Running at an efficient 15 minutes each, there’s bound to be at least one story for everyone. “Arose Such a Clatter” opens with a hit and run of sorts as a distracted driver collides with a deer. All the Creatures Were Stirring is available on DVD, On Demand and Digital Video from December 4, 2018. People tend to overlook how sometimes the best-looking films can be the most boring (especially when it comes to horror), it’s often the spirit (hah) that counts, something that All the Creatures Were Stirring is absolutely loaded with – both in Christmas and filmmaking. But the very idea of the opposing worlds of horror and Christmas colliding causing such an offense to the public seems almost laughable now, especially when every year now it seems we get a new entry into the surprisingly prolific sub-genre of ‘Christmas Horror’, with some recent hits being Krampus, A Christmas Horror Story and now, just in time for 2018’s festive season, the delightful All the Creatures Were Stirring. Thanks to its inventive ideas, effective execution and willingness to be original, this film is bound to be another Christmas classic for every horror fan to enjoy. Help us in support to keep the magazine going strong for years to come with a small donation. The two end up trapped in a twisted, black-and-white parody of a Christmas party by some unknown force. Like it could have done with more sleigh bells, tinsel and Christmas cheer? As a collective whole All the Creatures Were Stirring is a perfectly passable diversion. 6 – 1980-2000: Handover & Second Wave, The History of Hong Kong Action Pt. All the Creatures Were Stirring (Movie Review). Picking are slim for their date, so they settle on a small show in a tiny theater featuring five stories brought to life by mostly silent performers with minimalist stage dressing. 12. Kicking off with a literal bang, this opening segment is fast, frenzied and immediately dials in the audience of what’s in store for the next four stories. It does a good job building up tension, as the gift exchange goes on with its dramatic reveals and menacing music. With his DVD collection and wealth of film knowledge in tow, Alex continues to write about film, something he knows gets the ladies. I found all stories to be interesting, although the … Entering a show vaguely titled All the Creatures Were Stirring, the awkward couple unfortunately find themselves in the audience of a local theatre group’s interpretative dance routines of Christmas-themed horror shorts, which when started, are the different segments we see fully visualised. All Rights Reserved. “All Through the House” delivers a modern riff on It’s A Wonderful Life’s classic account of Christmas-inspired divine redemption as a grumpy Grinch is forced into embracing the Christmas spirit – whether he likes it or not. Speaking of the film’s aesthetics, the limitations of its independent nature are only truly evident through its digital cinematography, a notable visual look that most low-budget productions are often crassly labeled as “looking cheap”, a vague descriptor which only seems to be used insultingly. It’s truly the strangest one of the lot, but its singularity is stimulating and it’s the one which feels the most inspired from the original Twilight Zone series (and not just because of its old school black and white visuals). “The Stockings Were Hung” opens at an office Christmas party that looks about as fun as you’d expect. There are thousands of horror movies, and over a hundred of them focus their chills and thrills around the Christmas holiday. All the Creatures Were Stirring hits On Demand, Digital, and DVD on December 4th, 2018. “Arose Such a Clatter” is the film’s weakest episode, but luckily its quickest, a pretty straight-forward fable of a hit-and-run incident that quickly becomes a supernatural revenge fantasy. “Dash Away All”- where a man (Matt Long: Ghost Rider 2007, Lucky 7 2013) falls afoul of a mechanical mishap and meeting the wrong people – is quite serious and has clean, clear shots. Genre fans, particularly those of us addicted to Christmas horror movies, should still give it a spin both for the beats that work and in the hopes that the filmmakers return with something even better. Plot. Not to mention, like its gifts, it wraps itself up nicely with a neat conclusion. The stories included a Belko Experiment style survival game, a reindeer revenge tale and a new take on A Christmas Carol. Directed by David Ian McKendry, Rebekah McKendry. https://filmschoolrejects.com/all-the-creatures-were-stirring-review With every anthology, there’s some segments that work better than others, but having the same creative force behind each one means that there’s a coherence and consistency that is usually lacking in multi-directorial efforts like A Christmas Horror Story or the V/H/S series. The film’s as much of a comedy as it is horror, but with workplace shootings a reality there’s an objectively frightening element at play here as the first death comes with a gunshot to the head. It’s clear the McKendrys know the genre (as well as a lot of people in Los Angeles’ horror scene), but the shorts that don’t work stumble in their execution and/or ambition. Not only is the title a riff on a line from “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas,” but each segment is named after lines from the poem (i.e. (Trust me.) In a year where people have been debating the pretentiousness of horror films (a hyperbolic argument rooted in basic observation of