Perhaps you’ve heard about this new horror movie, Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale. In brief, it concerns the true story of Santa Claus… and what a dark, dark story indeed it is. But that’s not to suggest that Rare Exports is anything less than a finely crafted story in the warm-hearted Christmas movie tradition. Creepy and inoffensive, this is exactly the kind of fun people should be having at the movies more often.
On an isolated mountain, an age-old tomb has been uncovered. In the days leading up to Christmas, an extensive dig has been causing trouble for the villagers at the base of the mountain. Animals are turning up dead. Children are being snatched up in the night, and a young boy is the only one in town who seems to know what’s going on… He fears Santa is coming to town.
And so begins our cold and dark Christmas Eve.
Hokey and absurd though it may seem in passing, there is actually a shockingly well-crafted story here. Witty and charming, and easy on the eyes, Rare Exports has all the makings of a new-age favorite. Ever-increasingly suspenseful, and a bit violent, there is nevertheless a childlike sense of wonder throughout the whole thing that hearkens back to stuff like The Neverending Story, and Gremlins. And without giving too much away, yes – there is an “Evil Santa Claus,” in this movie. He’s the kind of screen presence you just don’t get to experience enough anymore. You’ll likely never forget the moment you finally lay eyes on the Santa Claus of Rare Exports, nor will you likely forget the high-flying adventure of the film’s final act.
Rare Exports could be likened to 2002’s highly successful Bruce Campbell vehicle, Bubba Ho-Tep, in that, really, it’s an exceptionally weird film, but realized with a commendable honesty and passion. Rare Exports, in its script stages, must have seemed pretty out there, but damn it if the guys and girls alike in my audience didn’t eat it up. It’s beautifully shot, and clearly born of a slightly warped mind, but chances are it’ll be the most enjoyable film of your holiday season if you’re lucky enough to see it.
At its heart, Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale, is a coming-of-age fable in the classic style. Age-old Christmas movie motifs hover over every frosty frame of the film, enriching even its surprisingly grim set pieces with gleeful merriment. A story of learning responsibility quickly, and self-redemption, it’s just as much a rather touching Christmas fairytale as it is a giggle-inducing horror throwback. After seeing Rare Exports, I just felt great. I couldn’t stop smiling.
Rare Exports has been given to us as a gift in an age of disillusionment and cynicism, but unlike most current comedies or horror movies, it wants nothing more than for you to enjoy it. Though it’s ingrained in the gallows humor of classic 80s horror, it reads like a harmless and heartwarming children’s book. Yes, it’s got the gristle-chinned heroes with their 12-guage shotguns, and yes, on a certain level it’s patently ridiculous from its onset, but really it’s fun. It’s just fun, and impossible not to love, impossible not to grin at uncontrollably ear-to-ear while watching. The magical climax had nearly my entire theater cheering.
A hard film to analyze (and maybe it’s stupid to try), Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale, nevertheless succeeds in throwing audiences into fits of laughter and applause. It’s playing now at the IFC Center in New York City, and before the month is out, it’ll be playing on over thirty screens in over two dozen cities nationwide. I urge you all to pick out a date to see it while you can, before it’s relegated exclusively to home viewing. This one deserves to be experienced with an audience, and it deserves an avid and active fan base to rally behind it. It’s an awesome, accomplished flick.
http://www.rareexportsmovie.com/
"Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale" opens December 3, 2010 and is rated R. Adventure, Horror, Indie. Written and directed by Jalmari Helander. Starring Per Christian Ellefsen, Rauno Juvonen.
