“I guess you can paint over the wall of a haunted house but the ghosts are still there” -Charlie (Zarif)
We may have said this before and if not in these pages then for sure on our socials somewhere but Alice Maio Mackay is the kind of artist who at 19 has done more than we ever did at that age making us equally envious and in awe especially with latest film Carnage For Christmas on the horizon and being, perhaps, the young writer/director’s best yet???
Best in the burgeoning Mackay-niverse? Maio-verse? AMM World? Whatever it might eventually be dubbed, the theatrical world that Mackay is creating is kind of astonishing with rich, fully fleshed out characters (Complete with actors who keep coming back for more) to the extent that we’re hoping there’s eventually some kind of View Askewniverse meets American Horror Story mega movie with the actors reprising their various roles (Well, the ones who survived anyway…) throughout T-Blockers, So Vam, Bad Girl Boogey, and others for one Horror epic!
Anyway, Art The Clown may have finally met his match as there’s another Christmas-themed Horror banger on the way in 2024 with Carnage For Christmas bringing not only Mackay’s (Who co-wrote the film with Ben Pahl Robinson) penchant for inclusivity but also the Terror (Of course!) Jeremy Moineu stars as “Lola”, a true crime podcaster (And amateur detective in her own right) who is venturing back home for the first time since transitioning and not only having to deal with bigots and former friends who constantly judge but also the urban legend of “The Toymaker” who has taken to taking out minorities and members of the LGBTQ+ community one by one (Covered up as a “Botched Robbery” by the local police each time) until someone can put an end to this new reign of terror.
Along for the ride are Mackay newcomers Olivia Deeble who pops up as Lola’s co-host “Riley” and Dominique Booth as “Danielle” alongside the familiar faces of Lisa Fanto (“Abby”), Zarif (“Charlie”), Molly Ferguson (“Sally”), Lewi Dawson (“Kat”), Chris Asimos (“Banks”), Satrantic Panic stand out Cassie Hamilton (“Farrah”) and Toshiro Glenn to name a few. Also on board is The People’s Joker‘s own Vera Drew who plays “Newswoman” in addition to editing the film. Add in a festive score from Alexander Taylor, some true jump scares and truly gnarly kills (Thanks to Adele Shearwin’s SFX), one of the best finale’s yet for a Mackay film, definitely the most badass heroine in Lola since Fanto’s “Angel” crushed all the heads in Bad Girl Boogey, and Carnage For Christmas delivers all the gifts regardless of if you’ve been naughty or nice. Or maybe a little bit of both for good measure?
Carnage For Christmas stops by Salem Horror Fest on Saturday, May 4th at Die With Your Boots On. For all the details on that and the rest of the Weekend II screenings, head here. For more on Alice Maio Mackay and what’s next on the film front (Werewolves? Folk Horror? Found Footage?) follow the socials across the interwebs by heading here or here. And for more from Salem Horror Fest, including info on all the rest of the screenings and events happening this year, be sure to follow the socials by heading here, here, and here.