Friday Night Frightfest

Silent Night, Deadly Night - 1984 and 2025

This week on Friday Night Frightfest, we’re unwrapping a gift that keeps on giving… or rather, slaying. We are celebrating the return of the most controversial Santa in cinema history, comparing the infamous 80s slasher that caused parents to protest in the streets, Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984), with the brand-new, twisted reimagining, Silent Night, Deadly Night (2025). Lock your chimneys and check your list twice—Billy is back! Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984) Directed by Charles E. Sellier Jr., the original Silent Night, Deadly Night is a cornerstone of holiday horror. After witnessing his parents’ brutal murder by a man in a Santa suit and enduring years of psychological abuse at a strict orphanage, young Billy Chapman snaps. Donning the red suit himself, he goes on a relentless rampage to “punish the naughty.” This film is legendary for its iconic kills and the massive real-world controversy it sparked for “ruining” Christmas iconography. Silent Night, Deadly Night (2025) Directed by Mike P. Nelson (Wrong Turn 2021), this new vision brings Billy Chapman into the modern era with some truly ambitious twists. Starring Rohan Campbell (Halloween Ends) as a more nuanced, brooding Billy, the 2025 remake shifts the focus toward a psychological “anti-hero” journey. This version features a literal “voice in his head” guiding his vengeance and a central romance with a woman named Pamela (Ruby Modine). It’s a stylish, hyper-violent blend of slasher horror and a Dexter-style character study. Join us as we break down these two generations of holiday terror. Which Billy captures the true spirit of “Killer Santa”? Tune in for a sleigh ride through the blood-stained snow! Spoilers start around 7:05.

Christmas Bloody Christmas and It's a Wonderful Knife

Deck the halls with boughs of… horror! This week on Friday Night Frightfest, we’re celebrating the dark side of the holiday season and pitting two modern festive slashers against each other: the neon-soaked, robotic rampage of Christmas Bloody Christmas (2022) and the clever, multiversal “what if” slasher It’s a Wonderful Knife (2023). Grab your cocoa (and maybe an axe), because Santa is coming to town—and he’s not bringing toys. Christmas Bloody Christmas (2022) Directed by Joe Begos, this film is a loud, proud, and incredibly gory tribute to 80s synth-horror and The Terminator. Tori Tooms (Riley Dandy), a record store owner who just wants to spend Christmas Eve drinking and partying, finds her night turned into a bloodbath when a high-tech robotic Santa Claus at a local toy store malfunctions. Reverting to its original military programming, the metal Saint Nick goes on a relentless killing spree. The film is a visual feast of 16mm grain, saturated neon lights, and practical splatter effects that feel like a fever dream from the video rental era. It’s a Wonderful Knife (2023) Directed by Tyler MacIntyre and written by Michael Kennedy (Freaky), this film offers a brilliant horror spin on the classic It’s a Wonderful Life. A year after saving her town from a masked killer on Christmas Eve, Winnie Carruthers (Jane Widdop) finds her life falling apart. In a moment of despair, she wishes she had never been born—only to find herself transported to a nightmare parallel universe where she doesn’t exist. In this timeline, the killer was never stopped and has turned the town into a desolate, fear-stricken wasteland. Winnie must team up with the town’s outcasts to unmask the killer and find a way back home. Join us as we break down these two very different takes on holiday horror. We’ll discuss the gritty, relentless energy of the “Robot Santa” versus the meta-humor and emotional stakes of the “Wonderful Life” slasher. Which film captures the holiday spirit best—by drenching it in blood? Tune in to find out which one earns the star on top of our tree! Spoilers start around 5:15.

