Deadly Games: Dial Code Santa Clause

Director - Rene Manzor (Deadly Nightmares, Highlander)

Starring - Brigitte Fossey (The Last Butterfly, The Party), Louis Ducreux (The Night Affair, The Double Life of Veronique), and Patrick Floersheim (Elephant Tales, Skyland)

Release Date - 1989

Genre - Horror/Action

Format - 4K Ultra HD

Rating (Out of 5):

     Over the years I've searched for as many Christmas themed horror movies as I could find.  This search has put me in touch with some true holiday classics but some of these Christmas treats are a little harder than others to track down.  Many moons ago I was browsing my old stomping ground, UHM, when I came across an older post for Christmas horror movies.  The movie Code Pere Noel was mentioned along with a few screen shots from the movie.  It looked fun so I inquired about it.  Many on the message board claimed that it was ripped off by Home Alone the year after it was released.  I tried to grab a copy of this one but it was a little difficult to track down and then, like so many movies I've looked for, I forgot about it when I came across a few dead ends.  However, sometime back Vinegar Syndrome announced that Code Per Noel, aka Deadly Games: Dial Code Santa Clause, as part of their 4K line.  I jumped on it and couldn't wait to spin it this December.  

     The film follows a wealthy boy who is extremely clever.  His mother is a very successful business owner and they live with his elderly grandpa.  With Christmas approaching he has set in motion a plan to catch Santa in the act.  However, with his mom out of the house for the evening, he finds his home invaded by a maniac dressed as Santa.  Armed with his wit and all the finer things money can buy, he must protect his grandfather from the evil intruder.

     Vin Syn's October releases had a few that I was looking forward to checking out.  Necromancer was at the top of my list but Deadly Games was easily second.  I absolutely love holiday themed horror movies.  I grew up on Silent Night Deadly Night and Black Christmas but I'm always up for checking out something I've never seen before that will make it's way into my annual viewing.  Deadly Games was fun and I can see why so many fans claim Home Alone ripped it off.  It's hard to build a case against it when you watch the film and realize it was released one year before Home Alone.   The acting in this one is my least favorite aspect of the film.  I always find it hard to judge international films because every country has their own style.  However, I didn't care for the cast or the acting in this one.  The acting was underwhelming at times and during the more action oriented scenes I found that the cast was overacting.  It went from one extreme to another.  The story for this one is a little uneven but I enjoyed it.  The first portion of the film establishes the characters where the last 20 or 30 minutes follows the kid trapping the evil Santa.  I like how the film approached the story but the portion that most of us want to see is only during the last leg of the film.  Finally, the film has a little blood but if you are looking for a good gory horror flick this one is not for you.  The film relies heavily on character development and story instead of blood and guts.  Overall, Deadly Games is a painfully underrated Christmas gem that deserved the Vinegar Syndrome treatment.  It's not the most gruesome Christmas horror tale I've seen but it's fun and really captures that late 80s charm that a lot of us grew up with.  The 4K from Vin Syn is absolutely top notch.  The audio and video looks great, the artwork from The Dude Designs is absolutely insane, and the special features are worth the price.  Be sure to add this one to your collection.