Silent Night, Bloody Night

Having owned but never watched the Paragon VHS cassette for years, I surprised myself by watching this holiday horror film on this cold, gray winter day. Even more surprising is that hiding behind the generic title of SILENT NIGHT, BLOODY NIGHT is an atmospheric horror thriller with a great twist. And not only is SILENT NIGHT, BLOODY NIGHT a great horror film, but it is one that has been duped by the historians of horror cinema.

The biggest asset to SILENT NIGHT, BLOODY NIGHT is the film's set-up. It packs a big punch in the end and actually left me guessing throughout the film. A few of the red herrings are a bit too obvious but they worked well enough. One of Gershuny's biggest strengths is the subtle number of hints regarding the film's big twist in the finale. If one pays close attention, there are several tip-offs as to what is really going on in the odd town of East Willard. It is refreshing to see a film where you are continually assessing the information as the mystery unfolds.

Director Gershuny, probably best known for SUGAR COOKIES (1973), knows how to build an atmospheric horror film. The wintry locations, especially the imposing house, are used to full effect and he gets great performances (particularly from Woronov) from his leads. The picture's highlight is a extended flashback, chronicling what happened at the estate in the 1930s. The sepia look and use of wide-angle lens makes the entire scene very creepy. One complaint that pops up in reviews I have seen is the dark night shots. Truthfully, I think this has more to do with bad transfers rather than poor craftsmanship. Gershuny also uses an effective POV for the killer that echoes Bob Clark's Yuletide themed BLACK Christmas (1974) from a few years later.

A lot of people credit Clark's film as the earliest prototype of the slasher genre. But Gershuny's film predates Clark's by almost 2 years. According to various reports it was shelved for two years. This fact is further substantiated by the fact that lead Patterson actually passed away in August of 1972. So the film was completed well before the early 1974 filming date for Clark's film. Given the killer POV shots, scary phone calls the killer makes and high number of murders; one has to wonder if Clark saw this film before making his own. This is not to diminish the power of BLACK Christmas (it is still an excellent film), but just to question the general belief that BLACK Christmas begat HALLOWEEN and the subsequent North American slasher genre. As it stands, SILENT NIGHT, BLOODY NIGHT is a great Christmas horror film, a more than pleasant surprise for this holiday season.

Terror flick containing eerie events , dark atmosphere , gory effects, and high body-count . The film is a fair murder mystery in which at an isolated location a series murderous goes around to slice up as well as hack people who are relentlessly butchered . Here takes place several grisly murders between towners and other inhabitants carried out by a strange murderer . As an escaped lunatic terrorizes a small New England town , particularly a house that was once an insane asylum . A man called Jeffrey inherits a mansion which once was a mental home . A few years later , Jeffrey (James Petterson dead at 40) finally decides to sell this grandfather's house , and a real state businessman (Patrick O'Neal) and his girlfriend (Astrid Heeren's last feature film , though she only starred three movies) arrive in the mansion to sell it , but the towns people including the Mayor (Walter Abel) have mixed feelings on keeping people away from the mansion , while a killer on loose carries out an extreme slaughter . For one night in each century , the devil controls the heavens...and earth becomes an inferno of horrors! The night earth became an inferno of horrors! . The mansion... the madness... the maniac... no escape.

Terrifying and scary horror movie in which a serial killer escapes from a mental institution causing chaos , destruction and a lot of killings . It displays a confusing plot dealing with non-sense murders and an inheritance wished by corrupt people , ambitious people , incest , and investment speculators into selling mansion . Not great , but well done terror thriller with mysterious events , some nail-biting suspense and slick scene changes . The classy plot about a criminally insane man executing a criminal spree with unexpected consequences , while scaring the people living in the region . Stars a decent cast as the early deceased James Patterson who died of cancer several months after , here playing the heir who begins to investigate some crimes happened in old times , he played along with the gorgeous Astrid Heeren and Patrick O´Neal in The Castle Keep (1969) by Sidney Pollack . And Mary Woronov who performed various cult movies for her second husband Paul Bartel and two veterans actors of long career as Walter Abel and horror myth John Carradine. There's a thorny discussion about if this Silent Night , Bloody night (1972) results to be the first slasher , while others considering Black Christmas (1974) by Bob Clark . In fact , the picture is regarded as being one of the first slasher films , being actually the first : A Bay of Blood (1971) by Mario Bava , though others as Psycho (1960) by Alfred Hitchcock , and Peeping Tom (1960) by Michael Powell had already established the seed of this popular sub-genre .

