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The holidays can be a joyous time that brings people together to celebrate life and what we are thankful for. They can also be a time when what scares you comes out to frolic. Those fears are heightened and exaggerated for the sake of terror in these forty horror movies. Featuring at least one holiday (observed, official, religious, informal), these films contain ghosts, killers, and whatever else goes bump in the night. Can you celebrate?
| Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.  New Year's EvilDirected by: Emmett Alston Year released: 1980 Day of celebration: New Year's Eve Plot: A radio show host receives ominous phone calls stating that someone, including herself, will die in each time zone as the New Year strikes. Worth celebrating? In spite of the ambitious story setup, this is a dated slasher that at least defies the modern tropes by revealing the killer's identity at the beginning. Other than that, it's rather dull with no appealing hook. |
Image may be NSFW. Day of celebration: New Year's Eve |
Image may be NSFW. Day of celebration: New Year's Eve Plot: A mysterious signal transmitted to the public activates murderous behavior in those affected by it. |
Image may be NSFW. Day of celebration: Valentine's Day Worth celebrating? If you hate Valentine's Day and want to see some vapid characters get killed off, then this forgettable post-Scream slasher might be for you. The story is as thin as the paper the poster is printed on, though. Speaking of posters, anyone else notice that one of the actors on this one isn't even in the movie? |
Image may be NSFW. Day of celebration: Valentine's Day Plot: A string of murders occur in a small mining town on Valentine's night. |
Image may be NSFW. Day of celebration: Valentine's Day Plot: Thirteen years ago, a murder at the local lovers lane on Valentine's night took place. Now, the killer is back. |
Image may be NSFW. Day of celebration: St. Patrick's Day Worth celebrating? For what it is, this cult favorite from 1988 is amusing for a rainy day. And hey, Bruce Campbell is in it if that means anything. Like the director's other movies, it is more action oriented than straight up horror. And exactly how does this movie tie in with St. Patrick's Day? Well, there's a parade near the end. Other than a Syfy movie called Leprechaun's Revenge, there really aren't many scary movies devoted to St. Patrick's Day. |
Image may be NSFW. Day of celebration: April Fool's Day Worth celebrating? The director of the original When a Stranger Calls and its sequel delivered this sleeper slasher in the mid '80s. The ending may annoy you so be ready for it. There was a 2008 remake, but it should be avoided at all costs. |
Image may be NSFW. Day of celebration: May Day Worth celebrating? Fans of rural and folk horror should give this classic a viewing. A remake with Nicolas Cage exists. It doesn't mean you should necessarily watch it either. Instead, check out the original's director's spiritual sequel, The Wicker Tree. |
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Image may be NSFW. Day of celebration: Father's Day Plot: The miserable patriarch of a family returns from the grave after being killed on Father's Day. Worth celebrating? This whole anthology is a must for horror fans, but only the first segment has anything to do with Father's Day. |
Image may be NSFW. Day of celebration: Independence Day Plot: A woman returns to her hometown in time for the Fourth of July. Little does she know that the killer reported on the local news has targeted her. |
Image may be NSFW. Day of celebration: Independence Day Plot: Four friends make a pact after committing a crime one summer. The same time next year, they are hunted down by someone who knows their secret. Worth celebrating? This '90s slasher with a Fourth of July backdrop is more somber than fun at times, and it features one of the saddest death chases (hint: there's a parade involved). The first sequel (yes, there is more than one) also occurs on the Fourth of July. |
Image may be NSFW. Day of celebration: Hungry Ghost Plot: American newlyweds visiting China partake in the local Hungry Ghost Festival. However, their night lost in the countryside becomes one filled with terror as they learn that the ghosts are indeed real... and hungry. Worth celebrating? For those unfamiliar with the Hungry Ghost, it is a time where spirits roam freely. People will "feed" the ghosts, which includes their ancestors, as a way to appease them. Typically the Hungry Ghost Festival happens around the fifteenth day in the seventh month of the lunar calendar. As for Seventh Moon, it gets kudos for doing something different. Unfortunately, the production values are what drag this picture down. Some scenes are literally too dark to see what's going on, too. And is it too much to ask for a steady hand when filming? In the words of Kahn Souphanousinphone: "Long, painful, boring death." |
Image may be NSFW. Day of celebration: Hungry Ghost Worth celebrating? The success of the remakes of The Ring and Ju-on: The Grudge led to several Asian inspired horror movies in the mid-2000s. They Wait is a bit different as it was not based on an existing film. That does not mean it is original either. Be sure to avoid the trailer if you do not want to be completely spoiled. |
