When his dysfunctional family clashes over the holidays, young Max is disillusioned and turns his back on Christmas. Little does he know, this lack of festive spirit has unleashed the wrath of Krampus: a demonic force of ancient evil intent on punishing non-believers. All hell breaks loose as beloved holiday icons take on a monstrous life of their own, laying siege to the fractured family’s home and forcing them to fight for each other if they hope to survive.
For in-depth thoughts on Krampus, please see my colleague Mike Vaughn’s previous op-ed on it here.
The new disc finds the debut of “The Naughty Cut” of the film which adds about four minutes to the runtime overall. Even the most ardent fans of the film will be hard-pressed to find anything that has been substantially altered in this version, as most additions come in the form of smaller stray interpersonal moments. In terms of this being “naughty”, there are a few instances of harsher language, but there does not appear to be any added gore which keeps in line with the original intent of the film. Those wanting Krampus to suddenly become a bloodbath will be disappointed, but there are some character moments that enrich the core themes of the narrative.
Video Quality
The 4K UHD Blu-Ray of Krampus offers a subtle uptick in quality over the already-impressive accompanying Blu-Ray, most notably in its gains in saturation and well-defined textures. The film was finished to a 2K digital intermediate and has been upscaled to 4K. The new disc offers some small improvements in fine detail so that textures within the production design present a bit more clearly in 4K. The black levels are especially strong in this presentation, staying deep and inky with great detail. Elements throughout taking place in varying degrees of shadow are more vivid and finely delineated. The highlights in the film are more defined with whites more pure and balanced with no instances of blooming to be found. With the upgrade to 4K also comes the added benefit of better compression, as this film is allowed more room to breathe on the disc.
Skin tones appear a touch more natural with healthy doses of crisp detail apparent on faces such as pores. There are so many stunning pops in color in the production design that appear with greater vibrancy than before thanks to this Dolby Vision presentation. The most immediate difference with the new transfer supervised by director Michael Dougherty is this slightly shifted color timing which makes the outdoor scenes take on a more icy blue appearance. The increased range of the color spectrum helps bring more nuance to the visual palette of the film. Details like the warm firelight look incredible and quite vivid here. There does not appear any noise reduction or black crush that we detected at any point. For such a dark film, the added depth and definition alone makes this a welcome improvement over any other presentation of the film. Fans should be more than satisfied with the experience.
Audio Quality
This disc comes equipped with a dynamite new Dolby Atmos presentation that brings a much-appreciated depth to the presentation. The addition of the height channels makes this one supremely immersive especially as Krampus is jumping from roof to roof. There are opportunities with the weather effects that possibly could have been integrated a bit more thoroughly, but overall these channels work as a nice complement to the others. Sounds are appropriately rendered with precise directionality from the more kinetic scenes to interpersonal moments of dialogue. Ambient details are plentiful and quite satisfying in the rear and overhead channels. The score from Douglas Pipes envelopes the room in a disquieting manner. Dialogue is presented perfectly clear without ever being overwhelmed by any of the competing sonic elements. The onslaught of Krampus’ minions provides an all-encompassing soundscape that kicks in throughout all the speakers. The low end is engaged quite a bit throughout but especially when Krampus is present. The only slight issue with this track is that it is mixed a bit low so you might have to crank it up a few more notches above your normal listening level. Overall, this expands the soundscape in a very enjoyable manner.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Director-Co-Writer Michael Dougherty and Co-Writers Todd Casey & Zach Shields deliver an entertaining and informative commentary track in which they discuss trying to find minorities in New Zealand for crowd shots, the process of casting the film, the blending of practical set and visual effects, getting the rights to certain Christmas songs, learning about the Krampus legend, the issues that arise working with children, the joy of working with special effects people and more that gives you great insight into the production of this film.
- Interviews
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- A Dash Of Mischief: A nearly 19-minute interview with Director-Co-Writer Michael Dougherty in which he discusses the Krampus legend, getting inspiration from classic postcards, the use of digital technology in the film, working with WETA, last minute additions to the film, the ambiguous ending, the release of the film and more.
