Here’s a look at this week’s biggest premieres, parties and openings in Los Angeles and New York, including events for Gaga Chromatica Ball, Star Wars: The Acolyte and The Garfield Movie.
The Garfield Movie premiere
Chris Pratt and Hannah Waddingham premiered their new Garfield movie in Hollywood on Sunday, as the iconic cat also had his paws immortalized in cement in front of the Tcl Chinese Theatre.
Hannah Waddingham, Chris Pratt and Garfield creator Jim Davis Danielle Misher (co-head, global theatrical marketing, Sony Pictures Entertainment), Josh Greenstein (president, Sony Pictures Entertainment’s Motion Picture Group), Andrew A. Kosove (co-ceo, co-founder, Alcon Entertainment) and Broderick Johnson (co-ceo, co-founder, Alcon Entertainment)
Gaga Chromatica Ball premiere
Lady Gaga, appearing in two show-stopping looks, walked the red carpet and sat for a Q&a at the world premiere of her HBO concert special in Los Angeles on Thursday.
Lady Gaga
Star Wars: The Acolyte...
The Garfield Movie premiere
Chris Pratt and Hannah Waddingham premiered their new Garfield movie in Hollywood on Sunday, as the iconic cat also had his paws immortalized in cement in front of the Tcl Chinese Theatre.
Hannah Waddingham, Chris Pratt and Garfield creator Jim Davis Danielle Misher (co-head, global theatrical marketing, Sony Pictures Entertainment), Josh Greenstein (president, Sony Pictures Entertainment’s Motion Picture Group), Andrew A. Kosove (co-ceo, co-founder, Alcon Entertainment) and Broderick Johnson (co-ceo, co-founder, Alcon Entertainment)
Gaga Chromatica Ball premiere
Lady Gaga, appearing in two show-stopping looks, walked the red carpet and sat for a Q&a at the world premiere of her HBO concert special in Los Angeles on Thursday.
Lady Gaga
Star Wars: The Acolyte...
- 5/24/2024
- by Kirsten Chuba
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
On the first day of Creepmas, my true love gave to me…12 Killer Santa horror movies to herald in Bloody Disgusting’s 12 Days of Creepmas. This year, we’re reinterpreting the “Twelve Days of Christmas” to bring twelve days of holiday horror. ‘Tis the season to be naughty, after all.
It feels only right to kick things off with a look at one of holiday horror’s most prominent icons: the Killer Santa Claus. The niche subgenre of Killer Santa holiday horror movies is as robust as ever, offering ample murderous maniacs to spread holiday fear this season. Here are 12 of the most prominent and bloodthirsty of the bunch.
If your favorites are missing, don’t worry; there’s still plenty of holiday horror fun on the way.
Violent Night
Violent Night introduces Santa Claus (David Harbour) as a cynic drowning his frustrations in booze at a bar on Christmas Eve.
It feels only right to kick things off with a look at one of holiday horror’s most prominent icons: the Killer Santa Claus. The niche subgenre of Killer Santa holiday horror movies is as robust as ever, offering ample murderous maniacs to spread holiday fear this season. Here are 12 of the most prominent and bloodthirsty of the bunch.
If your favorites are missing, don’t worry; there’s still plenty of holiday horror fun on the way.
Violent Night
Violent Night introduces Santa Claus (David Harbour) as a cynic drowning his frustrations in booze at a bar on Christmas Eve.
- 12/14/2023
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
From the moment you saw the trailer, you knew exactly what you were going to get with Violent Night. The biggest selling points had to be the high concept and lead performer David Harbour. These days, he elevates just about everything he is in, so this already made it worth seeing.
The film opened to mixed reviews and reasonable box office, but Universal Home Entertainment seemed to release this in a rush, as a Blu-ray only release even as work begins on a sequel.
The Home Alone/Die Hard riffs are hard to miss but the inventiveness of the antics are amusing as a band of thieves led by John Leguizamo invade a Greenwich mansion to rob them blind. The bickering family spans three generations and most fill the stock character types one expects from such fare. It helps to have Beverly D’Angelo as the shrewish matriarch, able to go toe to toe with Leguizamo.
The film opened to mixed reviews and reasonable box office, but Universal Home Entertainment seemed to release this in a rush, as a Blu-ray only release even as work begins on a sequel.
