User reviews

It's been awhile I have seen this film but from what I can remember when I saw it as a kid: I liked it. A small boy is left (with or without babysitter? I don't remember) alone at home (huge mansion) while his parents attend a dinner party on christmas eve. The boy named Thomas thinks he is safe until a burglar dressed in Santa Claus decides to drop in and do some christmas shopping. So now begins this cat & mouse game as Thomas is determined to defend himself and his home. Think more in the lines of "Rambo kid Home Alone without that Culkin brat". Good film from what I can remember and I'm still trying to find a copy of this french film. Perhaps I liked it because I was about the same age as the hero of the film who had these self-made weapons, cool gadgets and was fighting against this psycho santa claus dressed burglar.

For those who wonder what 36.15 is: it's not the code for "Pere Noel" (Santa Claus) but in France it's like a "teletext" or "internet/bbs" function back in the 80's/early 90's. Basically you type in 36.15 and then a "name/word" (e.g. 36.15 CINEMA) and you can find info. Sort of like an electronic yellow pages server.

Another Christmas, another Christmas-themed horror movie! For as long as I can remember, I have this silly but firm tradition to watch at least one holiday horror movie on Christmas day. This naturally also means that all the obvious classics, like "Black Christmas" or the entire "Silent Night Deadly Night" series, have passed the revue already and each year it's more and more challenging to find a new title. That's why, this year, I was rejoiced to have stumbled upon "36.15 Code Père Noël". It's been on my must-see list for ages and it also turned out to be the most pleasant Christmas-horror surprise in many years!

"36.15 Code Père Noël", which sounds so much cooler than the international title "Game Over", is one seriously bonkers and messed up action/thriller, but simultaneously also a 100% original, imaginative and non-stop exhilarating joyride! It's like a demented mixture of "Die Hard", "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory", "Rambo", "Silent Night, Deadly Night" and - of course - "Home Alone". Moreover, since this film was released in 1989, you can't but wonder if "Home Alone" (released in 1990) is really as original as you always assumed it was! The story introduces 9-year-old Thomas, the only son of rich and sturdy businesswoman Julie, and an exceptionally intelligent & independent kid. Only in the 80s, a weird kid with a mullet and Rambo-outfit could become a genuine hero! Thomas has secret hideouts all around the family mansion, prepares booby-traps for his dog and has installed cameras and spyware everywhere. On Christmas Eve, Thomas is home alone with his ailing grandfather, and all set for the arrival of Santa Clause. Santa is coming, though in the shape of a confused drifter, enraged because Thomas' mother fired him for being an incompetent Santa at the mall. René Manzor's screenplay terrific, and although absurd and often over-the-top, the characters are still believable. For example, despite being an extraordinary gifted child, Thomas also still remains a normal 9-year-old who stubbornly wants to believe that Santa Clause exists and calls out to his mother when he's petrified. Patrick Floersheim gives a great performance as the bad Santa, who basically isn't evil but nevertheless dangerously disturbed. The mansion where all the action takes place is an awesome setting, the music is creepy and there are a handful of moments of authentic suspense and fright. Give this French holiday-horror gem a fair chance, and I guarantee you'll never look at "Home Alone" again without reflecting on this one!

No matter what story one believes - Game Over released in 1989, a year before Home Alone. The resemblance of the movies is not only striking, it becomes difficult to believe that John Hughes didn't use this film as inspiration for his classic Christmas tale. He claimed he came up with the idea (a year before) while on a European family vacation. Hmmm.... pretty interesting that this film released, in Europe, a year before Home Alone. The timeline may in fact be too tight for this to even be logically possible, so I'm not completely ruling out coincidence.

How about this movie? It's a more mature Home Alone, with an early 80's action movie look. The setting and characters are (mostly) contrived, and to buy in the viewer has to suspend a lot of disbelief. A family mansion (the main location) has this absurd, mouse trap, set up due to a brilliant child's handy work. It helps his folks are/were ultra rich toy manufacturers - flooding their child with toys and gizmos, while also allowing free reign of home modifications.

The one character who really stands apart from the others is the villain. He's portrayed as a truly mentally damaged individual, who seems to have good intentions, but due to his outcast nature, is never accepted, and feels compelled to do dark things. But even at the villains worst, his character has real humanity that makes his journey in this film, quite tragic. Never quite so much that your rooting interest changes from protagonist to antagonist - but by the end, I saw him as a complex/tragic character, not a single dimensional killer.

Which is a very odd mix of content in a movie that clearly has funny moments, and is built on entertainment.

