Slay Ride: When Holiday Icons Rampage

What happens when the symbols of our holidays themselves turn against us? What if we find ourselves running not from Frankenstein or Dracula or some other manifestation of desire and technology run amok but we're running from murderous Saint Nick himself? What happens when the things we celebrate in song are recontextualized as explicit symbols of fear? Here’s the thing. A dude in a suit slashing people while dressed as Santa is a subversion of expectations, sure. Presumably, the victims wouldn't expect someone dressed as Santa to be carrying a knife. But in that context, in horror films, the suit is simply camouflage. We’re looking for something more. We’re looking for the fear that comes when our own most special childhood icons... go very, very dark. Film SundriesLeprechaun (1993): Apple • Amazon • JustWatchJack Frost (1997): Apple • Amazon • JustWatchSaint (2010): Apple • Amazon • JustWatchRare Exports (2010): Apple • Amazon • JustWatchThe Mean One (2022): Apple • Amazon • JustWatch(00:00) - Welcome to Sitting in the Dark(01:37) - Holiday Horrors(02:57) - The LIst(03:56) - Opening Statements(07:42) - Why do we do this to ourselves?(17:53) - Leprechaun(23:28) - Jack Frost(31:56) - Saint(41:35) - Rare Exports(51:23) - The Mean OneSupport The Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts:Become a member for just $5/month or $55/yearJoin our Discord community of movie loversThe Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts:Cinema Scope: Bridging Genres, Subgenres, and MovementsThe Film BoardMovies We LikeThe Next Reel Film PodcastSitting in the DarkConnect With Us:Main Site: WebMovie Platforms: Letterboxd | FlickchartSocial Media: Facebook | Instagram | Threads | Bluesky | YouTube | PinterestYour Hosts: Kyle | Kynan | Pete | TommyShop & Stream:Merch Store: Apparel, stickers, mugs & moreWatch Page: Buy/rent films we've discussedOriginals: Source material from our episodesSpecial offers: Letterboxd Pro/Patron discount | Audible