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- Storm Of The Centuries: A nearly 9-minute interview with Co-Writer/Producer Todd Casey in which he discusses the evolution of the script away from a traditional horror film, the performers in the film, the practical effects in the film, the design of the minions, this film as a gateway horror film and more.
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- The Great Protector: A nearly 9-minute interview with Actor David Koechner in which he discusses his initial meeting with Michael Dougherty, the process of shooting on a soundstage, getting to have dinner with Peter Jackson, his thoughts on his fellow castmates, what Adam Scott drew on the map while filming scenes and more. This is an absolute delight from beginning to end.
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- Something Bad Happened On Christmas: A nearly 12-minute interview with Actress Allison Tolman in which she discusses moving to LA and getting involved with this project, what it was like having this as her first film, the tips she got from Colin Hanks on working in New Zealand, how Fargo prepared her for working with her castmates, spending time with David Koechner during the off hours, the pranks of Michael Dougherty, her most memorable moment on set, genuine reactions that were captured on film and more. Once again, highly recommend checking this one out from beginning to end.
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- Max’s Journey: A nearly 9-minute interview with Actor Emjay Anthony in which he discusses his experience shooting in New Zealand, near-death experiences, the most intense scene he shot, the enduring legacy of the film and more.
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- Lord Of The Things: A 10-minute interview with WETA’s Richard Taylor in which he discusses meeting Director Michael Dougherty, the nice aspect of having a performer who also helped in constructing the suits, the aspects of the puppets he thinks they could have improved upon, the surprise he encountered at the film’s premiere and more.
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- Mapping Mythology: An 8-minute interview with Storyboard Artist Simeon Wilkins in which he discusses his process of coming up with storyboards, the kinship to Trick r Treat, casting David Koechner in his storyboards and more.
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- I, Krampus: An 11-minute interview with Performer Luke Hawker in which he discusses coming to the project, getting into the mythology of Krampus, the sensation of performing in the Krampus suit, exhausting himself during certain scenes, the film’s legacy and more.
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- A Winter Chorus: An 8-minute interview with Composer Douglas Pipes in which he discusses working with Michael Dougherty, some of his inspirations, taking fragments of classic Christmas tunes and weaving them into the score, not trying to use the score for comedy, creating a more emotional rift on the Krampus theme for the animated sequence and more.
- Krampus Comes Alive!: A five-part featurette on the making of the film which briefly delves into the Krampus legend, the cast of the film, the practical effects that helped bring the villainous figures in the movie to life, stunt work, production design and more.
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- Dougherty’s Vision (3:04)
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- The Naughty Ones: Meet The Cast (4:44)
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- Krampus And His Minions (12:00)
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- Practical Danger (4:58)
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- Inside The Snowglobe: Production Design (4:43)
- Behind-The-Scenes At WETA Workshop – Krampus: A ten-minute archival featurette in which the cast and crew discuss the story and the process of bringing the special effects to life at the magical WETA workshop.
- Deleted/Extended Scenes: Fourteen scenes of unused material totaling 18 minutes are provided here. A few of these moments have been woven back into the Naughty Cut.
- Gag Reel: A five-minute collection of flubbed lines, missed cues, goofing around and more that provides a good deal of laughter.
- Alternate Ending: The minute-and-a-half alternate ending is provided here which still ends the film on a mysterious note.
- Theatrical Trailer: The two-and-a-half minute trailer is provided here.
- Galleries: There are image galleries for Theatrical Poster Art, Creature Art, Story Art, Michael Dougherty Xmas Card Art and Storyboards.
Final Thoughts
Krampus is the unexpected modern holiday classic we did not know we needed. The film captures the chaos of being around family while still striving towards championing the spirit of the season in its own twisted way. Director Michael Dougherty strikes the right balance between holiday and horror movie, delivering something that can play as a family film for more forward-thinking families. Scream Factory has released the new “Naughty Cut” on 4K UHD Blu-Ray featuring a really excellent A/V presentation and an impressive array of supplemental features. If you are a fan of the film, you will want to pick this up immediately to enjoy this during the holiday season. Highly Recommended
Krampus: The Naughty Cut (Collector’s Edition) is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD + Blu-Ray Combo Pack.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Scream Factory has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
