The horror film “The Mean One” satirizes How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Because Dr. Seuss died within a more recent decade, his works are not yet considered to be in the public domain. Movies like Mad Heidi and Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey were made with relative ease because they were based on public domain books.
XYZ Films discovered a legal loophole that allowed them to create this gory film. There is a reason why Marvel and DC have yet to sue pornographer and director Axel Braun. In the United States, there is something known as “parody law.”
Even though there is still the possibility of being sued, many directors can use this legal loophole. They find a way to utilize copyrighted characters without fear of legal repercussions. The main antagonist of this movie is called “The Mean One” instead of the Grinch. The Protagonist is simply called Cindy instead of Cindy Lou. The name the “Grinch” will never be mentioned in the movie.
The Mean One is portrayed by David Howard Thornton. He is the same actor who played Art the Clown from the Terrifier movies. He is getting typecast for these horror villain role but a Gig is a Gig.
WHAT IS THE MEAN ONE ABOUT?
This festive slasher focuses on Cindy You-Know-Who (played by Krystle Martin). When she was a child her parents were murdered by a mysterious creature known as the Mean One, who has plagued the town of Newville for years.
As an adult, she returns with revenge on her mind and plots to kill the Mean One and save the mountain town from his evil once and for all.
However, the green slasher isn’t going down without a fight.
THE MEAN ONE OFFICIAL TRAILER
Cindy(Krystle Martin) had been scarred for life when her mother got murdered by a strange emerald colored creature that wears a Santa suit. The Mean is tired of Stealing Christmas as he decided to steal lives instead.
Her childhood got ruined and Christmas is not the same anymore for her. 20 years later, her dad got murdered by the same creature. Now an Adult, Cindy wants to stop the Grinch who killed her family. She will undergo physical training and improve her marksmanship with guns to make sure she can kill off the Mean One. You can watch the conclusion of this tale this coming December 15, 2022.
IS THE GRINCH IN PUBLIC DOMAIN? THE MEAN ONE MOVIE EXPLAINED
No, the Grinch is not public domain but The Mean One writers and creators have managed to overcome this obstacle. Fangoria reports that there are loopholes when it comes to parody, which The Mean One is heavily marketed as.
Those who have seen the trailer will notice that the name Grinch is never uttered or written, although the likeness to the iconic character means it’s familiar.
Recent horror approaches to iconic children’s characters like Winnie The Pooh: Blood And Honey have been able to use established names because the characters are in the public domain. On the other hand, the Grinch is not.
The character was created by Dr. Seuss and appeared in the 1957 book How The Grinch Stole Christmas. Since then a number of performers have brought him to life on the screen, including Benedict Cumberbatch and Boris Karloff.
The titular Mean One in the 2022 movie is played by David Howard Thornton, who has risen to prominence recently for his portrayal of Art the Clown in the Terrifer movies.
HOW TO GET THE MEAN ONE TICKETS
Those who are eager to get tickets can head over to the website and sign up to become notified when they are available, as showtimes are yet to be revealed.
By signing up by email, you’ll be among the first to know when they are out.
The Mean One opens in select theaters on Friday, December 9th 2022.
