As a child, we all expected real miracles and magic from Christmas, but adults over time began to lose faith in something incredible and for them this holiday became one big routine. It is now important for us to buy gifts at a discount, set the table for guests and try to finish dinner without incident with relatives, from whom you are very tired. Here is something similar we see in the film “Crumpus”, which shows us that such a blasphemous attitude to the holiday can be seriously punished.
In the center of the plot of the film is an ordinary boy named Max, who lives in a large house with his always busy father, mother, and older sister Beth. On Christmas Day, Uncle Howard and Aunt Linda and their ill-mannered children arrive. Max is not at all happy that relatives are coming to them, because they do not like Christmas and generally behave openly ugly. But still Max has no options and he must tolerate the presence of those who do not know how to appreciate simple family values.
As expected, Max was right and the dinner turned into a horror without end. In a fit of anger, Max decided to tear up his letter to Santa Claus, but he had no idea that it would entail nightmarish consequences and the next morning before Christmas, the whole neighborhood. Where the boy’s family lives, an impenetrable snowstorm will engulf, in which real monsters hide, who serve the creepy Krampus, the antipode of Santa Claus, who does not give gifts, but punishes people for their mistakes.
The film turned out to be quite atmospheric and creepy. It began as the usual truth of life about Christmas in a large family, where everyone dislikes each other. He is the only person who truly believes in miracles and magic. Became the cause of a great nightmare that bursts into the house with monsters who are ready to bite everyone and drag him under the snow cover.
In some places, the film is really scary and gives out a real Christmas horror. But there are also many funny moments that make you smile. But the most important thing that I learned from this movie is that we all have to find a common language with each other in time and do not bring the situation to a formidable absurdity, because it will not actually make anyone happy.
“Crumpus” came out really interesting and memorable Christmas horror with a lot of scary and tense scenes. At the same time, this is an instructive story that should be taken philosophically and draw conclusions for your own life. So look carefully. It's an attraction with meaning.
A little late with the viewing of a seemingly Christmas movie, but this time he “hacked” not a cute and lamp melodrama, but a real fantasy horror on the verge of black comedy. The case when I was tired of the same type of holiday films, and then suddenly received a capacious and quite straightforward statement about the value of the festive and magical spirit. I was left with a pleasant aftertaste.
Yes, 'Crumpus' is not a new word in the genre or the notorious destruction of family values within a confined space and a motley group. It would seem that it would be cool to make a Garage with the style of Steven King’s Mgla, and something similar came out. An exciting scenario that makes this story quite spectator and universal. Good story: exciting, consistent, logical. The governing idea is also in place: even if you grew up and are no longer a child, you should believe in the Christmas miracle, because it is not just a family dinner and gifts, but also an atmosphere of unity. When you refuse to believe in Santa, the holiday ceases to be such a holiday. Where there is no faith in a miracle and love for people around you, there is always an evil that does not sleep and will punish you for being callous and skeptical.
Acting work is pleasant: Anthony is a naive and fragile protagonist who tries to save things. Scott and Collette are a great parenting couple. It was nice to see Cockner. The actor you see everywhere on the second and third planes, but you always forget his name. The rest, insofar as they are. Operating work, editing and sound design are normal.
Domestic BD-edition is beautiful, as always at Universal: high-quality transfer, many soundtracks and subtitles for different tastes. Watched in the original with Russian sabs, where literate text and no complaints.
Krumpus clearly stands out from everything I've seen over the two weeks of the January holidays. Gloomy, sticky, but at the same time funny and sarcastic "speech" on the topic of Christmas Flow in the family. Never forget about folklore and try to stir up interest in myths among your children, because if you do not believe in magic and miracle at least once a year, what, in fact, should you believe?
7 out of 10
What's the movie about?
A large family gathers together to celebrate Christmas, but everyone has their own problems, everyone is stressed, and, as a result, constantly swearing. When the youngest of the family, Max, tears up his letter to Santa, demonic forces come to punish those who no longer believe in a happy Christmas.
Why watch?
Ever since Charles Dickens, the best Christmas stories (from Gremlins to Bad Santa) have skillfully combined cynicism and sentimentality. And “Crumpus” from the first frames makes himself in this honorable list: in slow-motion mode and under the pleasant Christmas song of Bing Crosby, the atrocious visitors of the shopping center lash out on their purchases and on each other with greedy and spiteful grimaces on their faces.
Relatives of the young main character are also a panopticum: an overworked dad, an overly strict mother, an overbearing uncle, a rude aunt and a drunken rude grandmother - all of them are annoying, so you begin to wish that a severe punishment would surely fall on their heads. Which happens in the next hour, and in extremely inventive ways: killer elves, python-like clowns devouring children, and evil gingerbread men are just the beginning. Even though the characters are set as stereotypes, they change when the hellish thrash begins - getting lessons about the true meaning of Christmas and overcoming resentment and irritation to team up against Krampus with his cronies.
Writer-director Michael Dougherty deftly balances between eerie humor and pure creepiness, so “Crumpus” has every chance to become your favorite film for the holidays. Few places will find such a combination of winter comfort with dashing ultraviolence and a well-thought-out finale.
8 out of 10
During the holidays, we often meet with those with whom we do not see so often. And these family gatherings do not always go as we would like. Max has a lot of relatives with whom he has a strained relationship. His relatives and his mother’s sister’s family are people of opposite character and views. However, they are not strangers to each other. So we gathered for Christmas under one roof - to watch movies, eat deliciously, exchange gifts. But everything is not going according to plan, when instead of Santa Claus, an ancient demon looks at the family to visit, which seeks out those who have lost faith in miracles and punishes them for it.
The film “Crumpus”, as for me, shows that the main thing in the festive season is not gifts or treats. It's attitude and belief in miracles. Cohesion and mutual support in difficult times help us cope with the challenges that fall to our lot. At the same time, our faith allows us to survive even in the most difficult situations. If we lose our hope, if we forget our faith, then we will not be able to say ourselves. After all, if you think about it, in reality, families are destroyed not by evil spirits, but by the misunderstanding and cruelty that people show to each other.
The filmmaker described the film as a dark version of a Christmas movie for the whole family. His words gave me the idea of Home Alone, in which, instead of forgetting a child at home, an ancient demon would attack the McCallister family. The plot is similar, and what different paths to the final. If you’re tired of standard Christmas comedies, then “Crumpus” is just what to watch before the holidays.
In the modern world, more and more want to appreciate films that are not shy to surprise. This is not to say that most of these films are very good, they take a certain criterion, their directors are not afraid to take risks (and the studios released them). And the result is films that are deposited in the memory forever. Even if the viewer perfectly understands that despite the novelty, the film is clearly not a breakthrough in the genre. I think the movie “Crumpus” falls into this category. The film is very bright and memorable stylistically, first because of the atmosphere of despair, second because of the brightness and at the same time the gloom of winter anomalies, third because of paranormal creatures.
The creatures in the film are presented original, stylistically verified. All those involved in creating them want to shake hands. It turned out, very successful images, combining incredible crankiness and at the same time, some light comedy. I liked the fact that the director was able to find the line between the two genres of “comedy” and “horror” and preferred “horror”, and the comedy component is like a pickup, but is not the prevailing element. What exactly is the comedy of images? The fact that some of them, like antagonists, are ridiculous and you need to try very hard to turn from absurdity into “creepy”. And the director and his team coped and it can not but rejoice. For this reason, the monsters shown in the film turned out to be colorful, creepy and memorable. Krampus himself, who in folklore is creepy in himself, is shown accordingly in the film. Also, a very well-designed image imprinted in memory. However, in my understanding, since the image of Krampus in folklore, in itself is creepy, much more want to bring to the fore the titanic work on images done with other supernatural beings.
