MovieChat Forums > You Better Watch Out Discussion > Could this have possibly inspired 'May'?

Could this have possibly inspired 'May'?

posted 13 years ago by AcidRaina
6 replies | jump to latest

Heavy spoilers for anyone who hasn't seen either of these films.

I just watched 'Christmas Evil' last night for the first time. I found this film and Lucky McKees 'May' to be alarmingly similar in terms of plot structure and character development. let me explain.

Both films are holiday themed. 'Christmas Evil' obviously being a Christmas setting and 'May' being set around Halloween. We start both films with the characters childhoods. This gives us a brief glimpse into what has caused their adult neurosis. We immediately move on to the present where we find our main characters in their homes, displaying just a little slice of what makes each of them off center. Harrys obsession with Santa Claus and May talking to her doll Susie.

Both stories press on as Harry is shown spying on young children and taking notes on their behavior. May spies on Adam taking note of his hands. Not just Adam but throughout the movie she is mentally taking notes on the particular parts of her victims that she finds to be good and bad. We observe our characters in the workplace; their alienation and how that further fuels the fire for their eventual breaking points.

We watch both these people descend into madness throughout the length of each film. Both find their climax in a killing spree that is made easier due to the nature of the holiday surrounding the film. Mays Halloween costume and Harrys Santa gear.

We end with both our characters completely downward spiraling, self destructing and we the viewer end the film from their fantastical, psychotic viewpoint. Harry didn't really fly away like Santa Claus and 'Amy' didn't really come to life after May stitched her together - that was simply the resolution in the mind of both our killers.

Has anyone else who has seen both of these films and noticed this?

"Living our maggot lives, dreaming of becoming flies."

[–] isleworld-1 13 years ago

This is a brilliant suggestion and it makes me, without enough thought perhaps, answer "yes." I was a fan of this film long before May was released, and I adore the later movie as well. If Lucky McKee ripped it off, he chose wisely. The similarities you suggest are undeniable as is the extreme quirkiness. You deserve more of an answer, and I will expand later.

I always watch May for Halloween and You Better Watch Out for Thanksgiving/Christmas. You may have told me why. I'll consider it more and be back.

[–] AcidRaina 13 years ago

I'm really glad to see someone else understands my points here. I too watch 'May' as part of my Halloween celebrations and will be adding 'You Better Watch Out' to my December film repertoire.

"Living our maggot lives, dreaming of becoming flies."

[–] isleworld-1 13 years ago

I again watched "You Better Watch Out," my substitution for the sappy "It's a Wonderful Life" at Christmas. I now agree with your assessment and analogy totally.

Something subtle from start to finish is the fantasies and delusions of Harry: he sees his father fly up the chimney, for example, in the opening scene. We are led to believe it is the childhood imagination of a kid on Christmas Eve, and perhaps it is, but it may also be the onset of madness. The cracking glass sounds as fissures open around May's doll casing throughout the film obviously are delusions at times as well. So your point regarding May is dead on, particularly how the fantastical comes full circle at the end of YBWO just as it closes out May.

Quite sharp, AR.

eta: I reviewed this last year: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081793/reviews-88. I feel my grasp of the film was quite good but your observations have made me think in different terms as to the madness aspect.

[–] ElectricWarlock 13 years ago

It kind of reminded me of Willard. Both have men who are very lonely and who were always different being taken advantage of by co-workers and others.

"Come, fly the teeth of the wind. Share my wings."

[–] Doc110894 11 years ago

Interesting posts.

[–] Sally_Hardesty 10 years ago

I saw the movie for the first time tonight and I had read your post before watching.

The movies are apples and oranges as far as quality, and I think for I while that made me want to disagree with you OP. I have to say though there really are a lot of similarities between the leads in both films, but I think the two are vastly different.

May's trauma and shame from her uptight mother and lazy eye made her socially retarded and unaware of how to normally interact with others. Her relationship with Suzy the doll exists only because she had endured a life of isolation and rejection and Suzy is the only one that likes May for who she is. I've never thought of May as someone who was crazy, she just didn't know any different. She tried her hardest to fit in, but she just didn't know how to do it right. One day the rejection and isolation became too much and she snapped.

Harry's problems stem from a one time traumatic event that triggered a psychosis that he obsessed over and never recovered from. Harry witnessed his parents (with dad dressed like Santa) rubbing thighs and stroking Santa hats. I think Harry's obsession with this for the rest of his life shows signs that he was suffering from some sort of mental illness.