HORROR MOVIE REVIEWS

Christmas movies don't quite hit like horror movies. There's just something about the guaranteed happy ending. Maybe if every once in a while we had a Christmas movie end like Vertigo, Psycho, or even Halloween, things would feel different. Imagine if the Grinch had been arrested, and Boris Karloff narrated his trial! Or what if Scrooge decided that money was more important than the people in his life? I'm not saying it would be right and in the spirit of Christmas, but maybe once in a while, throw in a thrilling ending!

Anyway, we’ll rate a few of our Christmas favorites in the next few weeks and then return to horror and suspense! Today, we’re reviewing How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

Monsters/Villains: 🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖 (7.4)

Let’s be clear—there is only one Grinch. The other versions I’ve seen don’t quite capture the magic of turning a half-hour story into a full-length feature film. Less is more, folks! The 1963 version of Dr. Seuss’s classic is a masterpiece, and of course, Boris Karloff delivers as the voice of the Grinch and narrator of the story. Dr. Seuss originally worried Karloff’s voice might scare kids, but without him, would we even know who the Grinch is today? Karloff nails it. Honestly, this might be the second-best green monster Karloff ever portrayed!

Actors/Characters: 🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖 (8.1)

Karloff steals the show here—though is it really stealing if you have 95% of the lines? I'll look into that! But, Karloff’s performance is iconic. Thurl Ravenscroft, who sang “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch,” was originally uncredited, and that's a huge disservice. First of all, Thurl is a top-3 name of all time. Second, that deep, menacing voice was perfect for the song. And third, the dude was the voice of Tony the Tiger! If you don’t know who Tony the Tiger is, we’d politely ask you to leave the blog! Even though Ravenscroft didn’t act in the film, his and Karloff’s combined voices create a legendary duo.

Story: 🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖 (6.4)

The story is taken straight from the Dr. Seuss book, which provides a great outline and is easy to follow. And it’s only 26 minutes long—perfect for keeping kids (and, let’s be honest, us) entertained.

JOE SCORE: 🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖🤖 (6.6)

From Dr. Seuss to Ravenscroft to Karloff, this is a fun Christmas classic that the whole family can enjoy.

Overall Score: 7.12