Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984)
Directed by: Charles E. Sellier Jr.
Premise: A boy witnesses his parents murdered by a carjacker dressed as Santa Claus. Years later he goes on a Christmas killing rampage while costumed as St. Nick.
What Works: The best thing to be said about Silent Night, Deadly Night is its psychology. Billy experiences a horrific childhood trauma and he grows up understandably terrified of Kris Kringle. The filmmakers create a series of set pieces that transition Billy from a frightened little boy to a murderous adult. It’s all on the nose but there is a coherent logic to Billy’s transformation that makes it credible. The movie also deserves some credit for its audacity. Silent Night, Deadly Night is a brutal film, especially in its unrated form, all the more so because of its holiday setting. The picture was released at a very conservative time and while politics may not have been on the filmmakers’ mind their commitment to the tone gives Silent Night, Deadly Night a sleazy authenticity that was subversive in its day and defined the image of 1980s slasher movies.
What Doesn’t: Silent Night, Deadly Night’s audacious use of Christmas imagery wasn’t original nor was this the first or best killer Santa movie; Christmas Evil is considerably better. But this film is remembered because of its notoriety. When Silent Night, Deadly Night was released it caused an uproar. Parental groups protested the movie and got it pulled from theaters. The controversy raised Silent Night, Deadly Night’s profile and secured its longevity. As audiences look back nostalgically on 1980s horror pictures there has been a resurgence of interest in this film. But there is no getting around the fact that Silent Night, Deadly Night is not good. It is shoddily made and many scenes are unappealingly lit. Billy’s rampage is mostly a series of disconnected set pieces. Scenes of violence against women are exploitative and pornographic. It’s a meanspirited movie that’s not much fun. This is shlock but Silent Night, Deadly Night lacks the pleasure many people take from this kind of movie.
Disc extras: The 4K release by Shout! Factory includes the theatrical and unrated versions, commentary tracks, featurettes, interviews, a trailer, TV and radio spots, and an image gallery.
Bottom Line: Silent Night, Deadly Night endures primarily because of its controversial public image and cult audience. Don’t be fooled. This isn’t a lost masterpiece. It’s not even good. The primary value of Silent Night, Deadly Night is as a cultural artifact from the 1980s.
Episode: #1028 (December 22, 2024)