The story told in the picture is very interesting and easy to understand, except for the ending, where some questions remain. I liked the idea behind the film (perhaps it was in folklore). I believe the authors wanted to convey to the viewer about holiness, holidays and some events in life. Man, so arranged, that turns a lot into a mess, and forgets about the sanctity and importance, some events and the film, through Krampus reminds of it. The ease of perception of the narrative is also due to how believable the characters are shown, namely the families in the picture. In the story, relatives gather to celebrate Christmas, one family is literally the opposite of another. All the characters, both adults and children, seem so “alive” to me, as if they were taken directly from reality. Often in the films of the genre of “horrors” the characters are faded and template, in the film “Crumpus” is definitely not the case.
The result was a bright and interesting “winter” horror. With an interesting and easy plot, incredibly charismatic protagonists and original monsters. For those who were looking for a fresh film in the genre of “horror” I think you should pay attention to this film.
8 out of 10
'It's Christmas. Nothing bad is going to happen on Christmas!'
In 2005, the second-rate horror was released 'Urban Legends 3: Bloody Mary' one of the screenwriters of which was Michael Dougherty, which was somewhat surprising, because two years before that he also entered the script board that developed the sequel to superheroics ' X' And the viewer received it positively, despite the existing "Rule of the second part" & #39; where the sequel is often inferior as a predecessor. And it seems that before Dougherty opened new horizons, but, as mentioned above, he was involved in the creation of low-budget ' Urban legends', released immediately in the format 'direct-to-video'. But, apparently, it was then that Dougherty became interested in horror myths based on urban folklore. And in 2007, Dougherty not only wrote the script for the new horror, but also shot it himself. They became the tape 'Trick or Life', a kind of almanac of horror films, connected by a common unknown creature, when the Halloween holiday was celebrated. And the film found its audience, which is actually not surprising, but received good criticism, although, as we all know, these guys do not like horror films.
Eight years later, Dougherty returned to the director's chair and again helped create the script (others were Todd Casey, who worked more with animation, and Zach Shields, who debuted in this role). And here the plot basis for the new film Dougherty was the story about Krampus. This, as you understand, is a mythical creature, a companion and at the same time the antipode of St. Nicholas. And if St. Nicholas bestows on children who have behaved well all year, then Krampus, on the contrary, punishes ' bad' children. That is, Krampus is the one who scares scoundrels. And thus, Dougherty returned to mythology and folklore, and titled his new film as 'Crumpus'. And, apparently, the local success that followed 'Wallet or Life' contributed to the fact that several prominent actors gave their consent to participate in the filming 'Crampus'. And among them Adam Scott (known for the films ' Bachelorettes' (2012) and ' The Incredible Life of Walter Mitty' (2013)), David Cockner (a popular comedian who has an abundance of supporting roles). But the main thing is that in 'Crampus' there was also Tony Collette (!).
And Dougherty chose a non-standard approach to the production of 'Crampus'. First and foremost, everything that happens resembles another toothless family-type comedy, when during the celebration, all skeletons are thrown out of closets and the strained relations between relatives are clarified. In addition, the idea that we have a comedy of this type suggests the presence in the cast of David Cockner. And you really start to literally hate 'freaks' relatives who were a rabid company at Christmas. Their ill-bred children, their behavior at the table, actions that suggest that everything is allowed to relatives (or rather, they think so) – all this we have already experienced and it is familiar. But then went a completely different story, when the windows fell strange snow, people from the streets as if disappeared, and someone else leaves traces like after a huge hooves ... Of course, no one believes in the appearance of some monster, but in fact, the retribution for their common behavior has already come to their town from #39. Now they have to fight for survival, only that their chances are unequal.
Such a sharp genre transition from a family comedy to a horror film can be puzzling and one must be able to make the roughness and seams of genres almost invisible. Let’s say that Robert Rodriguez succeeded in ' From Dusk to Dawn' (1995), when the film went from a crime thriller to a vampire massacre. Dougherty did not make the transition smooth and acceptable, arrhythmia turned out to be too noticeable and then it takes some time to rebuild for horror. But if the first half 'Crampus' differs stupidity and stereotyping, then the second is a curious sight. No, there will not be a huge number of screeners, there will be no moments when you twitch from suddenness, but the image of Krampus is frightening and how he is confronted and what powers he himself possesses - this is interesting, although, in my humble opinion, the authors of the film could try harder to create a truly expressive representative of the genre, because the potential is at ' Krampus' there was. And then we get some mixture of fairy tales about the Grinch and the B-Movie franchise-conveyor ' Lord of the puppets'.
Of course, like horror 'Crampus' not the worst representative and someone will necessarily like him, but still the feeling of some insufficiency will haunt all the time. And relocating from comedy to horror can be confusing. But a good cast, a curious character from folklore do their job, so sometimes 'Crampus' even captivating. I especially liked the ending (though not entirely unambiguous) and it was on the topic. Eh, if we unleashed all the potential, we would have a worthy competitor 'Spells', ' Astral' and 'It'.
There is no more important and special time of the year than Christmas Eve. When the tables are already Olivier salads, champagne, tangerines and other goodies. When a house decorated with garlands and a tree decorated with toys gladly please the eyes. When very kind and bright New Year movies are shown on TV one after another. A fresh look at this holiday tradition is this film directed by Michael Dougherty.
The plot of this film develops around the usual at first glance and the average American family, whose members gather together on Christmas Eve to celebrate the main holiday of the year. However, a pleasant and festive pastime is not destined to come true. Since a strong snowstorm turns family members into hostages of their home, their life is torn by quarrels and mutual resentments, and Krampus himself is waiting on their doorstep, who decided to punish those who stopped appreciating Christmas and “behaved not well.”
At first glance, this film directed by Michael Dougherty begins as a traditional Christmas film. Members of a large family get together again, quarrel, reconcile and languish in anticipation of the coming new year. However, the further the plot develops, the more unexpected the color begins to acquire the story. The director and one of the writers of this film Michael Dougherty did not repeat his predecessors and tell the next story of the amazing adventures of a new variation of Santa Claus. Instead, focusing on another important character of the Christmas holidays and the classic folklore of Alpine and Slovenian mythology, Krampus, about whom few people know today.
At a time when Santa Claus is handing out presents to the "good kids" on Christmas Eve, his "shadow" is a big surprise. Krampus punishes "bad children" and this punishment is reflected both symbolically and literally in this film. On the one hand, developing the story around the main characters’ desperate attempts to survive the attacks of various fairy-tale monsters and creatures. On the other hand, developing around it a much deeper and more complex theme of the moral degeneration of the main characters. When only after finding themselves in such terrible circumstances and through insurmountable horror, the main characters literally reborn. It is around this rebirth and laying the main moral about the true meaning of Christmas holidays. After all, if not Christmas can be considered the ideal time to reunite with the whole family even after a long separation, sharing food, good memories and care. Including talking about family values and faith in a miracle, which is the time for Christmas holidays. Which makes the story of this tape really interesting and rich, but at the same time deep and meaningful. Not to mention the really unexpected ending of this tape, which manages to really surprise.
One of the main advantages of this tape is the excellent director Michael Dougherty, who managed to successfully sit on two chairs at once. On the one hand, shooting a rather dark, hard and harsh horror film. On the other hand, a classic Christmas tale with a comedy plume. It is the symbiosis of both genres that creates the impression of a really rich and exciting action. Refreshing each of the two genres as much as possible on screen. At the same time, it is extremely interesting and organically alternating the harsh and cruel scenes of the murders of the main characters with perfectly staged scenes of black humor. Happily, Krampus and his predecessors for the most part appear on the screen not as CGI visual effects, but as real animatronic dolls. Allowing even more strongly imbued with the atmosphere of Christmas and this ribbon this old school approach.
