Silent Night, Deadly Night

Director - Charles E. Sellier Jr. (The Annihilators)
Starring - Lilyan Chauvin (Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings), Gilmer McCormick (Slaughterhouse-Five), and Robert Brian Wilson (Perfect Strangers)
Release Date - 1984
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "You've made it through Halloween, now try to survive Christmas," He knows when you've been naughty," "Shocking...disturbing...the movie they tried to ban," and "If "A Nightmare on Elm Street" gave you sleepless nights, or if "Halloween" made you jump in every shadow or if every "Friday the 13th" was more frightening that the others... THEN BEWARE!"

Rating (out of 5):

     Once again I am hitting you guys with a Christmas themed horror flick to go along with the theme of the month.  A few years ago I ran across this on VHS while looking through a friend's collection.  It was during the summer and I was on a huge slasher kick.  I popped it in the VCR and went in to it blind.  I had no idea of who directed it, who starred in it, or what it was about other than it was a slasher flick.  Out of all the slashers I watched that night on VHS I really liked this one the most.  After watching this I looked it up and discovered it had four sequels and a remake was in negotiations.  I have never had the opportunity to watch any of the sequels but I would love to.  I always keep forgetting to buy this movie so when I want to watch it I got to do so on youtube.  

     The film opens with a family of four going to visit grandpa.  The family consists of a mother and father, their young son, and their new bundle of joy.  Grandpa is a vegetable and is unable to talk, however, as everyone walks away and leaves young Billy with him alone he opens up and tells him that Santa is evil and punishes those that have been naughty.  Billy takes his grandpa's words to heart and does not want to see Santa anymore and vows to always be a good boy.  On their way home they come across a man dressed as Santa broke down in the middle of the road.  When they pull over to help him, Santa pulls a gun and shoots the father.  Billy runs away and hides in a ditch while his mother has her throat slit.  We then move forward 3 years and Billy and his younger brother are now in an orphanage.  It is once again the Christmas season and young Billy will not surrender to the holiday.  During art time he draws Santa and his reindeer butchered and refuses to sit on Santa's lap.  Mother Superior punishes Billy by whipping him with belts and tying him to his bed until he submits.  We are once again placed further into the future and Billy is 18.  Billy has recently obtained a job at a toy store where he makes a big impression with the owner.  Sadly, the holiday season is upon us and the owner makes Billy dress up as Santa for the customers.  That night during the Christmas party, a young girl Billy has a crush on is taken in the back of the store by another man.  Billy follows them in and the guy forces himself on her.  Billy snaps and strangles him with Christmas lights.  The girl is disgusted by what she just witnessed and yells at Billy.  Billy then guts her for being naughty.  Billy then goes on a bloody rampage slaughtering everyone that has been naughty and is heading back to the orphanage.  Billy is able to elude the Police and make his way in the orphanage to kill those kids that have been naughty.  At the last second before he actually kills any of the kids he is shot in the back by an officer.
     This is one of my favorite holiday slashers.  Movies like To All A Goodnight and Christmas Evil just don't do it for me.  Every Christmas, since my first viewing, this has been a staple in my Christmas movie schedule.  This movie just reeks with holiday spirit and that is another reason I like it so much.  When you watch a movie about Christmas you want it to feel like it really is Christmas regardless of the time of year.  This is one of the better slashers and it is a shame that many people have never seen this little gem.  The movie has pretty decent acting and special effects.  Most of the cast are known among horror fans or have been in many mainstream television shows.  Also, the special effects are better than your typical slasher films.  The deaths, though standard among slashers, are very well done and are extremely gruesome.  I really enjoyed Linnea Quigley's death and the young boy sledding scenes.  Every year when I watch this movie I am still caught off guard by both kills.  The story is really nothing special and is similar to Christmas Evil with the killer snapping and killing those that have been naughty.   I also did not like the pacing at the beginning of the movie.  When the film jumped  to1974 it was pointless and feels like it was only added to the film to extend the running time.  This film should have been left out and replaced with more kills in my opinion.  Overall, this is one entertaining slasher that should be bought and watched...multiple times.