Christmas trees used to be festooned with glass balls and tinsel. Thanks to Hallmark, they became a little more eclectic. You name it, they probably had an ornament for it. Or they have plans for it. I also want to be fair. Hallmark Keepsake Ornaments really aren’t just for Christmas. With the right stand, you can keep Christmas all year round… no matter how dark you like it.
For the past few years, Hallmark has been sneaking in monsters. Not as in The Nightmare Before Christmas, though that IP has been well represented. Of course I’ve already highlighted some skeletons from Pirates of the Caribbean. I’m talking Universal Monsters, non-denominational monsters, and occasionally those who stand against them. So if your Wish Book includes creatures of the night, well, can we start with a Creature from the Black Lagoon? It’s a pretty good likeness, and one of the less expensive offerings this year.
For a more recent movie monster, how about Michael Myers? The ad copy makes sure you know this is the version from Halloween II, meaning he’s Laurie Strode’s older brother. That’s a horror nerd factoid not consistent throughout all the films. Like the Creature, it’s at a lower cost, almost as if Hallmark decided to slash their prices…
Though there are a few ornaments tied to Dune Part III, the one that really says Christmas is the dreaded Shai-Halud. Yes, a sandworm can crawl through your tree, though hilariously, whoever tagged the photos at Hallmark called it a “plant monster.” Sir, that is a sandworm. A Shai-Halud if you’re nasty or a messiah.
Notice these three all land at the Ornament Premiere in July. That way you can have them just in time for Comic-Con. But I mentioned they include those who fight monsters. A couple of years ago Hallmark had an ornament of Ellen Ripley, and this year you can add the runner-up to toughest heroine in cinema history: Sarah Connor from Terminator 2: Judgment Day. I do like to artfully place ornaments around the tree for maximum storytelling–so she can take on any monster you like.
Where do you find these ornaments for your dark fated Christmas tree? Hallmark has a store locator, but I don’t have any stores close by to me. Last year I discovered that they ship in a timely manner, so you may want to order directly. But as a fan of small businesses (most Hallmark stores are franchised), I’d rather keep a local store alive.
