April 19, 2016

I love horror anthologies. Always have. Maybe it’s in part because I grew up with a great appreciation for short form horror entertainment via TV shows such as THE TWILIGHT ZONE, AMAZING STORIES, TALES FROM THE CRYPT, etc. Or maybe there’s just something magical about sitting down and being treated to some bite-size thrills that span beyond our wildest dreams. Point being, anytime a new horror anthology arrives, its cause for celebration. And one that you definitely need to put on your radar is HOLIDAYS, now available on VOD and in select theaters. Why, you ask? Here’re 5 reasons.

THE DIRECTORS

With HOLIDAYS, they’ve managed to put together an eclectic group of new, distinct horror voices. So if you’ve been digging some of the indie favorites of the last few years such as STARRY EYES, THE PACT, SOME KIND OF HATE, THE MIDNIGHT SWIM, TUSK and DARK SKIES, then you’ll get new short horror films from each of the filmmakers responsible for all of the above. No two segments are alike, and that’s the beauty of the anthology. If you’re not digging the vibe of one, the next chapter is a mere few minutes way. Every one of these attached directors brings something interesting to the table, making this a well rounded, diverse horror anthology.

THE CAST

If you watch as much horror as I do (and since you’re on this site, I imagine you do), then you start to recognize a lot of familiar faces. All the segments from HOLIDAYS take advantage of that. Seth Green and (real-life wife) Clare Grant appear in the Christmas segment. THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL’s Jocelin Donahue kills it in “Father’s Day.” And you’ll spot plenty of other welcome, familiar faces such as Lorenza Izzo (THE GREEN INFERNO), Ruth Bradley (GRABBERS), Megan Duffy (MANIAC) and many, many more. There’s just something fun about keeping it in the horror family when it comes to the cast. Especially when they’re all great!

HOLIDAY HORROR ALL YEAR ROUND NOW!

To me, the best and most successful anthologies are the ones that have some sort of similar through-line, some sort of connective tissue. Whether it be interstitial segments that somehow tie the whole thing together, or just a common theme. In the case of HOLIDAYS, it’s… well, as you guessed, the holidays! Most people primarily set their sights on either Halloween or Christmas for their horror features, but just about every holiday is ripe for horror storytelling and this anthology takes full advantage of that. As the tagline on the poster states, “Every One Has A Dark Side.” I didn’t think Easter could get any creepier than it does after seeing the Jesus Bunny hybrid. (Pictured above.) Brrr… I get chills just looking at that thing. And for whatever reason, the only sinister version of “Father’s Day” that would pop in my mind would be something along the lines of THE STEPFATHER. But Anthony Scott Burns delivers a stunning alternative to what you’d expect, and because of that, it’s one of the film’s strongest entries. It’s just cool that we now have at least one cool horror short to watch for every holiday of the year. Not just the big two!

IT’S FUN! AND CREEPY!

Some people are straight forward gorehounds, some prefer their horror to be dead-serious scary, and others (like myself) like a little humor thrown in the mix. You get all of that in HOLIDAYS. “Valentine’s Day” is stylish and darkly comedic, as is the bizarre take on “St. Patrick’s Day.” As I mentioned before, the “Easter” segment genuinely gives me the creeps. And I found the “Christmas” segment to be pretty hilarious. Both “Mother’s Day” and “Father’s Day” provide thought provoking horror tales, so all facets of the genre are covered.

IT’S A NEW HORROR ANTHOLOGY!

What more excuse do you need?! The fun thing about horror anthologies is that everyone will have different favorites. I’ve already spoken to several fellow horror fans that have seen the movie and asked them for their two favorite segments, and so far, we’ve all picked completely different shorts. For me, personally? “Valentine’s Day” is a strong opener, and I loved “Father’s Day,” primarily because it showcases how amazing an actress Jocelin can be with next to no dialogue at all. Again, there’s something for all your varied tastes, so different things will appeal to different people, but the batting average in terms of quality is pretty high the whole way through. Ironically enough, the biggest name of the bunch, Kevin Smith, delivers the weakest entry. And a big part of that is he took the coveted Halloween slot and told a story that has almost nothing to do with Halloween; something that I’m sure every director would’ve killed to take a crack at, but I suppose it forced each of them to get that much more creative with their respective holidays – and they all brought it. And hopefully, Smith’s name will draw people that otherwise wouldn’t watch this sort of anthology and introduce them to some really cool filmmakers. Regardless, if you’re a big horror fan, this is definitely one to queue up and watch!

HOLIDAYS is now available on VOD and in select theaters!