The Home Alone/Die Hard riffs are hard to miss but the inventiveness of the antics are amusing as a band of thieves led by John Leguizamo invade a Greenwich mansion to rob them blind. The bickering family spans three generations and most fill the stock character types one expects from such fare. It helps to have Beverly D’Angelo as the shrewish matriarch, able to go toe to toe with Leguizamo.
- 2/3/2023
- by Robert Greenberger
- Comicmix.com
Violent Night was one of this fan’s best moviegoing experiences from last year (read our review). The latest from filmmaker Tommy Wirkola is a gleeful, funny, brutal, and shockingly sweet modern take on a familiar formula. And it all works. The film includes David Harbour in a role tailor-made for him as a badass Santa Claus. Then there is John Leguizamo, Beverly D’Angelo, Alexis Louder, and the terrific Leah Brady. The cast collected is perfection.
Harbour’s take on kick-ass Claus is a rollicking good time. One of the best moments in the bloody action flick is when Santa disposes of several members of an Extraction Team. It’s a viciously intense scene that features one of the most excellent weapons in any movie, a candy cane. And yes, that thing is sharp with some help from old St. Nick and his teeth. It’s a wild experience to...
Harbour’s take on kick-ass Claus is a rollicking good time. One of the best moments in the bloody action flick is when Santa disposes of several members of an Extraction Team. It’s a viciously intense scene that features one of the most excellent weapons in any movie, a candy cane. And yes, that thing is sharp with some help from old St. Nick and his teeth. It’s a wild experience to...
- 2/1/2023
- by JimmyO
- JoBlo.com
It’s time for David Harbour to take a turn portraying Father Christmas. Known for other fatherly roles like Jim Hopper in Netflix’s “Stranger Things” and Alexei in Marvel’s “Black Widow,” the actor takes on a Christmas night crime in addition to Santa’s yearly duty of delivering presents across the entire planet in one night in the R-rated actioner “Violent Night.” John Leguizamo plays the bad guy — Scrooge.
From director Tommy Wirkola, the film has a runtime of 1 hour and 52 minutes. Within that time frame, David Harbour’s Santa Claus embarks on his mission to drop off presents, when John Leguizamo and his cronies interrupt the regularly scheduled program by attempting a robbery of a very rich family.
Fans of David Harbour and or John Leguizamo may be wondering how to watch “Violent Night,” and we have the details.
Also Read:
‘Violent Night’ Star John Leguizamo Says...
From director Tommy Wirkola, the film has a runtime of 1 hour and 52 minutes. Within that time frame, David Harbour’s Santa Claus embarks on his mission to drop off presents, when John Leguizamo and his cronies interrupt the regularly scheduled program by attempting a robbery of a very rich family.
Fans of David Harbour and or John Leguizamo may be wondering how to watch “Violent Night,” and we have the details.
Also Read:
‘Violent Night’ Star John Leguizamo Says...
- 1/17/2023
- by Dessi Gomez
- The Wrap
Like a cyanide-laced sugarplum, Violent Night is a jolly and vicious burst of holiday mayhem. Bloody and crass, yet brimming with Christmas spirit, it’s a 110-minute joke that largely works because of how firmly everyone involved commits to the bit.
David Harbour stars as Santa Claus, first seen drinking his holiday blues away at a London watering hole. Santa’s having a rough Christmas Eve; kids are getting greedier and naughtier every year, and he’s thinking of hanging up the hat. His night doesn’t get any easier when he heads to the United States-based home of a wealthy, heartless matriarch (Beverly D’Angelo), whose family has been taken hostage by a gang of thieves (led by John Leguizamo). While his first instinct is to fly off and finish his route, the presence of an innocent child (Leah Brady) causes Santa to reconsider, call upon the skills he learned...
David Harbour stars as Santa Claus, first seen drinking his holiday blues away at a London watering hole. Santa’s having a rough Christmas Eve; kids are getting greedier and naughtier every year, and he’s thinking of hanging up the hat. His night doesn’t get any easier when he heads to the United States-based home of a wealthy, heartless matriarch (Beverly D’Angelo), whose family has been taken hostage by a gang of thieves (led by John Leguizamo). While his first instinct is to fly off and finish his route, the presence of an innocent child (Leah Brady) causes Santa to reconsider, call upon the skills he learned...
- 12/8/2022
- by Chris Williams
- CinemaNerdz
Click here to read the full article.