The authors of this tape did not lose and with the selection of actors for the main roles. Each of the actors perfectly got into his image on the screen and very naturally played it on the screen. Not to mention the fact that the absence of eminent actors and star faces only enhances the impression and authenticity of their characters when watching. I would like to mention Adam Scott and David Cockner. Scott has once again proved the title of one of the most underrated actors of modern cinema, and Kokner in his usual form perfectly pulls out the comic moments of this tape.
8 out of 10
Krampus is a worthy and most fresh look at the genre of “Christmas cinema”, which equally successfully manages to take place as a harsh, cruel and gloomy horror film, and as a Christmas tale with a comedy plume. Willingly delighting with an interesting story, indescribable atmosphere and creative production of spectacular scenes, the impression of which is very difficult to describe in words. However, it is definitely worth watching this film on Christmas Eve.
Congratulations to everyone on the upcoming New Year. The path of all the bad that happened this year will remain in the past, and the new 2020 will bring you only happiness, luck, success, love and the realization of even the most insane desires. All the best and most festive mood.
Christmas and New Year are considered to be a bright family holiday, when people give each other gifts and a magical mood. But the older you get, the less magical this holiday seems, and there comes a moment when you no longer wait for the holiday, but for it to pass. This everyday situation could not but be reflected in folklore and legends, where the faith in Christmas was especially valued, and its absence was punished by evil spirits. One of these was the legend of alpine fairy tales, whose story formed the basis of the fantasy horror film “Crumpus”.
Synopsis The Angel family is preparing for the next Christmas in the company of unloved relatives. For the youngest member of Max’s family, this holiday has always had a special meaning, but, tired of endless quarrels and sudden squabbles, he tears up a letter to Santa Claus. From this moment, the celebration turns into a real nightmare when the family becomes the object of persecution by the evil doppelganger Santa Krampus.
In terms of acting, it is quite difficult to distinguish someone clearly, since the actors embodied standard images that are very often found in films of this format. Tony Colette played the role of the mistress of the family Sarah, for whom Christmas was just a reason for unnecessary hassle and hassle due to the bad nature of some of the relatives. Adam Scott played the role of Tommy, a father who, in a crisis situation, showed the nature of the “protector” of the family at a time when it was too late.
The director made a very festive film in which, through the prism of a typical American family, he tried to show the motives of ancient German fairy tales about the evil demon Krampus, who hunts naughty children on Christmas. First of all, I would like to mention the artistic side of the film, namely the incarnations of Krampus and his minions, which looked really intimidating. The only thing, strange as it may sound, the film lacked the cruelty and blood that would give the atmosphere of the film more horror and nightmare, because from the side of the film was absolutely not terrible.
Scenario The plot of the film has a fairly standard scheme. Christmas Eve, several members of a very large family gather at the house of the Angels, for whom Christmas has long ceased to be a holiday, with the exception of the younger Max, who wrote the real letter to Santa, and the mysterious grandmother Omi, who speaks German all the time and seems to keep some terrible secret. During a family dinner, a showdown occurs, and Max, finally disbelieving in the Christmas miracle, tears up the letter and throws it outside. From that moment on, clouds literally thicken over the hero’s house, and the house itself and its inhabitants become the object of attack by evil and insidious creatures led by the same Krampus who came behind the family to drag everyone to Hell. Of course, at first, the characters do not believe in what is happening, but when the evidence of the supernatural is beyond doubt, they begin to resist evil, though at the very last moment. Despite its banality, the script still left questions in connection with certain inconsistencies, in particular, the ambiguous ending, which in fact went against the general concept of the film.
Result Although I had high hopes for the film, in general, “Crumpus” turned out to be a very atmospheric movie and a spectacular horror tale for the night. The film really makes a pleasant impression with special effects and the work of production artists who managed to convey the atmosphere of Christmas not only as a family holiday, but also as a terrible holiday.
So, the plot is based on an intelligent American family Engel, to which conservative cattle relatives come for Christmas. Of course, the most ridiculous stereotypes are collected here, but it turned out really funny. This is a huge bald father-marine Howard, who drives an old Hammer and teaches the life of the “urban slob” Tom. And fat kids with a nasty temper. And of course, hellish grumpy aunt who is always unhappy with everything. For some time we are shown how a carefully prepared holiday goes to hell because of quarrels and turmoil, after which the town is covered by a snowstorm, as a result of which electricity and communications cease to work, and people are at the mercy of demonic forces.
Of course, there is nothing particularly innovative here, this is a standard “isolated” horror, when the characters are alone with the monster and their psychological problems. In this regard, the film is on a par with “Something” and “Miss”. I don’t really understand how this movie got past me because it’s my favorite subject. And “Krampus” is not inferior to its cult predecessors.
Many people accuse the film of being “childish.” Well, as a horror fan, I responsibly declare that he is more creepy than most of the endless slashers and blockbusters about the next ghosts. Because really frightening not just a bloody and cruel scene, and competent atmosphere + interestingly simulated situation. And the picture is really atmospheric. This infernal impenetrable blizzard combined with excellent artistic work gives the impression of immersion in the dark folk legends of Northern Europe. At the same time, the film does well without vulgar screeners, which usually try to cover up the complete absence of an atmosphere of horror. This is a really scary fairy tale in the best traditions of Guillermo del Toro (although he himself has not done so for a long time).
The musical accompaniment is super. In the beginning, these are traditional Christmas compositions, and then cool disturbing and mystical melodies. The music is absolutely in the theme, and made very qualitatively and professionally. By the way, in some places it resembles compositions from the cult horror game Dead Space, in which children play in the episode.
As usual, in the course of the plot, the characters forget about internal squabbles, as an extreme situation forces them to rally and overcome pride and envy, showing their best qualities instead of the disgusting philistine “wrapper”. In fact, this wrapper was the reason for the arrival of the demon - for Krampus appears when people are hardened and lose themselves due to selfishness and despair.
Monsters are great. They don’t show much, but that’s right, because otherwise they lose their mystery. They are represented by Krampus and his servants - gingerbread men, dwarfs and living demonic toys. Especially terrible was the “clown worm”. Krampus himself is also painted elegantly, absolutely in accordance with the canons of pagan myths, to which our culture is also related. In general, against the background of endless zombies and ghosts, this is a real class.
A lot has been said about the ending. Of course, this technique is also not new, and immediately recalls the almanac "Necronomicon", "Mirror" or "1408", but here it turned out especially in the topic and especially creepy.
Overall, this is an excellent job. The thick festive atmosphere in the spirit of “Home Alone” smoothly flows into a ferocious mystical horror filmed in accordance with the classical canons of this genre. This is not a family film or a comedy, this is a tragic fantasy horror in the best sense of the word. Yes, there are no gallons of blood, torn limbs and constant screamers, but there is a kind of surreal “badtrip”, a sense of some otherworldly, transcendent horror, as in the best works of King and Lovecraft. My assessment
“Darkness will swallow the light, here it will be a holiday, or it will be more careful with your wishes, baby!”
To look at something from a side that is recognized as only one of the probable, means to limit what does not always open the veil for the view, if we talk about what everyone is concealed within himself, because everyone has desires that will take and come true at one moment, but, again, no one guarantees that it is exactly as you imagined, because everything in this world is relative. So the anti-Christmas story about Krampus, albeit fragmentary, is designed to teach that not always what you want is good, most often it harms everyone who surrounds you.
Krampus's film is a vivid irony, over the seemingly holy - childhood dreams, faith in miracles, here all this is famously broken, and nothing will stop the evil, but at the same time just spirit, pointing to human deficiency. What can happen if everything inside breaks down and you lose the most important thing that can keep a person on his feet, faith in something, even if it is blind, but helps in many things.
