Silent Night, Deadly Night
2/4
Starring: Robert Brian Wilson, Lilyan Chauvin, Ginger McCormick, Britt Leach
Rated R for Violence/Gore, Rape and Language (I guess)
"Silent Night, Deadly Night" created a storm of controversy when it was released. Angry parents were furious that beloved children's icon was being portrayed as a psychotic killer (despite the fact that, according to iMDb, "Tales from the Crypt" had done the same thing 12 years prior). Siskel and Ebert famously derided it. The controversy rose to such a furor that the film was pulled from release after two weeks (it did make a small profit, however). Part of the reason it caused such a furor is that ads for the movie, showing an ax-carrying Santa Claus, were shown on TV.
Still, after viewing the movie, it's hard to understand why it created such a controversy. Slasher movies were not a new thing in 1984. "Halloween," the movie that gave birth to the genre as we know of it today, was released six years earlier. "Friday the 13th" was released in 1980. Admittedly, having a movie about Santa going bezerk sounds a little sleazy, but slasher movies always are. It's in their DNA. It's not like it was aimed at kids (and any parent who actually took their kid to see the film deserved what they got).
Another reason why it's hard to understand the controversy is the movie itself. It's really not that good. It's certainly not scary. Frankly, it's so dumb and so over-the-top that it's hard to take seriously. The characters in this movie range from dumb to idiotic to "thank God they ran into the slasher so they can't reproduce."
The story is more complicated than it needs to be, indicating that either the producers didn't know their audience, or god forbid, they thought they were making a horror movie with a sophisticated psychological undercurrent (if that was the case, which I doubt considering the marketing campaign, they were sorely mistaken). In any event, the film opens with a little kid named Billy (Jonathon Best) going to visit his senile grandfather (Will Hare). His parents think that Grandpa is a vegetable, but Billy doesn't after creepy Grandpa warns him that all the bad kids are punished by Santa and not just given coal. Then of course his parents are murdered by a robber in a Santa costume. After that, he's raised in an orphanage. The trauma of the crime is still affecting him, as kindly Sister Margaret (McCormick) believes. But Mother Superior (Chauvin) believes that she can stamp it out, and takes her mantra of "tough love" too far. Years later, Billy (Wilson) has grown up, and is helping Mr. Simms (Leach) move boxes in his toy store. Billy is the town's golden child, until Christmas comes around. That's when he gets a little on edge. And after a little none-too-subtle "unintentional" prodding, Billy loses it and goes on a rampage.
The film is sillier than it sounds, mainly because the script is dumber than dumb, and many scenes are played so far over the top that it's impossible to think that Charles E. Sellier, the director, wasn't winking at the audience (the scene where Billy is the helpful hunk around the store appears to be straight out of a 50's sitcom like "Leave it to Beaver").
Acting-wise, the film is on at least adequate ground. The three stars, Robert Brian Wilson, Lilyan Chauvin, and Ginger McCormick, are effective. Britt Leach, however, is beyond awful. No one else bears a mention. Really, this is typical for a horror flick.
If Charles E. Sellier was trying to scare his audience, he failed miserably...sort of. The film, as I've said before, is ludicrous and stupid, but the score, by Perry Botkin, is pretty creepy.
I suppose the movie is kinda dopey fun in a campy sort of way. There are plenty of laughs in the film, all of which appear to be unintentional. But it's hard to find (I found it through sheer dumb luck at Best Buy, although that may be because the remake has just been released...without any fanfare, I might add). But if you're looking for a black comedy/horror flick featuring Santa Claus as a villain, you're better off going with the Canadian movie "Santa's Slay." It's cheesier (if that's possible), but it's also funnier.
Starring: Robert Brian Wilson, Lilyan Chauvin, Ginger McCormick, Britt Leach
Rated R for Violence/Gore, Rape and Language (I guess)
"Silent Night, Deadly Night" created a storm of controversy when it was released. Angry parents were furious that beloved children's icon was being portrayed as a psychotic killer (despite the fact that, according to iMDb, "Tales from the Crypt" had done the same thing 12 years prior). Siskel and Ebert famously derided it. The controversy rose to such a furor that the film was pulled from release after two weeks (it did make a small profit, however). Part of the reason it caused such a furor is that ads for the movie, showing an ax-carrying Santa Claus, were shown on TV.
Still, after viewing the movie, it's hard to understand why it created such a controversy. Slasher movies were not a new thing in 1984. "Halloween," the movie that gave birth to the genre as we know of it today, was released six years earlier. "Friday the 13th" was released in 1980. Admittedly, having a movie about Santa going bezerk sounds a little sleazy, but slasher movies always are. It's in their DNA. It's not like it was aimed at kids (and any parent who actually took their kid to see the film deserved what they got).
Another reason why it's hard to understand the controversy is the movie itself. It's really not that good. It's certainly not scary. Frankly, it's so dumb and so over-the-top that it's hard to take seriously. The characters in this movie range from dumb to idiotic to "thank God they ran into the slasher so they can't reproduce."
The story is more complicated than it needs to be, indicating that either the producers didn't know their audience, or god forbid, they thought they were making a horror movie with a sophisticated psychological undercurrent (if that was the case, which I doubt considering the marketing campaign, they were sorely mistaken). In any event, the film opens with a little kid named Billy (Jonathon Best) going to visit his senile grandfather (Will Hare). His parents think that Grandpa is a vegetable, but Billy doesn't after creepy Grandpa warns him that all the bad kids are punished by Santa and not just given coal. Then of course his parents are murdered by a robber in a Santa costume. After that, he's raised in an orphanage. The trauma of the crime is still affecting him, as kindly Sister Margaret (McCormick) believes. But Mother Superior (Chauvin) believes that she can stamp it out, and takes her mantra of "tough love" too far. Years later, Billy (Wilson) has grown up, and is helping Mr. Simms (Leach) move boxes in his toy store. Billy is the town's golden child, until Christmas comes around. That's when he gets a little on edge. And after a little none-too-subtle "unintentional" prodding, Billy loses it and goes on a rampage.
The film is sillier than it sounds, mainly because the script is dumber than dumb, and many scenes are played so far over the top that it's impossible to think that Charles E. Sellier, the director, wasn't winking at the audience (the scene where Billy is the helpful hunk around the store appears to be straight out of a 50's sitcom like "Leave it to Beaver").
Acting-wise, the film is on at least adequate ground. The three stars, Robert Brian Wilson, Lilyan Chauvin, and Ginger McCormick, are effective. Britt Leach, however, is beyond awful. No one else bears a mention. Really, this is typical for a horror flick.
If Charles E. Sellier was trying to scare his audience, he failed miserably...sort of. The film, as I've said before, is ludicrous and stupid, but the score, by Perry Botkin, is pretty creepy.
I suppose the movie is kinda dopey fun in a campy sort of way. There are plenty of laughs in the film, all of which appear to be unintentional. But it's hard to find (I found it through sheer dumb luck at Best Buy, although that may be because the remake has just been released...without any fanfare, I might add). But if you're looking for a black comedy/horror flick featuring Santa Claus as a villain, you're better off going with the Canadian movie "Santa's Slay." It's cheesier (if that's possible), but it's also funnier.
Comments
Post a Comment