Silent Night, Deadly Night

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=125 BGCOLOR="#996699" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="043467d1erlcll.png"> <div> <FONT SIZE="7" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Book Antiqua" ><B>YikesHorror.com</B></FONT><B>     </B><B>|     </B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#FFFFCC" FACE="Book Antiqua" ><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="YikesHorror.com"><U><B>home</B></U></A></FONT></div> <div> <A HREF="id319.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Horror beginning with S"><U>Horror beginning with S</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id418.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Salems Lot: The Movie"><U>Salem's Lot: The Movie</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id419.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Scalps"><U>Scalps</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id420.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Scarecrows"><U>Scarecrows</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id366.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Scream"><U>Scream</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id421.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Scream Greats Volume I: Tom Savini, Mast"><U>Scream Greats Volume I: Tom Savini, Master of Horror Effects</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id422.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Secrets of Dick Smith: Hollywoods Sp"><U>The Secrets of Dick Smith: Hollywood's Special Effects Master</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id423.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Sentinal"><U>The Sentinal</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id424.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Serpent and the Rainbow"><U>The Serpent and the Rainbow</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id425.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Servants of Twilight"><U>Servants of Twilight</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id426.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Seventh Sign"><U>The Seventh Sign</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id427.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Shallow Grave"><U>Shallow Grave</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id428.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Shining"><U>The Shining</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id535.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Shock em Dead"><U>Shock 'em Dead</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id536.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Silence of the Lambs"><U>Silence of the Lambs</U></A>   |   <B>Silent Night, Deadly Night</B>   |   <A HREF="id538.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Silent Night, Deadly Night II"><U>Silent Night, Deadly Night II</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id539.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Silver Bullet"><U>Silver Bullet</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id540.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Slashed Dreams"><U>Slashed Dreams</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id541.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Slaughter of the Innocents"><U>Slaughter of the Innocents</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id542.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Slaughterhouse"><U>Slaughterhouse</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id543.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Slayer"><U>The Slayer</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id544.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sleepaway Camp"><U>Sleepaway Camp</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id545.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers"><U>Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id546.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sleepaway Camp III: Teenage Wasteland"><U>Sleepaway Camp III: Teenage Wasteland</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id547.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sleepwalkers"><U>Sleepwalkers</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id549.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Slugs"><U>Slugs</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id550.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Slumber Party Massacre"><U>Slumber Party Massacre</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id551.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Slumber Party Massacre II"><U>Slumber Party Massacre II</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id552.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Slumber Party Massacre III"><U>Slumber Party Massacre III</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id458.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Silent Night, Deadly Night III"><U>Silent Night, Deadly Night III</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id460.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sorority House Massacre 2"><U>Sorority House Massacre 2</U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=190 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=355 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>Silent Night, Deadly Night</B></div> <div> (Christmas/Slasher)                       6******skulls</div> <bR> <div> * Lots of Blood * Extremely Violent (Sexual Assault) *</div> <div> * Strong Language * Sexual Situations * Nudity * Very Gory *</div> <bR> <div> 1984/Color/92 Min./U.S.A. Home Video & Slayride, Inc./Not Rated</div> <bR> <div> Director.........Charles E. Sellier, Jr.