From the point of view of cinema, Krampus is a rather restrained creation, but at the same time balancing on the edge, this is a kind of dark fairy tale, with instructive meaning. The structure of the film in some places leads him to quite high-quality elements of horror, of course, without any cruelty, the fact that the main sufferers are children, is already enough to cross the forbidden line, after which it will be difficult to find understanding among the audience, but Krampus is good that they did all the same walking on a thin bridge, without breaking down.
Simplicity and simplicity at first glance, with which history is demonstrated, is nothing but the reverse side of everything that people are called to love, while forgetting about the most important thing, about those who are nearby, that is what is most valuable, not only on a holiday, but every day that is special and unique in its own way, even if you do not notice it.
The semantic shade of the film is quite remarkable and simple that only you are able to realize your desires in life, and believe me, sooner or later they will come true, but be careful before you make any guesses, because the world is quite large and everyone, as well as you are able to desire, but only when you think not only about yourself, but also think about others, here is the true valuable knowledge that you can get, and then any darkness will recede before the light that is available in everyone, you just need to find it inside, perhaps the world would become completely different, but history is already...
9 out of 10
To the family of Engels on Christmas Eve come their many relatives. The social class of both families is different and it becomes difficult to find a common language. Family reunification does not happen: the holiday is spoiled for everyone. And only the youngest son of Engels on a festive night is ready to believe in magic - and it happens! But you need to be careful with short-term desires, because instead of a peaceful Santa with a deer sled, an evil spirit from Western European folklore is declared in the city. His name is Krampus. And he, along with his army of monsters, intends to sow terror.
Director Michael Doherty declared himself to the world almost ten years ago, releasing "Trick or Life", in which, to the delight of fans of horror stories, he revived Halloween monsters. In “Crampus” the director attempts on a much more important holiday in the life of most peoples – Christmas Eve. It would seem that on such a night, families should sit at the festive table holding hands, but no, not in the Engel family. It should be noted that not many people seriously beat the Christmas horror. I can only recall one of the first slashers "Black Christmas" and the exploitative film "Silent, Deadly Night". Here Doherty decided to please everyone and immediately that the film and hurt.
To begin with, Krampus’ rolling rating turned out to be for “persons over 13.” Therefore, in the film there is no blood spatter and all the worst remains behind the scenes. In the opening scene, which has nothing to do with the couple and the house, which in the snowstorm will remain without electricity and gas, shows the pre-New Year bacchanalia in the shopping center: people like crazy rush to the shops, buying everything in a row. This is the right epigraph for the film, which asks the viewer to show what kind of person the Western consumer has become. But do these shots need “generation zero”, to which the film refers, if you believe the age qualification?
And there are dozens of inconsistencies. That's because Michael Doherty is willing to sedate any audience that makes it to the theater. “Crumpus” is at the same time a horror film, and a family movie, and a relatively cheerful comedy, if we erase from memory the terrible scene of the massacre and the attack of the henchmen of the evil spirit – toys turned into toothy monsters and living gingerbread men. The problem is that after chasing a flock of rabbits, honestly, the director could not catch up with anyone. In the blurring and uncertainty within the boundaries of the genre lies the main disadvantage.
The cast, however, is colorful and almost everyone who is assigned a role that lasts more than five minutes of screen time is known to the modern viewer. And again, despite the fact that there are many characters for an hour and a half film, none of them manages to show themselves from all sides. In the first scenes, everyone is given a caricature cliché: a father living life at work, a teenage daughter who disagrees with the opinions of her elders, a grumpy grandmother with jokes not for tender ears and so on. It is worth getting used to the character, as the acquaintance ends, not having time to turn around properly.
"Krampus" can be criticized for the fact that he is slow in terms of action. Initially, tuning the viewer to a family movie, he in the second third begins to scare, and closer to the end it reminded me of the Soviet "Viy". The culprit of the celebration is shown from all sides for a fraction of a minute to unfold a solid action in the climactic scene. Each horror fan will be rewarded with a piece of thematic mosaic, but the puzzle itself, after it becomes obvious the drawing, to collect, alas, is not necessary.
A film can be considered successful if someone from the number who saw it in the movies or at home on holidays, tired of romcoms and sweet fairy tales with an inevitable happy ending. “Krampus” is not without reason sinning this. Thank you for that, Mr. Doherty! In the film space, you picked up the groundwork to ruin another wonderful holiday.
If you don't believe in Santa Claus, why don't you believe in Krampus?
Unfortunately, there are quite a few Christmas-themed horror movies out there, and Crumpus is a great alternative to Jack Frost, The Nightmare Before Christmas, or some Bloody Santa.
This is the story of a simple family confronted by an ancient evil demon punishing those who do not believe in the spirit of Christmas. And indeed, if you don’t believe in Santa Claus, why don’t you believe in Krampus?
The film is built in the form of a pre-Christmas bloody fairy tale, which teaches that you should not neglect the good old traditions. According to the plot component, “Crampus” is similar to another film by the director – “Trick or Life”, and visually – to the films of Guillermo Del Toro. This is a bright film, with a pleasant family atmosphere, truly creating a festive mood.
In addition, the film has an excellent soundtrack, as the composer himself put it: “a collection of distorted Christmas hymns with an admixture of paganism.”
“Krampus” is not another thrash created for the sake of a holiday, but a full-fledged independent picture that manifests itself not only as a horror, but also as a film for the whole family.
This film inspired to watch the New Year theme. Anything better than Russian trees, I thought, and I was right. But so to speak with a certain reservation. Krampus – although directly related to the winter holidays, Russian viewers should treat this film with a little fear, as “the film is not for everyone.” For two main reasons: first of all, the character Krampus, he is known far - not to everyone and to accept him adequately, especially the old generation accustomed to the good old Santa Claus simply can not. Second, this movie is a horror movie like no other. Horror movies for the New Year are not accepted.
The plot of the film revolves around a family, to which relatives with a specific temperament should come. The boy at some point stops believing in the spirit of Christmas and our horned friend notices it. The plot is no frills, but this is good, since it does not overload the film with unnecessary disclosure of some characters. The movie looks pretty good, except for the beginning. Interest in what is happening adds a gloomy atmosphere. Empty streets, not a single soul on the horizon, anomalous blizzard, makes you remain not indifferent, at least for a while.
I liked the character in the movie, I liked it. We did not see his true face, but he managed to catch up (not everywhere, but still). But the biggest problem, in my opinion, is how Krampus' aides are portrayed. And specifically dark elves (hopefully named them). They spoiled the atmosphere, in my opinion, and not quite clear ending, which I regarded as a cliché.
In general, the film is not bad and deserves to be seen. There is an atmosphere, the characters are not annoying, the monster is not poorly shown. This is not a bad movie.
Do you know the expression “Black Friday”? No, it's not a horror movie or a subgenre of cinema. This social phenomenon has become widespread in the Western world and is steadily spreading around the world. The main distinguishing feature of "Black Friday" - a time of incredible discounts on any goods, is their timed to major holidays. Huge noisy crowds, hustle and bustle at the shelves escalating into open clashes, reminiscent of a moment from the comedy "A Christmas Gift"? With this begins “Crampus”, that’s only in contrast to the work of Brian Levant scenes are not funny and perhaps realistic. His position on this director expressed unequivocally. This will be followed by the usual family drama, the conflict of residents of the city and the countryside, the difference in the perception of generations for the holiday and if for children Christmas is no more than a weekend with impassable queues in shops and baking cookies, then for the elderly it is a miracle. As the plot progresses, reality will begin to darken like the winter night before the storm. And evil will descend into the sleeping city, the same thing that has been accumulating in people for so long, but only now with the loss of hope has taken its form. So the drama will approach a parable full of moral subtext and mythological references. And the viewer will understand and accept the inevitable tragic ending, but tragedy is an endangered genre, it is remembered, but it will be forgotten. And all the best in the film will be crossed out in a moment before the inevitable happy ending.
