What is a Caulbearer and Why is it Spooky? The critical reception of "The Devil of Christmas" was very strong, with praise directed at the writing, acting and production. This special follows the show's seventh season which aired earlier this year, with an eighth and a ninth both confirmed for the coming years. I had to rewind the unrealistic slap many times it had me in stitches! In the UK? Perfection! This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Set in 1977, 'The Devil of Christmas' follows a young family settling into their alpine cabin in Austria on "Krampusnacht". The next day, scratches are found on Toby's body, and Celia leaves with the child. But this is, of course, Inside Number 9, where things are never as they seem, and I have been a fool to judge it prematurely. The show's new Christmas special, The Bones of St Nicholas, is set to air this week. Set in December 1977, the film follows Julian, his pregnant wife Kathy, his mother Celia and his son Toby as they are shown into an Austrian Alpine chalet by Klaus. It is revealed that he has been speaking to a police officer; who terminates the interview here. A night out with friends - sounds like fun. Trivia IMDbPro All topics The Devil of Christmas Episode aired Dec 27, 2016 TV-MA 29m IMDb RATING 7.6 /10 1.8K YOUR RATING Rate Comedy Crime Drama A director talks about his old horror film. Each episode presents a different self-contained story and a different set of characters, linked only by the fact that the story takes place at a number 9, whether its a suburban house or a gothic mansion. The movie is played as Dennis gives commentary. This was one of the first episodes of Inside No. Were a good three quarters into the episode by this stage and, whilst Im enjoying it almost too much, I cant help but shake the niggle that Im enjoying it solely because of my nostalgia for the shows of which it is so obviously a pastiche. Would an entire crew collude in something so horrific? To do something where we can embrace the tradition of the ghost story of Christmas, which weve never really done before, was brilliant. Toby heads to bed, and Kathy speculates that Toby was sleepwalking the night before, becoming agitated when Julian and Celia are unconvinced. 9Producer, Adam Tandy, said:Studio D has the heritage and familiar atmosphere that I remember from when I worked at Elstree in the 1980s. Before bed, Toby leaves out his boots for the Krampus, and Kathy empties a bottle of tablets. Inside No. 9 The Bones of St. Nicholas Review: A Perfect Christmas Not just the best episode of this series but one of the best bits of modern television made!! The party discuss their plans until Toby is struck by an unpleasant painting of the Krampus on the wall. Doctor Who (1963) (TV Series) Director mentions the show. 'Inside No. 9' Christmas special review: 'The Devil Of Christmas' She confesses that her baby isn't Julian's, just as the Krampus breaks into the house. TVTropes is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Julian later finds Kathy downstairs. Sorry, it's due to rights issues. Some of the data that are collected include the number of visitors, their source, and the pages they visit anonymously. The episode was directed by Graeme Harper and written by Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton. Celia calls to say she and Toby are safely home, and Kathy admits that her child is not Julian's. I cant help but wonder what modern audiences will make of it, and whether or not the story beneath the wobbling sets and bad acting is actually any good. [10] The whole filming process took only two days, with the cast taking minimal breaks between shoots. They actually used equipment from the time. The Devil of Christmas - Wikipedia CHRIS NEWTON says Inside Number 9s The Devil of Christmas adds a dark twist to your normal Christmas TV fare. Since finding out about the BBC series in the early 2000's,The League of Gentlemen: Yule Never Leave has become one of my few regular X- Mas viewings. [9] Louisa Mellor, of the entertainment website Den of Geek, explained that "from the aspect ratio to the music, title font, sets, lighting, camera moves, hair, make-up and costume everything was recognisable from the sort of 1970s television plays that, when you think about it, may have provided inspiration for Inside No. Evident from the light trails from candle light from the camera panning across and resolution. Set in December 1977, the film follows Julian, his pregnant wife Kathy, his mother Celia and his son Toby as they are shown into an Austrian Alpine chalet by Klaus. My dear personal favourite episode of the whole show simply for how many levels of enjoyment there are to be had from it. If you love anything christmas horror or Krampus-related, then you need to check this episode out! "The Devil of Christmas", which is set in December 1977, begins with an English family (played by Pemberton, Rula Lenska, Jessica Raine and George Bedford) arriving at an Austrian Alpine chalet, where their guide (played by Shearsmith) tells them the story of the Krampus. Unlikely, but wheres the fun in picking logic holes? Its not easy being this bad. YouTube sets this cookie via embedded youtube-videos and registers anonymous statistical data. Filmed using equipment from the 70s. You want to make it different in its own way and a treat for the viewer. Everything down to the aspect ratio and color contrast is designed to replicate the feel of VHS comfort (maybe betamax). The tacky kitsch 70s colouring of the camera work is visually stunning and the whole ethos makes it feel as though it was produced and filmed in the 1970s. That night, Julian finds that Kathy has scratches on her back, and the pair discover that her boots are stuffed with switches. Watch Inside No. 9 - S3:E1 The Devil of Christmas (2016) Online | Free I wouldn't necessarily put in the league of famous Christmas movies such as Die Hard and Home Alone, as Inside No 9 is in its own class. The _ga cookie, installed by Google Analytics, calculates visitor, session and campaign data and also keeps track of site usage for the site's analytics report. 