Renfield and Vampire's Kiss

This week on Friday Night Frightfest, we are celebrating the glorious, chaotic energy of Nicolas Cage as we compare two distinct vampire films, both featuring his unique brand of eccentric intensity: the modern horror-comedy Renfield (2023) and the 90s psychological vampire tale Vampire’s Kiss (1988). Renfield (2023) Directed by Chris McKay, Renfield is a dark comedy-horror film that reimagines the classic Dracula story through the eyes of his long-suffering henchman, R. M. Renfield (Nicholas Hoult). Nicolas Cage delivers an unforgettable performance as Count Dracula himself, portraying the iconic vampire as a narcissistic, manipulative boss straight out of a modern workplace nightmare. The film blends intense action, splatter gore, and sharp humor as Renfield seeks to break free from his toxic, immortal relationship. Vampire’s Kiss (1988) Directed by Robert Bierman, Vampire’s Kiss is a bizarre, psychological dark comedy that is a foundational piece of Nicolas Cage’s eccentric cinematic persona. Cage stars as Peter Loew, a literary agent in New York who believes he has been bitten by a beautiful vampire and is slowly turning into one himself. The film focuses on his rapid mental breakdown and increasingly unhinged behavior as he attempts to adopt a vampiric lifestyle, showcasing Cage’s over-the-top acting style in a non-traditional horror setting. Join us as we dissect these vampire films in in Cage’s filmography. We’ll compare the deliberate, comedic menace of his Dracula in Renfield to the unhinged, psychological terror of his possibly-vampiric protagonist in Vampire’s Kiss. Spoilers start around 5:55

Black Cat and Two Evil Eyes

This week on Friday Night Frightfest, we are diving into the twisted world of Edgar Allan Poe adaptations filtered through the lens of Italian horror masters! We’re comparing two distinctly different takes on Poe’s works, both featuring the iconic killer feline: the atmospheric Giallo-tinged film The Black Cat (1981) from Lucio Fulci, and he anthology film Two Evil Eyes (1990), directed by Dario Argento and George A. Romero. The Black Cat (1981) Directed by the “Godfather of Gore,” Lucio Fulci, this film is a loose, Gothic interpretation of Poe’s famous short story. Set in a small English village, a psychic professor (Patrick Magee) with a penchant for recording the voices of the dead seems to share a malevolent connection with his black cat. As a series of gruesome, seemingly unrelated deaths plague the community, an American photographer (Mimsy Farmer) and a detective (David Warbeck) race to determine if the feline is truly a supernatural killer, or merely a vessel for the professor’s madness. The film is known for its moody atmosphere and surreal Fulci-esque touches. Two Evil Eyes (1990) This anthology film is a collaborative effort between two horror giants, George A. Romero and Dario Argento, with each directing a story based on Poe. * Romero’s Segment (“The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar”): This segment stars Adrienne Barbeau and E.G. Marshall and focuses on a dying, wealthy man who is hypnotized just before death so his consciousness can be preserved. However, the plan goes horribly wrong when his spirit remains trapped between worlds, leading to a chilling reanimation and the terrifying consequences of cheating death. * Argento’s Segment (“The Black Cat”): Starring Harvey Keitel, this segment is a stylized adaptation of “The Black Cat.” Keitel plays a crime scene photographer who descends into madness and violence after he resents and tortures his girlfriend’s pet feline. Argento uses hyper-stylized gore and nightmarish visuals to explore themes of perversity and artistic decay. Join us as we dissect these two distinct adaptations. Tune in for a double dose of Poe and Italian horror masters! Spoilers start around 7:30-ish.

Weapons and There's Something Wrong with the Children

This week on Friday Night Frightfest, we’re facing a chilling truth: nothing is scarier than when the children are not alright. We’re exploring the horrific subgenre of “creepy kids” or “kids in danger” by comparing the multi-perspective horror epic Weapons (2025) from the director of Barbarian, and the recent Blumhouse chiller There’s Something Wrong with the Children (2023). Weapons (2025) Directed by Zach Cregger, Weapons is an ambitious, sprawling horror film that centers on a terrifying mystery in the small town of Maybrook, Pennsylvania. The plot follows the case of seventeen children from the same classroom who mysteriously vanish on the same night at exactly the same time, all except one. The film explores the community’s frantic search for answers and the psychic disintegration of the adults as they grapple with the idea that the children themselves may be the source of the terror, linking themes of social collapse and supernatural dread. There’s Something Wrong with the Children (2023) Directed by Roxanne Benjamin, this film is a more contained take on the corrupted child trope. When two couples take a weekend trip to a remote woodland cabin, one couple’s two young children mysteriously disappear into the woods overnight near a strange set of ruins. When the kids return, Ben (Zach Gilford) begins to suspect something supernatural has possessed them, but his friends dismiss his concerns as mental health issues. The film uses the isolation of the cabin and the paranoia within the adult group to amplify the sinister horror of the changed children. Join us as we look at these two distinct approaches to corrupted innocence. Which film offers the most chilling vision of childhood twisted into an instrument of fear? Tune in to find out! Spoilers start around 5:50