This classic terror picture was professional and strangely directed by Theodore Gershuny (1933-2007) with vivid images , though very sinister at times and abounding night , dark scenes . Theodore was married to Mary Woronov who here has a main and well played role . Theodore Gershuny was a writer and director, who wrote and directed a few films , being especially known for Tales from Darkside , Stephen King's Golden Tales (1985) , Monsters (1988) and Sugar Cookies (1973 , ) Kemek (1970). Rating : 6.5/10. Decently made and original terror movie . The motion picture will appeal to terror genre enthusiasts.

Low-budget horror almost seems too kind a way to describe this movie which sometimes seems like it was shot with someone's home movie camera! Still, the film has a certain flair and an ambitious (overly-ambitious) story that gives it enough quality to remain memorable. The story revolves around a house that has lain abandoned for many years. In a fairly creepy prologue, the owner is shown running from the house in flames, screaming till his death. Cut to present day where slick realtor O'Neal and his sexy lover Heeren come to town to finalize the sale of the house to the town elders. The buyers are a dour, somewhat disturbing bunch who add to the creepiness of the opening scenes. Oh...and also there's an escaped mental patient on the loose who is killing his way back to town! Coinciding with all this is a visit from Patterson, the grandson of the home's original owner. He carries on a tenuous encounter with Woronov, the mayor's daughter. If the plot sounds confusing and convoluted, it is. But it's all finally explained in the finale which includes a truly horrific flashback to the days when the house was occupied. This sepia-toned memory is filled with scary-looking people (some of them Warhol groupies) who are filmed in a way that blurs their features and resembles the earliest camera work ever done. This is an unsettling effect that lifts the film above many other paper thin shockers. The acting is surprisingly good throughout, with several of the actors having had Broadway experience (Patterson was a Tony winner!) Though the story isn't always easy to follow and it's edited with a chainsaw, a certain level of uneasiness comes through. Aiding this quite a bit is a truly mundane, yet terrifying voice that's heard many times over the telephone. The film makers definitely tried to make an arresting picture. The opening credits are professionally done, the music is disturbing and the actors (some of them well known---Abel played D'Artagnon!!) do their best. There's even a pretty shocking twist about one third of the way in. Only the bare bones production values keep the movie from reaching a level of quality. Still, the dank lighting and blurry location work help add to the overall frightening tone. Woronov plays one of her most "normal" roles. For some reason, this film slammed the lid on Heeren's career. While she is no Meryl Streep, she was decorative and had a bright presence. Christmas has little to do with the plot. The film steals from some earlier shockers, yet was also stolen from itself in later flicks.

One of the first Christmas horror films ever made and the first slasher film set in Christmas. "Silent Night, Bloody Night" is creepy as hell, with a cheap but effective cinematography, amazing film locations, good acting and a wonderful music score. The script is thrilling and full of mistery, some twits and great death scenes. A low budget film that gave me thrills, a great classic!

The delightful Mary Woronov stars as a witness to some very grisly goings-on at the gorgeous old Butler House. The house has been abandoned since the death of the family patriarch Wilfred, about 20 years ago. Now, a member of the family, Jeff (James Patterson), has returned to sell the house off. (Patterson - dying of cancer during the filming of Silent Night Bloody Night - gives a depressive, menacing and bizarre performance, which works quite well here). There is an inexplicable amount of local concern about the house, and soon, the reasons begin to reveal themselves.

Some of the acting in this film is quite poor, and there are rather immense problems with believability and plot holes galore. Nevertheless, this ambitious and complex film deserves attention for its clever storyline and affective (if annoying) low light photographic technique. There is too much voice-over, but without it, comprehending the plot might be impossible. The film is alternately engaging and tedious, largely depending on who is on screen.

All-around, for an axe-murder film, Silent Night Bloody Night is surprisingly subtle, clever and well directed. Recommended for horror fans.