The good news: Tommy Wirkola’s holiday-themed action-thriller Violent Night scared up a solid 13.3 million from 3,682 theaters in its box debut, while holdover Black Panther: Wakanda Forever continued to be a crowd-pleaser in topping the chart with 17.6 million from 3,855 locations.
Wakanda Forever has now earned an impressive 394 million domestically to pass up fellow 2022 superhero pics The Batman (369 million) and Thor: Love and Thunder (343 million). It is also the first film since Spider-Man: No Way Home to stay No. 1 for four consecutive weekends. Overseas, the Marvel superhero sequel, directed by Ryan Coogler, added 20.2 million to its coffers for a foreign tally of 339 million and 733 million globally.
Violent Night was the only new wide studio release over the Dec. 2-4 weekend. From Universal and 87North, the genre pic follows a team of mercenaries who break into the compound of a wealthy family on Christmas Eve and take everyone hostage.
The good news: Tommy Wirkola’s holiday-themed action-thriller Violent Night scared up a solid 13.3 million from 3,682 theaters in its box debut, while holdover Black Panther: Wakanda Forever continued to be a crowd-pleaser in topping the chart with 17.6 million from 3,855 locations.
Wakanda Forever has now earned an impressive 394 million domestically to pass up fellow 2022 superhero pics The Batman (369 million) and Thor: Love and Thunder (343 million). It is also the first film since Spider-Man: No Way Home to stay No. 1 for four consecutive weekends. Overseas, the Marvel superhero sequel, directed by Ryan Coogler, added 20.2 million to its coffers for a foreign tally of 339 million and 733 million globally.
Violent Night was the only new wide studio release over the Dec. 2-4 weekend. From Universal and 87North, the genre pic follows a team of mercenaries who break into the compound of a wealthy family on Christmas Eve and take everyone hostage.
- 12/4/2022
- by Pamela McClintock
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Click here to read the full article.
Tommy Wirkola’s movie Violent Night topped the Friday box office with an opening-day gross of 4.9 million from 3,682 theaters, including 1.1 million in Thursday night previews.
But sometime on Saturday, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which grossed 4.4 million on Friday, will overtake Wirkola’s home invasion comedy-thriller and win the weekend with 16 million (give or take) from 3,855 locations. Violent Night will place second with a projected 11.5 million to 12 million, a pleasing start.
From Universal and 87North, the genre film follows a team of mercenaries who break into the wealthy Lightstone family compound on Christmas Eve, taking everyone inside hostage. But they aren’t prepared for a surprise combatant: Santa Claus (David Harbour), who proves that Nick is no saint.
Violent Night — earning a respectable B+ CinemaScore — also stars Emmy winner John Leguizamo as Scrooge, the leader of the mercenaries. Other castmembers include Alex Hassell, Alexis Louder,...
Tommy Wirkola’s movie Violent Night topped the Friday box office with an opening-day gross of 4.9 million from 3,682 theaters, including 1.1 million in Thursday night previews.
But sometime on Saturday, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which grossed 4.4 million on Friday, will overtake Wirkola’s home invasion comedy-thriller and win the weekend with 16 million (give or take) from 3,855 locations. Violent Night will place second with a projected 11.5 million to 12 million, a pleasing start.
From Universal and 87North, the genre film follows a team of mercenaries who break into the wealthy Lightstone family compound on Christmas Eve, taking everyone inside hostage. But they aren’t prepared for a surprise combatant: Santa Claus (David Harbour), who proves that Nick is no saint.
Violent Night — earning a respectable B+ CinemaScore — also stars Emmy winner John Leguizamo as Scrooge, the leader of the mercenaries. Other castmembers include Alex Hassell, Alexis Louder,...
- 12/3/2022
- by Pamela McClintock
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Violent Night Review — Violent Night (2022) Film Review, a movie directed by Tommy Wirkola, written by Pat Casey and John Miller and starring David Harbour, John Leguizamo, Cam Gigandet, Alex Hassell, Alexia Louder, Beverly D’Angelo, Leah Brady, Alexander Elliot, Brendan Fletcher, Mike Dopud, Mitra Suri, Stephanie Sy, Erik Athavale, Cha-Lee Yoon, Phong Giang, [...]
Continue reading: Film Review: Violent Night (2022): Santa Claus Faces Off Against Evil Mercenaries in a Film That’s a Rockin’ Good Time...
