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Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (2010)
Tags: (4 votes)
Rating #:
7/10
Director:
Jalmari Helander
Runtime:
84 minutes
Cast:
Per Christian Ellefsen,
Peeter Jakobi,
Tommi Korpela,
Jorma Tommila,
Onni Tommila,
Jonathan Hutchings,
Risto Salmi,
Rauno Juvonen,
Ilmari Järvenpää While America busies itself with remakes and profitable sequels, those in search of something extra-ordinary as of late have had to look over endless miles of oceans to far, far away places…like Finland, the birth place of the dark fantasy thriller Rare Exports. Soon to be hitting limited US theaters, Exports brings a welcomed (and original) addition to the evil Santa subgenre, despite a marginal list of shortcomings.
Taking place within the Korvatunturi Mountains on the Russia/Finland border, Exports tells the story of a young boy named Pietri, who believes the legends that Santa Claus himself lies dormant within the range. Not long after an 
archaeological dig gone awry on the Russian side of the mountains, all of the young children within the surrounding town go missing on Christmas morning, with Pietri being the only one left. The shit doth hittith the fan as a naked, chester looking creepshow, who Pietri believes to be jolly ol' Saint Nick, is found within a wolf trap outside his home. Along with his father and a small group of hunters, Pietri will discover the macabre truth behind the long hidden legend of Santa Claus.
archaeological dig gone awry on the Russian side of the mountains, all of the young children within the surrounding town go missing on Christmas morning, with Pietri being the only one left. The shit doth hittith the fan as a naked, chester looking creepshow, who Pietri believes to be jolly ol' Saint Nick, is found within a wolf trap outside his home. Along with his father and a small group of hunters, Pietri will discover the macabre truth behind the long hidden legend of Santa Claus.With Christmas being the last holiday most people associate with our beloved 
genre, I’m always on the lookout for another yearly treat to fit in between such viewings as Black Christmas and Silent Night, Deadly Night. Though not quite living up to the hype generated on the festival circuit, director Jalmari Helander has utilized what appears to be a limited budget to create an extremely well shot film filled with some truly creepy imagery along with strong effects work and believable acting from the ensemble cast, including Omni Tommila as Pietri. Weaving together a story with a quirky group of characters and some entertaining twists, the film’s set up is packed with 
promise that it falls just short of delivering on, but still has enough charisma and behind the scenes talent to hook the audience in.
genre, I’m always on the lookout for another yearly treat to fit in between such viewings as Black Christmas and Silent Night, Deadly Night. Though not quite living up to the hype generated on the festival circuit, director Jalmari Helander has utilized what appears to be a limited budget to create an extremely well shot film filled with some truly creepy imagery along with strong effects work and believable acting from the ensemble cast, including Omni Tommila as Pietri. Weaving together a story with a quirky group of characters and some entertaining twists, the film’s set up is packed with promise that it falls just short of delivering on, but still has enough charisma and behind the scenes talent to hook the audience in.Told from a child’s prospective, and featuring a healthy dose of dark humor, Rare Exports has been frequently compared to the likes of Gremlins, Monster Squad, The Goonies, and any number of classic 80s gems. And these comparisons aren’t without their merit. However, the main difference between all of these aforementioned classics and this one is that they all had this 
undeniable sense of fun that withstood repeat viewings. Rare Exports comes close, but in the end it just never hit that level for me. And while I would hardly classify this as a family friendly film, it wouldn’t have hurt if they went just a TAD more mean spirited and grim, of which the materials lends itself to.
undeniable sense of fun that withstood repeat viewings. Rare Exports comes close, but in the end it just never hit that level for me. And while I would hardly classify this as a family friendly film, it wouldn’t have hurt if they went just a TAD more mean spirited and grim, of which the materials lends itself to.Clocking in at a scant 80 minutes, Exports left me wishing they had fleshed it out for at least another twenty minutes. I wanted more, dag nabbit! Though on the plus side, I guess it’s better to complain that a movie is too short, than complain about it over staying its welcome. Probably due to budgetary reasons, we never get the big reveal that the filmmakers tease us with, so I have my fingers crossed for a sequel of epic epicness.