I haven’t felt such disappointment in a long time. The weak performance of the actors in combination with modest, but good special effects, filled with gloomy and majestic landscapes and backgrounds - this is perhaps what is filled with "Crampus". And the expectation of something mystical and terrible will be replaced by indignation before an inappropriate, but favorite audience happy ending. Even the creepy Krampus can't fix things. And the strong directorial work that managed to capture and reflect the change in the behavior of the characters will remain trampled.
It's like, "Believe or die." “Only when you lose your loved ones do you begin to appreciate them.” Or maybe “Make more children, then it will be imperceptible if a couple of three eat”? No, "It turns out our aunt is a good shot." Oh, right, "Americans are Americans." Even if there's no home, there's a Hammer! Seriously, what the hell am I looking at? You stare at the screen for an hour and a half and you don’t know what’s going on.
I've never seen such nonsense in my life, comrades. It feels like they put a bunch of stuff in a bag, a festive tinsel, a couple of ginger cookies, threw lamb horns, shaken, and got this “masterpiece”.
We see a family conflict, disappointed in the magic of the child, a torn letter and retribution ... for what? Because the boy stopped believing? The evil Uncle Krampus comes along with his hangers and spends the whole town, and then all the family members of the already unhappy child.
The film is not scary, not funny or fabulous. This is just an attempt to concoct another kinzo “not like everyone”, which ended in complete failure.
In a small town on Christmas Eve, an ordinary American family gathers, but everything goes wrong and they all quarrel. A little boy who is very upset because of rude cousins and misunderstanding of his parents in anger tears up a letter written to Santa Claus and throws them out into the street, but they, picked up by the wind, fly away to the clouds, after which the town is covered by a snowstorm that carries unexpected guests.
To be exact, Krampus is the antithesis of Nicholas the Wonderworker, who punished disobedient children. In this film, he fully corresponds to his prototype, he is a huge, terrible monster with goat horns and hooves, small bells ringing around his neck symbolizing his approach. He comes and punishes those who lose faith in Christmas and their family. The creators have worked well on his image, so he turned out to be a real evil Christmas monster, which will certainly be remembered by the viewer.
As for the plot, it is not new: the family quarrels and reconciles only in the face of mortal danger. But most of all, I remember Christmas gifts from Krampus, an evil ivy bear, a crazy clown from a box with sharp teeth and round sadistic cookies, sweet in taste, but dangerous on the outside.
I liked the special effects, the film completely recaptured its plot, so “Crumpus” turned out in the spirit of a Gothic fairy tale, and I liked it, so I will give the film a good assessment.
7 out of 10
Merry Christmas to all and don't make Krampus angry
And as is often the case, what was positioned and drawn on the cover of a film and what the film is in fact are two different things. When you look at the cover, you think that you will be shown a terrible fairy tale about a terrible Christmas, a nursery one, with an emphasis on the underbelly horrors of a child, where the main characters will be a baby who saves the holiday from the evil spirit of Krampus. And finally, this is:
- Drama. She still hates her grandmother and her childhood memories.
- Thriller. Rigid corpses and an atmosphere of despondency blows from the screen.
- Thrash. Shooting cookies, burning them... Gentlemen, the creators would still arrange machine gun battles with hanging. Oh, wait, they were there trying to hang ...
- black humor. It's not for kids. For. Kids. Because they will be stunned by lawlessness, methods of mocking the disobedient and the creepy face of Krampus, who came off some version of “The Call,” probably.
My teenage sister, who watched the movie with me, said that the movie could outperform Game of Thrones. It's a cruel, black, misunderstood porridge. Why this was removed and who it is aimed at is a separate question.
1 out of 10
The trailer promised us a scary horror movie with elements of comedy. In principle, I have nothing against such films and, given how difficult it is today to make a suitable horror film, diversify the genre of a comedy horror story is not a bad idea. However, this film does not correspond to the stated genre, and when watching personally, I was neither frightened nor funny.
The story itself is not bad. Before us quite a life situation, which probably many of us are faced with: fairly annoying relatives are forced from year to year to fulfill their family duties in the form of a joint celebration of Christmas, which is why this day has long since turned from the most magical holiday into an annual test. Only the youngest son of the family still does not lose hope that one day everything will get better and will be as before. However, on the ill-fated Christmas shown in the film, even he despairs, makes a fateful wish in his hearts, which puts the entire family under threat from the evil spirit of Krampus, Santa’s evil double, and his entourage.
And all would be fine if not for two "buts".
First, it is terribly stupid, devoid of all logic and meaning actions of the heroes. I don’t doubt that this is very characteristic of horror films, and especially of this kind, but here is simply a gravestone to everything I have seen lately. For example, what is the normal reaction that usually occurs (should occur) in a person who has just heard her daughter scream for help in the night? There are many options (to rush to search, start calling, look for help), but certainly not to return home and seal the door and windows with boards! To me, when a wounded father in the leg of a visiting family is ready to rush into a night blizzard looking for his missing child - a much more normal reaction to what is happening. Or the grandmother, who locked herself at home to “fight” the evil spirit, just let herself be destroyed – and that’s it!
And secondly, a complete lack of humor and unjustified cruelty for a film that positions itself as a comedy horror movie. Resurrection of Christmas toys turned into monsters, not just spoil, but really try to kill everyone present in the house. Gingerbread men who shoot nails at people – for me, too much.
For me, the movie is one time to watch and forget. Although, if we consider that usually such a genre of products and intended for this, we will assume that he lived up to his expectations.
I wanted to see a new horror movie, so I chose this one. In front of us is a Christmas fantasy with a taste of comedy and horror from the director Michael Dougherty under the title “Crumpus”. The film attracts attention because of the intriguing story of the mystical Krampus, and the picture at the box office paid for itself, moreover, collected even a small jackpot around the world. But my opinion of this horror film is negative, and I will try to explain why.
We see the story of a big family where everyone is going to celebrate Christmas. Close relatives, distant relatives, relatives, non-natives, loved ones, not loved ones, but they all gathered under one roof to spend time together. According to a mystical legend, the demon Krampus comes every Christmas, and he comes not for nothing, but to naughty children to punish them. Before us is the story of this mysterious monster through the eyes of a little boy.
I didn't like this movie at all. In general, the horror genre with comedy is very risky. It is very difficult in this case to do everything and funny where necessary, and scary, do not forget about the pleasant atmosphere, humor and successful heroes. All this must be done by the director. In the same film, all this is missing. To be honest, the picture even looked unpleasant from the first minutes. The characters were repelled, and it was not interesting.
The movie was just mush. There was a lot of stuff in it, and everything looked stupid, and most importantly uninteresting. From Nicholas the Wonderworker made it unclear what in the new treatment. You watch the first part of the movie in anticipation of something and you don’t know what. Then comes the tedious and incredibly boring middle. The only thing that can be appreciated is the ending, but it was not particularly impressive. In general, the movie turned out to be boring and repulsive. I don't think I'd lose anything if I didn't watch that gallimatia.
The cast was second-rate and no one was particularly impressed. To my regret, Tony Collette played in the film, and I hate this actress. She's incredibly repulsive and often doesn't believe her game. Her participation was another disadvantage of this film.
“Crampus” is a 2015 horror movie for gray mass. In fact, the movie is empty and has no value. I tell him no, and there's nothing good or interesting about this movie. It sucks.
