Jim Carrey was apparently not a fun guy to be around during production of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, as he found the make-up process extremely unpleasant, despite the end result being nothing short of amazing. I imagine all that negativity exhibited by Carrey, lingered in the air above Whoville, until some twisted Christmas magic materialised it in the form of The Mean One, a dark festive slaying, available now on DVD from Eagle Entertainment.
After her parents are murdered on Christmas Eve by a legally safe grinch-like creature, Cindy must defend her sleepy little town from a new reign of terror twenty years later, saving Christmas in the process.
Wrapped and gifted as a parody of the beloved 1957 Dr. Seuss’ book, this schlock-mas horror does take care to avoid using any language from its source material due to the film being technically unauthorised by copywrite holders. However, it’s hard to miss the creature’s uncanny likeness to Ron Howard’s official big-screen adaptation. I don’t want to speak too harshly about this movie, because I know some will enjoy it, but I will say it’s better than a lump of coal in your stocking. Despite the low-end production, our creature is not a CGI nightmare nor a dollar-store version of the classic Grinch. However, the make-up seems a little stiff. All in all, this film doesn’t waste time getting to the point so if you’re here for some carnage with tinsel, flashing lights and Christmas trees, you won’t be disappointed.
VIDEO AND AUDIO
Viability in Australia’s physical media market is often difficult to maintain. Still, Eagle Entertainment is a well-practised label with its modest DVD editions, and in the case of The Mean One, it’s pretty stock standard in terms of standard-definition media. Presented in 2.50:1 (16:9) widescreen with solid, but slightly tinny, Dolby Digital 5.1 track.
THE MEAN ONE is now available to rent digitally from all major digital platforms (AppleTV, Google TV, Google Play, Fetch, Telstra TV and YouTube) and on DVD (JBHIFI, SANITY) from Eagle Entertainment Australia.
THE MEAN ONE
(2022, directors: Steven LaMorte)
★★½
stills courtesy of Eagle Entertainment
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