Just in time for the Christmas season, Anchor Bay has released Silent Night, a remake of 1984’s Silent Night, Deadly Night. The original film, about an ax murderer in a Santa suit, was one of the most notorious slasher pictures of the 1980s. But it was neither the first nor the last film to mix murder with holiday cheer. Here are a few films for Christmas curmudgeons:
Black Christmas (1974)
Black Christmas was one of the earliest slasher movies. Directed by Bob Clark, who would go on to make A Christmas Story and Porky’s, the film is about members of a sorority who are terrorized by a psychopath. Black Christmas was remade in 2006.
Christmas Evil (aka You Better Watch Out) (1980)
A man who is obsessed with Santa Claus loses his grip on reality and goes on a killing spree. John Waters called it the greatest Christmas movie ever made.
Don’t Open Till Christmas (1984)
Most Killer Santa flicks are distasteful but Don’t Open Till Christmas is nastier than usual. This British based movie upends some of the usual slasher cliches as the killer targets men dressed as Santa Claus. The film also features a cameo by former Bond-girl Caroline Munro as herself.
Gremlins (1984)
Produced by Steven Spielberg and directed by Joe Dante, Gremlins was one of the films that prompted the MPAA to create the PG-13 classification after parents expressed outrage over the scariness of the PG-rated film. Although it is a nicer film than others in this post, Gremlins is intense and has a wicked sense of humor.
Jack Frost (1997)
Not to be confused with the 1998 family picture starring Michael Keaton or the 1965 Russian fantasy film lampooned on Mystery Science Theater 3000, 1997’s Jack Frost is a horror movie about a serial killer reincarnated as a snowman.
Santa’s Slay (2005)
Another Killer Santa movie, although one that is more fun than most. This film supposes that Santa is actually a demon who lost a bet with an angel and has been punished with centuries of bringing happiness to the world, When the terms of the bet expire Santa makes up for lost time with a Christmas rampage. Former professional wrestler Bill Goldberg plays the lead.
Silent Night, Bloody Night (1972)
A reworking of the premise of The Haunting and similar haunted house pictures, the lead character inherits a property that was a mental institution.
Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984)
The seminal Christmas horror film, Silent Night, Deadly Night caused a sensation when TV spots aired on daytime television, prompting conservative parent groups to protest the film. Distributor Tristar buckled to pressure and yanked the ads and later the film, although not until after it premiered in theaters and made its money back. Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert used their syndicated television show to protest the film.
Silent Night, Deadly Night 2 (1987)
The sequel to Silent Night, Deadly Night is almost as notorious as the original because it is such an effortlessly made film. The picture follows the exploits of the original killer’s younger brother and about half of the sequel is made of flashbacks to the original film. Silent Night, Deadly Night 2 has become an object of cult affection because of the infamous “garbage day” scene.
Tales from the Crypt: “And All Through the House”
This episode of HBO’s horror anthology was another entry in the Killer Santa subgenre and was directed by Robert Zemeckis.