Director – Addison Binek (Psycho Ape!, Tromasterpiece Theatre: The Battle of Love’s Return)
Starring – Addison Binek
Release Date – 2011/2026
I’m a sucker for themed collections and shows that riff movies. I didn’t have a local horror host to watch growing up but I was fortunate enough to find episodes of Elvira’s Movie Macabre when I was in high school. What I had as a kid was Mystery Science Theater 3000 which I know wasn’t the same as a horror host but I loved how both were people “watching” a movie and pointing out the unintentionally funny things they found. While horror hosts seem to be more popular, I love finding shows or web-series that riff on movies.
Many years ago I befriended YouTuber Addison Binek who hosts a long running series called Movies to Watch on a Rainy Afternoon. I’ve reviewed several collections of his episodes since then and was lucky enough to get two more sets from him for review. The first set I dug into was his Christmas Special collection. Like always, I want to thank Addison for sending this one over.
**Spoiler Alert** In this collection we follow Addison as he watches several Christmas films ranging from cult classics to truly abysmal films. **Spoiler Alert**
Movies to Watch on a Rainy Afternoon: Christmas Special is not something I was expecting to review in March but it was still a lot of fun. This is the kind of collection that you would toss on while you wrap presents or decorate the tree especially if you are in the mood for something you can turn your brain off for a bit and just watch. It’s a lot of fun and I know it will not be for everyone but I dig it for what it is.
The acting in this one is exactly what you get. It’s a one man show that plays out in a similar fashion to a comedy skit or the segments from Elvira’s Movie Macabre. Addison is just being Addison while delivering a lot of puns and mocking the films in question. The themes for each episodes is reflective of the movie he is riffing. Some of these films are must see films for genre fans while others are damn near impossible to watch. Each episode fully embodies the themes of the films he is riffing which only adds to the Christmas theme.
Finally, this is a no budget production that has crude editing and camerawork. With that being said, it knows exactly what it is and doesn’t try to be anything but that. It makes fun of movies for their shortcomings while showing their obvious shortcomings. Overall, Movies to Watch on a Rainy Afternoon: Christmas Special is another solid collection of episodes from this long running and underrated YouTube series. It’s not for everyone, and while I have no idea who the target audience of this show is, I still enjoy it. I recommend it but I know it won’t be for everyone.
Episode List:
Jack Frost
Jack Frost 2
Santa Claws
Christmas Evil
Santa’s Slay
Puppet Master vs Demonic Toys
To All a Goodnight
Slaughter Claus
Cannibal Claus
Christmas Vacation 2
Santa Claus: Serial Rapist
Krampus: The Christmas Devil
The Elf
Once Upon a Time at Christmas