the genre), this particular horror anthology promises a good night, and much like the red-suited man seen smiling in every segment, wholly delivers on it. “In a Twinkling” invites us to a Christmas dinner party at Steve’s house. Day Heath is a Capricorn who likes long walks on the beach, picnics on the grass, and reviewing films. However, the overall film makes up for this with its three strongest segments. ), though not necessarily in poetic order. © Copyright Cryptic Rock 2020 – All Rights Reserved – User Login Website Design by Anthony Idi. It’s the most uplifting and violence-free of the stories here and a fitting note to end things on (although we are left wondering where three of the friends disappear to). That is, until his friend Gabby (Wu) throws him a surprise Christmas party, only to discover the real reason why he always avoids the holidays – a reveal that’s far away from any form of lycanthropic transformation. The premise of this one is pretty damn brilliant as Rudolph seeks revenge on the deer-killing driver, but the resulting short is unable to live up to the idea. With Constance Wu, Jonathan Kite, Jocelin Donahue, Ashley Clements. He suspects something is amiss with the girls, and we know as much, and the reveal delivers with a satisfying turn of events. Become a Member and support film journalism. “The Stockings Were Hung,” a story about an office gift exchange gone wrong, gets things off to a good start. Well, RLJE Films covers that with All the Creatures Were Stirring, due out on Tuesday, December 4, 2018. Join a community of like-minded readers who are passionate about cinema - get access to our private members Network, give back to independent filmmakers, and more. As Chet (Kite), a grouchy jerk, learns the joy of Christmas through terror by three ghosts a la A Christmas Carol. Character behaviors are a mix of smart and stupid as office politics interrupt the mayhem, and while it builds some suspense it ends before truly capitalizing on it. "Rob is great. Sign up to get our cinematic goodness delivered to your inbox every weekend. This is easily the film’s strongest segment as our hapless protagonist’s caution feels accurate and builds tension. For one, the couple sees a sparse theater set, but this transitions into short films for the viewer. One of the biggest problems with the Saw franchise, outside of its convoluted timeline trickery, was its reluctance to change-up its locations – 8 films set in rustic warehouses got old pretty quickly, and maybe one entry within a stark white office space might’ve done the series some good. All the Creatures Were Stirring (Review) by Blacktooth Dec 4, 2018, 2:14 pm 0 Comments. Even its weaker ones still manage to chill (“Dash Away All”) or gain a laugh (“Arose Such A Clatter”) – not to mention, there is still an extra twist in its tail with the couple. The concept of corrupting the idyllic nature of Christmas wasn’t new, as Bob Clark’s Black Christmas had caused a similar stir in the 70’s. Rebekah McKendry was eight months pregnant when they began shooting All The Creatures Were Stirring. From boring office … 2015’s A Christmas Horror Story has its ups and downs but is at its best as a fun and surprising creature feature when Krampus and zombie elves come to town. This one tries to go heavy on the laughs, some of which land while others don’t, but some surreal touches hurt more than help the overall effect. “All Through the House” is a modern-day take on Scrooge and A Christmas Carol. Production stopped a few days before she gave birth and they were back at it about one month later. Eric is last one out of the shops, and in his rush to load the car he accidentally locks himself out of it. These two are also the weakest segments, but for different reasons. “All Through the House,” “Arose Such a Clatter,” etc. 5 – 1980: New Wave, Cinema City, Jackie Chan & John Woo, The History of Hong Kong Action Cinema Pt. Quite simply, yes. He is sure Linda would save him, but would she? A Beginner’s Guide to National Cinema Theory, Beginner’s Guide: George Miller, Writer & Director, The Beginner’s Guide: Josh & Benny Safdie, Writers & Directors, The Joker’s Smile, Part 3: The Final Joke (For Now…), The Joker’s Smile, Part 1: The 20th Century’s Most Adaptable Character, Louis Le Prince: The Unsolved Disappearance Of The Father Of Cinema, Critiquing The Critic: The Evolution & Function Of Film Criticism, Anarchic Cinema: Jean Vigo’s ZERO FOR CONDUCT, Anarchic Cinema: V-Cinema & Takashi Miike, The History of Hong Kong Action Cinema Pt. What are some of your favourite Christmas horror films? It seems at first that we might be dealing with a werewolf, as Steve (a suitably sullen Morgan Peter Brown) blows off all of his social engagements, fears the sight of a full moon and prepares to chain himself up. All the Creatures Were Stirring’s best quality is its originality, and the McKendry’s encyclopaedic knowledge of the genre is evident through their circumvention of cliche, as thankfully there’s nary a Krampus creature or a killer Santa in sight. Back in 1984, Silent Night, Deadly Night became one of the most controversial films of the decade purely through its advertising, a poster and TV campaign featuring an axe-wielding serial killer dressed in a Santa costume. Each short starts on the stage before shifting into a proper short film and then returning to the increasingly awkward couple and the oddballs sharing the theater with them.
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