Dial Code Santa Claus (1989).

1. (The Plot)

Dial Code Santa Claus (aka 36.15 Code Pere Noel, aka Deadly Games) is a French film about a 10 year old boy named Thomas who wants to stay up to confirm that Santa Claus is real. Unfortunately, a mentally unstable man dressed up as Santa Claus comes down the chimney instead. A cat and mouse game ensues in a ridiculously elaborate mansion as the man tries to grab the boy, the boy tries to get away, and grandpa tries to see two inches in front of him.

I had heard that his was an ‘inspiration’ for the Home Alone series but there are really not many similarities aside from the kid running from an intruder on Christmas Eve.

2. (The Good)

I thought that the villain (who admittedly makes some really stupid choices) was pretty scary. He has this blank, “there’s not much going on behind those eyes” kind of look to him which is very effective. There’s also this fun kid-like whimsey to the environment, as if you’re watching the whole thing through a snow globe. The house, which is clearly a miniature that is filmed using effective camerawork, helps add to this sense of childhood wonder. It’s also a very original premise, coming out before Home Alone and the many like it later on.

The Vinegar Syndrome disc looks really nice, although some of the scenes has a very “soft” looking picture. It’s in 4K though, and I love seeing 4K remasters of old movies. The disc is packed with extras, including a feature-length interview with the director.

3. (The Bad)

The house and the main character are non-sensical. Apparently Thomas has had free-reign to make batshit structural modifications to parts of his house, including elaborate trap doors and command centers under the floor. Oh, and there’s a room in the house that no one even knows about aside from Thomas (but the killer finds it within thirty minutes of being in the house). The main character is supposed to be a genius, but I never bought it. The film takes a very long time to get into the main plot. It’s over 30 minutes before we really see anything happen.

The filmmaker also commits a crucial film sin - he thinks his audience is stupid. For example, there’s a moment in the beginning of the film in which a dog runs through a hallway and Thomas presses a button on his wrist mounted “Pipboy”. The button activates a trap door that releases in the middle of the hallway, dropping his dog safely onto a rope net below. As an audience member, you know that’s going to come back at some point…and it does. But as the villain is running through the hallway, we need to see Thomas have a flashback to seeing the dog fall into the net. We are not stupid. We know what’s coming. You don’t need to show us.

4. (The Ugly)

A serving spoon? Ouch. That pup deserved better. Then again, the dog’s owner was constantly ensnaring him in traps and throwing plastic stars at him, so I guess it’s tough to know if he was happy anyway. Oh, and the mullet…the mullet. Jeez.

5. (Final Thoughts)

I guess overall, I’m a bit disappointed. For all of the hype this film garnered as a “rated-R Die Hard/Home Alone” mash-up, I was expecting more. I thought the villain was effective and I think the set-up has a lot of potential, but like many low-budget 80’s films, I couldn’t help but think that this would benefit from a remake. I didn’t regret my time watching the film but I probably wouldn’t watch it again. Oh, and if you’re a filmmaker, treat your audience with respect.