Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984)

Director: Charles E. Sellier Jr.

Starring: Robert Brian Wilson & Linnea Quigley's boobs

More Info: IMDB

Tagline: He knows when you've been naughty

Plot: After his parents are murdered, a young tormented teenager goes on a murderous rampage dressed as Santa, due to his stay at an orphanage where he was abused by the Mother Superior.



My Rating: 7/10

Would I watch it again? Every Xmas! I smell a new tradition!

That's about as sound of a plot as I need for something like this. This was great. The opening scenes with the catatonic grandpa sitting in a wheelchair not responding to anything his son and his family say/do and then SUDDENLY when everyone is out of the room except for Billy he explodes into a rant about how Santa hurts bad little boys and girls is priceless. Then minutes later Billy witnesses a brutal act by a criminal dressed as Santa committing violent acts against his family. AWESOME!!!






Then Billy spends his childhood in an orphanage run by a total bitch mother superior, prepping him to go apeshit when the cut him loose at age 18. Once out...it's ON!

Oh, man, this movie is terrific. It's got a pretty good story, some pretty good acting, GREAT kills, required 80's horror movie nudity provided by Quigley, some wonderfully dark humor and the editing & pacing moves along with barely a dull moment.






I certainly don't have a problem with nudity, and this is NOT a complaint - just an observation...but when Quigley is getting it on with her boyfriend, whoever the hell that was, she strips down of course. I bring this up because of what happens next. She talks about how they need to be careful not to make any noise because she doesn't want her 8 year old sister to see them naked. Yet when she hears something outside that she thinks is her cat (hahahahaha) she puts only her pants on, prances around the house topless (thank you, Ms. Quigley) making her way to the front door (topless), opens it (topless) and starts calling her cat (topless) with the door wide open for everyone to see (topless)!!! It's a stupid silly scene that existed ONLY for the nudity. On behalf of movie lovers everywhere, Thank you, director Sellier.


There were a few scenes in the store showing the toy isle. Many of the friends I had over that night were kids of the late 70s/early 80s and we got a big kick out of seeing so many toys we enjoyed back then. There were a few minutes of pausing and zooming taking a trip back in time. That was fun. What wasn't fun were the hideously bad Xmas songs strewn throughout the picture. Woof. I'd like to think this was a hi-brow comment on the hideously bad contemporary Xmas songs that we're bombarded with every year but then again maybe they just didn't have the money or the talent to write something decent.

And then there was the ending...

HERE BE SPOILERS...YARRRRRRR

I, with most of those in attendance, wanted the mother superior to get whacked (literally, with the axe in Billy's hands) but he gets shot as he's about to do it. I would have loved to have seen that axe fall, as he fell, and land square in her head or chest (either would've worked for me. I'm not picky).

END OF SPOILERS...YARRRRRRR

But they do set up very nicely the sequel. This year we're watching the sequel. I can't wait. I'll be good. I promise. Well....

GIGGIDY GIGGIDY GIGGIDY!