All Through The House

Year:  2015

Director:  Todd Nunes

Cast:  Ashley Mary Nunes, Natalie Montera, Melynda Kiring, Jessica Cameron, Johanna Rae

On Christmas Eve, a neighborhood where a young girl vanished mysteriously years before is terrorized by a psychopath dressed in a Santa suit.

Christmas themed slasher films have gained quite the following among horror fans.  1974's Black Christmas remains one of the most revered and influential slasher films of all time, and beyond that, films such as To All a Goodnight, Don't Open til Christmas, Christmas Evil and of course the highly controversial Silent Night Deadly Night all have massive cult followings.  Just last year, Slasher Studios released their Christmas themed slasher Dismembering Christmas to positive reception.  So when fans learn of a new killer Santa or Christmas themed slasher flick they are sure to get excited, but an obvious question that arises may be: what on earth can this one do that we haven't seen already?  Fortunately, All Through the House is eager to answer that very question.

All Through the House starts with a gory bang, letting viewers immediately know what they are in for in terms of gore and violence as the killer Santa brutally disposes of two unsuspecting victims.  The gruesome deaths are shown in all their blood soaked glory--a trend that continues throughout the film and that will satisfy gore hounds who have become jaded by the onslaught of off screen death scenes featured in many recent horror films.  After the opening scene, we're introduced to our protagonist, Rachel, who is home from college for Christmas and a few of her childhood friends.  While she should be excited to be home, it seems that Christmas in her neighborhood conjures memories of the mysterious disappearance of a neighbor girl years before.  Unfortunately, she is forced to confront the mystery full force when she and her friends agree to stick around a bit before a night out to help the mother of the vanished girl decorate her home for Christmas.  Secrets are revealed and blood spills as the killer Santa terrorizes the neighborhood armed with a pair of hedge clippers.

What is immediately obvious is that writer and director Todd Nunes is very much a fan of the 80's slasher genre and also very much respects it.   While there are definitely comedic elements to the film, the underlying tone is very serious and dark and there are very well executed homages to several slasher films from the golden age of the genre.  But unlike these often formulaic and cliched films, All Through the House manages to deliver some serious plot twists and the big reveal(s) during the film's climax are satisfyingly jaw dropping.  Additionally, there are some wonderfully tense and suspenseful chase scenes and killer's psycho Santa mask is unsettling; the crisp and tight cinematography add the the impact of these scenes.  For instance, one of the female characters finds herself being stalked just outside the house and just out of view of her friend inside, creating some true edge of your seat suspense.  Couple this with the fact that virtually every scene is replete with Christmas decor (including some unsettling Santa mannequins!) and there is a palpable creep factor and sense of uneasiness present throughout the film.  The acting also needs to be praised; everyone involved does a great job with Ashley Mary Nunes as Rachel and Melynda Kiring as Mrs. Garrett being the standouts.  The later especially is a blast to watch and certainly has to be one of the more memorable slasher characters of the last decade.  Mrs. Garrett is truly challenging role that requires a lot of delicate balancing of emotions and intentions and Kiring bites into it with tremendous commitment and voracity.  Nunes' directing is also impressive, allowing the nuances of the story and characters to be fully realized while highlighting and even improving upon the best of the traditional slasher conventions.

Of course, no film is perfect and All Trough the House does have some very minor issues.  There are several scenes of random neighborhood residents becoming prey for the crazed Santa. While these scenes are fun and extremely bloody, they sometimes feel disjointed due to the lack of any effective transitions; essentially these are simply scenes inserted to up the body count and gore factor, which is perfectly fine--this is a slasher film after all!  However, the pacing is slightly thrown of by these scenes, which periodically pop up.  In one scene, we see the deranged Santa silently stalking our three main girls, then a quick cut to a completely different home with characters the audiences hasn't seen before who we can only assume are in the same neighborhood.  It's a minor complaint to be sure, but it does slightly affect the cohesiveness of the film.  Also, the climax does come very close to running out of steam and probably could have been trimmed of a few minutes.    But again, minor complaints that take nothing away from the film's enjoyment factor.  Make no mistake; this is a very solid film from start to finish.

