CHRISTMAS EVIL (1980)

I have heard on more than one occasion that people who like David Lynch’s Wild at Heart are particularly fond of a scene where Laura Dern describes her demented cousin’s obsession with Christmas. If I could have one question with David Lynch, I would like to know if he had seen this movie. Christmas Evil is the It’s a Wonderful Life for horror fanatics and film buffs. Harry Stadling (Brandon Maggart) becomes obsessed with Christmas after seeing mommy and Santa Claus in the beginnings of having a “not-so-holy” night. Thirty-three years later, Stalding works in a toy factory and spends his spare time skulking around his neighborhood keeping up with who is naughty and who is nice. While the pace of the film can be a bit slow at times, the genius of the film comes into play with regards to how much time the movie spends with Harry without letting the audience in on what he is thinking. There is not so much open violence as there is a fear of not being able to follow his train of thought. The fun here is seeing his bizarre behavior and not knowing at any given time what he is capable of. This movie relies heavily on Maggart’s acting and he delivers a slow burn that predates the influx of quiet man psycho killers made popular by Hannibal Lecter. If the story had gone into full slasher mode, it would not be nearly as scary. More than just a slasher film, Evil is an awesome portrayal of an already unstable man coming apart at the seams. -Billups Allen

Monday, December 21st at 8:00 p.m.

It's MONDO MONDAYS at The Loft, celebrating weird, wild and wonderful flicks from the Mondo side of the silver screen! Admission is only $2.00, and don't forget to check out our yummy "Mondo Munchies" snack bucket ... fill a cup for a buck!

Billups Allen's interest in writing began composing lyrics for the band Shoutbus and later for the band Corn on Macabre. Lyrical duties led to writing poetry and short stories. Several of his short stories were published in a book entitled Unfurnished published by Florida’s now defunct Schematics Records. Allen currently lives in Tucson, Arizona where he writes Cramhole comic zine, writes reviews for Razorcake Magazine and the Tucson Citizen and hosts a radio show called The Groove Tomb. www.billupsallen.com