Monday, December 22, 2025
Monday, December 22nd, Sacrilegious Cinema: Menagerie of Madness amps up the fright and dives headfirst into the heavy hitters of the Christmas themed holiday horror genre we all know and love in order to usher in the upcoming festivities with this unholy triad of terror. Due to popular demand, this week boasts a triple feature, adding a newcomer to the bunch (complete with 2 killer Billy’s in the quintessential classic duo), perfecting the lineup with different decades of seasonal scares to rouse your spirits. 
At 6:30PM, we celebrate the Yuletide cheer with the proto-slasher that helped to catapult an emerging subgenre, as well as introducing the holidays as an untouched treasure cove of concepts for a string of future horror flicks- among these successors being John Carpenter’s classic Halloween (1978). But before Michael Myers was stalking the streets of Haddonfield, Billy Lenz struck terror into the fictional town of Bedford, initiating a slew of vulgar calls to a local sorority house, culminating in a series of brutal murders- this flick combines urban legends with elements of real life serial killers under a feministic lens to bestow viewers with a very Merry BLACK CHRISTMAS (1974).
Legendary director Bob Clark struts his range, releasing not only this horror staple, but nearly a decade later creating a different, more family friendly forward classic with A Christmas Story (1983). Olivia Hussey delivers an outstanding performance as headstrong sorority sister Jess, contributing to one of the earliest examples of a final girl, all while defying many of the virginal qualities equipped with the usual good girl trope fit for the stereotype. Moreover, Margot Kidder makes her mark on horror media with her portrayal of foul-mouthed Barb, as well as veteran character actor John Saxon as the shrewd police lieutenant. Along with the real life murders perpetrated by serial killer Wayne Boden- dubbed “The Vampire Rapist”- occurring around Montreal and Calgary a couple years prior to Black Christmas, the urban legend The Babysitter and the Man Upstairs influenced Roy
Moore’s script, with the nature of Billy’s deranged phone calls reminiscent of the Weepy Voiced Killer (Paul Michael Stefani) in years to come. Black Christmas offers both a psychological and feministic lens, exhibiting a liberation through the narrative and overall atmosphere, avoiding any instances of objectification in favor of fleshing out the female characters, focusing on the idea of sorority girls combating an innately misogynistic assailant without being belittled to damsels in distress or reduced to stock characters existing solely to up the body count; these women possess varying dynamic qualities and feel like real
people. In addition to this, an exploration of abortion pertaining to women’s right for bodily autonomy is presented in the subplot, whilst simultaneously reversing gender roles and turning preconceived notions on their head- with this flick being released a mere year following landmark case Roe v. Wade, it’s surely no coincidence politics finds itself embedded within the story. 
Then, 8:30PM, we break up the vintage Christmas classics and catch up with survivors Sienna and Jonathan 5 years following the Miles County Massacre as they try to recover from the tragedy and leave Art the Clown in the past. Struggling to maintain a sense of normalcy, the siblings aim to allow themselves a reprieve to indulge in some Christmas cheer- but Art has other plans up his sleeve, reemerging to ruin another holiday season for the Shaws, enacting a reign of bloodshed and blasphemy in his perversion of festivities.
Deck the halls with heinous horror with the third installment of the unholy trinity of Damien Leone’s TERRIFIER 3 (2024).
This edition in the iconic trilogy propelled this killer clown to mainstream audiences with an impressive independent release in theaters, securing Art the Clown a spot in the Mount Rushmore of Horror Villains. Leone continues to push the limitations with his infamously gory franchise, coasting on controversy and remaining loyal to his initiative, unwilling to compromise the integrity of what hooked grindhouse fans in the first place— Leone launches an onslaught of mayhem to keep even the most ardent of genre lovers. In the company of the already established cast of the lovely Lauren LaVera and the man behind the merciless clown- David Howard Thornton himself- comes more Samantha Scaffidi from the previous volume in an ever changing incarnation of Vicky, with horror veterans Tom Savini, Clint Howard, Jason Patric (The Lost Boys) appearing in cameos throughout. You may be safe from Santa.. but to Art, it doesn’t make a difference if you’re naughty or nice. 
Finally, at 10:30PM, we visit Utah for SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT (1984), taking an excursion through Billy’s tainted past, gaining insight into his aversion to Santa Claus, surmounting in a deep seeded childhood trauma that is only exploited and never resolved. Though not the first film to bring audiences a killer clad St. Nick, it did stir up the most contention, both hurting and helping the movie’s reputation.
Charles Sellier Jr.’s Silent Night, Deadly Night practically axed his career, forcing him to eventually retire from show business altogether in light of the controversy surrounding the picture. Nevertheless, this slasher submits clever shots, utilizing misdirection and symbolism aligning with Billy’s pathology, allowing audiences a glimpse into the psychological landscape consuming a murderer’s mind, all while daring to critique the hypocrisy within the way sinister individuals weaponize Christianity to uplift their own schadenfreude. Furthermore, sex and violence become intertwined in a parallel, harking back to the protagonist’s trigger.
Iconic scream queen and sex symbol Linnea Quigley stars in this pivotal holiday romp, attributing to one of the most celebrated kills in the horror hall of fame. Come for the slay ride on this silent, albeit deadly night. Leave it to Billy to play god and decide whether you’ve been naughty or nice. 
Don’t let this night of Christmas carnage at Hot Wax Ybor slip by if you tend to favor the darker side of Yuletide- you’ll regret it. 
No cover charge and FREE POPCORN with purchase. (In addition to psychological insight accompanied by behind the scenes information and observations by your horror hostess).