Welcome to our first annual ViralNova Presents: 25 Days Of Creepy Christmas special section! Every day, from December 1st to December 25th, we’re posting a new Christmas-themed article guaranteed to get you in the creepy holiday spirit.
Now that I think about it, while I wouldn’t consider any of the classic holiday movies to be my absolute favorite, they’re probably some the movies that I’ve seen the most. (Simply because I end up watching them every year with my family.)
But, some of those holiday movies I watched as a kid should have scared the hell out of me. In a lot of ways, old school claymation hasn’t aged so well, and the Ghost Of Christmas Past? Yeah, literally terrifying.
Here are some of the creepiest characters and scenes from those classic holiday films…just in case you’re wondering why the kids are screaming in the other room this holiday season.
1. The Ghost of Christmas Future (The Muppet Christmas Carol).
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Yes, I know the character is supposed to be scary. It’s under his guide that Scrooge, here played by an especially cockneyed Michael Caine, realizes he will die unhappy and alone if he doesn’t straighten up. But man, this ghost looks like a Ring Wraith wrapped in death. Also, when he takes Caine into the future, he opens up a weird demented portal that can only be described as trippy as hell.
2. The Ghost of Christmas Past (The Muppet Christmas Carol).
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Not quite human and not quite Muppet, but this ghost is all horrifying. The ghost of Christmas Past is no less scary than its Future counterpart. While this ghost is usually portrayed as just a smokey white cloud of opium dreams, this version upsets the apple cart by suddenly jetting out a tiny doll hand to Michael Caine and blasting off into the sky for a long, Kubrick-esque sequence as they travel back in time.
3. Uncanny Valley (The Polar Express).
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This movie is one of the most infamous cases of the uncanny valley, where CGI characters look realistic, but not quite real. It might almost be better if they looked less real because it would be way less creepy. (Also, what’s up with that hobo ghost that keeps forcing the kid to leave the train?)
4. The Little Drummer Boy (The Little Drummer Boy).
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I actually don’t remember much about The Little Drummer Boy (and who does, really?). However, when I saw this picture of the drummer boy watching his mother burn to death in a fire, I remembered why I didn’t. …Or at least why I repressed the memory of it.
5. Pete as the Ghost of Christmas Past (Mickey’s Christmas Carol).
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Not to be outdone by the Muppets in pointing out how cold our graves will be when our time comes, Mickey’s Christmas Carol finds new ways to scare children. This animated classic ends on another incredibly creepy note with the Ghost of Christmas Future removing his hood and revealing himself to be Mickey’s old nemesis, Pete. However, this particular version of Pete has clearly been up all night on a wicked bender before pronouncing the future death of Scrooge.
6. Heat Miser. (The Year Without A Santa Clause).
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He looks like a demon king Mickey Rooney. He spits fire, shoots heat beams and clearly has mommy issues. If that’s not creepy enough, Heat Miser also lives with tiny little clones of himself that have a penchant for funny uniform hats. (His singing, however, is still amazing.)
7. Rudolph’s Father Shows His True Colors. (Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer).
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This one is not so much creepy, but a bad influence on your kids. An undisputed classic, there’s barely any evidence that the Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer TV special was made in 1964. Well that is, except one thing: Donner, Rudolph’s dad is, like, totally a hardcore misogynist. The scene where he’s going out to look for Rudolph and Rudolph’s mom pleas to go with him to look for her son. “No! This is man’s work!” responds Donner coldly, leaving his reindeer wife alone in their snow cave, tears blurring her pretty doe eyes.
No doubt a lot of the creepy imagery from these holiday specials and movies has contributed to my general anxiety towards the world. Or at least that’s what my therapist keeps telling me…
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