Overall, I can boldly say that you perhaps will not see a better slasher film this year.  All Through the House is replete with all a true slasher fan could ask for and the carefully constructed references to various genre favorites will surely garner tons of giddy grins from fans. Even non-slasher fans will find themselves immersed in unraveling the mysteries of the plot.  And this is perhaps where the film deserves a ton of credit; while it's unapologetically a slasher film, the plot is by no means cliched, but instead is quite layered and complex for such a film allowing those who may not necessarily be fans of the genre to certainly appreciate it.  Nunes explores some very dark and taboo themes, but is also careful not to go over the top, as the events stay grounded in reality and never feel outrageous.   The climax is grimly satisfying as well and begs for repeated viewings.    Along with Black Christmas and Silent Night Deadly Night, All Through the House should become a holiday tradition for horror fans; that truly is saying a lot.



Fright Meter Grade:

Interview with Director Todd Nunes of All Through the House

I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity recently to attend the Drunken Zombie Film Festival in Peoria, IL.  There was an intimacy to the event that made it feel special and both the attendees and organizers were friendly and obviously passionate about the genre.  As an indie horror fan, I was thrilled that I was going to be able to see the latest offerings on the big screen from a few up and coming indie horror directors that I have been following for quite some time, including Cameron McCasland's 80's retro slasher The Lashman and Corey Norman's adaptation of the Stephen King short story Suffer the Little Children.   Both of these films were great and myself and the audience had a blast viewing them.   However, it was a Christmas themed slasher film featuring a killer in a Santa suit by a director I was unfamiliar with that really piqued my interest while attending the festival.

Those who know me know that my all time favorite horror film is 1974's Black Christmas.   There is just something about the juxtaposition of what is proclaimed as the most joyous time of the year with bloodshed and suspense that I find intriguing.  Suffice to say, I am also a fan of other Christmas themed slashers such as To All a Good Night, Don't Open Til Christmas, Silent Night Deadly Night and more recently my pal and Party Night Co-Producer Kevin Sommerfield's Dismembering Christmas.  My major curiosity going into All Through the House with very little knowledge of the plot was how could it possibly be different from the films mentioned above?  

Well, folks,  it is.  I'll save the actual review for later, but this film is one of most brutal, entertaining and downright fun slasher films I have seen in quite a long time.   Fans jaded by the slasher genre seriously need to check this one out as soon as possible.    Even better, I was lucky enough to get the film's director, writer and producer Todd Nunes to discuss the film and his love of the genre!  So, without further ado, read on for the interview with this filmmaker who I have no doubt is going to make a huge splash in the indie horror community:

Thanks so much for taking the time to do an interview with us.  For those who may be unfamiliar with you and your work, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I became obsessed with horror movies in middle school. To me, movies were magical because they could terrify an audience and evoke that kind of strong emotion. I remember writing my first slasher story in elementary school. In high school, I adapted Friday The 13th as a stage play and the process forced me to dig deeper into the story and characters so that I could adapt the film without losing its essence. The play was a huge success - even though the school administration hated it. But, three months later I was able to produce a successful sequel. By the time I graduated high school, I was writing original content for the stage, so screenwriting and directing movies was the next logical step. I have tons of homemade horror movies on VHS.

What films/directors inspired you to make horror films?

Well, of course, I love John Carpenter, Wes Craven, Quentin Tarantino, and Ridley Scott. But, I'm very, influenced by all the amazing independent directors out there making a name for themselves: The Soska Sisters, Ti West, and Jessica Cameron. I am a big fan of independent movies, especially horror movies, because I know what it takes to accomplish such a feat without a studio budget. The amount of determination and dedication that is needed is beyond what the average person can comprehend.

Your love of the slasher genre in particular shines through with All Through the House.  What are some of your favorite slasher films and what films directly inspired you to make this particular film?

The first Horror movie I saw was Halloween and I have to say, it changed my life. I had never felt anything like that in my entire sweet childhood life. I was in the fourth grade and my whole family watched it on HBO. My mom instantly regretted letting me watch Halloween and insisted that I never see another horror movie again, but I couldn’t get it out of my mind. When I heard about Friday The 13th I was determined to see it and sneak-watched it one night on TV. I couldn't sleep for weeks afterwards. I loved it. Eventually, my mother caved in and became my number one horror movie-watching buddy. I loved Hell Night, Black Christmas, Night Warning, The House on Sorority Row, The Fog, and The Prowler. All Through The House is a mash-up of Halloween/Friday the 13th and a dash of Silent Night, Deadly Night.