9. "The Krampus" is revealed to be Klaus in a costume, but Klaus then removes a fake moustache and drops his accent; he is Simon, Kathy's lover. Gandhi (1982) . The caretaker, Klaus, tells them about a loc Read allA director talks about his old horror film. 9, and the first episode of the third series. [16] In i, an unsigned review of "The Bill"the second episode of the third seriessuggested that viewers may have been put off the programme by the "rather nasty final couple of minutes" of "The Devil of Christmas". [33], Though Jackson considered the ending "overwrought", he felt that it "pulled the rug"; "turning on a sixpence, the screams of 'Kathy' turned truly horrifying; the tackiness suddenly real and disturbing". Please enable JavaScript to take full advantage of iPlayer. Inside No 9 - 'The Devil of Christmas' - The Boar For the most part, critics responded extremely positively to "The Devil of Christmas"; it was awarded five out of five stars by Adam White of The Telegraph,[20] four out of five stars by James Jackson of The Times,[9] and selected as "pick of the day" by Gerard Gilbert of i. From the comically sinister minds of Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith come deliciously dark and twisted stories. 9 on TV? A very special invitation to Elliot Quinn's final exhibition. Fulcher explains that there is a final scene. (Just about everyone involved here, incidentally, has appeared onWho, from Rula Lenska in the classicResurrection Of The Daleksto Derek Jacobi in series threesUtopia, Steve Pemberton in series 4sThe Silence In The Library, Jessica Raine in series sevensHideanother 1970s-set storyand Reece Shearsmith in series ninesSleep No Moreand of course as Patrick Troughton in An Adventure In Space And Time. And here the episode takes a genuinely horrific turn. I had never heard of the British anthology show Inside No. After the main run of The League of Gentlemen TV series finished in October 2002, Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith continued to work together, first on the (very) dark sitcom Psychoville (2009-2011) and later on the constantly clever and innovative anthology series Inside No.9 (2014-). Klaus tells of the Krampus, unnerving Kathy. JavaScript seems to be disabled. [11] For many critics, the final twist was praiseworthy; it was characterised variously as the episode's "secret weapon",[14] "very fitting",[30] "suitably macabre",[19] and "fantastically nasty". The terrified wife / dismissive husband dynamic is reminiscent of the lead characters in Baby, the terrifying episode of another classic British anthology show, 1976s Beasts. The Devil of Christmas BBC iPlayer only works in the UK. The dodgy- costumed Krampus turns out to be just that, a man in a monster suit. The script is witty, watertight and delivers a great ending. Klaus tells of the Krampus, unnerving Kathy. I wasn't really a fan of this one although I love the same source material that the guys here were referencing. He needs his medication, but Kathy watches him die, holding his empty pill bottle for him to see. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. [4] Further information, including hints at settings and confirmed performers, was released in January 2016, when the series began filming. The slightly shaky emphasis zooms, the rogue camera straying into the edge of shot, the audible yet ignored sound of somebody banging into something on set it was a carefully done thing and spot-on as pastiche. BBC iPlayer - Inside No. The retro send-up provided enough entertainment on its ownthese days you have to be very good to make TV that badbut this being a time of year for excess,Inside No. One of my two or three top episodes of the first four seasons. Toby heads to bed, and Kathy speculates that Toby was sleepwalking the night before, becoming agitated when Julian and Celia are unconvinced. Inside No.9 - Commentary of The Devil of Christmas - YouTube The styling was heightened to the extent we all knew what we were laughing at, but pulled back just before it went full Garth Marenghi. The Devonshires arrive at the alpine chalet for a holiday. Of course not much skiing takes place. Is this relevant? http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/InsideNo9S3E1TheDevilOfChristmas. [14] Ian Hyland, writing for The Mirror in 2017, called it the most memorable television over the Christmas period. Its here that Raines previously stiff acting pays off, and as she screams and squirms with such palpable terror, the contrast is so believable that its almost uncomfortable to watch. "The Devil of Christmas" was filmed "in the style of a '70s portmanteau horror episode". The episode opens with a VT clock slate for a film named The Devil of Christmas. Except all three are actually an actor called Ralph. The Devonshires arrive at the alpine chalet for a holiday. Get the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox! Inside No. