Tonight was the much anticipated Holiday of Horrors film festival at Portage Theater featuring a small crop of older cult Christmas/New Years cult films. Of the four events I've attended attended at Portage this year this was easily the 2nd best of the lot (Terror in the Aisle 2 being the best, natch). First up was Silent Night, Deadly Night
(1984), which I'm surprised to see is OOP as it truly is a cult classic and an excellent early 80s slasher w/all the familiar tropes. Great to see in 35mm on the big screen (w/a good audience).That was followed by Christmas Evil
(1980) after an erratic introduction by director Lewis Jackson, who clearly didn't know he had a microphone in his hand. This film is something to behold and clearly fucked up. It evolves around a clearly disturbed man and his obsession with Christmas, which goes to places unexpected. Afterwards, Jackson answered a few questions and discussed the process of making the film. Fascinating (took 10 years to write?!). Later I met Mr. Jackson when I bought the DVD and he signed my copy. Alcoholism has nearly gotten the best of him as he was barely capable of holding the sharpie. 
Black Santa's Revenge (2007) was the next film up; a current day blaxploitation take on the holiday that was indeed humorous. Would like to see that done up as a full-length feature rather than just a short film but it works. The evening concluded with the god awful New Year's Evil (1980), which fits into that so bad it's good category. Starring Roz Kelly (Pinky Tuscadero!) and a psycho killer hellbent on murdering as the clock strikes midnight on New Years Eve in EVERY time zone. Yes, it's that ridiculous. So many things I could write about including the supposed "best New Wave song" countdown that somehow is forgotten and yet there is no "new wave" music in the film. This is just a terrible film but I laughed a lot while others around me snored... loudly.
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