You better watch out because Santa Claus is coming to town. This time, Santa’s a killer robot with a mean streak.
Joe Begos (Bliss, VFW) is back with the holiday horror slasher Christmas Bloody Christmas, which will release day-and-date in theaters from RLJE Films and streaming on Shudder on December 9, 2022.
“It’s Christmas Eve, and fiery record store owner Tori Tooms (Riley Dandy) just wants to get drunk and party until the robotic Santa Claus at a nearby toy store goes haywire and makes her night more than a little complicated.
“Santa Claus begins a rampant killing spree through the neon-drenched snowscape against a backdrop of drugs, sex, metal, and violence, ultimately forcing Tori into a blood-splattered battle for survival against the ruthless heavy metal Saint Nick himself.”
Sam Delich, Jonah Ray Rodrigues, Dora Madison, and Jeremy Gardner also star in Christmas Bloody Christmas along with Jeff Daniel Phillips and Abraham Benrubi.
In our review, Daniel Kurland called it “deliriously bloody with a striking color palette and kaleidoscopic visuals.” Of the filmmaker, he wrote, “It’s exciting to see Begos’ growing ambitious accomplishments as a horror filmmaker and what he has in store for audiences next.”
In celebration of Christmas Bloody Christmas and Begos’ latest blood-drenched horror offering, we look back at the filmmaker’s films and his commitment to the genre.
Almost Human (2013)
Begos’ feature debut establishes his style and affinity for gore and practical effects straightaway. Playing like a cross between a John Carpenter film and Xtro, Almost Human sees a missing man (Josh Ethier) mysteriously return a few years after aliens had abducted him. His best friend (Graham Skipper) and girlfriend (Vanessa Leigh) are relieved to see him at first but soon realize there’s something deeply wrong with him as bodies pile up; he’s not quite human anymore. Almost Human introduces Begos’ ability to maneuver around and stretch budgetary limitations and an emphasis on style. The debut also introduces the long-running collaboration between writer/director Begos and editor/producer/actor/sound designer Ethier.
The Mind’s Eye (2015)
Zack Connors (Graham Skipper) and his girlfriend Rachel Meadows (Lauren Ashley Carter) were born with powerful telekinetic abilities that put them in the crosshairs of the nefarious Dr. Michael Slovak (John Speredakos). Slovak’s years of experimenting with Rachel’s DNA to give himself her abilities means he’s willing to retrieve the lovers at any cost when they escape his facilities. Begos channels his ’80s influences again here, infusing them with his commitment to gore and practical effects. It results in a feature that feels like a grittier, gorier Scanners sequel packed with an affable cast of horror mainstays.
Bliss (2019)
Bliss stars Dora Madison as Dezzy, a talented Los Angeles-based artist with a reputation for her dark artwork. Struggling for months to move past a severe creative block, Dezzy’s facing financial trouble and serious pressure from the art gallery to which her latest erstwhile masterpiece has been promised. When her agent drops her, Dezzy finds herself seeking solace from old friends and vices she once left behind in the city’s seedy underbelly. After a hallucinogenic drug binge on Bliss, Dezzy’s night of debauchery sends her on a downward spiral fueled by Bliss and an unquenchable thirst for blood. The gleeful approach to violence and gore is still there in spades, as are the overt cinematic influences that shaped this story. But now Begos is asking thought-provoking questions through his art, in his gratuitous no-holds-barred way, that indicates a director growing much more comfortable and confident.
VFW (2019)
A highly addictive drug called Hype has turned America into a war zone. The addicted are mutant-like and willing to kill or be killed for another dose. Local drug lord Boz (Travis Hammer) has taken up residence in a movie theater across the street from a VFW post, a bar, and a gathering place for friends who served in Vietnam together. Since the vets’ preferred vice is alcohol, Boz and his gang give them a wide berth. That is until a young woman named Lizard (Sierra McCormick) steals Boz’s stash and seeks shelter in the VFW. Boz and his horde lay siege to the VFW, and it’s a bloody fight to the death. Penned by Max Brallier and Matthew McArdle, VFW marks the first film for Begos that he didn’t write himself. While that means a less personal film for the director, it’s clear he was having a ball making it. Retaining much of the same crew as Bliss, including cinematographer Mike Testin and makeup effects artists John and Sierra Russell, VFW has that same stunning shot-on-film neon grit with all the glorious gore.
See Santa paint the snow red in Christmas Bloody Christmas, available in theaters from RLJE Films and on Shudder on December 9, 2022.
The post ‘Christmas Bloody Christmas’ and the Twisted Workshop of Joe Begos! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.
source https://bloody-disgusting.com/sponsored/3743094/christmas-bloody-christmas-and-the-twisted-workshop-of-joe-begos/
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