On (Friday) the thirteenth day of Christmas...
...I get into the holiday spirit. Double the holiday spirit.
24 days of Christmas
Each day of Christmas, I'll be reviewing a Christmas movie and sharing a new Christmas outfit. For a Friday the thirteenth in December, it was impossible not to go Jack Skellington today. In fact, it would have been a travesty. So, loathe to not take every opportunity to combine my two favourite holidays, here I am.
I was even organised enough to get this done before the end of the 13th in Oz. Because I'm trying out this new thing where I'm an organised human being for once. We'll see how long it lasts, lol.
As promised, I'm also adding an Australian Christmas carol (regional bollocks allowing, so fingers crossed it works) for the last twelve days of Christmas. I give you Aussie Jingle Bells.
The standard and expected movie for Friday the thirteenth of December is undoubtedly A Nightmare Before Christmas - I wore the t-shirt to prove it. I watched it - of course I did - and have been singing 'Kidnap the Sandy Claws' ever since. BUT, I thought we'd go with something less predictable. And holy hells, was I impressed.
Anna and the Apocalypse - 5/5 candy canes
We started out watching Krampus: the Christmas Devil (2013). We got maybe ten minutes in before we had to turn it off - the production was just so low and the actors just unbearable that we couldn't continue. Which was a shame, because it opened with an attempted drowning and I was interested to see what they did with the Krampus legend. But it wasn't worth it. So we trolled through the movies to see what else we had in the horror Christmas genre. And we came upon Anna and the Apocalypse again.
I know I gushed over A Cinderella Story: Christmas Wish and said if I found a better movie than that I was going to have to find something more disastrous than eating my hat, but Anna and the Apocalypse gave it a serious run for its money. Christmas Wish pulls ahead by a whisker if only for the tighter Christmas vibes. I wasn't expecting a lot out of Anna to be honest. I didn't expect much in the way of production. I anticipated a C-movie at best with cheap gore and awful songs. But this movie was brilliant and I spent the whole time with a smile on my face.
I went into it knowing very little - it was a musical, horror, comedy, Christmas film where the characters have to "fight, slash and sing their way to survival" (IMBb) - so I was super surprised to end up watching High School Musical meets Shaun of the Dead. This movie stars a bunch of relative unknowns as highs choolers just trying to survive the usual trials and tribulations of high school and the Holiday season, when a virus escapes. Et voila, now it's a whole different kind of survival.
This movie had some depth to it, there was some character growth, a bit of a love-triangle, and a kiss-arse young woman in the title role of Anna (Ella Hunt). It looked at family, love, friendship, and getting through that cusp of adulthood. The lyrics and music were catchy and juxtaposed so well with what was actually happening on screen, and both the singing talent of the actors was incredible - I really hope we'll see more of all of them - as well as their acting ability. Ben Wiggins, who played Anna's love interest and bit of a prick Nick, really surprised me with his talent...when I wasn't distracted by those dreamy eyes.
Even if it wasn't a Hollywood Ending, I'm giving this movie a full 5/5 candy canes and adding it to the 'annual must-watch list'. I really suggest you do the same. Now, there are definite spoilers in the play-by-play, so I'm adding it after the trailer this time. Let me know what you think of that format.
The soundtrack was so unexpectedly awesome, I'm going to try embedding the Spotify playlist here for you (if that fails - find it here).
If you've got a suggestion for a movie, leave it in the comments.
You can check out the trailer below (fingers crossed there isn't any regional bollocks that gets in the way).
Anna and the Apocalypse play-by-play (also known as internal thought vomit). Spoilers ensue.
So I've read very little about this other than that there's killing and zombies and singing and dancing.
Good, solid start. I mean we're at the credits still. But good.
It's british, that's nice.
Oh, there's a virus! Wonder what's going to happen đ
Oh and a fight with dad. This won't end badly at all - Australia might kill you. If the serial killers don't manage it, the animals will.
Evil vice principal. He will quite clearly get eaten first. Or last�
SINGING! IT REALLY IS A CHRISTMAS HORROR MUSICAL!!
but seriously, who wants to go from Britain to Australia?
Wait...is this British or is it American?
I'm really enjoying this song though⊠I also like that it's setting up our main cast. Now I know who to root for. And I'm all there for it.
A sexy child? Oh nick.
Love John's sweater, fyi.
Naw, the lovable idiotic friend who always says the wrong thing with the right intentions. We like them.
Steph is awkward. Not sure why.
OMG - I'm loving the songs!!
Ouch, the perfect couple is so gonna die.
Ah, Steph's new and American and her parents abandoned her. This all makes sense now.
ZOMBIE!
And it lights up!! I like John. She should shag John.
Rofl - those penguins are hilarious.
Oh no! Chris isn't there, is he?
Chimney needs a good unblocking *snort*
SEXY SANTAS! HALF NAKED SANTAS!
Unload your snack đ± Why have I not heard this song before?
No! It's zombies. Don't go out there. Idiot.
That's more blood than you want spread around the schoolâŠ
Bah! Poor Mrs Hinzman.
Hoke across the Australian outback? Good luck with that.
Olive, the other reindeer đ
This is freaking hilarious.
There's an 80s vibe here. I am loving this.
Cinderella Story: Christmas Wish, eat your heart out (pun intended).
Why is there always no signal? Why do the mobile towers stop working when there are zombies? Do all the technicians go first or something?
Potassium.
I don't think Steph's really American...
Not the snow AND the army?? The world really is ending.
Everybody's dead, Dave.
Kill, marry, shag - nice to know *either* kids still play that or this really was written by people my age and I'm loving it.
Why don't they have any weapons?
Ugh. Of course Nick survived.
I see everyone has parental issues.
You can tell it's not American, there are no guns.
And the bad boys get to do a song. Noice.
Holy shit. That's hotter than it should beâŠ
A shopping trolley full of toilet paper. That guy has his priorities sorted.
Nick's eyes are quite amazing. And his voice, though. Jesus-H-Christ.
Don't leave your toilet paper behind!
Oh...not the penguinsâŠ
I'm Spartacus.
Oh, are we kicking out the beat friend love story? I could be okay with thisâŠ
I want a candy cane murdering weapon
Not Tibsy!
...and then there were five.
Not John!! Cut his hand off. Quickly!!
NOOOOO!!!
I haven't felt this betrayed since Hedwig and Dobby diedâŠ
Yes, Anna! You got this, girl.
Holy shit. What's the VP done?
He didn't đ± that rotter!
Now there are serious Rocky Horror vibes.
But is she a zombie? Phew
Not Gran, too.
Yes, Mr Zombie. I too get distracted by shiny things.
Oh, two down at once!
Damnit, that is the cutest and saddest thing ever.
Yes, a song! I need a song. Tempo change!
Yasssss đđ
I feel like I've seen that school before⊠Sex Education?
ARGH đđ±đđđđ
