Todd Nunes, who directed and wrote this independent horror movie, used his short film “Here Comes Santa”, to create another holiday bloodbath filled with good cheer and laughter along with beautiful babes, such as Sheila (Jessica Cameron (Save Yourself [2015])) and a high body count all for a bloody good time. The story involves a deranged dressed individual in a Santa outfit, burned face of the endless carols leading up to situations that are very much R-rated, with an interesting cast of wide ranging characters, celebrated in a B-movie nature. Nunes goes all out with regard to steady filling of kills and gore for this latest themed slasher film delivered by a sharpened pair of hedge clippers, similar to those of The Burning (1981), and other kills homage to many 1980s horror movies. So why not gather some eggnog, or even a beer and snuggle up for raging hooting good time while watching a silent determined killer similar to Michael Myers, giveaway a wicked delightful bloody body count to beautiful women in a diabolical, sadistic mysterious blast.
Rachel (Ashley Mary Nunes (Inhuman Resources [2012]), who nails the role very well) meets up with old friends Gia (Natalie Montera) and Mandy (Jennifer Wenger), to do some shopping and awkwardly bumps into her old boyfriend Cody (Jason Ray Schumacher) which has now quickly established some key characters. Meanwhile, Santa makes the rounds visiting many to see how many naughty boys and girls there are before stuffing them with fits of rage and bloody bowels, lopping off whatever ails this wonderful holiday season. An outrageous character comes from foulmouthed grandmother Abby (Cathy Garrett), as she encourages Rachel to help poor Mrs. Garrett’s (Melynda Kiring) house with even more decorations [you know the house in your neighbor that mirrors the Griswalds]. Mrs. Garrett known in the neighborhood as the woman whose daughter disappears one fateful night, never to return but her Christmas wish to have her return, acts a bit crazy but who wouldn’t after suffering with her pain. Therefore, dear Rachel talks her pals into helping her out with more decorating, they become more aware of the strangeness of the home and find out more dark secrets about its owner, her long-missing daughter, and what hides under the tree. This film contains nods to slasher flicks of yesteryear, including Psycho (1960) though a few of the dedicate slasher lovers will discover them all, but note, it still works no matter what level of a fan one is, the splattering of blood on the walls and white carpets looks so festive. A few scenes produce wonderful comedy, (likely not intentional) and yet the film likely to garnish a cult underground following in years to come, especially when looking at shears.
The visual effects find themselves briefly appearing in the movie, rather the practical effects to dot themselves all over this production with gruesome display and apply buckets of blood to everything of holiday creatively. While never conquering new ground in the genre, it fits nicely to Christmas Horror tales, that round of the year so nicely. Nunes’ script balances a good solid story with some cheeky moments on the genre, and holds the cheese to a baseline minimum, which delivers a sick horror movie. As for the Santa character as killer, again not new, yet adds a bit of ominous with the blackened face, almost burned away mask, rather just the white beard and face underneath. One finds the time to enjoy the pure entertainment of the movie, which stays a faction from a sleazy borderline and rather becomes a fun and savage production with just a bit of roughness to note the independent qualities. This all thanks to the well done cinematography and willingness to show the gore rather than falling back to a cut away shot, delivering the goods as a way to please fans always works best especially with a rising body as the movie provides.
All Through the House is another Christmas horror film filled with slaughter, deceptions, lies, misdeeds, sexual repressions, and a killing Santa Claus, who’s likely missing something, perhaps his reindeer or even a Yule log. It all feels like a movie lost in the 1980s, and only recently rediscovered and unleashing brutality to the cast, who serve it well for the type of production that the horror fans desire and crave that others soon deliver once again. Rush out to obtain this film and stuff it into the stocking of someone you love or hate either way they get the message, and if not – where are those shears?
This review was originally posted on Rogue Cinema’s now defunct website in December 2016 with a view count of 1,529.
TAGLINE:
There is a CREATURE stirring…
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4278962/
IMDb Rating: 4.8/10
Baron’s Rating: 5.0/10