Whilst not necessarily a Christmas film all the way through, this Amicus anthology film from the early seventies each of its five separate segments based on stories from the EC Comics series of the same name, which also inspired a TV show does kick off with a tale of festive horror that's a) clearly Christmassy in its premise, and b) is so ridiculous that to leave it off of this list would be remiss. The fact that it stars plummy Dynasty actress/her off the Snickers advert Joan Collins only goes further to prove that. Each story in the film is introduced by the Crypt Keeper, an iconic EC character who explains to a group of confused strangers how they came to die and wind end up in the catacombs with him. Their deaths range from another violent car crash coupled with hallucinations, a hounded old man coming back from the dead for revenge, and a cruel new director of a home for the blind being savaged by a ravenous guide dog. Collins, meanwhile, is front and centre with the film's fist story. And All Through the House sees her as a frustrated housewife who murders her husband on Christmas Eve, all ready to hide his body when she hears a radio announcement stating that a homicidal maniac is on the loose. Who is dressed as Santa Claus. It is sort of incredible in the gaudy vein of seventies British horror.
Tom Baker is the Comics Editor at WhatCulture! He's heard all the Doctor Who jokes, but not many about Randall and Hopkirk. He also blogs at http://communibearsilostate.wordpress.com/
