For this year’s second entry, we have the movie that sparked the idea for the Awful Advent, A Cadaver Christmas!
A bartender and his final customer for the night are watching TV on Christmas Eve when the janitor from the university down the road walks in covered in blood. They ask the janitor to tell them his story while they wait for the police to arrive; he says the university has been taken over by “cadavers.” A police officer with a pervert handcuffed in the back of his car arrives, but the quintet are attacked by three cadavers that must have followed the janitor. The five return to the university to confirm the janitor’s story and to address the threat any way they can.
The 13-movies-in-13-days concept originated from this film’s website, although they call it the “13 Days of Spooky Christmas” (which may be the better title, but I like alliteration). Their movie marathon culminated in an Xmas party with gifts and a horror-themed potluck along with, naturally, a screening of their own movie, which sounds like a real hoot. By the time I’d been introduced to their movie, I’d already been doing my own solstice parties with sundown-to-sunup movie marathons and this flick was a welcome addition to my repertoire (their list of holiday horror films was also a welcome source for inspiration as I see that, unexpectedly, my list this year shares five films with their 2017 one).
As for the movie itself, it’s a scrappy little zombie indie that’s more focused on comedy than on gore or horror, but that’s all right as the jokes, apart from an uncomfortable necrophilia sequence that seems present just for the sake of nudity, generally land. There’s a nice recurring joke about calling 911 that is timed in such a way that it comes back right as I've forgotten about it. The film is very capably composed.
It seems unfair to refer to “the flaws” of this movie. Rather, the seams are visible if you want to look for them. The acting’s not very good. It’s purposefully heightened to make fun of tropes like the working-class tough guy and the at-his-end’s-wit cop, but just feels like they’re trying to do those roles and failing, like they're trying to be camp, and if you try, then you're not. The pacing is a touch wonky with lots of flashbacks of the janitor explaining what happened to set everything in motion. The movie feels like it would be stronger if it were simply told chronologically—the cadavers start walking around, the janitor fights them, and then goes to the bar which sets everything in motion. On this rewatch I got the sense that the flashbacks were a short film done as a proof-of-concept or something shopped around to get investors, and I think that may be the case as the closing credits note that this was adapted from a short made for the 48 Hour Film Project.
Like I said, the seams are visible if you look for them, but you have to look. The movie is buoyed by a sincere and legitimate wit and the filmmakers are very adept at working within their limitations. I noted that Black Friday is palpably hampered by budgetary and COVID restrictions to that movie’s detriment, and A Cadaver Christmas, guaranteed, didn’t have the budget or resources that film had. However, it seems fuller somehow, more memorable and competently made.
Obviously, this is not my first time with this movie. I’ve enjoyed it every time I’ve seen it and I know I’m going to watch it again. I just ordered the (sadly) out-of-print DVD off eBay so that I wouldn’t have to repeat this year’s tactic of streaming it on Tubi. It’s disappointing that this isn’t on more streaming services or available on VOD for purchase or rent because it is one of the more charming holiday horror movies out there. The movie is inventive, funny, and should really be seen more.
4/5 blood-soaked janitors
A Cadaver Christmas is currently available for streaming with ads on Tubi
No comments:
Post a Comment