One of the most controversial slasher films of all time, Silent Night Deadly Night, received much of its criticism because it took place on Christmas and had a killer in a Santa suit,  So, why a Christmas themed slasher?

This film has been burning inside me since I first saw the poster for Silent Night, Deadly Night featuring an evil Santa slinking down a chimney with an axe. I was fascinated by that poster. My mind went wild. My mother refused to let me see the film because I was too young, but I was mesmerized by that image. Years passed before I saw that movie and I have to admit, I was a bit disappointed. I can appreciate it as a classic 80s slasher now, but the initial story in my mind was much darker, scarier, and violent. I always felt there was a dark side to Christmas. Movies like A Christmas Carol and The Grinch had very dark subject matter that influenced me. I was also intrigued by the controversy that surrounded SNDN and I wanted All Through The House would continue that tradition.

Your masked Santa psychopath is a paramount example of a classic slasher film killer.  How was his character developed and what were you attempting to bring to the genre with the character?  Also, where did the creepy, awesome design for the mask come from?

I spent a lot of time developing the character's mythology. In fact, that's where I started when developing the story. I really wanted the story to emerge from this character. I wanted to create a slasher killer that I hadn't seen before. It was really important to me that he be a horribly evil character who also had some sympathetic qualities. I find that combination to be the most interesting and disturbing. There is much more to the killer's story that I hope to explore someday. The mask was imperative to the killer, so it had to be just right. We had a photo shoot with actor Lito Velasco where he wore a dozen different masks. After some adjustments, like wigs, beards, and painting it silver, we all knew it was the ONE.

Your sister, Ashley Mary Nunes, plays the lead character Rachel in the film.   What was it like directing her?  Any brother-sister disagreements while filming?

Jessica Cameron calls us the “brother/sister horror duo”, and Ashley and I work really well together. When we were little Ashley used to beg me to scare her, and she’s been acting in my horror films since she was five years old. She has absolutely no limitations. If I ask Ashley to jump off a roof. She will. If I ask her to get in a bathtub of blood and gore... She will. And it’s not just because she’s my baby sister, she won't even blink about the request, and that’s ideal for a horror director. Ashley truly loves the genre and she’s willing to do whatever it takes to get the shot.

From a directorial standpoint, what was the most difficult obstacle you encountered while filming All Through the House?  Any interesting stories from the set?

Obviously working with a small budget is difficult, but not impossible. It really comes down to planning out every detail and thinking creatively. I didn't want to skimp on Christmas set decoration, so I started hunting at garage sales, feel markets, and asking for donations. It was a lot of hard work, but it really paid off. I wanted every shot to look like Christmas threw-up all over it. The Holiday season really shines through.  Another obstacle was that the entire movie takes place at night. All Through The House was shot during the summer when the days are longer, so that was a big challenge. The sun didn't go down completely until 9:30 pm and showed signs of rising at about 4 am. Many times we were racing to beat the sun.

How do you feel about the rash of recent horror remakes?  If you were given the chance to remake a horror film, which one would it be and why?

I don't mind remakes. For me, a remake never takes the place of the original. John Carpenter's Halloween will always be the king of slasher movies and no remake will ever take that away.  The best remakes maintain a great balance of staying true to the source, as well as,  adding new material to make the story feel fresh.  Remakes like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,  Last House On The Left,  and When A Stranger Calls are some of the best. There are also a lot of duds like the remakes of A Nightmare On Elm Street and Prom Night. If I had a choice, I would love to do a remake of a lesser know slasher movie called Humongous. I think that movie has a really fun premise that can be expended upon.

So what’s next for you? Any upcoming projects?

Speaking of remakes… That is exactly what I am currently working on. I can't divulge the title just yet, but I can say that I loved the original and I'm honored to be doing the remake.  I prefer to say "reimagining".  My intention is not to try and make the original a better film, because I already think it's pretty good the way it is. My goal is to take the concept and create a movie that explores the subject matter in a different way… much like the remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.  I'm really excited about the project and I can't wait to officially announce it.