REVIEW: David Howard Thornton has slashing good time in ‘The Mean One’
Photo: David Howard Thornton dons the makeup again, but this time not to portray Art the Clown, but rather the Mean One. Photo courtesy of film company / Provided by press agent with permission.
David Howard Thornton, the actor who portrays Art the Clown in the Terrifier movies, has once again given horror fans a delectable treat, this time as the title character in The Mean One, a scary parody of Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! Many of the well-known elements of the story are present and accounted for (although never directly mentioned by name), but this time around, there’s also a whole lot of blood. The Mean One, as he’s referred to in the film, not only attempts to ruin Christmas plans, but he’s also slashing his way through the townsfolk who populate the small village beneath his iconic mountain.
The movie, now available on digital platforms, DVD and Blu-ray, is directed by Steven LaMorte with a definite wink-wink for those audience members who grew up on the original tale, but perhaps their cinematic desires are bit bloodier than the original Seuss story. The filmmaker has assembled a hard-working cast and staged more than a few impressive “kills” within this hour and a half of murderous onslaught.
One standout is Krystle Martin as Cindy. Her character faces much of the difficulties involving the Mean One. She survives a horrible episode in her childhood, and now as an adult, she’s determined to stop the green monster once and for all. It’s her revenge/avenge story that gives The Mean One is narrative thrust, but truth be told, the storytelling by screenwriters Flip and Finn Kobler never gets in the way of the horror elements. For example, when people close to Cindy die violent deaths, there are no extended scenes of wallowing in misery or mourning the deceased ones. Instead, her character turns to plotting the demise of the monster. One violent action is met with another violent action, and so on and so forth for the 93-minute running time.
Read Hollywood Soapbox’s interview with David Howard Thornton.
LaMorte seems influenced by the many Hallmark Christmas movies (and their knockoffs) that suffocate the airwaves in November and December. The small mountainside town is quaint and darling, just like those romantic comedies on television. But because of the Mean One and his legacy of killings, the residents prefer to skip any Christmas celebrations. In fact, the holiday becomes a taboo word, out of fear that enjoying some yuletide cheer could bring the monster back into their lives.
The makeup work on Thornton is stellar, thanks to Ashleigh Thiel. The Mean One has a scary face, but one that is dynamic and expressive, allowing Thornton to offer his jeering smile to would-be victims. In many ways, Thornton is a clown (not that clown) who is able to instill fear in the viewer without saying a single word.
The Mean One is a fun parody for those who like their Christmas movies dripping in red. The film joins the ever-growing subgenre of horror that celebrates holidays other than Halloween; at this point, there are scary movies for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and, thanks to Eli Roth and his upcoming movie, even Thanksgiving. Although this one can’t reach the same heights as Black Christmas or Silent Night, Deadly Night, there’s no denying that the parody works for some laughs and some splatter-filled kill scenes. Plus, Thornton is quickly attaining legend status amongst genre fans, so his presence is appreciated and takes the proceedings a few notches higher.
This holiday season, The Mean One is a deserving entry on anyone’s Christmas list.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
The Mean One (2022). Directed by Steven LaMorte. Written by Flip and Finn Kobler. Starring David Howard Thornton and Krystle Martin. Running time: 93 minutes. Not rated. Rating: 
Click here for more information.