4 out of 10
How beautiful is this incomparable smell of Christmas! A series of the warmest family gatherings, sincere congratulations, delicious treats and, of course, unforgettable gifts. Here, adults will inevitably feel like children who believe in the generous Santa Claus. In accordance with the importance of the celebration - and future disappointments. Thousands of twelve-year-old boys have far more luck this Christmas than Max Angel. He, like everyone else, was preparing for the holiday, but did not have time for the exquisite table to be weighted with the main dish, as a horde of nasty relatives, like a sledgehammer, punched a hole in the mood. And I do not want to celebrate anything with such people who are only able to juicy burp and mock children’s faith in the miracle. Where are you, Kevin McCullister? Max warns him not to see his family again. There will be no backsliding, however. Santa is tired of loving everyone and willingly trusts the post to his named cousin Krampus. Do you know who that is? Nothing, soon a fierce storm will bring a cold answer.
Years before Michael Dougherty's film, it became known that the consequences of lush festivities can be counted by the number of corpses - the film "Black Christmas" confirms this. Some affiliation of "Crumpus" to the comedy genre does not affect too much - to let blood go like this. But in this unrighteous case, a serious intrusion is immediately revealed. Still, the tape is focused on a children's audience, therefore, the next slasher hero should not wait, but a frightening fairy tale - very even. Only in fairy tales, the bright, cheerful city suddenly plunges into darkness, loses any life outside the house, and in the yard, four-meter snow women sculpt themselves. Something here is unclean, thinks the family of Max, nothing but a pack of fat, ill-bred and unimaginably harmful children misfortune called. The bodies will start counting, and with them the membranes from the screams will turn red, but the fear is somewhere halfway from the North Pole stuck. People seem not to be too surprised by this turn, and even the disappearance of the daughter’s boyfriend, who broke into the hut, did not cause the predicted darkening of the mother’s mind. Good victims of the evil spirit, nothing to say.
The main problem of the established director and a strong screenwriter was the obsessive desire to wind up as many bells as possible from the confused audience, ugly monsters and the culprit of the celebration, registered in the title. The standard hour and a half frames of Dougherty were catastrophically lacking, which is understandable: after such a slow, drawn-out and just obscenely reminiscent of the tape “Home Alone”, the bandage remained to drive the narrative in the rhythm of a half-drunk waltz. "Dancing" came out in some places cute, witty and even original. Where else will you see, for example, angry giggling Christmas cookies, pretending to be memorable gremlins? And Krampus himself, despite the fair caricature of his appearance, is quite impressive, and this ringing of hellish chains behind him is just a class. On such an antagonist, John Carpenter himself ordered to sculpt a terrifying cheburek ripping to a fractional knock of teeth. Instead, the viewer was met by a brood of creepy, but rather nasty "dumplings" from a whole gallery of children's toys. Who only did not parody these buff-eyed, furry and toothy offspring - even to the Predator himself with his divorced jaw reached. On that, in fact, originality and began to dry up aki long-suffering Aral.
The creator wanted to make the film memorable, absolutely. It is not in vain that the impressive theoretical base that fit into the confession of Max’s grandmother failed. By the way, a tour of the history of Krampus, made in animated style, was, of course, the most interesting find, and after all, it could be developed, making the scenes of the death more spectacular. Completely bloodless horror, albeit on a Christmas theme - a priori very controversial product. It was worth trying, however, what the author did. Cartoons and sarcastic ridicule of human flaws are what Dougherty did best. However, in this field, the director pretty flashy. If comedian David Cockner came hilarious civilized redneck with a double-barrel at the head, then the banter over the alcoholism of a fat woman in the years has become unnecessarily malicious, and most importantly - does not add meaning to the film. Krampus does not forget to rage, but all too often the matter is transferred to the street, where people naturally fall into the snow. And where only they fly later - is it straight to the hellish cauldron of demons for joy?
Laugh, gentlemen, be afraid and do not be shy. Mr. Dougherty tried very hard. Yes, you can not deny it, at least the character of the involuntary instigator of all troubles - young Max - turned out to be quite whole. The boy, meanwhile, suffered the same fate as the horned hunter for naughty children - there is not enough of him in the picture. As a horror movie, "Crumpus" isn't scary enough, and as a comedy, it's overly sarcastic. As a uniquely new variation on an obscene theme, the picture is quite good, but next to the really successful production of the same director “Trick or Life” – does not look like. Thank you for your simple but effective morals. On the eve of a big holiday, you should try to forget about family squabbles at least for a while. Because a new chance fate in the guise of goat-footed evil spirits may not provide.
On the eve of Christmas, all families of America are preparing for its celebration: decorate houses, buy gifts, wait for the arrival of distant relatives, and of course make wishes. The heroes of the movie "Crumpus" do the same thing, with one caveat, they stopped believing in Santa Claus, and this day (night) is a holiday for them because it is nothing more than a tradition for all Americans. It is understandable that the older members of the family have already come from the age when they believe in miracles, but there is only one left - the youngest son, who, although he knows that gifts are bought by relatives, he continues to believe that Santa Claus can fulfill the most cherished and sincere desire. Max is the only one who writes a letter to Santa.
At Christmas, relatives come with whom the Angel family has a strained relationship, in addition, their disbelief in the miracle is so great that it interferes with a peaceful family dinner. And it immediately becomes clear that there will be no love and unity on this holiday. For this reason, the only believing heart became hardened and wished that the loved ones would not be. And to fulfill such an unusual desire, a “shadow of Santa Claus” appears, a creature named Krampus.
Together with his assistants, Krampus takes one member of a large family after another. Naturally, none of them wants to be killed, and adults unite to protect their children, but all attempts to protect themselves are stupid, stupid and stereotyped, watching what is happening becomes uninteresting.
In addition, the rating of the film PG-13, which for the most part ruined the film. He could not win the sympathy of fans of films for family viewing, and did not become interesting to lovers of horror, because with such a rating nothing exciting nerves, except screams from a dark room and terrible faces, impossible to provide.
The only thing that draws attention is Krampus's assistants. They look like creatures from a children's Christmas tale, which maintains the atmosphere of the "holiday". And Krampus himself is formidable. He really is a demon who does not know pity and mercy for stupid children. It was also an unexpected ending.
"- What are we dealing with? What did you see?
- Don't ask me.
- Baby, I just got my ass kicked by Christmas cookies, so I'll believe everything.
I saw the trailer for the movie half a year ago, at first I thought it was going to be another cute family comedy-drama where everyone swears before Christmas and then makes up. But how surprised I was when I saw on the screen that the holiday turned into a horror picture. The unusual turn of events, of course, led to the desire to see.
There is a legend that came from Austria and Germany, about Santa’s brother with a completely opposite character. Krampus doesn’t sound so creepy, but it’s actually a goat with chains that appears on the night of December 5 and visits the kids. However, he does not give them gifts, but he also does not give coals to those who behaved badly, everything is much more serious, Krampus is engaged in eating bad children. Here is a “holiday” creature from old mythology.
So, on Christmas Eve, as is customary, the whole family is going, which on an ordinary day would try not to clash, since relatives always infuriate with something and make friends with them is not so easy, but on the occasion of the holiday you can be patient for a couple of days. Undoubtedly, the meeting already begins with not very satisfied faces and hamstrings. While the main character still believes in the existence of Santa Claus and writes him a letter, his cousins and cousins discover him and begin to mock him in every possible way. The boy loses hope that something can improve in this family and breaks his message. But his disappointment in the holiday led to terrible events. Snowstorms are flowers, but Christmas toy attacks are creepy. It looks like Krampus will be looking at someone soon.