Continue reading: Film Review: Violent Night (2022): Santa Claus Faces Off Against Evil Mercenaries in a Film That’s a Rockin’ Good Time...
- 12/3/2022
- by Thomas Duffy
- Film-Book
David Harbour in ‘Violent Night’ (Photo © Universal Studios)
Santa Claus is coming to town with his bag of toys and a war hammer to take down some very bad mercenaries who are on his naughty list in the holiday comedy, Violent Night.
The movie begins with Old Saint Nick sitting in a bar in England on Christmas Eve. Santa’s drowning his sorrow and misery, fed up with all the greed in the world. So many little kids are only interested in getting presents and don’t actually have any real Christmas spirit.
As he flies off in his sleigh to continue his night of gift delivery, the bartender – who followed him to the roof, concerned he might fall – watches Santa fly away with his reindeer. She’s pleasantly awestruck…that is until her head gets covered in Santa’s projectile vomit as he dashes off. This sets up what...
Santa Claus is coming to town with his bag of toys and a war hammer to take down some very bad mercenaries who are on his naughty list in the holiday comedy, Violent Night.
The movie begins with Old Saint Nick sitting in a bar in England on Christmas Eve. Santa’s drowning his sorrow and misery, fed up with all the greed in the world. So many little kids are only interested in getting presents and don’t actually have any real Christmas spirit.
As he flies off in his sleigh to continue his night of gift delivery, the bartender – who followed him to the roof, concerned he might fall – watches Santa fly away with his reindeer. She’s pleasantly awestruck…that is until her head gets covered in Santa’s projectile vomit as he dashes off. This sets up what...
- 12/2/2022
- by Kevin Finnerty
- Showbiz Junkies
Stars: David Harbour, John Leguizamo, Beverly D’Angelo, Alex Hassell, Alexis Louder, Trudy Lightstone, Edi Patterson, Cam Gigandet, Brendan Fletcher, Mike Dopud | Written by Pat Casey, Josh Miller | Directed by Tommy Wirkola
What do you get if you cross Die Hard, Bad Santa, Home Alone and Santa Claus: The Movie? The answer is Violent Night, a violent Christmas comedy horror that mixes up multiple festive favourites and just about gets away with it.
Directed by Tommy Wirkola (Dead Snow), the film stars David Harbour as a depressed Santa Claus (the real one), who we first meet drowning his sorrows in a pub in Bristol, of all places, before taking off in his sled and vomiting on the bar’s owner from mid-air. With the tone set, we move to the house of the ultra-rich Lightstone household, where mean-spirited matriarch Gertrude (Beverly D’Angelo) has gathered various family members for Christmas Eve,...
What do you get if you cross Die Hard, Bad Santa, Home Alone and Santa Claus: The Movie? The answer is Violent Night, a violent Christmas comedy horror that mixes up multiple festive favourites and just about gets away with it.
Directed by Tommy Wirkola (Dead Snow), the film stars David Harbour as a depressed Santa Claus (the real one), who we first meet drowning his sorrows in a pub in Bristol, of all places, before taking off in his sled and vomiting on the bar’s owner from mid-air. With the tone set, we move to the house of the ultra-rich Lightstone household, where mean-spirited matriarch Gertrude (Beverly D’Angelo) has gathered various family members for Christmas Eve,...
- 12/2/2022
- by Matthew Turner
- Nerdly
What if Santa Claus wasn’t the holly, jolly fellow we know from a zillion Christmas cards, seasonal TV specials and traumatic mall visits? What if he was now just a bitter old drunk, drowning his sorrows in bottomless pints and bitching about his annual delivery of presents to kids? But then one fateful Christmas eve, when our man Kringle is loitering in a swanky mansion and dipping into some expensive brandy after dropping off gifts, a gang of criminals break into the place and hold the occupants hostage. A...
- 12/1/2022
- by David Fear
- Rollingstone.com
Before donning the red suit, David Harbour was hesitant to play the not-so-jolly Santa Claus in “Violent Night.”
“My initial thoughts were like, ‘What the hell is this? I don’t know what you guys are talking about,'” Harbour told Variety at the red carpet premiere of “Violent Night” on Tuesday. “It was pitched to me as an action-comedy Christmas movie with Santa Claus at the center — who had a very different past and 10,000 years ago was a very different man — and that he has acquired a certain set of skills that he must use to fight bad guys in the future. I thought, ‘Wow, this is… I don’t know about this.'”