I wouldn't consider this a Christmas film in any sense other than the films setting. The time of year is a backdrop for the events, and really the film does little to embellish, or critique the holidays. I would also consider this a flaw of the film, where all aspects should serve the story completely.

Game Over may be worth finding and watching for fans of 80's action movies and maybe if your interested in seeing a more mature version of Home Alone. But big fans of Home Alone (I suspect) would not be to high on this movie. Why? It does not have the light feel, humor, or clean Hollywood production values.

a slightly above average film, but marked up to a 7/10 due to it's unique nature.

one last note: I always hope a film maker like this takes off after a film like this, but it wasn't the case. At best Rene Manzor has continued to work, but there appears to be no continuation of this films inspiration or vision. I'm just disappointed this film maker doesn't have a few more outlandish films made after this one. This movie should have informed producers of this guys clear ability as director.

This quite recently newly unearthed holiday fun has many names, "Game Over", "Deadly Games", "Dial Code Santa Claus", "36:15 Code Father Christmas", but there ain't many doubts about being a stylish, hearty and odd little French adventure. And yes, the blueprint of "Home Alone", which came out a year later, is indeed about the same, but there are plenty of plot, genre and tonal differences.

Playful, resourceful, smart and full-of-wonder Thomas loves to play Rambo at home, and to take care and play with his close-to-heart grandpa, or Papy. It is Christmas day, and Thomas's mom has gone to work at the mall, where a creepy, mysterious bearded man, who seemingly just wants some love, is scaring kids as an impostor mall Santa. When he is let go, the certifiable killer nature of Santa clashes out at Thomas and his grandpa, and all three are now locked in a game of survival...

The beginning of the movie got me excited, not so much Thomas and his action, but the look and performance of Patrick Floersheim as the Santa Claus, the man can be eerie and looks absolutely fabulous as a killer Santa later in the film, props to the costume designers and make-up department. Immediately I was excited for a great Villain character, so a little of my disappointment lies in the fact that "Game Over" relies a lot on action and dramatic, stylized sequences, offering absolutely no back-story for Santa, giving him no clear motivations, and very few speaking lines. Visually striking villain at all times, substantially - not so much.

That action though is pretty cool, especially given the fact that this is an indie of the 80's. In the matters of style, "Deadly Games" is almost an overkill, cinematography is varied (and with lots of tilted angles), editing is pretty neat and energetic, almost as energetic as the synth orchestra soundtrack. Atmospherically and visually "Game Over" also reminded me of "The Crow", weird, I know, but not because of any substance, but the sets. Most of this film takes place in a mansion that from outside looks like Dracula's castle, and inside has half-vintage-like interior, big, dark spaces, etc., the set design really got me reminiscing on "The Crow". A gothic sort of vibe.

Thomas is a good kid, a sympathetic kid, and together with Papy they are the heart of this movie, so both the good and the evil in "Deadly Games" entertains and amuses, and brings solid acting to the table. The biggest flaws are still in the story, it plays out the first way one can imagine, not a lot of surprises. No extra story thread was worked on. The other flaw, and a plus at the same time, is action, it's funny because I said the film relies on it a lot, but here comes in the dramatic flair of these filmmakers... Plenty of action sequences are short and sweet in the core idea, but made longer and way dramatic frequently, slow-mo's, epic music, dramatic eye close-up and so forth. In the end it feels like an amazing looking sandwich lacking just a little filler.

"Game Over" is definitely a seasonal horror (perhaps less horror than You expect) to check out, killer Santa ticks the box big time, and the rest is up to You to check out. "Home Alone" can do without its tenth re-watch. My rating: 6/10.

Good pace, shocks and suspense. We saw this with it billed as a bad film. No its not! It comes across as a cross between a Disney and a Tarrantino production. Would have to be shown after the 9pm TV watershed though....

36.15 code Père Noël has become more famous in recent years for the similarities to Home Alone; so much so that director and writer, René Manzor threatened plagiarism. Both films feature a smart, middle/upper class kid alone in a house of traps stalked by a crazy lunatic. In 36.15 it is an unhinged store Santa who is armed with a cake knife. In Home Alone, two bumbling house burglars known as the Sticky Bandits.

36.15 code Père Noël starts off appearing like a family friendly film with our protagonist dressed as Rambo and talking to his Grandpa. What follows are some scenes of shocking violence, not 18 rated slasher standard, but fairly bloody. The Santa is surprisingly menacing and with the use of some good cinematography and suspense, René Manzor manages to create a fairly scary film which is equal parts horror and thriller.