The idea of the film is a godsend. To be honest, I was very surprised, watching the Internet, that such an old legend about the creepy Krampus did not give rise to many horror films. Therefore, the idea was not only interesting, but also quite new because of such a rare mention of this character in the cinema. All the actors in the film are recognizable and played the right way, but I can’t single out someone’s game. Just a good line-up with an interesting plot, which gives us an entertaining film. The picture is also done as it should, first such a cute family gathering, a warm fireplace, a festive atmosphere, and then, a change of scenery, a snowstorm, a dark house and strange rustles in the attic. The very ending of the film seemed to me ambiguous, somehow it was unclear whether it ended well or not, it is already saying, the audience, understand for yourself. I personally lacked a little bit of epic incarceration, a little bit of spectacle.
The film turned out to be very good, the legend is basically not banal and not obliterated to holes on many other films; and the idea of turning a family holiday into a nightmare is also interesting. Therefore, we watch, but do not forget, that Krampus is always watching us through glass balls.
7 out of 10
Frankly speaking, I am surprised by the low ratings of the film. At the end of the review, we can say that the average score would be worth raising by a point. But we'll come back to the assessment much later. What is the meaning of Crampus?
One family lost the spirit of Christmas. Absolutely. Cousins hurt their brother, mom and dad practically do not communicate, one of the grandmothers does not let go of a bottle of something alcoholic - everything is bad. The last straw for little Max is a badly spoiled family dinner. He no longer believes in the Miracle. Max rips his letter to Santa, throws it out the window. Nevertheless, the letter finds its addressee, although he was not the kind grandfather to whom the boy originally wanted to write.
A miracle is happening. On the New Year's light comes the spirit. A spirit of terror. A distorted version of Santa's ruddy. He doesn't bring gifts, he takes people. The letter was sent with sincere hatred.
The script of the film is limp on both legs. It is said that Krampus cannot enter a house where the fire is burning. In the second half, however, the fire in the hearth burns, but its numerous minions burst into the window, so why couldn’t they be sent straight away? There is a possibility that Krampus revels in fear. Why clean the surrounding houses so quickly? Again, it's unclear.
And yet, the requirements for a terrible tale are not so high. The plot is standard, as well as actors who do not try at all - just retract memorized phrases, not particularly delving into their essence. Middle horror for teenagers. You can watch it in the evening, gathering the family in front of the screen. Everyone will probably be happy.
7 out of 10
P.S. The movie isn't that bad after all. A terrible story turns out to be quite useful. Perhaps, the final was curious, thanks to him, the movie still reaches the average level.
It was nice to know that this was another creation. Doherty elicited a lively response from the working masses and proved financially very successful. And this despite the fact that the theme of Krampus and Santa the villain has become very popular in recent years. Doherty is a director, of course, not of the highest echelon, but the master (by me) is very respected. Although “Superman Returns” – albeit very good, but still trivial passerby, and “People’s Word on the fence” I did not watch and have no desire. But the famous “Wallet or Life” is something. It's a rare time that I've had a smile of (aesthetic) pleasure all the time. That's a great movie to look for. I kept thinking, “Well, what would Slavoj Žižek say about this film?”
And here's the Maestro's new creation. And it seems that this creation is the result of some compromise. The budget is not a penny, but it is difficult to call it serious (by Hollywood standards). I wanted more, but how much did I get? The actors are not the highest or even the first level, but not the “people from the street” and not even the stars of Asilum, which I also value. It's not a childish story, but it's an adult story. And so it is.
But the director and actors still managed to tip the arrow of the scales of this compromise in the direction of the plus, not the minus. Special effects and playing for your money are not bad. But the main plus is the rare atmosphericity of a gloomy Christmas tale. However, it is not sustained everywhere - again, duality. I also liked mocking the vulgar clichés about self-sacrifice and forgiveness. Good luck.
In general, the film will laugh quite easily, captivating, but you do not know how to perceive it. Is it supposed to be funny or scary or scary and funny? Roughly speaking, it seems as if individual episodes of The Corpse of the Bride were filmed in the style of Masha and the Bear. That is, eclecticism here is incomprehensible and inappropriate.
I liked the ending, but it was not original either. I remember, for example, The Others (2002) and the same year, Disappearance. The result is pleasant, but I would like more. However, Docherty probably also wanted more... budget.
7 out of 10
“Crumpus” is a new horror film from director and screenwriter Michael Dougherty, who wrote the script for such films as “X-Men 2” and “Superman Returns”. The trailer was not the best, but the desire to watch did not leave me, as the idea was good and unusual. I did not have high expectations, because modern horror films are very different from the classic “Psycho”, “Nightmare on Elm Street” and others, however, watching this film, I was unpleasantly surprised. Neither the acting, nor the plot itself and everything that happened did not catch me at all. In the genres of the film, there was also a "comedy" that, in my opinion, is not at all. If there are jokes, they are flat and not funny. All the characters do is scream and run away, make illogical decisions and frankly stupid. The end was quite expected and typical for films of this genre.
The plot is simple – a large family gathers at her grandmother’s house for Christmas. It is clear that not a day goes by without a quarrel - it seems that everyone hates each other. The main character - Max, disappointed in the holiday, tears up his letter to Santa and throws it out the window. Here and begins all the horror – the evil companion of St. Nicholas – Krampus decides to take revenge on the “infidels”, killing them all in turn. The idea is good for its unusualness - it does not often happen to see something like this.
The acting game leaves much to be desired, and especially no one wants to single out. The characters are flat and in places unthought-out. Despite this, the performance of Adam Scott and Tonny Collette was very happy – they literally got used to the role. Children who first appeared on the screen, played believable and generally good.
The moral of this fable remains unclear, because the whole film tells us that not believing in Santa is life-threatening. What were we supposed to learn from this “masterpiece” of the cinema? What did the authors want to say to us?
4 out of 10
Be careful with your desires – they have the property to come true.
This is not a horror movie that will make you shake and close your eyes in fear. No, during the film they will be wide open, because without interest you will not see this film.
The film begins unpretentiously, and the viewer can even ask himself: “Is this a horror movie?” After all, we are shown an ordinary family celebrating Christmas in a warm cozy house. There's no impressive prelude to it, or even a hint that it's no ordinary family movie. Then a storm breaks out and everything goes into darkness. The game has begun!
The plot is non-standard and original. It was a surprise to me that the unspoken old rule of not touching children was shaken here. Almost the entire film took place in one house, which allowed you to focus on the characters, each of which has an interesting complex character. And, of course, very pleased with the ending, which makes the viewer wonder – what happened?
The appearance of Krampus is pleasantly surprising. He's really frightening, this Christmas devil coming to take an innocent boy's family to hell with him. And his little henchmen, who do cruel leprosy, cannot be ignored.
Over. “Crumpus” is a great film, which may not be the best representative of its genre, but has a great plot, interesting characters and a beautiful picture.
Good viewing!
Believe in miracles, otherwise the miracle will come for you.
Frankly, it’s not the best movie for Christmas. After all, Christmas is always a good and fun holiday. On Christmas Eve, many people expect a miracle. The main characters and their families, this holiday was also not bypassed. But what miracle did they expect? Not exactly what you got.
From the very beginning of the film, when we have not seen the main characters, we were shown the TV, which was the film “Christmas Story”, thereby already hinting that you should believe in Christmas miracles, enjoy life, and that on Christmas night something incomprehensible happens that can forever change your life. I will say right away, it was with Ebenzer Scrooge and with the heroes of this film.
And if you compare those who lead the main characters in both films on the “true path”, on the path of miracles, returning them to childhood – these are spirits. In our case, it is a certain Krampus - the spirit of St. Nicholas.
In general, the film makes the viewer think about what wishes are still not worth making, even if you are in a fit of evil. In other words, “thoughts are material.” And so, just one stupid, ridiculous desire of Max turns his life upside down. Fortunately, he understands that it is his fault, but unfortunately there is nothing he can do about it. Krampus is very steadfast in the fulfillment of wishes. And if you look at it from the other side, Max should be glad that at least someone fulfills his wishes.
