Billy just never had a chance. When he was about six, his parents were killed in front of him by a man dressed like Santa Claus. Strike One. Instead of becoming a superhero, he was sent to an orphanage (He could have still been Cyclops, but no...). The Mother Superior taught him that punishment is necessary, with beatings. Strike Two. As a young adult, he gets a job, starts to like a girl, but is forced to dress like Santa and his girl goes off with another guy at the Christmas party. Strike Three. Straight to crazed killing spree!
Now, having just watched most of 'Killer Klowns from Outer Space', we were expecting something more silly, more over the top as the other movie had been. This was not the case. 'Silent Night, Deadly Night' was grim by comparison. There are moments of humour in it but they are moments. They are not generally associated with the murders, not something started by the slasher. In other words, he's not a Freddy Kruger type character. This makes him that much creepier. He's a normal (almost) guy, no supernatural powers, that loses his mind and goes a-killing. You don't know what his limits are and that makes for some tension.
There are a few moments that stretch believability a bit. One in particular that involved a deaf priest was so ridiculous that it made me laugh out loud. The uncut version of the movie that Anchor Bay offers comes with the apology that certain scenes come from a lower quality print. The change is obvious but the lower quality scenes aren't all that bad.
All in all, I was impressed by the film. I thought it was gritty and creepy. I called a joke and a few plot twists but was still concerned about some of the characters. Since the focus was on the killer and not the crew of young adults (aka the victims) it was trickier to determine who would survive. I'm sure the grim quality is part of the reason it was banned at the time of release.
Recommended for those that enjoy slasher films with crazed murderers, blood, and exposed breasts. I'm guessing no one else will be interested.
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This was a creepy movie when I saw it. I remember all the controversy behind it when it first came out, which of course helped elevate its cult status. It is a prime example of the gritty horror slasher movies of the 80s.
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