BUY FROM AMAZON: CLICK HERE!
STUDIO: Shout! Factory
MSRP:$64.99
RATED: Unrated
RUNNING TIME: 360 minutes
SPECIAL FEATURES:
• Santa Claus Conquers The Devil: A 50-Year Retrospective
• Original Santa Claus Trailer
• Original Radio Spot
• Stills Gallery
• Teaser Trailer For The Wonder World of K. Gordon Murray in Colorscope
The Pitch
Satan is tired of all the good deeds of Santa and sends “The Devil” aka Pitch to put a stop to it.
The Humans
Jose Elias Moreno, Jose Luis Aguirre
The Nutshell
Satan tries to tempt children to behave badly on Christmas Eve, going so far as to try and capture Santa himself. Luckily Santa has a variety of magical items to assist him courtesy of Merlin. Did I mention that Santa lives in a castle on a floating island?
The Lowdown
The film begins with Santa introducing his labor force, which are children instead of elves, by having them enact stereotypes from their native lands. Each region or group will have its children stare into the camera while looking confused and possibly trying to sing a ‘representative’ song. The mix of breaking traditional Santa Claus lore with utter bizarreness gives us a good taste of what is to come in this film.
I should probably be offended by this…
Next we are introduced to the antagonist of the film, Pitch, in his native Hell. Lucifer demands he put a stop to Santa’s gift giving. This exchange is a little confusing because Pitch is referred to as The Devil, but apparently is only a servant of Satan. Pitch’s appearance is also pretty typical of a portrayal of Satan, besides the pantaloons and the constant dancing. His ineptitude is similar to that of a cartoon villain, but you would think the world would be a better place if that were the case.
My most terrifying film moment of 2009…
After a nightmarish store window Santa, we are introduced to three sets of children that we will follow through the rest of the film. There is a rich kid whose parents are always gone, a goodhearted poor girl, and three brothers that are up to no good. Pitch tries to influence the girl and the brothers to behave badly, but for some reason the rich boy is left alone. He starts by tormenting little Lupita, tries to get her to steal a doll, but she ultimately is able to resist the temptation. Pitch gives her a nightmare about giant dolls as punishment. The sheer cuteness of Lupita and her hardships make for some genuinely heart-wrenching scenes. Even the biggest Grinch would have trouble not being moved when she asks her mother why Santa does not like her and has never given her presents.
…until I saw this laughing reindeer.
Then it is Santa’s big night and we are introduced to Santa’s various magical items including a parasol, dreaming powder, and a flower to disappear (from Merlin of course). Pitch now tries a series of Home Alone –esque traps to stop Santa is his tracks and is thwarted at every turn. For some reason, Pitch thinks the three naughty brothers will have more success, but they are equally ineffective. Eventually, he steals the magic dreaming powder and flower to disappear and unleashes Santa’s mortal enemy, a dog. Needless to say he eventually escapes and is even able to deliver the doll little Lupita so deserves.
Santa has to call on his friend Merlin, to escape from this situation. Seriously.
This film is the jewel of the set; it is so utterly bizarre and unique that the commentary from Mike and company is not necessary. Unlike the other episodes, I would genuinely be able to recommend the original movie wholeheartedly. I plan to revisit the film every holiday season; hopefully spreading the experience to those unaware of this gem.
The Package
The 50-Year Retrospective of this film provides some pretty interesting insights into this bizarre little gem. Apparently, this film was director, Rene Cardona’s, attempt to introduce Santa Claus to Mexico. And like any great artists, he gives his own unique take on the character. Rather than separating Santa from Christianity, he melds the lore of both, yielding the film you see before you. The documentary actually serves to elevate your appreciation of Santa Claus.