It is Christmas time, the second best time of the year, and that means time to look at obscure Christmas specials!
When I was growing up, two of my favorite shows were Tales from the Cryptkeeper (the much milder cartoon counterpart to HBO's Tales from the Crypt) and Archie's Weird Mysteries. My family was pretty conservative so, despite my insatiable love for the horror genre, I wasn't often allowed to watch anything with a horror theme unless it was a really old black and white horror flick (no complaints there).
Either way, these two shows (along with the Goosebumps books) became an outlet. Even at that, I wasn't technically allowed to watch Tales from the Cryptkeeper, but I snuck it in when I could. I watched Archie's Weird Mysteries more often. And it's combination of b-horror and sci-fi elements made it a show worth remembering.
Archie's Weird Mysteries had one episode that was Christmas themed, and that episode was: The Christmas Phantom!
When I was growing up, two of my favorite shows were Tales from the Cryptkeeper (the much milder cartoon counterpart to HBO's Tales from the Crypt) and Archie's Weird Mysteries. My family was pretty conservative so, despite my insatiable love for the horror genre, I wasn't often allowed to watch anything with a horror theme unless it was a really old black and white horror flick (no complaints there).
Either way, these two shows (along with the Goosebumps books) became an outlet. Even at that, I wasn't technically allowed to watch Tales from the Cryptkeeper, but I snuck it in when I could. I watched Archie's Weird Mysteries more often. And it's combination of b-horror and sci-fi elements made it a show worth remembering.
Archie's Weird Mysteries had one episode that was Christmas themed, and that episode was: The Christmas Phantom!
Archie loves Christmas. He loves spending time with friends, giving presents, and just trying to enjoy the spirit of the season. Unfortunately, his friends have different ideas about Christmas. Jughead only cares about the food, and Archie's girlfriends--the beautiful Betty and Veronica--only want presents.
So Archie takes a job at the local mall as a mall Santa. He hopes to bring cheer to the boys and girls, make enough money to buy presents for his girlfriends, and--hopefully--solve the mystery of the Christmas Phantom who has been haunting the mall.
However, things take a turn for the worse when Archie is accidentally locked in the mall on the night of Christmas Eve! Archie explores the mall and quickly finds that there are toys and a Christmas tree that have come to life to hunt him down.
It is up to Archie to survive the night and solve the mystery so he can get back to his friends before Christmas morning!
So Archie takes a job at the local mall as a mall Santa. He hopes to bring cheer to the boys and girls, make enough money to buy presents for his girlfriends, and--hopefully--solve the mystery of the Christmas Phantom who has been haunting the mall.
However, things take a turn for the worse when Archie is accidentally locked in the mall on the night of Christmas Eve! Archie explores the mall and quickly finds that there are toys and a Christmas tree that have come to life to hunt him down.
It is up to Archie to survive the night and solve the mystery so he can get back to his friends before Christmas morning!
This Christmas special may not be one of the classics like Charlie Brown, Garfield, or (my personal favorite) Tales from the Crypt's "All Through the House," but it does have its charms.
This episode, much like the rest of the series, has a distinct 80s b-horror feel to it. Just the fact that Archie is getting locked in a mall overnight is reminiscent of Chopping Mall. And the animate toys and Christmas tree makes one think of Chucky and Puppet Master. And at the same time the episode has a very Christmasy theme and a Saturday Morning vibe.
Basically, I love this episode. It captures the Christmas spirit along with many of the tropes of b-horror that I love. The episode it fairly silly and simple. There is nothing deep or intricate. It is just a fun horror themed Christmas cartoon. And it even has the cheesy tacked on "moral" for all the kiddies at home.
This episode, much like the rest of the series, has a distinct 80s b-horror feel to it. Just the fact that Archie is getting locked in a mall overnight is reminiscent of Chopping Mall. And the animate toys and Christmas tree makes one think of Chucky and Puppet Master. And at the same time the episode has a very Christmasy theme and a Saturday Morning vibe.
Basically, I love this episode. It captures the Christmas spirit along with many of the tropes of b-horror that I love. The episode it fairly silly and simple. There is nothing deep or intricate. It is just a fun horror themed Christmas cartoon. And it even has the cheesy tacked on "moral" for all the kiddies at home.
Summing it Up
If you are looking for a short, fun, horror themed Christmas cartoon for you or your kids you can't really go wrong with this episode. So get ready for some Christmas cheer and cheesy cartoon horror with Archie's Weird Mysteries "The Christmas Phantom."
Deaths: 0
Language: 0
Gore Factor: 0
Sex Factor: 0
Scare Factor: 1
Fun Factor: 4
Overall Rating: 4
Deaths: 0
Language: 0
Gore Factor: 0
Sex Factor: 0
Scare Factor: 1
Fun Factor: 4
Overall Rating: 4