However, after meeting with director Tommy Wirkola and producers at 87North, Harbour “started to get excited” about the concept.
“There was something so special about the attempt that I thought, ‘Wow, if we can hit...
“My initial thoughts were like, ‘What the hell is this? I don’t know what you guys are talking about,'” Harbour told Variety at the red carpet premiere of “Violent Night” on Tuesday. “It was pitched to me as an action-comedy Christmas movie with Santa Claus at the center — who had a very different past and 10,000 years ago was a very different man — and that he has acquired a certain set of skills that he must use to fight bad guys in the future. I thought, ‘Wow, this is… I don’t know about this.'”
However, after meeting with director Tommy Wirkola and producers at 87North, Harbour “started to get excited” about the concept.
“There was something so special about the attempt that I thought, ‘Wow, if we can hit...
- 12/1/2022
- by Michaela Zee
- Variety Film + TV
Chicago – David Harbour is part Bad Santa, part John McClane in this yuletide spin on Die Hard which never takes itself the slightest bit seriously. It’s a spiked Christmas cocktail that’s surprisingly light on its feet. So Here comes Santa Claus with a sledge hammer ready to dispatch some North Pole justice to bad guys on his naughty list.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
Harbour plays the legendary Kris Kringle as part burn out, part bad ass. When he first meet him, he’s taking an extended break on his Christmas Eve rounds, drowning his holiday sorrows in a pint of bitter in an English pub. He’s tired of the grind, tired of the kids who don’t believe, especially the ones who don’t appreciate what they’ve been given and just want more. Santa needs to shotgun a beer just to get through Christmas Eve these days.
“Violent Night...
Rating: 3.5/5.0
Harbour plays the legendary Kris Kringle as part burn out, part bad ass. When he first meet him, he’s taking an extended break on his Christmas Eve rounds, drowning his holiday sorrows in a pint of bitter in an English pub. He’s tired of the grind, tired of the kids who don’t believe, especially the ones who don’t appreciate what they’ve been given and just want more. Santa needs to shotgun a beer just to get through Christmas Eve these days.
“Violent Night...
- 12/1/2022
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Whether you go all the way back to his origins with the 4th century Greek Christian bishop Saint Nicholas or the more recent starting point of Coca-Cola ad illustrator Haddon Sundblom's depiction of him in the 1930s, Santa Claus is one of the most popular and enduring mythological figures of all time. While Sundblom's image of a hefty older man with snowy white beard, red suit, and cap with white trim and a reindeer-pulled sleigh has been associated with Santa since the early 20th century, the character has enjoyed numerous interpretations over the decades.
In a world where it may seem like there's nothing new to say about Santa Claus on screen, the new film "Violent Night" comes rolling in with a twinkle in its eye and blood in its beard. Sure, there have been a ton of transgressive, violent characters dressed like Santa in the past, but "Violent Night...
In a world where it may seem like there's nothing new to say about Santa Claus on screen, the new film "Violent Night" comes rolling in with a twinkle in its eye and blood in its beard. Sure, there have been a ton of transgressive, violent characters dressed like Santa in the past, but "Violent Night...
- 12/1/2022
- by Bill Bria
- Slash Film
It’s no secret that folks love to watch Santa Claus break bad. Despite being literally called “Father Christmas” in some cultures, this often rosy-cheeked symbol of generosity from childhood eventually becomes many an adult’s favorite villain: the crazed serial killer with an ax in Silent Night, Deadly Night; or the drunkard who urinates on himself at the mall in Bad Santa.
While some of those movies are better than others (namely the first Billy Bob Thornton iteration of a Yuletide lush), all of them seem to forget that, deep down, we still want to believe that Santa and the season he represents should be depicted as a force for good. Maturity comes in recognizing the world is more complex than a handful of flurries in a snow globe, but Santa need not be. Hence the ingenuity of screenwriters Pat Casey and Josh Miller’s million-dollar-idea: What if Santa...
While some of those movies are better than others (namely the first Billy Bob Thornton iteration of a Yuletide lush), all of them seem to forget that, deep down, we still want to believe that Santa and the season he represents should be depicted as a force for good. Maturity comes in recognizing the world is more complex than a handful of flurries in a snow globe, but Santa need not be. Hence the ingenuity of screenwriters Pat Casey and Josh Miller’s million-dollar-idea: What if Santa...
