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The 10 SCARIEST Christmas Movies Ever

Posted 12/23/10 3:05 pm EST by in Commentary


Scariest Christmas Movies

By Vaughn Trudeau Schoonmaker

There are so many holiday movies out there, one could conceivably spend the rest of one's life watching them back to back... and it's often tempting to give that a shot. For many -- myself included -- there's nothing better than laughing through the first two hilarious installments of "Home Alone" or sobbing through "It's a Wonderful Life" to snap them into the Christmas spirit.

Not everyone is a sucker for feel-good Christmas movie clichés, however. And once in a blue moon, Hollywood (or a VERY independent film company elsewhere) pops out a Christmas flick that doesn't feature clumsy burglars falling down stairs or James Stewart tearfully embracing his family. I'm talking about scary Christmas movies, or at least holiday movies that are meant to be frightening but come across as comically ridiculous. The seasonal red and green colors take on new meaning when the red is gushing blood and the green is monster skin.

This is a list for those of you who like your cinematic holiday feast served with a side of horror, gore and perhaps some unintentional comedy: the 10 scariest Christmas movies of all time. Read More...

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What Is Your Favorite Christmas Movie Of All Time? Vote In Our Poll!

Posted 12/22/10 11:07 am EST by in Poll


A Christmas StoryIt's December 22 and, in the immortal words of Billy Mack, Christmas is all around. Although there a just a few short days until the holiday arrives steeped in eggnog and carols and jolly fat men in bright red suits, there's still some time to cram in a fair amount of Christmas-movie watching.

But what will you pop in your DVD player or tune to on your tele (24 hours of "A Christmas Story" on TNT kicks off at 8 p.m. December 24, people!)? Will you opt for a classic like "It's a Wonderful Life" or "Miracle on 34th Street," something newer like "Love Actually," "Home Alone" or "Elf"... or even something a tad more unconventional like "Gremlins" or "Die Hard"? Or -- and if this is the case, more power to you -- will you hit up your DVR to watch one of those delightful Lifetime or ABC Family original Christmas flicks: Kevin Sorbo in "The Santa Suit, a bunch of cute dogs in "Santa Buddies: The Legend of Santa Paws," or Christina Milian and Chad Michael Murray in "Christmas Cupid," anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

We here at MTV Movies Blog want to know which Christmas movie you turn to when you're in desperate need of some holiday cheer, when you want to turn your frown upside down and your inner Ebenezer Scrooge into, well, the reformed Ebenezer Scrooge at the end of "A Christmas Carol." So hit the jump for our poll, where you can vote for your favorite Christmas movie of all time! Read More...

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EXCLUSIVE: 'Gremlins' Director Joe Dante 'Doesn't Know Of Anything Officially' Going On With 'Gremlins 3'

Posted 1/25/10 3:30 pm EST by in News


The Internet has been buzzing today with rumors that a third "Gremlins" movie is in the works, and that it will hit theaters as a 3-D release. The word comes from MarketSaw via an anonymous tipster. It's fair to point out that they do not always have the best track record with these sorts of unsourced stories. Still, "Gremlins" and its sequel, "Gremlins 2: The New Batch," are among my all-time favorite movies, so I'm understandably intrigued by the possibility of seeing the creative new ways our rascally gremlins find to break the three golden rules of Mogwai care: (1) no bright light, (2) no getting wet and (3) no eating after midnight.

I figure that there's no better person to ask about the possibility of more "Gremlins" than director Joe Dante, who helmed the originals. So I reached out for comment and, to my utter lack of surprise, he hasn't heard anything. "These things come up from time to time," he said. "I don't know of anything officially that's going on." Read More...

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Going To The Movies With Hollywood's Crappiest Christmas Gifts

Posted 12/23/09 3:00 pm EST by in Humor


Yesterday, MTV's Eric Ditzian ran through five of the best movie gifts -- which is to say, gifts given in movies -- a person could ask for. From Buzz Lightyear in "Toy Story" (personally, I'd prefer a TurboMan from "Jingle All the Way") to the self-lacing Nike sneakers in "Back to the Future Part II," Eric shared some great holiday gift ideas. You probably won't be able to get your hands on any of them at this late hour, but you can at least look at the pictures and sigh wistfully at the missed opportunities.

I'm back today with another gifts list. Except these are prezzies that you're not going to find under the tree when you stumble into the living room on the morning of December 25. The history of cinema is rife with great examples of poor gift-giving, and I've collected some of the worst right here. So hit the jump and enjoy MTV's Guide to Crappy Christmas Gifts in Movies! Read More...