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Throughout the movie, Dennis discusses its production, commenting on matters such as continuity errors and the casting. A very special invitation to Elliot Quinn's final exhibition at The Nine Gallery. . Inside No. Julian notices mysterious injuries on Kathy's body - part of the Krampus legend. By Bruce Dessau on 24/12/2016. BBC iPlayer - Inside No. 9 - Series 3: 1. The Devil of Christmas Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. Or Simon, as he is revealed to be without his false moustache and cod-Austrian accent. Season 3. Klaus, to be precise. I have always been a fan of Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pembertons work in the League of Gentlemen and Psychoville, but Inside Number 9 is my favourite, and this episode is in my opinion the greatest they have made, an episode where I was continually guessing what the inevitable twist would be and despite this I was still left bewildered. Inside No 9 S 3 E 1 The Devil Of Christmas / Recap - TV Tropes Simon claims to be Krampus, and the scene ends with Kathy screaming as "Krampus" cackles. That is until Krampus himself arrives, looking like a bad rubber monster from classic Doctor Who. Inside No. Not forgetting the multiple episodes directed by Graeme Harper). Thinking Out Loud Twist: Nadia has Dissociative Identity Disorder and other people being filmed (besides Bill) are the personalities. For the actors, it was thus more like appearing in a play than a typical 21st century television filming experience. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognize unique visitors. The tone of the performances and dialogue was similarly well-handled. This is a truly great piece of television that works on many levels, but if youre looking for Christmas cheer, this isnt the show for you. This was so unsettling and disturbing, the only thing that comes close in my book is "Two faces of evil" episode of Hammer's house of horrors. Director, Dennis Fulcher (Derek Jacobi), laments a continuity error regarding the placement of the painting in a style that echoes the deliberate gaffes of Garth Marenghis Darkplace. On the first night, bad children will find Krampus has left a switch (a bundle of twigs) in their shoe, on the second they will find he has marked their skin, and, if their mischievous ways are not mended by the third night he will come and drag them to Hell. Inside No. 9 - Wikipedia [9], Critics praised the cast for their hamming and effective delivery of what Bennion called the "stilted, stagy dialogue";[31][14][28][21] Toby Dantzic, writing for The Telegraph's Saturday Review, called the acting "stellar". David and Louise's world is changed forever by a random discovery in a local street. Sort By: Showing all 51 plot keywords . Worzel Gummidge (1979) (TV Series) Director mentions the show. Wow, what an ending. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Dennis says that he is surprised the tape has surfaced again, but says it was "one of the better ones"; The Devil of Christmas, unbeknownst to the main cast, was a snuff film. Klaus, a local man, warns them about the demonic Krampus which preys on naughty children. [17] For Baylis, the ending was unexpected, revealing "darkness of the shabby human kind". This is a really well done homage to 70s / 80s television. This film was never supposed to have any artistic merit, its just footage of a woman being murdered. That night, both Toby and Celia are out of bed, and the figure of the Krampus is seen. [17] White, similarly, argued that "it's a gargantuan, incredibly precise task to make such gloriously terrible TV, a skill reserved for only the greatest of comics". Who better to poke fun at seventies television than one of its stars? Kathy fears that, as per the legend, the Krampus will return a third time and kill her and Toby. Originally arriving as a Christmas special back in 2016, "The Devil of Christmas" is another wonderful dive into horror, but with the trademark wit and invention that we'd come to appreciate from Shearsmith and Pemberton. 9 is a Christmas-themed nightmare, dealing with the old legend of Krampus. Celia calls to say she and Toby are safely home, and Kathy admits that her child is not Julian's. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favour of fair use.#ReeceShearsmith #StevePemberton #InsideNo9 The plot of the film The Devil Of Christmas is a family - a husband Julian (Steve Pemberton) and his pregnant new wife Kathy (Jessica Raine), Julian's son Toby (George Bedford) from a previous marriage and the paternal grandmother Celia (Rula Lenska) all are staying in an Alpine chalet for a Christmas holiday. 9. Macabre, comedic, cleverly plotted,. 9. Now they're back, with a festive ghost story called The Bones of St Nicholas which is set in a reputedly haunted church - and according to Shearsmith, viewers should be prepared for a "spooky", "Christmassy" treat. Subscribe to get Spooky Isles' free newsletter in your inbox every Friday! Suddenly the episodes low budget and amateurish style become its most terrifying aspect. The next day, scratches are found on Toby's body, and Celia leaves with the child. Check out more of our Comedy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. He is the vocalist of the Blackpool-based band Dischord and co-hosts the podcast 'A Book at Breakfast' with Mark Charlesworth. Dennis says that he is surprised the tape has surfaced again, but says it was "one of the better ones"; The Devil of Christmas, unbeknownst to the main cast, was a snuff film. The caretaker, Klaus, tells them about a local legend of Krampus, the Devil of Christmas. Pretty soon you hear the voice narrating the scene, and the film being rewound a little- and realise you are watching a film, which is being watched by it's creator. 'The Devil of Christmas' offers two effective stories in one episode, doing so with good humour and some genuinely affecting frights. This half-hour was about two things: paying nostalgic homage to TV of old and providing the traditional festive chill missing in todays cooking show and celebrity special-stuffed Christmas schedules. