Two years I watched a film called Don't go to the Reunion made by a company called Slasher Studios. It was a Kickstarter project so I watched it with a pinch of salt and enjoyed it for what it was. Today I watched their second feature length film, Dismembering Christmas, with that same pinch of salt, but it turns out I didn't need it. The overall production has massively improved, and while the previous film was good for an amateur film, this one feels so much bigger and better. It doesn't feel amateur at all, it's actually hard to believe it was a Kickstarter funder project with a low budget.
The characters are interesting and the kills are extremely creative and fun. When those two things are applied to a standard slasher formula, it's a recipe for a good film. Mrs. Wallace reminds me of Annie Wilkes, she has that same eery presence about her. The bunch of friends in the house have good relations and we understand their connections without the dialogue being aimed too obviously at the audience. The story was well paced and the scenes were cohesive.
In terms of direction and cinematography, I was blown away. Some of the shots were really impressive, particularly where the camera follows characters around the house. The kills are memorable thanks to strong imagery that is created, and of course, the whole film feels so Christmassy. They really nailed that aspect, which was important because many seasonal films can forget to include the all important seasonal presence. I'm certainly going to watch it again before Christmas.
My only complaint is that it's quite short at 66 minutes. I understand there were limits due to the small budget, but an extra scene developing the character of Mrs. Wallace would have pushed Dismembering Christmas that extra step further. But on the overall, I'm massively impressed and happy with the finished product. I said that I couldn't wait to see what they did after their first film and they absolutely knocked it out of the park, so I'll repeat myself; I can't wait to see what they do next. A Halloween themed film next maybe?
5/7
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