- 12/1/2022
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Tommy Wirkola (Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, Dead Snow) is back with the bloody new movie Violent Night, starring David Harbour (“Stranger Things”) as an ass-kicking Santa Claus. The film kicks off the holiday season in theaters on December 2, 2022.
While you wait, check out the full official image gallery below!
Meagan writes in her review for Bd, “Director Tommy Wirkola (Dead Snow) infuses his gore-soaked sense of humor into an amalgamation of familiar holiday fare, ushering a new crowd-pleasing Christmas-set actioner eager to splatter the snow red.”
Violent Night is being compared to Die Hard and centers on Harbour’s Santa Claus rescuing a family that’s been taken hostage, with John Leguizamo playing the villain.
In the film, “A team of elite mercenaries breaks into a wealthy family compound on Christmas Eve, taking everyone inside hostage. But the team isn’t prepared for a surprise combatant: Santa Claus (Harbour) is on the grounds,...
While you wait, check out the full official image gallery below!
Meagan writes in her review for Bd, “Director Tommy Wirkola (Dead Snow) infuses his gore-soaked sense of humor into an amalgamation of familiar holiday fare, ushering a new crowd-pleasing Christmas-set actioner eager to splatter the snow red.”
Violent Night is being compared to Die Hard and centers on Harbour’s Santa Claus rescuing a family that’s been taken hostage, with John Leguizamo playing the villain.
In the film, “A team of elite mercenaries breaks into a wealthy family compound on Christmas Eve, taking everyone inside hostage. But the team isn’t prepared for a surprise combatant: Santa Claus (Harbour) is on the grounds,...
- 11/30/2022
- by Brad Miska
- bloody-disgusting.com
Bloody Disgusting’s Violent Night review is spoiler-free.
This holiday season brings a new answer to the tired debate over Die Hard: the ultra-violent yet sugar plum sweet Violent Night. Director Tommy Wirkola (Dead Snow) infuses his gore-soaked sense of humor into an amalgamation of familiar holiday fare, ushering a new crowd-pleasing Christmas-set actioner eager to splatter the snow red.
Violent Night introduces Santa Claus (David Harbour) as a cynic drowning his frustrations in booze at a bar on Christmas Eve. He laments the current greedy state of the world and its children to fellow patrons before stumbling off into the night to complete his holiday duties. Not before upchucking, of course; this Santa is a sloppy drunk.
Then, we meet the Lightstone family, an affluent and dysfunctional bunch gathering for Christmas. Young Trudy (Leah Brady) wants her estranged parents, Jason (Alex Hassell) and Linda (Alexis Louder), to reunite,...
This holiday season brings a new answer to the tired debate over Die Hard: the ultra-violent yet sugar plum sweet Violent Night. Director Tommy Wirkola (Dead Snow) infuses his gore-soaked sense of humor into an amalgamation of familiar holiday fare, ushering a new crowd-pleasing Christmas-set actioner eager to splatter the snow red.
Violent Night introduces Santa Claus (David Harbour) as a cynic drowning his frustrations in booze at a bar on Christmas Eve. He laments the current greedy state of the world and its children to fellow patrons before stumbling off into the night to complete his holiday duties. Not before upchucking, of course; this Santa is a sloppy drunk.
Then, we meet the Lightstone family, an affluent and dysfunctional bunch gathering for Christmas. Young Trudy (Leah Brady) wants her estranged parents, Jason (Alex Hassell) and Linda (Alexis Louder), to reunite,...
- 11/30/2022
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
As hard as you try, it can be really hard not to judge a book by its cover. When it comes to movies, there are certain times when you look at a poster, trailer, or synopsis and just know that it's going to be a bad time for you. If that's what you're looking for, that's fine, but then you can't get mad when you put it on and it's just as bad as you thought it was going to be. However, there is the rare occasion where the film ends up being immensely better than you ever could have imagined. The latest example of that phenomenon is "Violent Night."
The holiday action comedy directed by "Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters" filmmaker Tommy Wirkola and written by Pat Casey and Josh Miller of the recent "Sonic the Hedgehog" franchise follows a group of mercenaries as they target a wealthy family on Christmas Eve.
The holiday action comedy directed by "Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters" filmmaker Tommy Wirkola and written by Pat Casey and Josh Miller of the recent "Sonic the Hedgehog" franchise follows a group of mercenaries as they target a wealthy family on Christmas Eve.