The film reminded a bit of home invasion films like Funny Games (1997) and killer Santa films like the absurd Silent Night, Deadly Night - it's nowhere near as nasty as those. It's fun seeing the different traps Thomas sets (plastic rubber arrows doused in petrol, a toy grenade). Some people could see it as a dark comedy. It's not a must see and it's not as good as the like of Black Christmas or even Home Alone, but it is well worth a watch.

I usually don't go to the trouble to write negative reviews, but when I saw the generous rating here and how many have given it fairly positive reviews, FWIW, I just had to leave my thoughts here about this film.

First off, like I mention in my title above, I really did think the idea was great and I truly thought the first 1/2 of the movie was very good in setting up the home and atmosphere which I felt were done very well. BUT... I don't know what the director was smok'n, seriously, but once the 'action' got going I honestly thought it was handled very, very poorly. The pacing was WAY off and dragged at the oddest moments right at the places when the audience is quite understandably expecting some kick@ss action. I mean, not to spoil anything, but one tense moment they stop the action cold and the boy suddenly starts crying for his Mom for a number of minutes (What...??!) And then, again right in the midst of the all the pandemonium they stop the action dead again and play this 5 minute Christmas song...

Some of the action 'gags' were good, but the way they were very sloppily executed and with really odd, long, slow-motion pauses, dragging out what should have been quick and deadly I thought took all the suspense right out of it. For a movie with this type of theme (yes, think 'HOME ALONE') you get NONE of the quick excitement or action or cleverness that you would expect.

Honestly, I was completely puzzled by the approach of the movie makers. I mean, at least to me, it seemed like any chance they had to 'crank up the action', they did almost everything possible to deflate it...

Just a very, very odd film. Like I say, great premise, nice layout and settings, and in my lowly and wretched opinion, any suspense or true excitement is completely and totally ruined by the way the 2nd half of the movie was done.

I gave it a '5' due to the nice atmosphere and the neat home and the (at times) excellent soundtrack. However, I really felt let down 'Bigly' on this one. A real shame too, because if it had just been done better, I'm sure it would have been a very fun and entertaining movie, but alas, I honestly don't think so...

Watch the excellent and far better film 'THE AGGRESSION SCALE' (2012) which is quizzically rated lower than this one, but I gave it an '8', for a much better and more entertaining ride... (It also stars the rarely seen Dana Ashbrook from 'Twin Peaks' in an excellent role)

3615 code Père Noël is basically a horror/action movie revolving around a young boy who needs to defend his home against an ongoing home invasion. The movie features very graphic violence and due to its over-the-top presentation of action scenes and suspenseful moments, it is not recommended for children. However, the premise is greatly constructed and believably executed, making this movie a highlight of seasonal horror/action movies.

Overall 7/10 Full review on movie-discourse.blogspot.de

This is a Christmas cult classic.

Notable for being the film that did the Home Alone thing the year before Home Alone was released.

In fact, it's really hard to believe that this film didn't influence the blockbuster hit...because it's really quite similar...yet, much more violent.

In it, a young phenom, named Thomas, is the son of the heir to a toymaker's fortune.

He's a bit of a computer wizard...having personally designed his own apple watch like thing...with full internet of things capability...in 19-frigging-89.

Oh, and he lives in a castle.

While only 11 years old, Thomas has above average intelligence, but he still believes in Santa.

His mother is always working, so Thomas is left to play and tinker around with his grandfather- who is diabetic and starting to go blind.

To prove his friend Pilon wrong, Thomas plans to capture Santa in one of the booby traps he has set up in his home- which is filled with secret doors, hidden rooms, and even a labyrinth.

But his mom tells him, that if he waits up for Santa...Santa will turn into an ogre and try to attack him.

Ignorant to the fact that one of her Santa employees has gone postal, after being rejected by a little girl, who he was trying to make smile.

This man wants revenge, so- after overhearing a conversation in the shipping department- he decides that he might as well take the oppourtunity to take it out on his boss...by tormenting her family.

When he gets to their house...he immediately kills their dog...right in front of young Thomas' eyes.

But Thomas has been training for this his whole life...and knows exactly what to do.

He protects his vulnerable grandpa..and manages to make it out of every close call...though not always unscathed.

As the rest of the people at his house get murdered by this psychotic Santa.

What ensues is a battle of perseverance, wit, and, perhaps, a little bit of luck.

The whole thing is way more heavy than Home Alone.

Being what Home Alone would have been if it were to have been made as a slasher film.

With a weird blend of children's horror and mildly gory slasher action.

That makes it one helluva cult gem.

7 out of 10.

