BlazeLime Strong and Moving!

Ameriatch One of the best films i have seen

Reptileenbu Did you people see the same film I saw?

DipitySkillful an ambitious but ultimately ineffective debut endeavor.

benjaminweber Where to begin with this one? Others have already brought up so many points, so I'll stick with the nightmare imagery. For instance, early on we see Santa's observatory, that he uses to watch children while they sleep. This would not be so bad, Santa is noted for watching all the children of the world, if it wasn't for the huge bizarre-looking face sticking out of the wall, or the ear stuck to a colander to listen to people on Earth.Next, there are Santa's reindeer. At first, this looks like it will be a slightly more modern take on the reindeer, especially given the release date of 1959, by having them as mechanical reindeer powering his sleigh. Then he starts them up, and their eyes open and start to move around. I was expecting them to all start screaming, having been awoken once more to the clockwork nightmare of their existence, trapped in nearly immobile metal bodies perpetually bound to a sleigh. Arguably what actually happens is worse, when one of them stares directly into the camera for several seconds emitting a terrifying laughing sound.There are other moments as well, such as Santa using a dangerous weapon he was delivering to a 'good' little boy to fight Pitch, but there isn't sufficient time to go into them all. This film has to be seen to be believed. You may have heard about Santa living with Merlin in outer space, or the racially insensitive multi-cultural slave children Santa has instead of elves, but nothing can quite prepare you for this film.

Aaron1375 This film comes to us via Mexico and features a bit of a different take on Santa Claus. I saw this film as an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000, as I am sure a good many people did. I do not recall ever seeing this one as a child, and that is probably a good thing as it is bizarre to the max! Santa looks pretty much as one would expect; however, he acts in an almost insane way, his flying fortress that he apparently shares with Merlin the magician has all the most advanced spying technology imaginable and instead of elves this Santa uses children to work in his toy making factory! His reindeer are strange maniacally laughing automatons that will turn to dust if exposed to the sun! That does not even make sense! Santa's biggest nemesis is Pitch, a demon who resides in hell! So, yes, this is quite the different take on Santa with only Santa's look being what one would expect. The movie does look good as the quality and the effects are pretty good especially considering it came out in 1959, but it is just so off the wall and some of the things it depicts will make you wonder how did Santa deliver presents to all the good children in the world as apparently there were only three bad ones.The story starts us off by showing Santa's fortress in the sky as kids from all over the world must make toys for the rest of the world. Not sure how these children became slave labor and it seems an odd choice that they are kids and not elves. They could have given them pointy ears and passed them off as elves, but no, they are children from around the world. Then we meet a girl who wishes to have a doll, a boy who just wants his parents by his side and three bad children that want nothing more than to serve Satan and bring Santa Claus down! We also meet Pitch who does a rather good job in stopping Santa in certain areas, the four houses we see Santa deliver presents to, takes forever! It takes him so long that you wonder how he did get through the entire world! This made for a rather good episode of MST3K because of the sheer weirdness of the whole film! The strange lipped machine that talked, the crazy looking reindeer and the fact Santa was battling the devil left the gang on the satellite of love with plenty of things to riff! I believe this one was even more bizarre than a previous Christmas film that was riffed on the show, "Santa Conquers the Martians" and that is quite a feat because that one was rather bizarre too.So, the film looks good for the time it was made and there are a couple of good scenes within as the scene with Santa making the parents remember their son is somewhat touching. However, the sheer oddness and the lame humor take this film down a few pegs. If I were a child watching this I would literally be worried every Christmas because Santa does make such slow progress in the homes that are shown.

wes-connors From his castle above the North Pole in outer space, jolly old "Santa Claus" (Jose Elias Moreno) plays the organ for his workers in Toyland. Santa's helpers are children of "all races and creeds." They dress, work and perform in cultural dress. Like any grade school Christmas show, this long opening segment will be enjoyed by friends and relatives of the kids. Meanwhile, there is trouble brewing in Hell. Intent on destroying Christmas, Satan devilishly orders his dancing demon "Pitch" (Jose Luis Aguirre) to Earth. The mission is to make Earth's children naughty. If kids are behaving badly, Satan believes Santa Claus will become angry and end Christmas..."Santa's most devoted helper, Merlin the wizard," and his personal blacksmith help Santa in a plan to defeat the Devil. A poor Mexican girl resists the urge to steal a doll, but three boys behave badly. If you want to wean your children off Christmas, you could start by showing them this movie. This production is, for the most part, inept. More importantly, the Christian villain (the Devil) doesn't work in the "Santa Claus" story. A mischievous, overworked elf might have made a better antagonist. Two of the better segments occur when a rich boy and a poor girl receive their Christmas gifts. And, it was nice to see Santa poke the squealing Devil in his buttocks, in color.** Santa Claus (11/26/59) Rene Cardona ~ Jose Elias Moreno, Jose Luis Aguirre, Cesareo Quezadas, Armando Arriola

Brittney McDonald (starredco) I watched this movie with the commentary from MST3K and even through that this movie was boring and at times kind of scary. My friends and I have a bad movie night every Sunday to crown what is the worst bad movie, and this one is on the list, it isn't the worst due to you can easily make fun of scenes of some ways the children are portrayed in a raciest fashion, and how Santa not living on earth makes no sense either. I would say if nothing else to watch, (watching a brick wall is better) then at least watch the MST3K version. This movie alone is boring, at times frighting, and just plain weird...and not the good kind of weird at all.