It’s not that time of the year: Halloween has come and gone, and, seemingly, so has everyone’s appetite for horror movies. These days, the end of October basically means start of Christmas in everyone’s minds, but if you want to hold off on the ho-ho-ho’s and keep the blood flowing, there are some seasonal Thanksgiving-themed horror movies for you to enjoy, or at least make fun of with your friends. So stock up on the popcorn, this is what Thanksgiving Horror Movie night at your house should look like.
ThanksKilling
Prime ‘so bad, it’s good’ material. It’s Thanksgiving, five representatives of collegiate stereotypes, a demonic turkey. The kids embark on a journey home, but not before they enjoy some debauchery in the woods. What they didn’t expect is a possessed turkey necromanced by an Indian curse. Watch the foul-mouthed and hilarious Turkie (The Killer Turkey) destroy logic and your sense of taste. A must-see for horror camp fans.
ThanksKilling 3
No, we’re not skipping over one because it’s too good. That’s actually part of the plot of this movie: ThanksKilling 2 is a real movie in this universe, and all but one copy have been destroyed. That last copy is in the hands of crude puppets, and Turkie’s mission is to kill his way to get to the movie. This is an even bigger camp-and-trash fest than the previous one, and if you think you know what to expect after seeing the first one, you don’t.
Eli Roth’s Thanksgiving
Eli Roth’s Grindhouse contribution has ignited fans of 70’s era exploitation B-movies. Even though the fake trailer is just under three minutes, it packs a gory punch. The plot, ultimately, comes last here. But hopes are high since Roth has confirmed that he’s working on a feature-length film for the trailer.
Scott Ennis’ Thanksgiving
Another movie called Thanksgiving, except this one takes itself seriously, for a change of pace. The thing that usually hooks people to see the movie is the fact that it was made (everything from being written to being shot and marketed) in less than twenty-one days. In case you’re wondering, yes, it shows. The plot revolves around a young couple about to sit down for thanksgiving dinner, when they are interrupted by the arrival of a young stranger in need of help. He turns out to be a psychotic killer who wants the couple to participate in his twisted game before he murders them.
Blood Rage
In the mood for a good old 80’s slasher? Here’s the set-up: a psychotic killer frames his twin brother for a gruesome murder he never committed. He is convicted to an asylum, years pass by. On one Thanksgiving, the convicted brother escapes captivity and the non-convicted brother goes on a rampage to make sure the escapee is put back into the asylum. A camp cult classic that’s never quite reached cult status. Watch for the unintentionally hilarious everything.
Kristy
A college girl stays on campus for Thanksgiving break. Unbeknownst to her, a cult of deranged psychopaths is hunting her, turning a blissful time off from school into a kill-or-be-killed nightmare scenario. This is a slow-burning survival-slasher horror hybrid for the millennial generation, and everyone who enjoys quality, suspenseful directing is going to get a kick out of this movie. Don’t watch it alone!
All in all, thanksgiving is a time for being grateful. What you want to be grateful for is up to you, but one of the options is being thankful for good old schlock horror for always being there when you need a pick-me-up. Whatever the setting, you can always rely on a so-bad-it’s good horror movie party to get you out of a jam. So if you don’t have any plans this thanksgiving, just stock up on popcorn and refreshments, invite your friends over, and pop in one of these bad boys. Good times are guaranteed.