- 11/30/2022
- by Ben F. Silverio
- Slash Film
“Violent Night” is one of the Yuletide season’s most delightful surprises, not just for what it gets right but also for the many ways the whole production could have gone very, very wrong.
For starters, it’s a movie about Santa Claus, and for every “Miracle on 34th Street,” the history of Christmas movies is littered with tales of Saint Nick that could make a moviegoer hate the holiday. (“Santa Claus Conquers the Martians” or “Santa Claus: The Movie” leap to mind.)
It’s also a film that demands to be taken seriously on its own merits even as it blatantly references other Christmas classics — first and foremost, “Die Hard” and “Home Alone” — and it dares to mix bloody, hard-r action violence with a sentimental subplot about a young girl’s unwavering belief in Santa Claus. That it gets away with all of this and stays gorily entertaining and...
For starters, it’s a movie about Santa Claus, and for every “Miracle on 34th Street,” the history of Christmas movies is littered with tales of Saint Nick that could make a moviegoer hate the holiday. (“Santa Claus Conquers the Martians” or “Santa Claus: The Movie” leap to mind.)
It’s also a film that demands to be taken seriously on its own merits even as it blatantly references other Christmas classics — first and foremost, “Die Hard” and “Home Alone” — and it dares to mix bloody, hard-r action violence with a sentimental subplot about a young girl’s unwavering belief in Santa Claus. That it gets away with all of this and stays gorily entertaining and...
- 11/30/2022
- by Alonso Duralde
- The Wrap
Click here to read the full article.
Have you ever torn open the wrapping on a promising Christmas gift, only to find once you’ve taken it out and assembled its pieces that it’s not really what you’d hoped for at all? That it’s shoddily made, or not quite what it claimed to be, or simply less fun than you’d expected?
Tommy Wirkola’s Violent Night is, blessedly, not that gift. It’s one that delivers exactly what it promises on the box. It does not necessarily deliver much more than it promises on the box, but then it doesn’t need to. For those to whom the idea of a home-invasion comedy-thriller starring David Harbour as a sledgehammer-wielding Kris Kringle holds self-evident appeal, this one seems destined to become an alt-holiday classic.
Pat Casey and Josh Miller’s script announces its gleefully tasteless brand of humor right away.
Have you ever torn open the wrapping on a promising Christmas gift, only to find once you’ve taken it out and assembled its pieces that it’s not really what you’d hoped for at all? That it’s shoddily made, or not quite what it claimed to be, or simply less fun than you’d expected?
Tommy Wirkola’s Violent Night is, blessedly, not that gift. It’s one that delivers exactly what it promises on the box. It does not necessarily deliver much more than it promises on the box, but then it doesn’t need to. For those to whom the idea of a home-invasion comedy-thriller starring David Harbour as a sledgehammer-wielding Kris Kringle holds self-evident appeal, this one seems destined to become an alt-holiday classic.
Pat Casey and Josh Miller’s script announces its gleefully tasteless brand of humor right away.
- 11/30/2022
- by Angie Han
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The now-ancient joke about the kind of pitches that movie executives respond to (“It’s ‘Avengers 2’…meets ‘Glass Onion’!”) is really about what the audience responds to. We’re the ones who like our special-sauce tacos stuffed inside a bacon burger topped with a bun made of pizza. And “Violent Night” is a movie that takes the oversize appetite of the audience very seriously. The title might lead you to expect a holiday horror film, with Santa as a mad slasher — but, you know, we’ve been there, eaten that. In “Violent Night,” David Harbour, that jovially quirky actor from “Stranger Things” and the 2019 “Hellboy” reboot, does in fact play a dissolute Santa who cruises through Christmas on a bender of holiday cookies and random alcohol, peeing and puking off the side of his sleigh — but in movies like “Bad Santa,” we’ve tasted that fast-food combo, too.
To wake...
To wake...
- 11/30/2022
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
We’re scarcely five minutes into Tommy Wirkola’s naughty new Christmas tale “Violent Night” before David Harbour’s chubby, drunk, and righteously pissed off St. Nick is puking off his sleigh onto one very confused bartender and revealing himself to, yes indeed, be the jolly one himself. If you can vibe with that whiplash-inducing comedic opening — gallons of vomit mixed with some magical holiday sweetness — you just might be in the right frame of mind to receive what’s to come in this holiday trifle.
