Christmas Evil (aka You Better Watch Out) (1980) ***1/2

Christmas Evil (aka You Better Watch Out) (1980) is one of my favorite Christmas movies, riding the line between trash and genuinely well-made cinema. It's a bit too long, it falters here and there, and the budget shows at times, but it also features a one-a-kind, all-in central performance by Brandon Maggart as a mentally disturbed Santa-obsessed man, a unique score with a great sense of unease, and a vibe that balances creepiness, humor, and shock factor very well. Plus that bonkers ending!