The Christmas Tapes

I recently viewed The Christmas Tapes (2022) on Tubi. The plot revolves around a stranger who intrudes into a family's Christmas, tying them up and compelling them to watch VHS tapes depicting frightening events befalling other families during the holiday season. Is this family destined to become the next victims?

Directed by Robert Livings (Two People) and Randy Nundlall Jr (Infrared), featuring Dave Sheridan (Scary Movie), Vernon Wells (The Road Warrior), Greg Sestero (The Room), and Todd Lubitsch (I'm Dying Up Here).

It's an enjoyable VHS-style Christmas Horror film with a sufficiently unique storyline to capture your attention. There are three noteworthy horror short stories:

1. The camping story with a "Christmas Scarecrow" unfolds entertainingly, with a well-executed Scarecrow. The conclusion was solid, but a bit more gore would have enhanced the experience.

2. The second story involving an old couple and Mohawk from Road Warrior was impressive. The torture scenes and the game exceeded expectations, making it my favorite segment. While there's some minor gore, the overall outcome is cool.

3. The final story features a couple in a supposedly haunted home seeking help on Christmas Eve. Dave Sheridan adds humor, and the use of Christmas as a "ritual" theme is refreshing. The conclusion is solid.

In summary, it may not be a "great" horror anthology, but as a low-budget addition to the holiday horror genre, it's worthwhile for horror enthusiasts. I'd give it a 5.5/10 and recommend watching it at least once.

After arriving on their doorstep unannounced, a stranger is invited to join a family celebrating the holidays who soon takes the family hostage and forces them to watch a series of tapes due to their ever-present camera documenting the festivities.

The Good Stor(ies): Travel Buggies-While trying to make a new special for their channel, a couple hiking in the mountains preparing to shoot a vlog of the experience only to come across something darker than they expected living in the woods. Overall, this is pretty familiar territory but starts this off rather nicely. The first part of the experience offering a series of travelogue bits on them hiking through the snow-covered mountains and arguing over their attempts at having to improvise their footage due to the unplanned nature of the shoot carries along quite well with the mundane reality nicely hiding the more involved terror in the latter half. This comes about rather nicely as they realize they're not alone in the woods and features some decent jump-scares trying to get away from the figure coming after them. However, this runs on a bit too long and doesn't have much of a reason to be as long as it is for such a simple setup since there's no info on what's stalking them but it's the only issue in an otherwise solid opening.

The Christmas Gift-Trying to appease his kids who only watch unboxing videos, a father who has mailed himself in a box to them only to find the devious nature of those he employed for the stunt puts his life in danger. There was a lot to like with this one, starting with the initial setup of the stunt involving his desire to give his kids an original Christmas present tying into their interests with a modern touch. The eventual realization that he's been duped and the horror at what's going to happen next provides a thrilling enough setup for him going through the various tortures they've concocted for him in the basement home which is somewhat thrilling and brutal with how it plays out as the few tortures are done quite well. The last one is a massive cheat with a wholly lackluster bit of CGI ruining what could've been a fantastic gag, but it's all that brings this segment down.

The Bad Stor(ies): Untitled-Awaking in a strange configuration, a man races against time to deliver a present before an explosive device inside his head goes off. This was barely worthwhile and had no real purpose for being here, with no holiday shenanigans present, a one-minute run-time that prevents anything from getting going, and no real explanation for anything due to the time jumps featuring things happening for no real explanation. This could've been removed with no loss at all.

The Christmas Spirit-Moving into their new house together, a couple who realize they're without their furniture for the holidays are forced to spend the night with a presence in the house. This one could've been a lot more fun than it is but remains a bit of a disappointment. The setup of them living in the house alone without their stuff with them due to a mishap with the moving company is a fine enough start along with the idea of the strange activity happening with the ornaments and items being shifted around during the night. That all works well enough but is somewhat of a missed opportunity when the wacky investigator shows up and the uncomfortable nature of his actions is supposed to be funny but comes off completely underwhelming and lackluster as if he's too stupid to complete training despite genuinely good intentions. With non-lethal activity also being at the center of everything, this one could've been a lot better than it is.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Language and Violence.

The Christmas Tapes (2022) brings an unsettling twist to holiday-themed horror, offering a macabre alternative to the usual festive cheer. Available to stream on Tubi, the story follows a mysterious intruder who crashes a family's Christmas gathering, tying them up and subjecting them to a series of disturbing VHS recordings. As the tension mounts, one question lingers: will this family become the next victims in the intruder's chilling collection?

While it might not be a flawless anthology, this VHS-inspired horror stands out with its inventive concept, making it an intriguing choice for fans of the holiday horror niche. It's a grim and thrilling watch, perfect for those who like their Christmas tales tinged with dread and darkness.