Though it never reaches its full potential, Rare Exports still remains an entertainingly lurid little Christmas treat thanks to its great production value and fresh take on the ever popular evil Santa subgenre that should fit in well within everyone’s holiday horror collection.
| Posted on November 28, 2010 - 8:02pm | Johnny D |
Dates are tentative and subject to change.
- Fri, May 25, 2012 (VOD)
- Fri, May 25, 2012
- Fri, June 1, 2012
- Fri, June 1, 2012 (Limited)
- Fri, June 8, 2012
- Tue, June 12, 2012 (DVD)
- Tue, June 12, 2012 (DVD)
- Fri, June 22, 2012
- Tue, June 26, 2012 (DVD)
- Tue, July 10, 2012 (DVD)
- Fri, July 13, 2012
- Tue, July 24, 2012 (DVD)
- Fri, August 3, 2012 (VOD)
- Tue, August 14, 2012 (VOD)(DVD)
- Fri, August 17, 2012
- Fri, August 24, 2012
- Fri, August 31, 2012 (VOD)
- Fri, August 31, 2012
- Fri, September 14, 2012
- Fri, September 21, 2012
- Fri, September 28, 2012 (VOD)
- Fri, October 5, 2012
- Fri, October 19, 2012
- Fri, January 4, 2013
- Fri, January 11, 2013
- Fri, January 11, 2013
- Fri, February 1, 2013
- Fri, February 22, 2013
- Fri, March 15, 2013
- Fri, April 12, 2013
- Fri, June 21, 2013
- Fri, June 28, 2013
- Fri, July 12, 2013
- Fri, October 18, 2013
Scandinavian horro movies are always quite good. Something about the cold desolation that adds an extra creepiness to their films. Never thought about combining Scandanavian Santa Claus legends with hooror though, might be interesting to watch!
This sounds very interesting... From the review, I'm not sure why, but I had this slight feeling of Ginger Snaps meets Trick 'r' Treat meets Let The Right One In... with 75% more Santa for added flavor.
I'm looking forward to seeing this, being a huge fan of low budget and foreign horror. Is there a set date for the US theater releasing?
It's getting a US theatrical release on December 3rd, though as to how wide of a release remains to be seen.
Well alright, I'll have to keep my eye on the theaters' movie lists. Thanks.
Theater listings...for now...
12/03/10 - New York, NY - IFC Center
12/10/10 - Los Angeles, CA - Laemmle Sunset 5
12/10/10 - Minneapolis, MN - Landmark Lagoon
12/10/10 - Pasadena, CA - Laemmle Playhouse
12/10/10 - Portland, OR - Regal Fox Tower
12/10/10 - Seattle, WA - Landmark Varsity
12/12/10 - Albuquerque, NM - Guild
12/16/10 - Juneau, AK - Gold Town Nickelodeon
12/17/10 - Berkeley, CA - Landmark Shattuck
12/17/10 - Boston, MA - Landmark Kendall Square
12/17/10 - Columbia, MO - Ragtag
12/17/10 - Denver, CO - Landmark Mayan
12/17/10 - Fort Collins, CO - Lyric
12/17/10 - Irvine, CA - Regal Westpark 8
12/17/10 - Kansas City, MO - Screenland
12/17/10 - Mobile, AL - Cresent Theater
12/17/10 - Port Orchard, WA - Historic Orchard Theater
12/17/10 - San Francisco, CA - Landmark Opera Plaza
12/17/10 - Springfield, MO - Moxie
12/17/10 - Tulsa, OK - Circle Theater
12/17/10 - Washington, DC - Landmark E Street
12/22/10 - Philadelphia, PA - Landmark Ritz Bourse
12/22/10 - Portland, ME - Space Gallery
12/24/10 - Albuquerque, NM - Guild
12/24/10 - Chicago, IL - Music Box
12/24/10 - Nashville, TN - Belcourt Theatre
12/25/10 - Albuquerque, NM - Guild
12/25/10 - Columbus, OH - Gateway Film Center
12/31/10 - Spokane, WA - Magic Lantern
Lame limited release