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Overall Rating : 6.5/10
Directed By : Charles E. Sellier Jr.
Lilyan Chauvin (Pumpkinhead II : Blood Wings)
Gilmer McCormick
Toni Nero
Robert Brian Wilson
Supplied By : Anchor Bay Entertainment
Film Reviewed By : Rick L. Blalock
Date Reviewed : December. 13, 2007
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| PLOT Traumatized by his parents’ Christmas Eve rape and murder, little Billy Chapman is brutalized by sadistic orphanage nuns. When a grown-up Billy is forced to dress as jolly St. Nick, he goes on a yuletide rampage to punish the naughty. Santa Claus is coming to town…and this time he’s got an axe! |
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| THE REVIEW In the 1984 Christmas themed Horror classic, Director Charles E. Sellier Jr. directed a humble little film that centered around Christmas' ultimate icon - Santa Claus. Legend tells us that he is a jolly 'ole fat man in a red suit, but in this film Sellier, rewrote the legend, and changed Santa forever as far as many Horror fans were concerned. To make a long story short, he made him evil - and parents all over the world hated him(and everyone involved) for it. SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT, tells us the story of Billy, whom, up until Christmas Eve of 1971 believed in Santa Claus just like any other normal boy. This all changed on that day when he went along with his parents and infant brother to visit his crazy old Grandpa in a mental hospital. It is there that Billy's spirit is washed away forever, when the old kook tells the naive boy that Santa punishes naughty children. Billy, whom admits he hasn't been exactly good for the entire year, is then terrified by his Grandpa's words, and believes he will be punished. To make things worse, by coincidence, there is a robber on the loose whom is clad in the Santa get up, and as fate would have it, that night, he ambushes Billy's family killing his parents shortly after raping his Mother. From then on, Billy lives his life in an Orphanage, where he is mistreated and he would still remain terrified with anything involving Christmas - Santa in particular, of course. Billy would finally leave the orphanage at 18. when he is given a job a Ira's Toys as a handyman. Everything is great for Billy at the toy shop, that is until the man whom annually plays the shop's Santa can't make it and Billy is asked to substitute for him. Billy is asked by Ira if he knows how to portray Santa, in which he replies that he does - but the thing is that Billy has always seen Santa differently - as a killer with no remorse! In the spirit of what Billy believes inside his warped mind, he sets off to "punish" the naughty in various deadly and bloody ways. I have seen SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT numerous times now so when asked to review this, I knew exactly what I was in for. When this movie was released in 1984, Horror fans loved it, and it more of less made back it's budget of $750,000 in it's first week, but Mothers and politicians everywhere absolutely hated it. Protestors claimed that the film was "ruining Santa's image, and scaring children" But the fact is that all of the people that were shunning it were looking too far into the films subject matter. This film actually does NOT feature a killing Santa Claus, but rather a troubled person whom had something happen to him as a child and carried that trauma his whole life - and what he does(the killing), he believes is justified. I feel that these parents, and whoever else protested, but too much of an emphasis on the Christmas theme, probably without seeing it first, because there are many people, whom are mentally troubled out there today and they all have different things that make them tick - Billy's just happens to be Santa Claus. Plot-wise, as the Director himself hints at in the audio interview on the DVD, is pretty basic.....but I believe it is pretty brilliant for the time that it was released. At the time, we already had Michael Myers and a film with the HALLOWEEN them as it's backdrop, we also had Christmas ones as well like the original BLACK CHRISTMAS. But there was still not a film that took Horror and the holiday of Christmas to the next level, sure there was CHRISTMAS EVIL(why that didn't get protested in 1980 is anyone's guess), it had a similar story, but wasn't nearly as well written or gory - SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT being both, was sort of a double edged sword as it got it more attention. The story ends in a way that it hints at a sequel, in fact it spawned 4 of them, but Director had no further involvement with the series, although he was asked to to the follow up to the originally, in which a sequel was never planned to begin with. The core plot line would continue in parts 2-3 in which the sole surviving family member of Billy, his younger Brother Ricky would follow his leaded. Part two is god-awful for the simple fact that there is really no original story, except for a few new scenes, most of the film consists of footage lifted from the original, and if you have never seen it, there is really no need. The third presented an original, but wacky plot involving Ricky, this time played by a young Bill Moseley(THE DEVIL'S REJECTS). And to tell the truth, the only real reason to see it, IS Moseley. The two sequels to follow would leave the original concept behind to create something new, while baring the original name(think HALLOWEEN 3) I have had both of these sequels for a while, but have never really had any desire to see them Out of all 5 of the films in this series, the original is the only one to feel like an actual Slasher film and is by far the only one that's really worth seeing - i'd say that, along with BLACK CHRISTMAS(1974) and A CHRISTMAS STORY(both written and Directed by Bob Clark), SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT should be required Christmas viewing! In closing, I have to mention that, I am really disappointed in this DVD however, Anchor Bay has released this DVD marketing as being uncut, forgetting that the version included in the double feature that was released in 2003 was unrated, I thought this was a completely different cut - and ANCHOR BAY makes us believe so as well. But the hard truth is that this is the same exact version on the 2003 release - same menus, special features and everything, the only difference is that it's on a new single sided disc and has new cover art, that in my opinion is really bad. So if you already have the double feature disc, do NOT shell out even more money, unless you absolutely want to. |
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| GORE
METER 5.5/10 We have various kills whether it be strangulation via Christmas lights, stabbings, or axe wielding beheadings, fans of gore are sure to find something they like. |
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| MUSICAL
SCORE 5/10 As for the score, we have a mixed bag. Sometimes we have a really intense, pulsing score, and then we would have really cheesy Christmas songs along with more traditional ones - but still in some strange way.... it kind of works. |
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| OVERALL
IMPRESSION OF THE FILM In my opinion, SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT is one of the best Christmas movies ever to be made in general regardless of genre. After all of the negative buzz surrounding this film, Charles E. Sellier Jr. vowed never to work in the Horror genre again, just to avoid such incident from happening again, it was too big of a hassle(I don't blame him) - it's a real shame because with this film he gave us a true holiday Horror classic. If you haven't already seem SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT, you should check out this Christmas, or at anytime for that matter! |
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