behind-the-scenes featurettes (25 min. total), a Weta Workshop segment (10 min.), and bonus DVD, digital, and UltraViolet copies of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a disappointing horror flick.] (S. Granger)