by Gail Kavanagh

Created on: December 21, 2011   Last Updated: December 26, 2011

If Halloween left you hankering for more horror, the check out some horror movies made for the festive season. Savage Santas, serial killing snowmen and diabolical dolls have all helped to make sleigh time into slay time for those who want some merry mayhem to go with the turkey and Christmas pudding.

Child's Play (1988): This horror classic never palls. Surely there was never a Christmas present as bad as Chucky, the diabolical doll? Little Andy Barclay sure gets more than he wished for when Mom (Catherine Hicks) buys him the Chucky doll he wants for Christmas. This particular Chucky has been inhabited by the soul of serial killer Charles Lee Ray, who was killed while on the lam, and used voodoo to transfer his soul into the first handy object (as you do). It isn't long before Chucky starts dispatching baby sitters and other sundry victims and the cop who put him away is hot on his trail again. But Chucky is becoming human, and needs growing human body instead of a doll - so he wants to take over little Andy next. Can you imagine what Toy Story would have been like if Woody or Buzz had the same designs on their Andy?

Silent Night Deadly Night (1984): This is such a great title, and just the thing for late night Christmas Eve viewing while waiting for Santa to slide down the chimney. Of course, he is quite likely to have a chainsaw rather than a sack of toys, if this movie is anything t0o go by. Young Billy saw a killer dressed as Santa take out his parents when he was just eight years old, and grew up in an orphanage under the 'care' of a twisted Mother Superior. No wonder that, ten years later, the little lad has grown into a psycho who goes on a killing spree when he is made to wear a red suit and white beard. Horror fans loved the idea, but parents were outraged that this lovable figure was being portrayed as a psycho, and film critic Roger Ebert called it irresponsible. It is now regarded as a classic of the Christmas horror genre.

Gremlins (1984): Who could ever forget Kate Beringer (Phoebe Cates) describing the ghastly events that turned her off Christmas forever? But if she thought Dad getting stuck in a chimney was bad, she hadn't seen anything yet, as the Gremlins tear up the town over the festive season. Small, green and mean, the gremlins are not quite the shy little critters who get the blame when something goes missing or goes on the fritz. These gremlins deliver plenty of scares as well as laughs. Still a favorite with old and young alike, Gremlins deserves a place on your Christmas playlist.

Jack Frost (1996): This Jack Frost looks really scary, baring his icicle teeth at his victims, but he's really just the usual serial killer mutated in a bad accident. Not to be confused with Michael Keaton's feel good 'dad comes back as a snowman' movie of the same name.

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993): This movie is a scare suitable for the family to watch, for while it is not strictly horror, it does have some deliciously scary moments, and it was written by the master of creep, Tim Burton. It's what happens when the King of the Pumpkinheads, Jack Skellington, kidnaps Santa and tries to to orchestrate a different kind of Christmas - with terrifying results.

Chills, thrills and Christmas cake - what a combination.

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