Image may be NSFW. Day of celebration: Hungry Ghost Plot: Film students discover strange horror films left in the ashes after burning effigies for the Hungry Ghosts. Worth celebrating? As visually enticing as this eerie English language anthology from Singapore is, it is held back by amateur acting and convoluted writing. |
Image may be NSFW. Day of celebration: Yom Kippur Worth celebrating? There does not appear to be a lot of Israeli horror movies, and this one might not be the best place to start if you are looking for some. The found footage style is not innovative, and some of the acting is questionable. On the other hand, the demonic threat might have paid off had they shown more of that. |
Image may be NSFW. Day of celebration: Mischief Night Plot: A teen with psychosomatic blindness is tormented by a masked killer when left home alone. Worth celebrating? Apparently there is an informal holiday on the day before Halloween called Mischief Night. The purpose is just to play pranks on people. This low budget affair is your standard home invasion, though, and it should not be confused with the similarly titled 2014 film. |
Image may be NSFW. Day of celebration: Halloween Plot: Fifteen years after murdering his sister, Michael Myers escapes from a mental hospital to resume killing in a small town. |
Image may be NSFW. Day of celebration: Halloween Plot: After being bitten by a werewolf, Ginger Fitzgerald starts to change into one herself. It is up to her younger sister, Brigitte, to save her before Ginger's metamorphosis is complete. Worth celebrating? In spite of struggling during its initial release, this coming-of-age werewolf movie is considered a cult classic nowadays. What it lacks in production values is made up with memorable performances and characters. |
Image may be NSFW. Day of celebration: Halloween Plot: On Halloween night, five interwoven stories involving ghouls, ghosts, and murder happen in a small town. Worth celebrating? For some, this movie has become a new tradition for the holiday. While not perfect, it does capture the Spirit of Halloween well. And yes, pun intended. Can they make the sequel already? |
Image may be NSFW. Day of celebration: Halloween Plot: The citizens of a small town experience the strange and supernatural on Halloween night. Worth celebrating? This anthology could have and should have been better than what it ultimately was. More oft than not the stories were lacking, or they just could have been left out altogether. Still, there are some measly treats to be found here. |
Image may be NSFW. Day of celebration: Halloween Plot: The employees of a restaurant are taken hostage by cannibals on Halloween night. Worth celebrating? This offbeat horror comedy serves some dark humor with its gore, but it could have provided more tension. The mood was almost too glib at times considering the story setup. |
Image may be NSFW. Day of celebration: Halloween Plot: A demon is unleashed upon a Halloween party held inside of a mortuary. Worth celebrating? Cheesy fun is to be had in this movie and its sequels. The 2009 remake is tolerable, but it has nothing on the original. |
Image may be NSFW. Day of celebration: Halloween Plot: A boy unknowingly befriends a serial killer and then joins him in his murder spree on Halloween. Worth celebrating? This outlandish dark comedy is from the director of Squirm and Just Before Dawn. The child in this movie is so oblivious to what his partner-in-crime is doing that you have to suspend your disbelief. After a while, the killer's actions do become repetitive, and the final scene lacks a proper ending. |
Image may be NSFW. Day of celebration: Halloween Plot: A teenager left home alone fights off malevolent trick-or-treaters on Halloween night. Worth celebrating? The best thing about this Canadian feature is the cinematography. There are some absolutely beautiful scenes throughout. Regretfully, even that could not save it from being a snore. |
Image may be NSFW. Day of celebration: Halloween Plot: A diagnosed sociopath is the only one that knows that his elderly neighbor is actually a supernatural killer. Worth celebrating? This movie, based on the book of the same name, is more of a cat-and-mouse thriller in terms of plotting. The protagonist is not a hero by any means so the audience is left conflicted. That withstanding, it does well with a new spin on the creature feature concept. |
Image may be NSFW. Day of celebration: Halloween Plot: Thieves encounter the supernatural when they try to find treasure inside of an old dance academy. |
Image may be NSFW. Day of celebration: Halloween Plot: Ten years ago on Halloween, young Frank witnessed a murder. The victim's murderer searches for him in the present, and Frank finds himself drawn to a house inhabited by a mysterious Lady in White. Worth celebrating? Do not go into this film expecting your typical horror movie. It contains a lot of drama and fantasy, too. This is a most haunting slow burn. |
