ONE HELL OF A CHRISTMAS

Produced by Thomas Stegler
Written and Directed by Shakey Gonzalez
Edited by Thomas Ravn
Director of Photograhy - Jakob Blomkvist

Carlitos - Tolo Mantana
Mike - Thure Lindhardt
The Devil - Erik Holmey

I've said it all over the internet, and I'll say it again now, I hated the early output from MTI Home Video's Fangoria video line. While the movies were all technically sound, and each possessed an interesting premise, they were downright boring. Fangoria has recently been releasing new titles from the directors of those early productions, and all have been leaps and bounds ahead of their creator's early efforts. Andrew Parkinson's DEAD CREATURES was far superior to his I, ZOMBIE. With SLASHERS, Maurice Deveraux produced one of the most energetic horror titles of 2002. The result was like night and day compared to his LADY OF THE LAKE. Of all the early productions my least favorite is ANGEL OF NIGHT, hands down. From that film's director, Shaky Gonzalez, comes my favorite title, ONE HELL OF A CHRISTMAS.

Carlitos, a one-time low-level hood, is released from prison on Christmas eve after a two year stay. All that keeps him going during that time is a picture of his son, and it's that picture to which he pledges a life on the straight and narrow. With the $312 the state gives him for washing inmates underwear during his stay, Carlitos looks for ways to spoil his child, including purchasing the boy's dream toys.

Mike is Carlitos best friend, and a man still in on the local drug scene. All Mike wants to do is help Carlitos get back on his feet. After coming into possession of an ancient claw containing a mystical powder, Mike thinks he's found the way to make them both rich. When sniffed like cocain, the powder is like super-crack. Old men are given the sexual prows of ten 18 year olds, and young men can snap bones like toothpicks. With those pluses on its side, the drug is bound to have it's flaws. It's as hallucinogenic as acid or mushrooms.

The first half of ONE HELL is more gory action rather than horror. There's a supernatural slant to the action, but it's never questioned or probed, only accepted. People like Mike are more concerned with the results of the magical drug rather than its source. As viewers, we're only shown the events from Mike and Carlitos' point of view and ultimately forced to side with their take on things. Why look a gift horse in the mouth? Something like this can be viewed as an easy plot device to get the action moving along, but during my life I'm known a few fellows always looking for the easy way out. Those gentleman don't question anything, they only embrace the opportunity.

When taken as a bad trip that frees the mind to experience hell on Earth, the last third of the movie makes more sense. After experimenting with the powder, a dead hooker and the toys Carlitos purchases for his son take on demonic possession and hunt Carlitos in his own home. The result is a bit cartoonish, and contradicts the natural realism of the acting performances up until that point, but the ending almost makes sense if viewed from the bad trip angle. It helps explain some of the final shots of the movie.

Soundtracks are something I don't usually discuss in reviews, but I would be doing a disservice to this movie if I didn't mention the twangy Ry Cooter-style music that lends to the ONE HELL's American southwestern flavor. The DVD screener doesn't mention anything about a music-only track, and I wish there was one. Like Jess Franco's EIGHT LEGS TO LOVE YOU, this is another example of the music being just as good, if not better, than the movie at hand.

Not included on the screener, but listed on the sleeve, the final DVD release should include a Behind-the-Scenes featurette, cast and crew bios, and trailers for other Fangoria titles. There's no mention of a commentary.

MTI Home Video