El amigo invisible

Secret Santa is a film about a dysfunctional rich family coming together for there annual Christmas gathering. Secrets and bad mouthing are the norm, and the family feels like one you may know or be apart of. When everyone suddely begins to loose there crap during the Secret Santa game, and all kinds of murder, mayhem, and comedy ensues. Plus, you do get a very ingenious reason for the madness as the plot unfolds. The characters are relatable, and when you begin to loose them you feel that loss, but it's done so entertainingly. Sometimes you find yourself rooting for things you shouldn't and sometimes you find yourself loathing them. Athough not a polished big budget film, which plays to it's strenth and makes it feel almost realistic at times. Director Adam Marcus puts forth a Christmas, horror/comedy that if given the chance you may just enjoy and add it to your seasonal holiday rotation. I say this as not being a fan of horror movies set at Christmas, but dammit Adam Marcus made one that I fully enjoy and will definitely watch again.

I didn't really know what to expect from this movie, but it got under my skin upon the first viewing. It somehow manages to strike the perfect chord between darkly hilarious and horrifying at the same time. It grabbed me from the beginning and didn't let go. Filled with memorable performances, this cast was somehow able to create an onscreen chemistry that is rarely achieved by a horror movie. In our household, we have an annual Holiday Horrorthon instead of a traditional Christmas party. We showed this movie for the first time last year, and I can tell you that we have never received a bigger reaction (or bigger praise) for any movie we've ever shown before than we did for "Secret Santa." We never show any of the same movies two years in a row, however, we had so many requests for this one that we brought it back again this year. NOTE: this movie also makes for a pretty amazing drinking game, if you're up for it.

This movie is schlock at its absolute schlockiest. Terrible over-acting, goofy one dimensional characters, mean spirited people as far as the eye can see.

But if you watch it with an eye toward absurdist, over the top grotesquery, it works.

It truly is a movie so bad it circles back around to good again.

I've read the reviews, and while some folks "got it," many did not. So...for those of you expecting to see a "legit" horror film, check yourself before you wreck yo...er...the movie. It is painfully obvious that the writer and director's intent for this flick was to follow in the grand tradition of making a rad, fun, culty, schlocky b-flick with just enough "wrongness" to make it right. In many ways, this has "cult classic" written all over it. For the future, that is.

Everything about this flick SCREAMS "cheesy b-flick" and they hit the mark. The constant clichés, the intentionally awkward dialog, the over-the-top EVERYTHING...it just succeeds at being bad, so well!

Surprisingly, for a b-flick, it was pretty well made. I mean, don't expect Oscar caliber, but as b-flicks are made, the money was spent in the right place...the effects (which were practical fx for the most part).

Really, the reviews needed one that let folks know that this is not a movie to be taken as a serious film. It must be taken in the grain it was meant for. With that, just get your popcorn, don't judge the flick like you would judge a "serious" film, and enjoy.

Coupla notes on content:

• I don't recall seeing any nudity beyond one scene that is relatively close to the beginning. It's not lengthy, but it's there and it's mildly graphic.

• Enough profanity to make a sailor blush. Most of it is beautifully scripted in to some completely over-the-top scenes and dialog.

• While there is some good blood and gore, I wouldn't call it a gorefest, and most of the "action" is saved for the second half of the film. Nonetheless, if you don't like blood (in rather copious amounts and in some pretty gross ways) then this is not for you.

• I don't recall any drug use, but all these people were nuts by the end, so they didn't need it!

Seen some really negative reviews of this on here. Don't get it. Played like an Xmas version of the Crossed comic. Very black humour but a welcome addition to the list of Xmas films for the less jovial of us.