Sint

It seems to me that most of the reviewers have missed the point. That there was none. This movie is simply out to entertain. It is not one of those kinds that depend on a chilling story or strong characters.(Although there were some sequences that were quite thrilling). It simply is a slasher movie based on a classic myth and still grand celebration in the Netherlands of the original St. Nicolas.Sinterklaas (OG Santa if you will).It is supposed to be over the top.Bad acting,bad dialog,not very likable characters,and lots of lots of (CGI) blood and gore. To expect more will surely lead to disappointment.Everybody familiar with Dick Maas previous work could have expected this. Since it is far from a stretch even when this production is more leaning towards a comedy.And his comedies weren't exactly of the subtle and clever kind. Maybe not completely on par with Dead Snow and Rare exports (which can be debated) it sure does provide the same amount of entertainment.

According to popular European folklore, kindly Saint Niklas visits the homes of good children on December 5th, dropping gifts down their chimneys. In Sint, writer/director Dick Maas (Amsterdamned, Down) subverts this legend, his Saint Niklas shown to be a renegade, murderous, 15th century bishop who abducted children, but who was eventually confronted by angry villagers and burnt alive on his ship. Now, whenever a full moon occurs on December 5th, Saint Niklas leaves the netherworld and heads for the Netherlands, killing people and snatching kids in Amsterdam, aided in his work by his helpers, the 'Black Peters'.

When his ex-girlfriend is found dead, killed by the nasty saint, student Frank (Egbert Jan Weeber) is suspected of murder, and must try to prove his innocence, joined in his fight against Niklas by rogue policeman Goert Hoekstra (Bert Luppes), whose own family were slaughtered 32 years earlier.

Sint suffers from pacing issues, with some serious lulls between the action scenes, but when Maas is firing on all cylinders, the film is a lot of demented fun, with the malevolent bishop and his blackened cronies chopping and slicing and impaling their victims in gory fashion (with some excellent FX). The film looks great, boasting lovely cinematography, and there are some impressive set-pieces - a bloody attack on Frank and his friends, Saint Niklas riding his horse over the rooftops of Amsterdam (particularly good given the budget), and the massacre of a group of Special-ops - it's a shame, then, that the madness and momentum doesn't continue throughout the whole film, 'cos if it had this could've easily become a firm festive favourite (Elf has never been my style).

6/10.

A horror film that depicts St. Nicholas as a murderous bishop who kidnaps and murders children when there is a full moon on December 5.

I have to say, this may possibly be the first Dutch horror film I have ever seen. Probably even one of the first Dutch films of any genre (the only other coming to mind is "Spoorloos"). I prefer to judge a film on its own merits rather than the merits of the country... but it is interesting to place a film in the context of its own film industry. And, frankly, I did not know the Netherlands really had much of an industry.

Many horror films have focused on Santa Claus, and a few have had the Easter Bunny, Jack Frost, or have focused on just about every holiday imaginable. This is the first (and only) film about the Feast of St. Nick, and for that originality they deserve some praise.

I loved the coloration, the camera angles, the "black Petes" as evil minions... I was worried about this one, but it turned out being pretty great. The obsession with the characters' infidelity in the first act (which has no bearing on the plot) is a little odd, as is the fact a teacher would allow sex toys to be given out in class. But this is easy to overlook.

In style and tone, this goes alongside "Dead Snow" and makes for a great party movie. If possible, though, get the subtitled version, as the English dubbing is horrible.

Sint Niklaas, or "Sinterklaas", is a typically Dutch and Belgian tradition that occurs every year on the 5th and 6th of December. The legend states that, on his own birthday, the noble Saint rewards all the well-behaving children with toys and candy. When the children are asleep, the heavily bearded man walks over the rooftops on his white horse while his black assistants drop the presents down the chimneys. Does that sound vaguely familiar? Well actually, Sint Niklaas formed the inspiration for the universally acknowledged jolly figure of Santa Clause. The first Dutch immigrants in the United Stated re-implemented their national tradition oversees and linked it to the Christmas period. There, now all you non-Dutch speaking people with an interest in this film have some essential, need-to-know trivia about the titular character.

About the plot of "Sint" I can be rather brief. You know all the concept of US horror movies with a psychopathic Santa Clause, like for example "Silent Night Deadly Night", "You Better Watch Out" and "Santa Slay". Well, "Sint" is exactly the same. Writer/director Dick Maas (the only true horror prodigy of The Netherlands) wants to make us believe that Saint Niklaas wasn't a holy and generous figure, but a sadistic tyrant who plundered villages and terrorized the inhabitants. In the year 1492 on the fifth of December, he was burned alive by an angry mob. Even still now whenever there's a full moon on the anniversary of his violent death, which apparently occurs, once every 32 years, the evil saint returns to Amsterdam to butcher as many adults and children as possible.

"Sint" should be experienced exactly like Dick Maas intended it: as a highly amusing and deeply satirical splatter flick! Everything about it is wondrously grotesque and over-the-top; the whole basic idea, the acting performances and (especially) the dialogs. The gory massacres, including those of innocent young children, are so tremendously bombastic that you simply cannot be shocked or offended by them. At least not if you have a slight sense of dark humor. The special effects and make-up are graphic and engrossing, but too obviously fake. Naturally there's isn't much room for genuine suspense in this type of story, but – as said – that clearly wasn't the director's intention and at least he widely compensates this small shortcoming with fast-paced action and black comedy.

The film became infamous and caused quite some controversy in The Netherlands long before its premiere in theaters because promotional film posters, depicting the mutilated Sint on his menacing horse, were hung in public areas out there for young kids to see. Quite a number of sour and prudish people were upset about this, but plenty of questionnaires proved that the children themselves weren't shocked at all. For Dick Maas, the whole controversy just turned out to be more than welcome and cost-free publicity. Well done.

SINT is one of the most talked about movies in The Netherlands in 2010. When I went to the cinema it was exactly the movie I expected. It was a combination of the old school horror style of Dick Maas, great special effects, and a sense of humor that I haven't seen in Dutch movies for a long time. The special effects might not be as amazing as we're used to as the standard is Pirates of the Caribbean. However, considering the small budget (compared to movies from Hollywood) the effects we're pretty nice. I've heard some rumors that they might make a sequel and I definitely hope that these rumors are true. All together a fun experience. I can recommend this movie very much!