This movie turns on a dime and it's epic. The movie has an edge I didn't expect. Thomas comes off as very smart but naive. When the horror hits, he definitely comes into his own. The Sants is brutal, disturbing and psychotic.

I expected something a little more lighthearted, but this is genuinely tense. I'm shocked and pleased with the film. Grat editing, good music, and fun Christmas horror.

Really cool stylish version of a psychotic Santa hunting a kid in a mansion although the kid is more than ready for fighting back! Deadly games (AKA dial code Santa Claus) is awesome fun; glad it's on Shudder. For a French experience it's really well filmed and tense. Not really like Home Alone but I guess I see that the parents do leave the kid at home in this too.

Best Christmas Santa film I've ever seen. Better than anything that Hollywood has produced on the Christmas theme.

This is a must see for any fan of the Santa slasher sub genre. Filmed in France, this movie basically did the whole "home alone" thing first, as it was released in 1989, while the first "Home Alone" film was released in 1990. In it, a little boy must defend his home on Christmas Eve from a deranged killer dressed up as Santa Claus. Patrick Floersheim stars as the maniacal Kris Kringle and is truly unforgettable, bringing a level of creepiness and authenticity to the role that is on par with Oliver MacGreevy's performance in the 1972 "Tales From the Crypt".

So get your booby traps ready, cause this Père Noël is strait outta hell.

Finally! The Home Alone/A Nightmare on Elm Street/Die Hard 2 crossover I've always dreamt of!

And funny, this movie, which completely mimics 1990's Home Alone, premiered over a year and a half before it. Hmm, I wonder if John Hughes ripped off this gem...

Apparently, however, this movie was lost for a long time and used to only be available via bootleg. Just recently was it found/fully restored. And Thank God...this movie is AWESOME. (And if the thousands of other reasons to subscribe to Shudder wasn't enough, this shoots straight to the top of that list.)

Mullet Boy Rambo and his Willy Wonka Grandpa have the time of their lives in what appears to be a massive castle, full of great sets - aka their home. Unfortunately, Mom had to work late on Christmas Eve because she's gonna miss Santa Claus making a special visit...

Also unfortunate for the home alone guys, this creeeeepy Santa is acting a lot more like Krampus than Jolly St. Nick. Can ingenious and adventurous Mullet Boy Rambo save himself and Grandpa and survive through Christmas morning?

Really dug this adventure with outlandish sets, props and ideas. While the lead character, played by a then 12-year-old kid (Alain Lalanne, who did phenomenal, to boot,) was just an actor, he'd soon quit that short-lived career to become a Visual Effects master...still employed today having just worked on Black Widow, The Suicide Squad and The Batman. I wouldn't be surprised if he came up with a lot of the ideas in this movie.

Basically, this movie does play out like the aforementioned Home Alone, A Nightmare on Elm Street and Die Hard 2 films. So, if you like those, you'll probably be right at home here. The first act shows the birth of the psycho creep who personifies Santa and the last two acts revolve around the boy dodging, hiding and running away from the regrettably invited guest. Mercifully, the boy has many tricks up his sleeve to protect himself, his grandfather and their mansion home.

Even though this was lost & found again and being rediscovered, I hope they don't remake this. Especially since it's a French film with subtitles - a great movie like this would be prime for an Americanized version. Most of this movie is fantasy and pretty much couldn't happen in real life, so I'd hate how they'd try to make it more realistic in today's time ruining the magic displayed here.

Fully recommended. I had a smile on my face most of the time. Even when there was the inevitable action movie montage trope, it was also pretty emotional and smart.

***

Final Thoughts: While I just happened to stumble upon this for the first-time last night, it was more than welcomed. I've been absorbed the last few days with Michael Myers with a mini-marathon of watching Halloween (1978,) Halloween (2018,) Halloween Kills (2021) and Halloween Ends (2022) and I got a tad burned out for Halloween and it was nice to see another major holiday for once.

Oh, and just a TAD burnt out. I can never, ever get sick of my favorite Holiday/time of year for too long.

It's one matter to read about the film, and one readily picks up a sense of a much more intense and violent predecessor of Chris Columbus' 'Home alone.' To sit and watch, one quickly sees that it's a wild creation all its own, with very different sensibilities from its more well known Hollywood derivative. Outlandish as it may present, this is not a comedy, and young protagonist Thomas - action flick aficionado, tech genius and mechanical tinkerer, precocious and spirited wearer of a mullet - makes Kevin McCallister look like a milquetoast set piece. The antagonist, identified only as Le Père Noël (you know, Santa Claus), is not granted the cartoonish invincibility and exaggerated reactions, or wry, mischievous humor, that the "Wet Bandits" would be in the subsequent feature, and this movie unabashedly carries itself with earnest horror-thriller vibes to adjoin the more far-fetched foundation of the protagonist and setting. '3615 code Père Noël' is a somewhat curious amalgamation, but darn if it isn't well made and entertaining - and when all is said and done, way more than I'd have ever supposed.