</div> <div> Screenplay.......Michael Hickey</div> <div> Music............Perry Botkin</div> <div> Producer.........Ira Richard Barmak</div> <div> Executive Producers.....Scott J. Schneid & Dennis Whitehead</div> <div> Based on a Story by Paul Caimi</div> <div> Special Effects & Make-up by Rick Josephson & Karl Wesson</div> <bR> <div> Dramatis Personae</div> <div> Mother Superior...Lilyan Chauvin</div> <div> Sister Margaret...Gilmer McCormick</div> <div> Pamela............Toni Nero</div> <div> Billy.............Robert Brian Wilson</div> <div> Killer Santa......Charles Dierkop</div> <div> Mrs. Randall......Nancy Borgenicht</div> <div> Denise............Linnea Quigley* (Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers)</div> <div> Andy..............Randy Stumpf</div> <div> Mr. Simms.........Britt Leach</div> <div> Captain Richards..W.F.D. Richards</div> <div> Mother (Ellie)....Tara Buckman</div> <div> Grandpa...........Will Hare</div> <div> Billy at age 8....Danny Wagner</div> <div> Billy at age 5....Jonathon Best</div> <bR> <div> Critique: The fact that this is a real guy and portrayed without any humor translates into much scarier violence than the usual ironic slasher. Indeed this moves more like a chillling home video than like the slick fiction of period horror. The soundtrack is kinky with it's many scary Christmas songs about naughty children. The film has a brisk enough pace, however, becomes side-tracked briefly when Santa goes about an aimless killing spree, getting two bullies and two sexually active teenagers, in a step back to traditional horror moralizing. As good as those scenes are, it would have been more plausible had he not gone Santa-like looking in houses on the off chance of finding naughty people, and headed directly for the very plausible source of his rage, the orphanage, where in our opinion, he should have had more success. The Mother Superior here is a beast, and her survival in a movie where countless others are killed senselessly is inconsistent and lacks a sense of justice. Not worth the hubbub that surrounded its release (remember the debate over a slasher dressed as Santa! what utter stupidity). Who would let their kid watch this? Unless the problem was that Santa has gained religious significance in the US. Although this would make such a portrayal of Santa heresy, it makes all of Santa's followers heretics in whatever sect they belong to, unless they worship the Norse gods. Basically weak because of the strained acting and low production values, but a watchable film just the same.</div> <bR> <div> Plot Summary: Christmas Eve, 1971. Mother, father, son, and baby are traveling heading home on Christmas Eve. Utah Mental Facility where they visit the Jimmy's father . As the parents look at records, Billy stays with catatonic grandpa, who suddenly peps up the minute they leave and tells Billy that Christmas night is the scariest night of the year. Santa Claus brings toys to the good kids, but the naughty ones he punishes: "If you see Santa Claus tonight you better run boy!" laughs and returns to his catatonia as the parents return. Billy is hence understandably horrified of Santa Claus. As they ride home, a convenience store robber dressed as Santa Claus flags down the family, shoots the father, slashes the mother's throat, and proceeds to hunt the fleeing Billy. December 1974. Billy and his little brother now reside at Saint Mary's Home for Orphaned Children. Billy horrifies the nuns and orphans with his bloody Christmas drawing. It seems to get worse every Christmas. While one sister wants to help him, the harsh Mother Superior wants to discipline him. Calling him a devil, she whips him with his bed demanding they take their punishment. She explains to Billy that when we do something naughty we are always caught. Punishment, she adds, is absolute, necessary, and good. She whips him too. Billy is haunted by dreams of the night his parents were killed, which Mother Superior treats by fastening his limbs to the bedposts, convinced that her method is the best. At the Christmas celebration, she announces that William will sit on Santa Claus' lap and he will behave himself. Regrettably, he punches Santa. Spring 1984 Ten years later. Billy is now a huge muscleman with a job at Ira's toystore. His boss is pleased with his work and everyone is happy with his exemplary development until Christmas when the new sign with Santa on it makes him very nervous. When a Santa is brought into the store, Billy begins to hallucinate. Visions of sex mingled with Santa Claus murderers run through his head. When the toy store's hired Santa sprains his ankle, Billy is called upon to fill in. His performance is disturbing as he tells the children to be nice or he'll punish them--"severely". When the sister finds out that Billy is Santa she is aghast. After work, Mr. Simms begins his drunken Christmas party singing carols with employee Tony, who's hot for co-worker Pamela, and drinking. Unfortunately, Mr. Simms lacsivius behaviour reminds Billy of Santa's Christmas Eve responsibility, and the punishment begins. One by one the drunken celebrants are done away with, then Santa moves on. His nun contacts the police, and a paranoid manhunt for anyone in a Santa suit ensues, while Billy-Santa visits teenage sledders. The police chief works with the nun and predicts that he will show next at the orphanage, where, unfortunately, the phone is off the hook and a visit from a hired Santa is expected anyway. All cars are ordered to converge on the orphanage with orders to shoot to kill, resulting in mayhem at the orphanage and a showdown of teacher and student disciplinarians.</div> </td> </tr></table></body>