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. But Kathy isn't so sure. [7][8], The episode can be understood as a part of the tradition of Christmas ghost stories, which includes the works of Charles Dickens and the BBC's A Ghost Story for Christmas series. 9 (TV Series) The Devil of Christmas (2016) Plot Keywords. Pemberton intended the episode to be a recreation of this kind of classic programming, with critics characterising it as a homage, pastiche or loving parody. 9 Christmas Special! Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for \"fair use\" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. It's on HBO Max and Amazon. The video is rewound so Dennis can comment on a continuity error. Reece Shearsmith teases 'spine-tingling' Inside No. 9 Christmas special Whos Simon? He asks, advancing menacingly. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The Best of Inside No. Vimeo installs this cookie to collect tracking information by setting a unique ID to embed videos to the website. Inside No. The Krampus snatches her, and Julian keels over, clutching his heart. He continues to discuss the film over the remainder of the episode, including commenting on the way that "Celia" misses her marks and fluffs her lines, and the way "Julian" says his lines too quickly in his eagerness to get to another job. Stylistically, it took heavy inspiration from classic 1970s anthology programmes, such as Beasts, Thriller, Tales of the Unexpected and Armchair Thriller, and was filmed using authentic equipment. Our protagonists are the typical 1970s white, middle class English family so prevalent in the aforementioned shows. Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton's black-comedy anthology series Inside No. After all, this is series whos first episode centred around child abuse and ended with all but one of the characters being burned alive. Everything becomes clear in the final scene. The commentary we have been listening to is not a DVD extra, but a recording of a police interview with Fulcher. Browse our new catalogue to inspire you with homeware, gardening tools, books and more! The caretaker, Klaus, tells them about a local legend of Krampus, the Devil of Christmas. Inside No.9 Wikia is a FANDOM TV Community. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. "The Devil of Christmas" is a Christmas special of the British dark comedy anthology television programme Inside No. A fantastic bit of work. It's Austria, Krampusnacht, December 1977. He needs his medication, but Kathy watches him die, holding his empty pill bottle for him to see. It's Austria, Krampusnacht, December 1977. A director talks about his old horror film. Inside No. 9 - 'The Devil of Christmas' | headphonedaydreams 9", "Inside No 9: Keeley Hawes, Philip Glenister, and Morgana Robinson confirmed as Series 3 starts shooting", "When is the next series of Inside No. Inside No. 9: The Devil Of Christmas review | Den of Geek I think that, overall, it is, and the deliberate low budget is passable given that there are no special effects as such, and most of the scares are psychological. Seasonal special of Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith's anthology of comedy dramas. Set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to record the user consent for the cookies in the "Advertisement" category . changed forever by a random discovery in a local street. Kathy offers Simon a glass of celebratory champagne, but he is more interested in tying her to the bed for what she takes to nothing more than kinky fun. [30], Both the comedic and horrific elements of the episode were praised. [24], The episode was directed by Graeme Harper, a veteran television director known for his work on Doctor Who. 9 had been doing since the first series.[11]. After two award winning series, the third batch of episodes kicked But somebody has. All rights reserved. Few shows could pass off such a combination, and Inside No 9 once again makes it look easy. Studio D, the production required the build of a working 1970s television drama set, retro-fitted with broadcast technology authentic to the era. Try 12 issues for 1 today - never miss an issue. Pemberton and Shearsmith are always willing to try something different, and they never fail to give us something surreal and dark, Inside No.9 is always entertaining, generally very good, sometimes outstanding, It's a series that always tries to be different, and in The Devil of Christmas it doesn't come more different then this. Keep up to date with all the dramas - from period to crime to comedy. 9 (TV Series) The Devil of Christmas (2016) Connections. [10] For Pemberton, the 1970s style of the episode was a literal representation of what, metaphorically speaking, Inside No. Give me a cheesy '70s flick and I'd be in heaven. It was first aired on 27 December 2016 on BBC Two. The cameras keep rolling as plastic sheeting is put under "Kathy" by two stagehands for a scene that was not in the script. As a recreation of 1970s anthology programmes, it was considered a success. "Kathy" screams, and the tape cuts just as the machete is about to fall. Meanwhile, all previous episodes are available to stream now on BBC iPlayer. (Beware here be spoilers!). Showing all 6 items. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features NFL Sunday Ticket Press Copyright . What better way to celebrate Roger's promotion than a full-on, old-school karaoke session? [5][6] "The Devil of Christmas", the first episode of this third series, was released as a Christmas special in December 2016, with the remainder of the series following in 2017.