Matthew C. DuPée: A Scary Little Christmas

This episode is for Christmas horror fans, featuring host Mark Perzel and author Matthew C. Dupée with his book, "A Scary Little Christmas: A History of Yuletide Horror Films, 1972–2020." Dupée discusses the origins of Christmas horror during the silent film era and examines how filmmakers blend the holiday's sacred traditions with horror, touching on controversies like "Silent Night, Deadly Night." Explore the subgenres of yuletide horror, such as psycho Santas, stocking snuffers, Christmas zombies, and even killer Christmas trees. Dupée shares filmmaker anecdotes and offers his recommendations for both new and seasoned horror fans. Get into the "Christmas" spirit with this episode!

LISTENER DISCOUNT CODE: BESTPART

Receive a 25% discount on this title when purchased from McFarland's website by using the code BESTPART at checkout: mcfarlandbooks.com/product/a-scary-little-christmas/

FEATURED TITLE

"A Scary Little Christmas: A History of Yuletide Horror Films, 1972–2020." McFarland, softcover (2022) ISBN: 9781476679990 mcfarlandbooks.com/product/a-scary-little-christmas/

BOOK DESCRIPTION

Controversial yet beloved among audiences, Christmas-themed horror movies emerged in the early 1970s and gained a notorious reputation with "Silent Night, Deadly Night" (1984), depicting Santa as an ax-wielding maniac. Some parents and conservative groups condemned the film, while others embraced the portrayal of Yuletide as a backdrop for fear and dread. Drawing on interviews with directors, producers, special effects artists, photographers and actors, this book celebrates the sordid, colorful history of the Christmas horror subgenre. Psycho Santa films such as "Christmas Evil" (1980) and 3615 code "Père Noël" (1989) are examined, along with “Yule-Die” slashers like "The Dorm that Dripped Blood" (1982), "Black Christmas" (1974) and "Silent Night, Bloody Night" (1972). Commercial successes like "Gremlins" (1984) and "Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale" (2010) are covered, as well as more recent releases such as "Better Watch Out" (2016), "Red Christmas" (2016) and "Deathcember" (2019). Rare photographs, promotional materials and an annotated filmography are provided.

OTHER BOOKS BY MATTHEW C. DUPÉE

"We're Here For The Krites: The Making Of Critters." Harker Press, hardcover/softcover (2025) ISBN: 9798989013098 www.harkerpress.com/krites-about

For personalized copies: www.matthewdupee.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A lifelong horror film enthusiast, Matthew has written about horror films for "Rue Morgue," "Offscreen," and "Bright Lights Film" Journal. He is a contributor to "Rue Morgue" and the "Morbidly Beautiful" website and is currently writing three books: "Dark Harvest: A History of Thanksgiving Horror;" "A Conduit to Hell: The Making of Neon Maniacs;" and "Rad Dreams: The Making of Albert Pyun's Postapocalyptic Rock Opera."

www.matthewdupee.com

Instagram: @matthieudupee

ABOUT MCFARLAND

McFarland, a leading independent publisher of academic and general-interest nonfiction books, is perhaps best known for the serious treatment of popular culture. Founded in 1979, McFarland is recognized among authors and readers as adventurous in range and a reliable source of worthy books that other publishers overlook. They have about 8000 unique works for sale and each year publish about 350 new titles. Meeting high library standards has been a major focus since the company began, and many McFarland books have received awards from the academic-oriented (Choice Outstanding Academic Title, ALA Outstanding Reference Work) to the mainstream (Hugo, Edgar, Stoker, and Eisner, among others). https://mcfarlandbooks.com

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