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'Gremlins' Get Wet And Eat After Midnight Under The Care Of MTV's Gore Girls

Posted 10/15/09 4:00 pm EST by in Gore Girls


Welcome to Gore Girls! MTV contributor Terri Schwartz doesn't know crap about the horror genre, and she's volunteered to be our Movies Blog guinea pig. She has a good guide too. Fellow contributor Jenni Miller is a bonafide horror enthusiast, and she's willing to walk Terri through her formative experiences with blood, guts, monsters and maniacs. Together, this dynamic duo are horror's own odd couple, THE GORE GIRLS!!! Good luck Terri... you're definitely going to need it.

This week, the Gore Girls decided to go easy on themselves. Wusses. "Gremlins," directed by Joe Dante, isn't strictly a horror movie. More of a comedy/horror. I'm sure a young child would be suitably terrified, and plenty of the right horror movie beats are hit, but this isn't a traditional scare flick. The story follows a young man who receives a furry little creature as a Christmas gift. The season's greetings fall apart when the beastie -- a Mogwai -- multiplies and his dopplegangers transform into hideous, green lizard-like gremlins. Read More...

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Mount The Head Of A Mogwai On Your Wall In Today's eBay Prop-Watch

Posted 9/29/09 5:00 pm EST by in eBay Prop-Watch


What can I say? I'm a sucker for a gremlin. "Gremlins" even. Joe Dante's classic comedy horror flick "Gremlins" -- not to mention the criminally underrated follow-up "Gremlins 2: The New Batch" -- are delightfully entertaining relics from the '80s. One of the few surviving classics that remains untouched by Hollywood's weird fascination with franchise reboots, these are movies that still hold up today. There's plenty about them that's dated, sure. But the pair are as entertaining, as funny, as immediately memorable as they've always been.

That's why I'm featuring a second "Gremlins" item for eBay Prop-Watch in as many weeks. This is a good one too, even better than last week's gremlin head. Not only is it cheaper, it's also professionally mounted and comes packing a certificate of authenticity from our pals at The Propstore of London. Hit the jump to behold the awesome. Read More...

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The Head Of A Gremlin In Today's eBay Prop-Watch

Posted 9/18/09 1:00 pm EST by in eBay Prop-Watch


I usually try to maintain some degree of mystery on what the eBay Prop-Watch pick is until AFTER the break, but today's item is too cool not to rave over from the offing. "Gremlins" is a classic. Comedy/horror at its best. Director Joe Dante has been pretty quiet since 1998's "Small Soldiers" -- a highly underrated gem and definite future Sick Day Stash fodder -- but he's about to re-emerge in a big way if the buzz on his 3-D thriller "The Hole," which just picked up accolades at the Venice Film Festival, is accurate.

So. Prop-Watch. Today you're bidding on a head. A Gremlin head. Not one of those cute, cuddly Gizmo-types. The ugly, green, lizard-like beast with big cat-like eyes and two rows of gleaming white teeth. Hit the jump to see what I mean. Read More...

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Third 'Gremlins' Film Might Be In The Works, Mr. Wing Rolls In His Grave

Posted 7/31/09 2:00 pm EST by in Commentary, News


Gremlins"Gremlins" fans beware: everybody's favorite mogwai could be getting the Yoda treatment.

In an interview with Empire Online, original "Gremlins" director Joe Dante said that he's heard scuttlebutt of a third installment in the franchise, packed to the gills with CGI effects. According to Dante, the film would likely be less of a sequel and more of a -- surprise! -- remake.

"I hear they're going to make another one soon," Dante told Empire. "The actors from the first two are too old to do a proper sequel, so I'm sure when the new one arrives it will be a remake of the original." Read More...

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'Drag Me To Hell' And Other Horror Flicks You Can Share With Your Family

Posted 5/27/09 5:00 pm EST by in Commentary, Video


Let’s first clear up what a “family-friendly” horror movie is. Clearly, you’re not going to want to show this stuff to squeamish little siblings if it’s just going to scar them. Unless it’s part of your plan of course, but that’s your own business. Sam Raimi’s “Drag Me To Hell,” out this week, has been designated by the MPAA as kosher for all human Americans aged 13 and older. From what I hear, it’s also a hella scary ride.

Director Sam Raimi is very good at capturing disturbing imagery on film. Stuff that just doesn’t quite look right. There’s his “Evil Dead” series of course. And the hard-to-find classic “Crimewave” (written by Ethan and Joel Coen) is filled with twisted absurdity. Even “Spider-Man” had its share of chilling imagery and occasional jump scares. Raimi’s not the only one out there who’s interested in scaring children however. Check out these other examples of family friendly horror flicks.

Read More...

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