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3615 Code Père Noël released in France in 1989 written & directed by René Manzor edited by Christine Pansu cinematography by Michael Gaffier music by Jean-Félix Lalanne also known as Dial Code Santa Claus, Deadly Games, Game Over, and Hide and Freak  Thomas is precocious child, so obsessed with cinematic American military iconography, he ties his mullet with a band of red cloth like Stallone's Rambo, and wears on his chest an ammo belt of nerf darts, fake grenades, handcuffs, walkie-talkie and a plethora of other gadgets. He lives with his mother, Julie, his grandfather, Papy, and the family dog JR. Papy is diabetic, partially blind, and almost bed-ridden, but still acts as Thomas's daily babysitter and playmate, giving him reconnaissance missions to fuel his adventurous spirit. The family lives together in a large house, secluded from the town, full of high-tech conveniences. A derelict wanders the snowy streets of the town. There is something disturbing in the way he watches the local children playing in the snow. Thomas's mother Julie is the manager in the local department store Printemps. It is the holiday season. The days count down to Christmas. The pressures of work keep Julie stuck at her job. The derelict is hired by Printemps to play Santa. A child accuses him of being a fake Santa. A gleam of hatred fills his eyes, and he slaps the child for disgracing him. Julie witnesses the assault and fires him immediately, but not before stealing the Santa costume. Thomas, excited for Christmas, logs onto a chatroom that lets him talk to Santa Claus. The message is intercepted by the derelict from a public terminal, who plays along with Thomas's fantasy. Thomas personally invites Santa to his house on Christmas Eve while Julie is away. So begins a deadly stand-off on Christmas Eve between a Santa with murderous intent and Thomas, protecting himself and JR and Papy, while Julie is stuck at work, unaware of the dire circumstances her family is in.  Dial Code Santa Claus (which is the name we will be using for this thread out of simplicity) came and went in the 1990 without much fanfare. It was well-received at Fantafestival in Rome, even winning Best Film and Best Director, but it never made much of a cultural splash beyond that. Murderous Santas and a slasher-esque treatment of a holiday story weren't wholly unique when the film was released, but pitting an innocent (albeit clever and resourceful) child against a psychotic killer dressed as Santa gives the film a stronger identity. The premise of a child using technology and booby traps to fend off a dangerous home invasion during the holidays would be popularized a year later, in America, by John Hughes and Chris Columbus. The similarities were strong enough that Manzor claimed plagiarism and threatened legal actions against the film. I don't know much about where that process eventually landed; it seems like the claims were dead in the water. Home Alone is permanently in the cultural holiday zeitgeist; Dial Code Santa Claus is a novelty in comparison. Thankfully, the American Genre Film Archive restored the film, where it premiered for the first time at Fantastic Fest in 2018 in Austin, Texas, giving it a new lease on life. Since then, it has become readily available on Shudder, where it has gained more popularity, and is now a 4K UHD release by VinegarSyndrome.  What separates Dial Code Santa Claus from Home Alone, as well as other Christmas horror films, is how it is both grounded emotionally in Thomas's loss of innocence on Christmas Eve and yet fantastic in it's adventurous, playful spirit, fueled seemingly by the wishes of a child with Thomas's temperament. The true horror at the heart of this film is Thomas's belief in Santa being ruined; Thomas hides as Santa enters his house, smiling in excitement, only to realize that Santa has instead brought the threat of death and pain. Thomas doesn't realize that Santa isn't real and that this murderer in his house is real. He believes that he has done something wrong enough to deserve punishment at the hands of Santa. It is his natural fight/flight sense and self-preservation that makes him fight for survival. Putting yourself in Thomas's perspective reveals a disturbing truth to having a childhood fantasy replaced by a grim reality. Thomas not only fights for himself, but he also fights to save Papy, who is so vulnerable to harm, every scene where the old man is threatened puts the audience on edge. And yet this is juxtaposed with gadgets and traps that would make Kevin McCallister salivate, and a journey through trap-doors and secret passages through the house that feels more like Goonies, Clue and other Spielbergian adventure films. It's tonally similar to Gremlins, if you were to remove Dante's goofy sense of humor. (Worth noting, director Manzor helmed a few episodes of Young Indiana Jones.) What's also surprising is the level of quality the film brings to the table. Thomas's goofy look is disarming, and might make you assume that the film will be full of camp. The performance of Patrick Floersheim as the villain, from when he is introduced to the final moments, dissuades any facetious enjoyment from the film. It's quite remarkable. The editing, set-design, cinematography all look great. It's surprising, and maybe disappointing, that so many people attached to this film did not continue to have many credits to their name. I'm excited to have this film as a Movie of the Month. I watched it twice last year for Christmas, once alone, and then with a group of friends. It's such a tense crowd-pleaser, and I hope to spread it's fun, stylish macabre spirit even further. It is still currently streaming on Shudder You can grab the 4k restoration from VinegarSyndrome through the normal avenues, as well.
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Dec 3, 2020 18:14
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MacheteZombie posted:nice! plan to watch this pretty soon. I picked up the VinSyn release. That’s how I’ll be rewatching it! I’m excited.
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Dec 3, 2020 18:31
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Hollismason posted:I've been preaching the praises of this film for a full two years. It easily goes on my favorite Christmas horror movie list. Just a amazing film. I'm pretty sure I watched it on your recommendation, Hollis!
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Dec 3, 2020 23:55
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