Written by Michael Hickey
Directed by Charles E. Sellier Jr.
Billy: "Mommy, you shouldn't have said that. It's naughty to say bad things about old people. Santa Claus will punish you."
Okay, so I'm starting Christmas reviews a month early but I'm spacing them out between other reviews and the first batch will be of the horror persuasion. Not to mention some of them are new to me. Like this franchise for example.
I've been vaguely about the general idea behind this movie for a bit now and last night, I gave it a go. To my intrigue, this was a rather disturbing take on the old "naughty or nice" saying.
The movie started with a young family visiting an old man at a retirement home. The old man in question scared the shit out of his grandson Billy (Jonathan Best) by warning him of Santa's not so nice side. It was a warning that unfortunately was too on point as Billy would soon learn.
Anyways, Billy's parents get murdered by a robber dressed as Santa in the middle of nowhere and both Billy (Danny Wagner) and younger brother Ricky are in a convent orphanage. Billy hasn't gotten over the trauma of witnessing his parents murder and the rather sadistic Mother Superior (Lilyan Chauvin) only made things worse with her cruel methods of trying to control Billy.
After another time jump, we get to see the adult Billy (Robert Brian Wilson) aged out of the orphanage working in a department store. He's still triggered by Santa Claus and be made into a store Santa only brought out his bloodlust.
The rest of the movie was Billy dressed as Santa murdering anyone who had the misfortune of being in his way. Aside from one person, none of Billy's victims deserved their fate and a showdown at the orphanage brought Billy's killing spree to its own violent conclusion. Oh and the obvious sequel hook, courtesy of Ricky.
- I can't believe there was a campaign to get this film initially banned. Oh wait, yes I can.
- Other portrayals of killer Santa at the time included Tales Of The Crypt and Christmas Evil.
- Standout music: Slayrider, Santa's Watching, Christmas Flu and It Must Be Christmas to name a few.
- Chronology: Christmas 1971, 1974 and 1984 respectively.
Silent Night, Deadly Night moved at a bit of a slow-ish pace but when it got going, it really went to town on the gore. It's probably a film that might have unsettled me as a kid but as an adult, it was still effective enough.
Rating: 7 out of 10
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