The Horror Show
Holidays
by Anthony Scott Burns,
Kevin Kolsch, Nicholas McCarthy,
Adam Egypt Mortimer, Gary Shore,
Kevin Smith, Sarah Adina Smith,
Scott Stewart, Dennis Widmyer
Holidays is the inside of the other doors that Jack Skellington passed by in that weird forest, if every door was inhabited by nightmare versions of each day. It's one of the best anthologies I have seen in a long time.
In Holidays we get eight tales of eight holidays. They're not your normal happy stories, they’re a little on the dark side. Each story was directed by a different director(s) and they flowed together well. There's no wrap around story, which I think was a good idea. It was cohesive enough idea to not need one.
The eight days featured in Holidays are Valentine's day, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Halloween, Christmas, and New Year's Eve. Obviously, Kevin Smith is the stand out name in the bunch but the rest of the directors are nothing to scoff at. With movies like The Pact, Legion, Some Kind of Hate, and Starry Eyes in the mix, they have horror on lock.
Each of the segments are fabulous! The creature make-up and effects are stunning in every story. You can tell visually that each one was directed by someone different, but in a really good way. I won't give a synopsis of each story, they're really not long enough and some just need to be experienced. I will say that Halloween and Easter are my favorites. I'm very partial to Kevin Smith's storytelling and Easter taps into my fear of the Easter Bunny.
Don't laugh, it's a valid phobia.
I am a sucker for a good anthology. I love short tidbits of terror that are engaging and fun. This movie gives you eight gifts all wrapped up with a pretty ribbon that has been soaked in blood. Happy Holidays indeed.
Robin Thompson, HMS
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