(S)aint Nick

Written and Directed by Jonathan Patrick Hughes
Produced by Jonathan Patrick Hughes
Starring John Seese, Leeana Hergenreder and Chaise Thompkins

Christmas massacre films are awesome! Especially when you are in a vengeful mood. Thus is the theme in the short film, (S)aint Nick (part of the anthology, The 12 Slays of Christmas) which is dedicated to Rob Zombie. Obvious influences depicted.

(S)aint Nick is a terrific stand-alone short as it gets right into the nitty gritty topic of revenge. Billy is a young boy who loves his older sister, Ashley. They have a strong sibling bond, as she reads her little brother the festive bedtime story, “Twas the Night Before Christmas”.  And of course, every sweet scene in a horror film, needs a nasty, slimy instigator.

Introducing Horace! (Great villain name!) The filthy, alcoholic, perverted stepfather to Ashley and Billy. Upon listening to the loving kids cuddling and discussing the magical Christmas spirit, Horace spews a load of depraved cruelty into their faces, focusing on his intention of slaying Santa Claus and burying his head next to their dead mother.

Wow, what a Christmas cheer he is! Break out the fruitcake!

While Ashley looks upon her disgraceful stepdad with utter disgust, Billy waits for him to disappear before confessing his Christmas wish…”I want Santa Claus to kill my stepfather and leave him under the tree!”
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Billy is fine boy. Be like Billy.

(S)aint Nick does not gloss over any deep hidden meanings behind the satisfaction of retribution. Ashley is spoken to as a filler for her mom – a piece of meat for Horace to degrade and play with while Billy is a mere throw away child. Fantastically nasty. We are even treated to a little self-pleasuring act by Horace, while Ashley’s internal demons scream out for retaliation and more importantly – fulfill your brother’s Christmas wish!

The beauty of this short is its simplistically raw and bloody torture display. It is brutal, it is gruesome and well…it is EXTREMELY gratifying! You almost want to jump into the living room and drive a spike through Horace’s face under the mistletoe. But alas, leave it to the children.  What a joyous holiday flick!