Christmas Horror: Dismembering Christmas

The holiday horror continues with Dismembering Christmas.

"I don't know where this hand has been!"

Low budget horror films are the Secret Santa gifts of the film industry. Even though they come wrapped in pretty paper, it’s best to approach with limited expectations. Dismembering Christmas falls somewhere between store bought fruit cake and a re-gifted pair of socks with an instant scratch off ticket hidden inside. This yuletide tale of horror follows a group of teenagers who head up north to a secluded cabin to spend Christmas together. Soon after they arrive, they learn of a horrific event that happened years before - in the very same cabin! The holiday thrill seekers are your typical mixed bag of teenage personalities - The preppie, the rich kid, the gold digger, and the lonely third wheel. Most of the cast are inspiring actors, and when not in front of the camera, they helped behind the scenes working various crew positions during the 12 day shoot. Dismembering Christmas was filmed in Wisconsin, and the picturesque snow covered location helps create a nice holiday setting.  

Like most low budget horror films, Dismembering Christmas is full of plot holes. It suffers from an underdeveloped script, and some performances leave plenty of room for improvement. It’s important to remember though that this film is a Kickstarter project, made on a budget of $11,367. In many ways it’s like that weird shredded carrot and walnut jell-o dessert your Uncle’s 2nd wife brings to the family holiday get-together. It may look unappetizing, but if you give it a chance, you may discover you like it. Dismembering Christmas is a passion project, and the horror is a throwback to the slasher films of the ‘80s. 

"Seriously though! What's your obsession with
that hand?"

What really stands out in this film is it’s choreography. Director Austin Bosley’s well thought out shots are impressive, especially the cat and mouse chase scenes and its progressive character placement. The film is also pieced together well. It’s rare praise for a low budget horror film. In many ways it’s the saving grace of the film, displaying a maturity that is on par with most big budget films. 

Overall, given the limited budget, and the fact this film was made by a small team of dedicated individuals, it’s hard to be too critical. It’s like getting a strange random Christmas gift from your grandmother as an adult. It really doesn’t matter what it is, it’s the thought and effort that counts. Dismembering Christmas may be full of loopholes, but there is still plenty to enjoy. There is a great holiday balance to the film. It does so by using the Christmas decoration from the set to carry out the gruesome acts of horror. The last scene is especially wicked and the ending surprisingly pulls everything together nicely like a bloody red ribbon around a head sized present. 

Score


- Lee L. Lind

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