The big draw of “Violent Night” is, of course, right there in the title: the violence! Wirkola has often delighted in turning basic-ish ideas into bloody good fun with the addition of head-bashing twists. You can practically hear the elevator pitches: “It’s a horror movie about Nazis…who are also zombies” or “It’s Hansel and Gretel…but also they’re witch hunters.
The big draw of “Violent Night” is, of course, right there in the title: the violence! Wirkola has often delighted in turning basic-ish ideas into bloody good fun with the addition of head-bashing twists. You can practically hear the elevator pitches: “It’s a horror movie about Nazis…who are also zombies” or “It’s Hansel and Gretel…but also they’re witch hunters.
- 11/30/2022
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Every family has their stable of Christmas movies that have to be watched during the month of December. New additions like "Spirited" starring Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell attempt to find a way into that annual rotation by updating "A Christmas Carol" and other holiday mainstays, which is a mild form of cheating as far as I'm concerned. Tried and true classics like "White Christmas" and "It's a Wonderful Life" may seem a little outdated, so take no shame in updating the Christmas movie list with "Love Actually" and "Die Hard", or even scarier entries like "Rare Exports" and "Krampus."
The big question for the new holiday action comedy "Violent Night" is whether or not an R-rated, butt-kicking Santa Claus (David Harbour) will end up being worthy of a re-watch each year. In any case, director Tommy Wirkola hopes that his version of a Christmas classic can deliver some crowd-pleasing...
The big question for the new holiday action comedy "Violent Night" is whether or not an R-rated, butt-kicking Santa Claus (David Harbour) will end up being worthy of a re-watch each year. In any case, director Tommy Wirkola hopes that his version of a Christmas classic can deliver some crowd-pleasing...
- 11/29/2022
- by Drew Tinnin
- Slash Film
The upcoming action comedy "Violent Night" starring David Harbour ("Stranger Things") is just about to hit our stockings. This is no regular Christmas movie, in case you didn't get that from the title. On Christmas Eve, a bunch of mercenaries break into the house of a wealthy family and take everyone hostage. Who comes to the rescue? None other than Santa Claus (Harbour) himself. He's been bringing presents to good little kids throughout the centuries, but he's gotten a bit jaded. All these little rug rats want nowadays is cash.
As it turns out, Santa isn't just a jolly old elf who's a little over it all. He's a complete badass! You do not upset the cutest little kid ever (Leah Brady) and get off scot-free. You mess with the Christmas reindeer, you get the horns, you know what I mean? The film also stars John Leguizamo ("John Wick"). Cam Gigandet...
As it turns out, Santa isn't just a jolly old elf who's a little over it all. He's a complete badass! You do not upset the cutest little kid ever (Leah Brady) and get off scot-free. You mess with the Christmas reindeer, you get the horns, you know what I mean? The film also stars John Leguizamo ("John Wick"). Cam Gigandet...
- 11/28/2022
- by Jenna Busch
- Slash Film
Tommy Wirkola (Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, Dead Snow) is back with the bloody new movie Violent Night, and the official trailer has come down the chimney today.
Violent Night stars David Harbour (“Stranger Things”) as an ass-kicking Santa Claus, and Universal will be releasing the holiday movie wide in theaters on December 2, 2022.
Violent Night was compared to Die Hard by David Harbour at CinemaCon earlier this year, the film centered on Harbour’s Santa Claus rescuing a family that’s been taken hostage. It’s being described as a violent action-comedy, with John Leguizamo playing the villain!
Watch the official trailer for Violent Night below, which looks like a bloody holiday delight. This is what happens when The Santa Clause is mashed together with John Wick!
In the film, “A team of elite mercenaries breaks into a wealthy family compound on Christmas Eve, taking everyone inside hostage. But the...
Violent Night stars David Harbour (“Stranger Things”) as an ass-kicking Santa Claus, and Universal will be releasing the holiday movie wide in theaters on December 2, 2022.
Violent Night was compared to Die Hard by David Harbour at CinemaCon earlier this year, the film centered on Harbour’s Santa Claus rescuing a family that’s been taken hostage. It’s being described as a violent action-comedy, with John Leguizamo playing the villain!
Watch the official trailer for Violent Night below, which looks like a bloody holiday delight. This is what happens when The Santa Clause is mashed together with John Wick!
In the film, “A team of elite mercenaries breaks into a wealthy family compound on Christmas Eve, taking everyone inside hostage. But the...
- 10/5/2022
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
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