Silent Night, Deadly Night 5: The Toy Maker

Dir: Martin Kitrosser

1991

***

While Silent Night, Deadly Night 5: The Toy Maker isn't the best of the Silent Night, Deadly Night films, it is the first (and last) film of the franchise that finally gets the 'not taking itself too seriously' balance just right. Of course, when I say 'not taking itself too seriously' I mean refreshingly nonsensical and brilliantly silly. It's also a proper Christmas horror film once again, which gives the series and nice rounded finale. Weirdly, the film sort of continues from where the last film left off but remains unrelated. Both Neith Hunter and Clint Howard return in cameo appearances, with Hunter's Kim commenting in one scene that she's 'gone through some weird experiences, I can tell you' seemingly without being scared and almost finding humour in the fact she was nearly set on fire and thrown off a building by Witches in the last film. Christmas Toys attacking is nothing new in the world of horror but it's handled very well here. There is a scene whereby the killer toys interrupt a sexy moment between the babysitter and her boyfriend that is particularly funny/brilliant/memorable. Possibly the biggest surprise of the film is the appearance of Mickey Rooney, who was quite vocal about his hatred of the first film, what it stood for and its lack of seasonal spirit. He, along with a few other Hollywood cranks (I do love him really) asked for it to be banned, so to appear in the fifth film of the series was quite a change of opinion and quite a coup for the franchise. He's pretty good in it too, playing his over the top and rather crazed Toymaker rather well. What really makes the film though is the last ten minutes. It really is one of those films where nothing much happens for a very long time when suddenly everything happens at once. It took me by surprise and I don't believe anyone who says they saw that plot twist coming. You can't beat low-budget early 90s horror, especially at Christmas.

Silent Night, Deadly Night 4: Initiation

Dir: Brian Yuzna

1990

***

Silent Night, Deadly Night III: Better Watch Out! was the franchises first big misfire - taking the pressure off of Part 2's cheap trick of only being half a movie. The great Brian Yuzna made the wise decision of taking the story away from the original origins, although the script for this film was the first draft written for Silent Night, Deadly Night III. At this point I was over the fact that the main villain wasn't dressed as Santa, I just wanted a good story, although there is something a little disappointing that this isn't quite a Christmas horror, but only because there just aren't enough of them (of any quality anyway). There are no killer Santas here, it is Christmas because in one scene there is a tree in the background but moreover, it's just a creepy horror. Fresh on the tails of Society - and using a few ideas that were written and never used for Society, Brian Yuzna has once again teamed up with the great Screaming Mad George. There is a character called Ricky (played by Clint Howard) but it's not clear whether he is connected or is even the same Ricky from the first films but I personally didn't see him as such. It doesn't really matter, Clint Howard is awesome and that's all there is to it. Add Witches, spontaneous human combustion, huge insects, worms coming out of people and Society-esque wobbly limb business and you're left with a damn fine eerie horror, everything you could want if you're a fan of Yuzna and Mad George - which of course I am. Yunza could have put a Santa hat on Howard (or one of the giant worms) but there was never really any need. At first I wondered whether this was a terrible horror given a title from a well-known and ever so slightly infamous horror franchise but apparently that wasn't the case. It's a great little horror film that has been hijacked by the franchise. It is fair to say the acting isn't the finest and leading lady Neith Hunter seems to spend more time undressed than dressed but she carried the film pretty well. The script is pretty good, so good in fact that even when the film reaches dazzlingly ridiculous heights, it's still somehow believable. Well maybe not believable but you go along with it without questioning it as much as maybe you should and I think that's down to Yuzna, as I feel this way about most of his films. It's also quite disturbing in its content, although not too disturbing that one could feel too effected by it. It's hard to explain but it's one of those great little unique horror films from the early 90s that I love. Seriously, the only thing missing, other than a Santa Hat and axed Nun is Jeffery Combs.

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.

Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2

Dir: Lee Harry

1987

***

So there is a huge feeling of Déjà vu when watching Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2, not just because it shares the same themes as the first film but because it is the same film as the first one. The story follows Ricky, the younger brother of Billy the psychotic Santa killer of the first film. Ricky is interviewed by a psychologist in a maximum security facility (or is it) and the first hour of the film is flashbacks of the first film, whereby Ricky tells of Billy's crimes in detail, even though he wasn't actually there to witness any of them. Why Ricky has followed in Billy's criminal footsteps is unclear, but after watching all the highlights of the first film I was thankful that he had. The first film has some spectacular inventive death scenes and Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 does quite well at trying to match it, with only a few minutes to spare. Death by umbrella was a particular favourite death but once again, part two of the Silent Night, Deadly Night series isn't really about Santa or even about Christmas, it's about nasty Nuns, who once again find themselves at the wrong end of a killer in a Santa suit's axe. It gets silly and gory pretty fast, which is a huge relief after being forced to re-watch the first film. It's been written off by many a critic and it does go a long way in making the first film look a lot better then it actually is but for what it's worth I think the climax is well worth the wait. Compared to the next three Silent Night, Deadly Night sequels it is an utter masterpiece but I still have a soft spot for it. The acting is truly awful, the script is amazingly bad and it's only half a film but after watching, it now wouldn't be Christmas without a sneaky re-watch. At the very least, it's still firmly in the top ten best Christmas horror films of all time (but only just).

Silent Night

Dir: Steven C. Miller

2012

***

Steven C. Miller's Silent Night is a very loose remake of Charles Sellier's controversial 1984 seasonal horror Silent Night, Deadly Night. The film doesn't start with an origin story, it just gets on with the killing by a man in a Santa suit. There are nods to certain killings seen in the original film (the infamous impaling on a stuffed Moose head) but on the whole this is a far more brutal and gory affair. Give the people what they want. Not only is our Santa devilishly evil, but the local law enforcement is headed by none other than cult favourite Malcolm McDowell, who is rather brilliant in the role. Silent Night is also influenced by the real life 2008 Covina massacre, although it's not too distasteful a likeness and to be honest the true crime has more similarities with 1980's Christmas Evil, so it's art imitating life, imitating art, in many respects. I'm pretty sure this is the first time has gone nuts with a flame-thrower though and that is to the film's credit. It's a basic slasher with a Christmas theme, nothing too clever but fans of the genre will lap it up and it certainly makes a change from watching It's a Wonderful Life or Die Hard as an alternative.

Silent Night, Deadly Night

Dir: Charles E. Sellier, Jr.

1984

****

I would argue that the original Silent Night, Deadly Night is a great Christmas horror but as far as Evil Santas go it is probably one of the weaker. This is because our killer Santa isn't really Santa, many of them aren't, but often knowing who they are takes away a certain amount of the magic. Silent Night, Deadly Night is however, a great 80's Slasher. Little Billy is understandably disturbed by witnessing the brutal rape and murder of his mother and father as a child, even more so it seems due to the fact the killer was dressed as Santa and the incident took place on Christmas eve. Hollywood psychology stipulates that incidents like this always lead to unavoidable and inevitable copycat scenarios and so adult Billy was always going to turn into a crazed Santa killer when put in stressful situations or when he sees the colour red. None of this is convincing but it really doesn't matter. It's all about the inventive ways Billy can slay his victims while dressed as jolly St. Nick. Hanging by Christmas lights, impaling by antler, axe attack on wheel-chaired Nun....Silent Night, Deadly Night really does have everything the horror fan could wish for, except maybe a decent ending for our anti-hero. Still, it's lots of fun and one of the season's finest.