Early For Christmas

SILENT NIGHT DEADLY NIGHT-1984-On Christmas Eve in 1971 a young boy is told by his senile grandpa that Santa will punish him and his brother on Christmas. Later the boy named Billy sees his parents killed by an intruder dressed as St. Nick (Charles Dierkop). Three years later the brothers are in an orphanage where Billy gets into trouble with the uptight nuns because of some violent drawings he made. The Fuehrer like Mother Superior whips a boy and girl caught having sex (“punishment is good”) and Billy gets a whipping too because he saw them. On Christmas Eve he's tied to a bed and the head Mother says “I see nothing but greed where there should be gratitude”. He freaks out when Santa visits. Cut to 1984 and Billy (Robert Brian Wilson) has a job hauling furniture in a warehouse but still gets nuts at the sight of Santa. As bad luck would have it, his boss makes him dress like Santa for the company Christmas Party. (“It's six o'clock. Time to get shit-faced!”) He interrupts his foreman trying to rape Pamela, another employee and strangles him with a string of lights. She's not grateful at all and calls him crazy so he stabs her. He kills his drunken boss Mr. Sims with a hammer then uses a bow and arrow on another female worker. 

Bill Claus hits the town killing a baby sitter (Linnea Quigley) who dies topless impaled on some trophy antlers. Her boyfriend puts up a good fight but falls out a window. Later he decapitates a bully. When the police find out how the killer is dressed a stupid cop shoots and kills a priest dressed as Santa! Billy returns to the orphanage (where his brother still resides) to get the Mother Superior but is shot and killed. It ends with his little brother grimacing and saying “naughty”. 

This infamous movie caused a huge controversy when first released because of its depiction of “Killer Claus”. It was eventually pulled form distribution even though it out grossed another horror movie that opened the same weekend: Wes Craven's NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET!

SILENT NIGHT DEADLY NIGHTS's director Charles E. Sellier Jr. only directed three other films but produced many low budget “speculation” documentaries that did well in theaters at the time. (BEYOND AND BACK, THE MYSTERIOUS MONSTERS, IN SEARCH OF HISTORIC JESUS) He also created the hit TV series “The Life and Times of Grizzy Adams”. SILENT NIGHT DEADLY NIGHT is pretty tame by today's standards and spawned several sequels.

Thanks for reading and a Happy Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Killer Santa

YOU BETTER WATCH OUT-1980-A Santa obsessed psycho named Harry (Brandon Maggart) spies on his neighbors and keeps records on the local children (who's naughty, who's nice). He's mesmerized while watching a Santa Claus parade on TV and makes his own costume. He hums Christmas tunes and makes a lot of toys which he delivers to a children's hospital on Christmas Eve but when he is ridiculed by some church going assholes he kills 3 of them with some toys. He later goes to a party and dances with the women and kids there. Then he kills a jerk who bothered him at work by slashing his throat with a Christmas tree star. An emotionless TV reporter says: "Avoid anyone dressed as Santa". Harry blames his brother (Jeffery DeMunn, as of this writing a regular on THE WALKING DEAD) for most of his problems after he saw his dad (dressed as Santa) having sex with his mom (I think).

Crazy parts include a police line-up featuring Santas and a vigilante mob chasing old St. Nick. Except for Maggart (the father of singer Fiona Apple) most of the acting is bad as is the script and direction (Lewis Jackson's only movie) but I don't believe this is a set-up. It's suppose to be s serious psychological slasher movie and it's an unintentional laugh riot! Look for Father Christmas in an alley with a stiletto.

Scenes from MARCH OF THE WOODEN SOLDIERS show up on a TV. Also with Dianne Hull (Rose in ALOHA BOBBY & ROSE) as Harry's kindhearted sister in law. Pre-dates the more well known and infamous SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT by four years. The fantasy ending kind of threw me too.

Filmed in Edgewater, NJ which may explain why the late Danny Federici (keyboard player from Springsteen's E Street Band) has a cameo playing the accordion. This is also known as CHRISTMAS EVIL.

Thanks for reading!