A Morbidly Beautiful holiday horror exclusive: Step into this short but satisfying dark Christmas tale before the clock strikes midnight.
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MORBID MINI: This twisted, tender Christmas horror story started as something Kelly Mintzer quietly sent me to read. It was too sharp, too potent, and too good not to share. For horror fans looking for something short, emotionally intelligent, and a little bit unhinged to slot between the usual festive rewatches, this story is a perfect pick.
When Morbidly Beautiful co-managing editor Kelly Mintzer sent me a short Christmas horror story she’d crafted to read, I knew almost immediately it was something that needed to be shared with our readers. It’s sharp, bloody, darkly funny, and quietly devastating in all the ways I love most about modern horror. Kelly was kind enough to allow me to publish it here for the very first time. Read my full review below — or skip straight to the story.
Logline: On a frozen Christmas Eve suspended at 11:59, a weary, bone-saw-wielding Santa figure and his partner, Mary, decide whether to literally carve justice out of a predatory man’s body to honor a desperate Christmas wish from a woman whose romantic history is full of harm, compromise, and self-loathing.
Stephanie Malone is the founder, owner, and editor-in-chief for Morbidly Beautiful. Podcaster, producer, writer, illustrator, editor. Tomatometer-approved critic, voting member of the Women Film Critics Association, GALECA, the North Texas Film Critics Association, and official Cherry Picker. Follow her on X at @smalonedesign, Instagram at @srgreenhaw, Blue Sky at @angryprincess.bsky.social. MuckRack Profile: https://muckrack.com/stephanie-malone. Read Full
Kelly likes her booze blue, her cats chubby and her special effects practical. She is ready to flail about horror at a moment's notice, and has been doing so for years. It's actually pretty hard to get her to stop. Many have tried; all have failed. Read Full
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Guilty Pleasures
Guilty Pleasures
She’s a lover, he’s a fighter. Together, they’re CHEER AND LOATHING. Tune in to hear your hosts, Stephanie (Cheer) and Casey (Loathing), clash over the films they love — and the ones they love to hate.
Guilty Pleasures: Holiday Special Featuring “Elves”
byStephanie Malone
In this holiday extravaganza episode of Guilty Pleasures, join hosts Stephanie, Kelly, and our newest addition, Jonathan (Jack was tied up in tinsel and couldn't join us), as they unwrap the bizarre and unhinged world of holiday cinema. They dive into the depths of Elves, a film that's as chaotic as it is entertaining. It's a sleigh full of questionable decisions, diabolical dialogue, absurd plot twists, wildly offensive antics, and unhinged holiday mischief.
And that's not all! In the second half of the podcast, join your festive cinephile friends for a look at four more ”nutty as a fruitcake” holiday treats: A New York Christmas Wedding, Elf Bowling, A Medea Christmas, and Jack Frost. Plus, we each offer a bonus Christmas flick guaranteed to make you say, ”Ho, Ho, HO-LY Hell!”
Expect laughter, disbelief, and a spirited debate about what truly makes a movie a guilty pleasure. Don't miss this festive journey through the weirdest corners of holiday films!
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