Image may be NSFW. Day of celebration: Thanksgiving Plot: A young man's homicidal twin escapes from a mental hospital and returns home. Worth celebrating? Thanksgiving is hardly visited in horror movies. Maybe because the nutjobs loose on Black Friday are scary enough. Slasher fans are fond of this obscure '80s entry, but its most redeeming quality is the special effects for a few gory deaths. |
Image may be NSFW. Day of celebration: Thanksgiving Plot: A college student left behind in the dorms for Thanksgiving break fights off a group of dangerous outcasts intent on killing her. Worth celebrating? Kristy has been compared to You're Next, but the approach of using an online network of killers to target the protagonist has some influence from Kevin Bacon's television series The Following, too. No wheels are reinvented here. Even so, it is an adequate survival thriller. |
Image may be NSFW. Day of celebration: Thanksgiving Plot: A seemingly normal family's idyllic life is tainted by the children's growing sinister behavior. Worth celebrating? This found footage gem chronicles the family's life so several holidays are touched upon, including Thanksgiving and Valentine's Day. The motives are never perfectly laid out here, but it's more disturbing when there are no answers. |
Image may be NSFW. Day of celebration: Thanksgiving Plot: As a child, Tim witnessed his father being taken by the Boogeyman. Now as an adult, he must face his fears head on once the Boogeyman reappears in his life. Worth celebrating? This might just be one of the most critically panned mainstream horror movies to come out of the mid-2000s. Its execution is quite baffling. Once you see what the Boogeyman looks like, you will have wished you had turned this off sooner. |
Image may be NSFW. Day of celebration: Christmas Plot: On Christmas Eve, a woman is trapped inside of her job's parking garage with a deranged killer. Worth celebrating? Christmas can be a joyous time for many, and it can also be a downright sad one for others. That time of the year can be inclusive as well as a reminder of what you do not have. The lead character here is entangled in a horrible situation, and it being Christmas, no one is around to help her. Audiences slept on this gritty thriller, but it has been noticed more and better appreciated in recent years. |
Image may be NSFW. Day of celebration: Christmas Plot: A dying man sends for his other three daughters when he suspects that his second wife is poisoning him. Upon their arrival, the women are targeted by a killer in a yellow raincoat. Worth celebrating? This TV movie starring Sally Field came out before both Black Christmas (1974) and Halloween (1978) so it could be considered the original modern slasher. Of course Psycho predates all of them. Home for the Holidays is not nearly as stylized as its future brethren, but the influence is undeniable. |
Image may be NSFW. Day of celebration: Christmas Plot: A killer in a Santa Claus suit picks off people at a Christmas party. Worth celebrating? No one will argue about the lack of accolades this tepid slasher has. The identity of the murderer was admittedly a surprise. Silent Night, Deadly Night was controversial for its depiction of Santa Claus, but To All a Good Night seems to have gone unscathed. Maybe no one simply remembers it existing. |
Image may be NSFW. Day of celebration: Christmas Plot: A radio DJ shares scary stories that each take place on Christmas. Worth celebrating? It is a fair assessment to say this movie tried to do for Christmas what Trick 'r Treat did for Halloween. More or less, A Christmas Horror Story is successful. The majority of the stories are well made. The Santa Claus tale was particularly memorable, especially with that twist. |
Image may be NSFW. Day of celebration: Christmas Plot: A father decides to take a different route when his family travels to visit relatives for Christmas. They continue to drive and drive, but they never seem to reach their destination. Worth celebrating? This horror movie doubles as a rousing comedy full of rich characterizations. Its main flaw would have to be the dated, clichéd ending. |
Image may be NSFW. Day of celebration: Christmas Plot: A sorority house's remaining residents receive threatening phone calls over the Christmas holiday. Worth celebrating? This movie is generally credited by fans as the one that kickstarted the whole slasher subgenre. Regardless of technicalities or opinions about that, Black Christmas is a suspenseful, chilling film with one of the most frightening reveals in horror history. The 2006 remake is shameless trash that may give you a few cheap laughs. |
Image may be NSFW. Day of celebration: Christmas Plot: Christmas becomes a time for survival as children start to turn on their parents. Worth celebrating? If you despise kids and do not mind seeing them be killed on screen, then perhaps you should give this dark and straightforward film a watch. |
Image may be NSFW. Day of celebration: Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Halloween, Christmas, New Year's Worth celebrating? This seems like a fitting way to finish. This anthology even covers the usually ignored holidays in horror such as Easter and Father's Day. The quality is not as consistent as it could have been so be prepared for that. |
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What's your favorite holiday? Halloween plans?