But still, even knowing that the film belongs to the horror genre, I expected less from it, precisely in terms of horror, because the film is Christmas, festive. In the end, I saw some pretty good horrors. By the way, there's blood, there's weapons, there's panic, there's almost everything we see in other horrors. The only thing, probably, is a little (I don’t even know how to say) to “soften” such horrors. Don’t turn Christmas into a bloody mess.
Of course, you can not but like the colorful characters of this film. Fortunately, here they are selected for “hurrah”. Especially we can distinguish: Tony Collette, Christa Stadler and Conchata Farrell.
Well, that's all. The film left a positive impression, lived up to expectations. I will tell you right away that you will not regret the time spent, the film is worth watching. After all, he will be able to convince you that miracles should be believed not only as children, but also as adults.
Not in season, of course, in March to watch Christmas horror, but I’m not chasing fashion. The subject, by the way, is almost untouched. Of the worthy samples of the genre, I remember only Santa for sale and, perhaps, Usho. According to Kinopoisk, another 2-3 lame films were shot on the Krampus theme, but you can fire them to watch them. So, in general, the topic is not broken.
The movie itself begins as a Christmas tale with plot elements from the movie Home Alone and tales about Cinderella. Yes, I feel the same way about mass family celebrations with the gathering of distant and near relatives. Why should we tolerate their stupidity and idiocy just because we share DNA? Well done, who said that in the movie! I think the kid did. I don’t think it’s more accurate.
However, the fairy tale quickly turns into post-apocalyptic, then the most interesting begins. Visual series of the film, no doubt, excellent. Scenes of snow destruction, spectacular monsters jumping out of the darkness and the storm, masterpiece satanic toys. By the way, who remembers the old thrash "Demonic Toys"? There was the same set: a box devil, a bear, a robot and a doll. Coincidence? I don't think so.
Of course, Krampus himself is good. I don’t know how it was made: the computer, probably, but it was made to fame! The personification of a mad and unavoidable demonic force that will come and punish you for your carelessly expressed desire on a magical night. I would never want a creature like that to climb up my chimney with chains thundering. Oh, I don't have a chimney! Sleep well.
The result: New Zealanders again worked hard to envy everyone.
The film begins as a hybrid of comedy and horror. I mean, comedies: if you laugh when some people humiliate others, and these others are too weak to put the cocky in their place, then, of course, it will be funny. I was not funny, I was sad, as it was sad and the main character, Max, saddened so much that he wished his family a lot of bad things and brought trouble to the whole city at once.
Well, what's the big deal if you can wipe out the whole town in bulk, right? One way or another, after careless wishes, the city plunges into a blizzard, infernal snowmen crawl out, toys and gifts grow big teeth and go hunting under the leadership of the evil spirit of Christmas - Krampus.
And the further the plot develops, the more everything that happens resembles a dark fairy tale with a questionable morality: both the guilty and everyone else will be punished, because you need to protect Christmas, behave well and, God forbid, do not offend children, otherwise these vengeful bastards will arrange a very unpleasant death for everyone within a radius of several kilometers. In fact, for this morality, I scored a point, everything else I really liked - a dashing plot, good monsters and a completely digestible degree of emotion.
It is clear that, compared with more venerable directors and their horror films, Dougherty released not the best, rather ragged and uneven film, but as a debut - quite good, they saw it worse, and as an entertaining and recreational "Crumpus" with its task quite coped.
"Baby, I just got my ass kicked by Christmas cookies, so I'll believe everything!"
Who lives in the depths of hell? Who's crawling through an old chimney? Who has a big bag of gifts enough for everyone? No, this is not a kind Santa Claus, but a companion of Nicholas the Wonderworker or just his shadow, whose name is Krampus. In general, judging by the statistics, this hero is not too popular both in the horror genre and in principle - the first film about the horned creature dates only to 2013, but only disappointed. Then there was a short break, and in 2015 about the old man – Krampus came two more films from directors Robert Conway ("Crumpus: Payback) and Michael Dougherty ("Crumpus). As you might have guessed, the first film had to be missed (already one poster inspired fear and horror), but the second aroused interest, so it was not a sin to watch and tell about the impressions.
Christmas is coming. Perhaps any other family rejoiced and had fun, but not the Angel family, because instead of fun, the tenants are waiting for a real “miracle” in the form of close relatives who, although they show mutual love, but inside everyone boils disgust. But the horrors do not end there, but on the contrary, they become much more when a strong storm falls on the town, cutting off all communication, and somewhere in the distance, the horror clambers to houses and leaves gifts, taking lives.
For director Michael Dougherty (more famous for such projects as the screenwriter of the second part of “X-Men” and “Superman Returns”), we can say, the main reference point for the construction of the picture were the films of Tim Burton, because only such an unusual director as Burton has a dark style, a play of colors, you need an atmosphere, as well as your own humor. Dougherty managed to adopt the desired pace and style from the creator of “Beatlejuice”, which makes the film look dark and very atmospheric. Three screenwriters worked on the script at once, including Doegrtie himself (who, it is worth noting, is also a producer), Todd Casey and Zach Shields, and we can say that the guys tried for a reason - a very not bad script, thoughtful and interesting, the truth is ruined by his flat jokes of heroes or two or three frankly stupid moments that contradict the characters (an old grandmother shooting like the heroes of militants). Screenwriters, like Burton, easily come up with an original story and easily develop it, and, like Tim, in many ways divides the characters into two camps - kind (the family of the main characters) and not very (weird relatives who bring negativity with them). I really liked several other scenes, but there you should pay tribute to the masters of the special effects department - all the evil spirits present here (cookies, clowns, toys, elves, and of course Krampus himself) look very realistic and natural. Very successfully manages the camera operator Jules O’Laughlin, although he was not the first to overcome difficulties (say, with the same “Sanctum” was much harder). A very high-quality picture, providing the necessary color scheme, betraying an even greater atmosphere and that Berton style goes to the picture only in a plus. Composer Douglas Pipes gives the film not only a great festive atmosphere (a lot of soundtracks literally trumpet the onset of Christmas and maddened residents), but also a semblance of some kind of irony - sometimes the music just gets shades of joy, even though a few minutes ago someone was dragged into the underworld.
What I liked, in addition to the film itself, is a very good move, in the form of attracting not only famous actors, but also debutants. Of course, in the game Maverick Flack, Sophie Gannon, Brett Brittle and Trevor Pau could not beat Adam Scott or Tony Collett, but everyone has to start somewhere, and such a positive game can easily give debutants the road to fame and fame. It is worth noting the efforts of MJ Anthony, Allison Tolman, who continues to gain a foothold in the world of cinema, not TV series (in the same year the actress managed to play in two more films - "Gift" and "Fresno"), David Cockner, who, even despite the selfishness of his character, can not but cause a smile, and his battle with cookies, especially, as well as Krista Stadler. A very good, high-quality game, you can rejoice for the actors, because they managed to show the fear and horror inherent in the genre.
Total:
“Crumpus” is not a bad fake, with a style and atmosphere taken from Tim Burton’s films, with not bad directing, script, competent work of the operator, holiday soundtrack, and attacks with good acting. Not to say that I would be disappointed with this picture, on the contrary, I expected the worst, but the picture of Michael Dougherty looks and remains good until the very end, though not without flaws in the form of those stupid, ridiculous moments. You can recommend the film to fans of not bad horror films with their own zest (here it is just a kind of humor), fans of Tim Burton’s creativity (I am sure you will notice a lot of details), and the rest at their own request.
Thank you for listening!