Alas,
Santa Land was another victim of the War on Christmas. Sure, they say a handful
of kids died on the theme park’s rides, but that was probably no great loss. The
truth is most people just stopped caring about Santa, but not “The Adventure
Girls.” That hardy band of YouTube urban explorers has come to Santa Land, but they
find it is not as abandoned as they expected in Spooky Dan Walker’s Slay Belles (trailer here), which releases
today on VOD.
According
to the local forest ranger, some kind of wild animal has been attacking
children and families, but that will not deter the intrepid Adventure Girls. Usually,
it is just Dahlia and Sadie, but their friend Alexi joins them on this
expedition. At first, the tacky remnants of Santa Land look perfect for them,
until the feral monster attacks. Fortunately, the real Santa saves them just in
the nick of time. Of course, crusty Kris is familiar with the beast out there. It
is his old nemesis, Krampus.
Did
we mention the Adventure Girls do their exploring in tight-fitting cos-play
outfits, or does that go without saying? Regardless, you have to give Hannah
Wagner, Kristina Klebe, and Susan Slaughter credit for being good sports on a
number of counts, starting with wardrobe. They also keep the energy level
cranked way up, dashing about, causing all kinds of mayhem. This might be a cornball
horndog movie, but they rattle off their dialogue with a rat-a-tat briskness
that would please Howard Hawks.
Of
course, Barry Bostwick is perfectly cast as the spaced-out hermit Santa. Every time
he exclaims “Krampus!,” it brings to mind the “Best Brains” logo stinger that
used to end each episode of MST3K.
That is a compliment, believe it, or not. Regardless, he is quite droll playing
off the ladies. As an added bonus, Richard Moll from Night Court and Sean Cunningham’s House pops up as one of the confused local cops.
Obviously,
Slay Belles is a larky meathead
movie, but the three protags are so upbeat and earnest, it is impossible to
dislike it. It only runs a mere 77-minutes, but Spooky Dan Walker’s warp-speed
pacing makes it feel even quicker. Compared to other Christmas horror films, it
really is an endearingly silly treat that should go down nice and smooth with a
glass of eggnog. Highly recommended for fans of goofy horror comedies, Slay Belles releases today (12/4)
on-demand.
