Friday, December 30, 2016

The Overlook Theatre Reviews: Krampus Unleashed

of 12 viewers "Liked" "Krampus Unleashed" (2016, USA)
Here's what the creatures had to say:

The Ascendant - "Robert Conway's Krampus Unleashed (2016) is the cinematic equivalent to rubbernecking. Clearly, I can find more responsible ways to spend 75 minutes but still can't resist the urge to slow down and witness the train-wreck. Conway's film does that in spades from a Wild West origin story to a Krampus that oddly resembles Kelsey Grammer's depiction of Beast from X-Men: Days of Future Past. Surprisingly, there are a few things to enjoy in this low-budget affair, including FX work by Cat Bernier & Marcus Koch of Oddtopsy FX, a few seconds of nudity and an absolutely hilarious performance by Taylor Buckley (as Troy)." - 2 Stars

KillDozer - "Robert Conway wasn't happy enough simply writing Krampus the Reckoning, he wanted to really aim for the stars by writing/directing a Krampus film to end (hopefully) all Krampus films. His holiday vision is titled Krampus Unleashed and I can honestly say it was amazing fun to experience with a group of friends in a holiday party setting. A truly bizarre Krampus story that takes place in the desert with no snow and very little signs of the Christmas holiday at all. Still I am a fan of B style practical effects and these kills are fun and inventive. I couldn't have liked the old school style man in a rubber suit Krampus more and it power walked through the sand to attack the next victim. It was everything you want from a modern "B" horror flick from bad acting to cheesy jokes and plenty of "what the hell is going on here?" moments. Although I had fun with it I do hope that it brings the Krampus movie trend to a halt." - 2 Stars (one for the rubber suit and one for setting it in the desert)

Drumachine - "An okay holiday horror film. The unfortunately low audio production ruined immersion and gave it a cheap feel." - 2 Stars

Lord Battle - "In a way Krampus Unleashed is what I've always wanted from a Krampus film. A high body count, random nudity, and a shaggy looking Krampus. Too bad the film just doesn't deliver. Long gaps of boring dialogue break up all the great flesh, gore, and general mayhem that make slashers so worthwhile. Yet, this did play incredibly well at our annual White Elephant party, so the lesson to learn here is: enjoy with friends." - 2.5 Stars

Huntress - "What a strange addition to the Krampus film catalog... I'm not sure how seriously the director took it but this is definitely a party movie as far as watching it is concerned. There are way too many characters, many of which looked like other people in the movie, and I couldn't tell you a single one of their names, but when heads started to roll (literally) I was part of the cheering section." - 3 Stars

Dabbles - "All I can say about this movie is that it really does rely on the environment you watch it in. The fact that we watched this amungst friends and celebrating the holidays, we were really entertained and engaged with this movie. If I was to watch it on my own, I'd probably turn it off. The characters were almost forgettable and one sided, but that being said the effects and production, especially with the deaths, were extremely fun to watch. I'd give it one more star if the acting were a bit better." - 3 Stars

Speed Demon - "Great to watch with a group of friends especially for the holiday season. I'd say good luck however watching this silly, boring ass film alone. I love how they used Beast from X-men to play the Krampus character. Slap some horns on him and we are ready to go." - 2 Stars

The Great Hornito - "I was too busy partying to really pay attention but from what I saw in between shots, Krampus Unleashed was fun." - 3 Stars

The Berkeley Blazer - "Krampus saturation is real and it's a debilitating syndrome. Nonetheless, this movie was a hoot at the Overlook Christmas party and I had enough fun to where I felt this deserved a "Liked". I can say with absolute confidence that I would have turned this movie off after 15 minutes if I had been watching it alone; in that context a definite "dislike". The obnoxious cousin, the Flying baby, and other spectacular moments were captivating enough, and there were even some astonishingly visceral dismemberments if that's your bag. This all takes place in Arizona or New Mexico, and I have to say that setting a Krampus story in the American southwest was a novel notion even if it didn't enhance the film experience itself. The acting and cinematography are reminiscent of mid-budget porn, which happens to work really well for the overall tone of this Krampus story provided, again, that you were watching this in a group." - 2.5 Stars

Math Mage - "It's kind of cool that the coal in your stocking is an interpretation of ancient demon summoning stones, but it's an idea that deserves a better movie. The Krampus effects are surprisingly good, shown off through a hefty kill count. Unfortunately that kill count necessitates a large cost of unlikable assholes. Better than Krampus The Reckoning, but that's not saying much." - 1 Star

The Impostor - "The last few holiday seasons there's been a new Krampus film released. While with the exception of the big budget Krampus which I love, these straight to DVD films are hit and miss. Mostly a miss. Krampus unleashed feels like a high school group project that took a week to film and act out. While I didn't enjoy this film one bit, it's fun to watch with a group. That definitely ups its entertainment value. The actual Krampus definitely looks like Kelsey Grammer's Beast from the early Xmen movies. There's not much really good I can say about it. Overall I wouldn't recommend this for a regular watch but with a few beers and group of friends ready for some good laughs." - 1.5 Stars

Trash - "When the projector flickered on and the title hit the screen for Krampus Unleashed, I was extremely confused. "Is this not the movie we watched last week?" I asked the room, and they all stared at me like I was an idiot. Can you blame me though? I am an idiot, and there's like a million Krampus movies now, with indistinct titles. Oddly set in Arizona for a snow-less Krampus Christmas, The Unleashing Of Krampus didn't quite hold my interest. Aside from a few laughable expected low budget predicaments, like a blow-up hot tub and some awkward nudity, it's the bland experience you'd expect from a run-of-the-mill straight-to-video horror product. The production value is just good enough to pass as a real movie to an untrained eye. Further inspection reveals carelessly bad lighting and sound. The saving grace of the film are the FX (which are pretty damn good), the plentiful cast members (lots of bodies), and a douchey perverted preteen kid named Troy who stole the movie and our hearts. Godspeed, Troy. Merry Christmas." - 2 Stars



The Overlook Theatre Final Rating*
(Below is for after you've seen the film)

The Overlook Theatre possesses an unfortunate home once a week to review and celebrate horror films. During the week prior to Christmas, the Overlook continues this tradition, only on this day the dark denizens of the night are allowed to bask in their chosen vices and often partake in many a mortal sin. This annual ritual is both a necessity and a celebration as, in a sense, we exorcise our own demons. This can easily be a bad thing for a film, as one large group reacting breaks into smaller groups talking; the film can suddenly become lost in the revelry. Krampus Unleashed ultimately defied this by holding everyone's attention. Keep in mind that the boring stretches between kills and nudity allowed proper breathing room for smoke breaks, shots, and even departure from the film to pick someone up from BART.

But if you'd like to hear the director, Robert Conway, talk more about his movie and inspirations, or if you hated Krampus Unleashed and want someone to punish him the way he punished you, here's a video of an interview he did on the Rob and Slim show. It was pretty difficult to get through, as these hosts are drunk (I think), not the least bit professional, and haven't even watched the movie they're interviewing him about. His interview was interrupted by everything possible, including a phone call from a surprise guest, who turns the interview into a complete mess.



- Lord Battle

The Overlook Theatre materialized in a residence for a special screening on  12/22/2016
*Based on the star ratings turned in by character reviewers, others viewed and got to "Dislike" or "Like" but that does not effect the rating.

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