Greenzombidog
This seasonal slasher has a group of friends stay at a cabin in the woods for the holidays. Little do they know a killer is lurking in the forest waiting to kill them off one by one.Dismembering Christmas brings nothing new to the genre but does somethings well. The snowy setting and Christmas decorations along with the characters clothes all make this feel very Christmassy, really making the seasonal slasher work. Another plus for the film is some of the hand-held camera work. In particular the drinking scene is very well done with the camera swooping around the whole group as they enjoy themselves. Another scene where one of the characters is trying to sneak passed the killer and the camera hides along with our protagonist giving us a little peek of the killer is well done.The acting is real hit and miss. To be fair most of the cast do a good job with one or two exceptions. But the bad ones are bad. The dialogue is okay, I've definitely heard worse. The sound though is an abomination, Spiking and dropping sometimes during the same scene it's really off putting. The kills are okay a couple off screen but the ones you do see are pretty good a done with practical effects. The editing is all over the place sometimes it really ruins the flow of a scene. The biggest mistake for me comes in the final scene of the movie when the final girl finally gets the baddie. This moment has the worst sound and the worst editing. Also the blood should be spraying from the bottom of the shot instead it's coming from the side, you can even see a black tube spraying the blood at the actresses face. I can't believe how shambolic this last scene is and that's what the movie ends on.Dismembering Christmas isn't a terrible film. It does somethings really well but fails on other respects and it's this that's most disappointing. It could easily have been a much better movie if more care had been taking with some aspects.
Kim Heniadis
I really wanted to like this film, and while I didn't hate it, I think I said, "WTF?!?" at least 20 times. If I hadn't rented it and was watching it for a horror movie challenge, there is a good chance I would have turned it off, due to the really bad sound in some places, especially at the beginning. When they were crunching through the snow and talking, I couldn't even understand what they were saying. I had the TV's sound up really high so I could usually hear them, but then was continually turning it down.Then there was the editing in spots. There were more spots then this, but I'm trying to keep this review short. Two of the women are down by the lake, and Mark is coming down the stairs, then he's just instantly by their side.Emma all of a sudden freaks out for no reason (she doesn't yet know there's a killer on the loose). She's staring at us, slowly backing up to the wall. But there is nothing/no one there. Then she wakes up and is laying on the floor right next to the fire place with her head on rock. (Was she drugged and I didn't notice?)The step-dad at the beginning looks to be around the same age as the kids. And the way he was putting the presents under the tree
shoving them under with the ribbon on the bottom. Petty of me, perhaps, but it was done in such a way that it really stood out.And some of the shots were played out way too long, like when the step-dad was decorating with the tinsel on the counter. And when they are tromping up the stairs, instead of focusing on the feet forever, at least give us a butt shot!Some of the actors did a pretty good job, like Mark and Katie. And Justin reminded me looks wise, of a cross between Jensen Ackles and Matthew Lillard, so that was nice. Plus the naked butt shot was appreciated.But where where the boobs?? It's a slasher film! When Katie was in the bathroom getting ready to take a bath, this would have been a perfect opportunity.If I were to watch this again, it would be as a drinking game with a group of friends. We would drink every time one of us said, "WTF?!?"; because we couldn't hear what they were saying, the story line stumbled due to editing, or some rando shows up even though they are supposed to be in the middle of nowhere, and it is way too cold to just be wandering around the woods in Wisconsin.
vitnamee
If you were looking for a generic horror movie this is it. I would like to call BS on most of the deaths. I say that because even a modestly aware person would notice a potential threat coming. ******spoiler**** I reference the snowman death, are you telling me that a killer is able to sneak up on the character coming from the person's front? One may cite blocked line of sight, but really, its like if a killer was fat and trying to hide behind a twig. Another ***spoiler*** clichés like watch alarm going off randomly when hiding from said killer is very lame. One last bull crap that urked me was when one character, sees their friend get killed, runs out of the house... then stops may 30 feet from the house to take a breather...I say I am a horror junkie and some films are going to be subpar, but I would think that directors would try to be smart about it.
Noah Nelson
Over the years, countless holiday-themed slasher films (mainly set on Halloween) have came and went. But it has been a while since I've seen holiday horror with as much of a rewatchable quality and such creative and fun deaths as Slasher Studios' Dismembering Christmas. Don't Go to the Reunion writer/producer Kevin Sommerfield teamed up with Survival of the Dumbest director Austin Bosley to create this lovely winter slasher. From start to finish, it's oozing with Christmas cheer but slowly the feeling that something's not quite right creeps in and the characters are blithely unaware of it. Each character has their own distinct personality and are so well played by the actors that you truly care for them when bad things start happening. The cabin setting feels like a perfect blend of the Paramount Friday the 13th films and Raimi's The Evil Dead and the beautiful Christmas decorations and lighting bring it all together. Dismembering Christmas feels like the winter Friday the 13th film fans have wanted for years and have finally received.For an independent low-budget slasher, the acting, writing, and cinematography are all top notch (complete with beautiful, long tracking shots that will please any cinephile) and each and every character feels like a real small town teenager. Each and every one feels like they could be your neighbor and someone you know and that makes you concerned when they start getting picked off one by one.Without many spoilers, I have to point out that the deaths are some of the most creative and fun ones I've seen in a very long time. Think wreaths, candy canes, and Christmas trees can't kill anyone? Think again. Each and every death oozes with holiday spirit and the killer's costume is near perfection. To top it all off, a wonderful soundtrack composed by Beasta Music's Dylan Curzon (who also worked as the gaffer on the film) is made use of in the most creative of ways and coupled with some fantastic foley work.If there's one problem with this movie, it's that it's only a little over an hour in length. This movie could be three hours long with these characters and deaths like these and I'd be hooked. There isn't a single dull moment in the film and all the characters feel like real friends who bicker but deep down truly love and care for one another.I don't like singling out certain actors (because each and every one brings something unique to the film), but I have to say that Nina Kova's Sam and Leah Wiseman's Emma are two of the best of the best. They almost feel like sisters and it's hard to believe that they haven't known each other their entire lives outside of the movie. They both have so much chemistry together that it makes the hour and seven minute runtime a breeze to watch.If you're in the mood for a fast-paced, gory, creative slasher film with tons of holiday atmosphere and great cinematography, look no further. Slasher Studios has outdone themselves with this latest feature and I can't wait to see what they accomplish in the future.