In his writing and direction alike filmmaker René Manzor whipped a biting little picture that's as decidedly dark as it is imaginative, and most every facet reflects the same grim whimsy. The narrative and scene writing give us a tale that's increasingly suspenseful and thrilling as the violence and stakes escalate, with plentiful situations concocted as groundwork for the cast and crew to let their creativity run wild. The sets and props are fantastic and heavily detailed; alongside Manzor's spectacular orchestration of shots and scenes - that is, given to a mind for spectacle - and Michel Gaffier's active, dynamic cinematography, the title bears a fanciful quality that obliquely reminds of the colorful inventiveness of 'A nightmare on Elm Street' and its (first two, or maybe three) sequels. We're greeted with abundant stunts and effects, and they look terrific across the board. The cast are unexpectedly superb; young Alan Lalanne gives a stronger performance of range and emotion as Thomas than some adults have in similar roles, and Patrick Floersheim's portrayal of Le Père Noël cements the stark, single-minded brutality and nefariousness of the villain. Jean-Félix Lalanne's original music is most welcome as it lends tension, atmosphere, and flavor to the proceedings, and it wouldn't be out of place in a more straightforward, even more violent genre piece. Even Christine Pansu's editing is notably smart, and integral to crafting a genre romp that lands as solidly as '3615 code Père Noël' does.

Outrageous as this may be in some capacities, it's flush with considerable ingenuity, and there's no disputing the skill, intelligence, and hard work that went into it. I spotlighted Lalanne and Floersheim, and they are certainly most prominent, but the supporting cast is just as swell in their smaller roles, including Louis Ducreux as the harried grandfather, and Brigitte Fossey as mother Julie. There came a point where I wondered how the film was going to be drawn out to a full ninety minutes - but first of all, the length flies by very quickly for how absorbing and enjoyable it is, and secondly, to Manzor's great credit, the plot does meaningfully extend through that whole runtime. Why, it's even more well-rounded than I'd have guessed sights unseen, with significant variety. Thriller airs of both action and horror may dominate, with some moments that would be right at home in a title with major musclebound stars, but there's an undeniable fantastical quality to it all befitting the holiday setting. Beyond these we're further treated to notes of wry comedy, tragedy, the "coming of age" tale, and for good measure, an original Christmas song performed by Bonnie Tyler! Truth be told I assumed I'd like '3615 code Père Noël,' yet as the minutes tick by, as the action violence heats up, and as one clever, enticing sequence after another keeps us locked in, I came to love the movie more and more. Moreover, as the last minutes so capably turn a corner and embrace still more moods with just as much impact and gravitas, I can't help but be impressed with just how fabulously robust, satisfying, and even rewarding it all is.

I'm unsure if I'd go so far as to say that it entirely demands viewership, and if one isn't on board with one element or another of what it represents, it won't appeal to all comers. I'm so incredibly pleased with just how good the feature turned out to be, however, ultimately so much better than I could have hoped when I first learned about it. If one is open to the premise, and the violence is no obstacle, then I really do think '3615 code Père Noël' is an outstanding romp that deserves far more recognition. Columbus' family-friendly copycat of 1990 may have the bigger claim to fame and is by all means a classic in its own right, but Manzor's wonderfully far-out venture blends genres and feelings into something that's surprisingly complete, hard-hitting, and altogether riveting. I could scarcely be happier with just how heartily this strives for and achieves both rip-roaring fun and concrete substance, and I'm glad to give '3615 code Père Noël' my very high and enthusiastic recommendation!

I found this to be an underrated Christmas horror movie that I have seen. The story is simple with a kid having to survive against the deranged man dressed as Santa Claus. It's built-up pretty well and is never boring throughout. I do like how the movie is the kid trying to survive against the deranged man while protecting his grandfather. The movie does a great job of being a thriller with its suspense, with him surviving and fighting back against the villain and his plans to survive. He comes up with smart ways to fight back against the villain and knows his way around the house. But the villain also sometimes outsmart the main character to show how he's more threatening than being a creepier and a killer. While there are times that the movie is predictable, it doesn't hurt the movie all that much. And the movie has a suspenseful climax to it.