| SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT (1984) |
| "You see Santa Claus tonight... you better run boy, you better run for your life!!" This is the popular holiday film that was removed from the theaters quickly during its release date due to disgruntled parents, who gathered a boycott outside of the mutliplexes showing the film for its ads depicting Santa Claus as an axe-wielding murderer. However, when it came out to video shortly afterwards, the badmouthing from all the parents fanatics paid off and this film suddenly became a cult hit, unleashing four sequels to this date (which I'll try to revisit/review them all sometime, although I don't remember any of them being very good). Just about every critic who reviewed this movie slaughtered it and referred to it as "exploitation," which I shudder whenever I read since I got something out of it and found it to be a smart and unflicing horor film that holds up awfully well a disturbing character study, while keeping a high body count for the horror fans to be pleased. Eighteen-year-old Billy (Robert Brian Wilson) has had a new outlook on the Christmas season since he was five. When visiting his grandfather out at a mental institute on Christmas eve, little Billy was warned that Santa would come after him if he was acting naughty. Just when you think it couldn't get any more traumatizing for the poor boy, on the car ride home, despite his constant warnings, Billy's father is shot point blank and his mother is raped and killed right in front of him by a burglar donning a Santa outfit. After witnessing the incident in hiding, Billy and his little brother Ricky (a baby during this incident) are sent to live in an orphanage and tries his hardest to forget about the past. Billy doesn't have so much luck with the cruel Mother Superior (Lilyan Chauvin) running the orphanage, who thinks of punishment as a good thing and brainwashes the kid on many different "naughty" things, including pre-marital sex. He tries to make the best for himself, with the help of a caring nun (Gilmer McCormick), by getting him a steady job working at a toy store. All is going well until he is talked into wearing a Santa outfit for the season, which completely warps him. With a little liquor in his system, he decides to go out on a murderous rampage to kill anyone around him who he believes to be "naughty." Before this film transcends into a slice-and-dice film late in the film, Michael Hickey's screenplay does a great job developing the character of Billy and his character motivations seem entirely believable. Although we know what's going to happen with this guy, we still manage to garner some sympathy for all the hell put upon him throughout the movie. We have a clear view of where Billy is coming from and how his past has completely ruined him, which is something you don't always see in films of this genre. The first half is where he gets the most mileage from the story, developing some genuinely creepy moments. Even if you can easily predict the situations and some of the false scares that occurs, its hard not to get caught up in the movies storyline and perverse material, which make it standout from standard slasher material. Chauvin's challenging performance as Mother Superior is, simply put, excellent, bringing a quiet menace to her character that gives you the chills. Most catholics will not be proud to see how nasty her character is, yet I found her to be more terrifying than many of the film villains I've seen in horror films (ie - Jason or Freddy) and makes you cringe everytime she appears on screen. Her presence is unforgettable and one that has haunted me long after I've seen the film. The newcoming actors portraying Billy all do a superb job, eliciting the right amount of fear and confusion the character goes through. Wilson delivers a standout effort as the teenage Billy and even shows a knack for comic timing in a few scenes ("PUNISH!"). McCormick's character isn't developed well enough, yet she works incredibly well for the time she has in the film as a sympathetic nun who feels conflicted towards Superior's attitude towards Billy. Favorite "Scream Queen" Linnea Quigley also deserves mention for her memorable little role as a "naughty" and very horny young woman, living up to her famous tradition by having her top off for all of her screentime. Her death scene won't likely be forgotten anytime soon either. Charles E. Sellier Jr. does a respectable job in the directors chair. He goes all out for scares in the first half and the synthesizer score adds tension to the film. It does feel a little generic and goes for some cheap shocks in the second half that provide little surprise, but I think Sellier does competent enough work with the material. I really liked a shot late in the film where we see Billy, armed with a bloodied axe, decapitating a snowman. The sequence between Billy and his grandfather is an especially impacting moment of the film and I couldn't sleep for days when I first saw this film for that scene alone. "Silent Night, Deadly Night" has a few moments that come off predictable, but is packed with enough positives to quash a few of the films flaws. For those looking for a good horror film, it would make the top of my list for the slasher genre. Even with campy elements here and there that tend to interfere with the psychological tone of the film, it comes off scary as hell and I found it to be a new little holiday tradition for me every Christmas eve. Now... have you been naughty or nice this year? Rating: **** 1/2 out of ***** Review by Adam Eshack - (c) 1/21/02 |
| CAST: Robert Brian Wilson, Lilyan Chauvin, Gilmer McCormick, Toni Nero, Linnea Quigley DIRECTOR: Charles E. Sellier Jr. SCREENPLAY: Michael Hickey, from a story by Paul Caimi Running Time: 79/84 Mins. Rated R/UNRATED (Unrated version reviewed) |
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