Movie Review - Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984)

Christmas Movie a Day #8
Silent Night, Deadly Night
Starring No One You've Ever Heard Of
Directed by Charles E. Sellier, Jr.

To simply give you an idea of what to expect with this movie, here's an example of a scene that happens towards the end. A teenage girl and guy in various stages of undress are making out on a pool table in the basement of the girl's house on Christmas Eve. The girl's little sister begin to walk downstairs, wanting to stay up and see Santa Claus. The teenage girl, obviously upset that her sex session has been interrupted, yells up to her sister, "If you don't go upstairs to bed, Santa won't come!" To which her boyfriend responds, "Someone else won't either." Suffice it to say, these teens will certainly pay for their sexual deviance.

Sure, this isn't your typical Christmas movie, but it's actually a better-than-average 80s slasher picture with some pretty nifty kills and an actual backstory that makes sense. Plus, you throw in some holiday cheer (or fear...har-dee-har-har) and this was much more enjoyable than I excepted.

It's Christmas Eve 1971 and young five year-old Billy Chapman is driving home with his mom, dad, and baby brother after visiting his grandpa in a mental institution. Along the way, his dad notices a car broken down on the side of the road with a man dressed up as Santa next to it. He decides to stop and help the guy, but is instead gunned down by Santa Claus. Billy happens to escape the car, but while hiding in the bushes, he sees the evil Santa begin to rape his mother before he slits her throat. Cut to three years later -- Billy is eight and living at a Catholic orphanage. However, every Christmas he is still rattled by the awful image that Santa holds for him. It doesn't help that the Mother Superior is constantly punishing and abusing him -- as if the kid didn't have enough mental problems. Ten years pass by and Billy is out of the orphanage and in the real world, but when Christmas comes 'round again, everyone better watch out because Billy is not the clean cut guy he appears to be.

The thing that impressed me most about this movie is that there's actually a plausible reasoning behind why Billy becomes the monster that he is. The film doesn't rush it either...Billy doesn't go on his rampage until the flick's more than half over. While some of the kills were cool (including one involving a stuffed deer), the fact these grisly deaths didn't make up the bulk of the movie absolutely works in the movie's favor.

Sure, the movie's ridiculous, but I've got to say that for what this movie is, it's actually a darn good slasher pic.

The RyMickey Rating: B-
The Christmas Spirit Scale: 7/10
(may seem odd based on the subject matter, but the whole thing's about Christmas!)
(The Christmas Spirit Scale is a totally pointless rating that is simply my feeling about how "Christmas-y" the movie felt to me)