The Official Rare Exports Inc. Safety Instructions 2005 (2005)

And by this I am not talking about the quality of this 9-minute short movie. More of the contents. However, not everyone can be a winner and this description also applies to the short film. I don't think it's nearly as good as the first short film from 2 years earlier, maybe because the surprise effect is gone. 5 years after this second short, writer and director Jalmari Helander turned the idea into a full feature film. Back to this short film here, Helander basically tried to bring back all the factors that made the first one so funny (actors, style, narration), but still it comes short. Nonetheless, I think people who really loved the first can give this one a go too, or skip it and go for the long movie directly. Everybody else can give this one a pass.

In this sequel to 'Rare Exports Inc' we are shown the horrendous results of abusing Father Christmas.As a sequel to the first short film we get a second short film, again presented in the informational "nature video" style. This time we see the life of Father Christmas after he is shipped out, and when those delivering him do not follow the simple instructions. This is rather hilarious, and far more horror-themed than the first installment.It does raise some questions, though. As the film seems to suggest this is a "trained" Father Christmas, how can they be sent out if these infractions make them go berserk? Certainly in malls they may avoid smoking and drinking, possibly even cursing... but loud noise? These guys would not last one day.

Official Rare Exports Inc. Safety Instructions 2005, The (2005)*** (out of 4)Fun sequel to RARE EXPORTS, INC. has seven Father Christmas' being shipped across the world only to eventually kill humans. This safety video was put out by the company so that people will learn what they can do when Father Christmas is present. The things to avoid doing include smoking, drinking and being rude. If you want to survive an encounter with Father Christmas then it's important to have some gingerbread cookies on hand. Director Helander's sequel to his now cult film is certainly a worthy followup and an all-around smart film in terms of the way it goes for the comedy. Whereas the first movie played out like an instructional video or some documentary you'd see about hunting, this one plays out like those incredibly silly safety videos everyone has been forced to watch at some point in their lives. I really loved the way the film showed silly stuff being done including a very funny sequence where you must try and play dead to avoid an attack. The silly nature of the film is perfectly brought to life with the dead-serious narration that once again really packs a wonderful punch and makes the film come to life. The entire ten-minutes are full of wonderful gags and the technical quality is extremely high.

This is a rare example of a sequel that's equal in quality to the original film it's a follow-up to. The Father Christmas from the first movie is abused by several dock workers and gets loose so he can embark on a murderous spree. It's up to three expert hunters to track Father Christmas down and kill him. Director/co-writer Jalmari Helander once again adroitly mines a fresh, inventive, and wickedly funny line in deliciously dark and twisted pitch-black humor (the safety tips on not making any loud noises, smoking, or drinking around a Father Christmas are genuinely hilarious in an admittedly twisted sort of way). Otso Tarkela gives a convincingly feral performance as the bloodthirsty and dangerous Father Christmas. Tommi Korpela, Jorma Tommila, and Tazu Ovaska are likewise credible as the ace hunters forced to take Father Christmas out like a wild rabid beast. Jonathan Hutchings' wonderfully deep and solemn gravel-voiced narration further enhances the deadpan comic tone. Moreover, there's also a nice smattering of grisly gore and an extremely eerie conclusion set in a remote woodland graveyard for deceased Father Christmases. Jean Noel Mastonen's polished cinematography gives the picture an exquisitely glossy and wintry look. The melodic and majestic orchestral score is also on the money fine and effective. Well worth seeing.