When I heard about the Finnish movie Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale a few months back, I was immediately intrigued. How can you not be interested in a movie about a real Santa Claus who is released from a icy prison and resumes his naughty child punishing ways? Count me in. Then we got an email about the 1st NYC screening for the film a full week before the movie opens at the IFC Center, so we emailed and got picked to attend. Boy were we NOT disappointed. First, David, Ted & the guys from OscilloScope Labratories (the USA distribution company) came out to great the crowd and tell us about the film. They then started a quick Q & A session for some prizes... the 1st question was as follows:
"Next week we are having our afterparty at a bar called The Slaughter Lamb? What movie featured a bar by that title in it?"
C'mon bro... I had my hand up quickfast, and answered An American Werewolf In London immediately. That netted me a DVD of the Danish movie Terribly Happy & this awesome Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale full sheet lobby poster:
Not bad!!! Hopefully David and the crew will like our coverage and send us some swag to give you guys... but this ones all mine!!!
Anywho, the movie started and let me just say this: If there was ever an original concept this one was it. Its a cool story about a small village of people that depend on a reindeer migration every year to provided them with meat to both eat and sell to make a living. But something funny is going on up on a local mountain, where an American team of excavators is working to retrieve something from the ice... and that somethiing has a pulse!!! When the hunters find the whole herd of reindeers slaughtered, the youngest child of the village starts to wonder if those guys up on the mountain may have accidently unleashed the real Santa, who really kills and tortures the children who are naughty. I will not ruin anything for you guys, but just know that this is a super smart movie and a wonderfully original idea. The director, Jalmari Helander, does a great job with his small cast and some wonderful winter landscapes that really set up the action of the film.
On another note, this movie is being rumored to be some brutal horror movie, which it is NOT. Is it scary? At times, yes. Is it non-traditional? Oh yes, it breaks the mold of the Santa Claus you know and love. Is it successful in being a good movie? Absolutely. This film has just joined Scrooged, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, The Nightmare Before Christmas and A Christmas Story as my must watch holiday films for the Christmas season. Thanks to David, Ted & Oscilloscope Labs for inviting us to the screening and make sure you check out Rare Exports at the IFC Center in NYC next week. Trust me, you will love this one!!!
Here are a few pics from the film to get your blood pumping!!!
Also, here is the trailer... and you can check out the Rare Exports home page by clicking here.
You did the film perfect justice in your write up. Some of the visuals in latter part of the film were just Uh-Mazing. I definitely plan on making this film one of my movie rituals every Christmas season from here on in. I can't wait to be memorizing the great lines and yelling them at the screen!
ReplyDeleteHad a blast. Thanks for letting me tag along.
It was my pleasure kid... had a great time!!!
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