Christmas may have been a symbol of joy and festivity, as lightweight festive-themed genres such as family comedies, animated features and inspiring dramas often springs to mind. But what about those who want a splash of gore and violence to subvert the typical holiday cheer? "Krampus" which was released earlier this month may quench our holiday thirst for scares, but here are the five best ho-ho-horror Christmas movies throughout the decades. A word of warning though, the listed movies below are not suitable for family viewing: 1. Black Christmas (1974)
Forget about the dull and unimaginative remake of 2006's "Black Christmas". The original 1974 version was the real deal here. Not only it was hailed as a seminal Christmas horror movie, but also gave birth to a festive/holiday-themed slasher genre that would later inspire countless others to follow. Yes, that means "Black Christmas" actually preceded John Carpenter's 1978 horror classic "Halloween". 2. Gremlins (1984)
Who could forget the cute little creature, Mogwai a.k.a. Gizmo and the ugly yet mischievous gremlins in Joe Dante's classic horror comedy? Combining the cartoonish lunacies of Chuck Jones and Tex Avery while deconstructing Frank Capra's "It's A Wonderful Life" (1946)-like setting inside out, Joe Dante created a unique horror comedy packed with plenty of laughs and scares. Dante, of course, would go on to make the anything-goes sequel "Gremlins 2: The New Batch" six years later. Definitely not for children, but "Gremlins" remained a quintessential festive viewing every Christmas season. 3. Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984)
This low-budget, campy cult classic was a subject of huge controversy upon its original release back in 1984. Apparently the killer (Robert Brian Wilson), who dressed as Santa Claus, has caused such an uproar that the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) demanded for the movie to removed from cinemas due to its subject matter and the fact it was shown around Christmas time. Despite the controversy, "Silent Night, Deadly Night" subsequently inspired four sequels from 1987 to 1991 alongside a 2012 remake starring Malcolm McDowell and Jaime King. 4. Jack Frost (1997)
Not to be confused with the other "Jack Frost" which starred Michael Keaton as a father who died in a car accident and got revived back to life as a snowman, this 1997 version was an outright horror movie. Yes, that's right... a killer snowman! The movie was inane and ridiculous, but this cult classic remained a one-of-its-kind Christmas-themed horror movie that embraced its campy overtones. Those who had seen "Jack Frost" before would probably remember (or feel disgusted) with the bizarre yet controversial "rape" scene between Jack the killer snowman and Jill (Shannon Elizabeth of 1999's "American Pie") in the shower. 5. Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (2010)
Prior to the Samuel L. Jackson-starred actioner in "Big Game", Finnish director Jalmari Helander made his feature debut in "Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale". From the reindeer massacre to a naked Santa, this 18-rated Christmas horror movie was cleverly borrowed from Brothers Grimm-like dark fairy tale structure and the early directorial style of Joe Dante's work (particularly "Gremlins").