Casper Kelly’s Talks Yule Log His Can’t-Miss Holiday Horror Great And The Cheddar Goblin Easter Egg

The director of Adult Swim’s viral hit Too Many Cooks, Casper Kelly, is back with his first horror feature Yule Log. Like the faux commercials that aired during Adult Swim in 2014, everything was kept under wraps until the debut of the creepy delight. First premiering after the finale of Rick and Morty Season 6, a picture of a yule log is shown for nearly a minute before a woman’s legs appear, and then all hell breaks loose. Over the next hour and a half, every horror trope is combined in a glorious love letter to the scary genre. It is a kitchen-sink approach to filmmaking that probably shouldn’t work and yet perfectly does.

The amicable director is nothing like you expect from someone who creates such surreal, disturbing horror. I got the pleasure of sitting down with him to talk about his new movie. The engaging director and writer’s mind works differently than most. He sees the horror and humor in the most uncomfortable places. Where most would shy away from a scenario, he sees opportunity. When creating Yule Log, he wanted to have some of “those flavors” of Too Many Cooks. His specific brand of horror is a bonkers mix of horror, practical effects, humor, and surrealism. Like a tasty recipe, each note is in balance with the others delivering delicious bite after bite to the viewer. Yule Log is guaranteed to be a cult hit that horror lovers will revisit each winter.

Kelly was influenced by Mike Lee, who created British kitchen sink dramas but from a horror viewpoint. He said his favorite horror movie is Alien and Cabin In The Woods, but he found inspiration in many of the greats. So many of the elements of Yule Log can be seen in the best horror movies. The dread of Invitation and the juxtaposition of something comforting with something deadly, like the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, is used to create an utterly unnerving and comical experience. Kelly explained, “everything you take in is ground up into soil.” That soil is where ideas grow. A memory of David Lynch’s Log Lady from Twin Peaks years later becomes a homicidal flaming log that flies through the air killing everything it comes into contact with.

Kelly is a master of the obvious. He finds humor in the most unexpected and unusual places. It puts the viewer in an uncanny valley of what should be and yet isn’t. He established his brand of offbeat horror with Too Many Cooks. The short film was originally broadcast as part of Adult Swim’s late-night programming block. The film is a parody of the opening credits of various TV shows from different genres and eras.

It begins with a simple, cheerful credits sequence for a family sitcom, but as the film progresses, the tone becomes increasingly surreal and dark. The characters from the various TV shows start to interact with each other, and the cheery music turns into a haunting and disturbing melody. The film ends with a violent and bizarre twist, leaving the viewer both confused and disturbed. It is a thing of genius, and something still talked about. Yule Log will be the same way.

Other previous works can be found in Panos Cosmatos’ Mandy. His Cheddar Goblin commercial is memorable, not just for the stellar effects work by Shane Morton. Kelly and Morton were brought in to create and direct the bizarre commercial that became an unforgettable part of one of the heaviest metal gorefests of this or any era. Kelly tipped me off that the pimento cheese brand in Yule Log, Devine is a deliberate nod to the brand of mac and cheese in Mandy, Devein. Cheeky little details like this make this film a dream to watch.

Yule Log has something for everyone. There are racist supernatural southern white men, ancient curses, Hillbilly killers who must be long-lost cousins of Leatherface, and most hilariously, face-sucking aliens. Lurking in the shadows, however, is a grim message. Time marches on, and only the sins of the past linger. Intercut between all the present-day shenanigans is the dark heart of Yule Log. It’s all disguised behind the veil of humor, though. Kelly’s true vision is seen only in the fleeting glimpses of the past. Although an absurdist comedy, this is a horror movie about slavery, cowardice, cruelty, and rage. Times may have changed by true evil never goes away.

Hopefully, this will be just the first of many of Kelly’s creations. Kelly said he would love to do more features and hoped Yule Log would make viewers want to “fund his next movie.” As proof of concept, Yule Log should solidify this deal. Yule Log can be seen on HBO Max. So light a fire, turn on some holiday music, and watch Yule Log. It won’t disappoint.