Silent Night, Deadly Night III: Better Watch Out!

Dir: Monte Hellman

1989

**

The original Silent Night, Deadly Night is a Christmas horror classic and Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 is also a classic, but only through default because it is largely a repeat (flashback) of the first film. Silent Night, Deadly Night III: Better Watch Out! is a million miles away from a classic, or a horror for that matter. It's not really even about Christmas and it features absolutely no nuns or axe-wielding Santas. The film is however, a continuation of the original story. Somehow, and even though we saw him shot to pieces at the end of the last film, Ricky is still alive and kept in a high security (or is it) psychiatric hospital. In wanting to contact Ricky while he resides in a six year coma, an eccentric Doctor tries to use a young Clairvoyant girl to try and get inside his brain (which is now housed in a half head and half goldfish bowl - for no apparent reason, especially as Ricky's head was about the only place he wasn't shot at the end of the previous film). Of course, Ricky wakes up, when a Santa impersonator enters his room no less, and decides to go after the Clairvoyant girl, for no real reason either. Being half man, half goldfish bowl comes with limitations and Ricky's new slow form makes for quite a dull film. There are large parts of the film whereby absolutely nothing happens. As well as being Clairvoyant, young Laura is also blind, which means much of the film involves her not being able to the incredibly slow killer sneak up behind her. This creates no tension whatsoever, which I believe was the intention. Instead, it just looks like you're watching a low-budget horror film in slow motion - which is pretty much exactly what it is. There isn't much pay-off either. No Santa suit, no Santa hat, no axe, no Nun killing, no Christmas, nothing. When you are unworthy of a Silent Night, Deadly Night title, then you know you've reached a certain low but this was directed by Monte Hellman, director of The Shooting and Two-Lane Blacktop, a great film maker. He's even said this was his best work to date, although not his best film. He said this in regard to the films production. The script was written in one week in March and the principal photography was completed by the end of April. The film was edited in May - Hellman took time out to go to the Cannes Film Festival and the film was released in July. I guess their speed could be congratulated but I'm not sure it is a good thing overall, especially as the film looks as rushed as it was.