Natale di sangue

Watching SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT today, it's difficult to believe that it was quite controversial when first released in theaters. In reality, it's just another slasher film with a holiday theme. The controversy arose from its depiction of a killer Claus, and its daring to use Christmas time as a backdrop.

Far from being blasphemous, it's purposefully absurd, and the not-so-merry madman (Charles Dierkop) is perfectly "suited" for the subject matter: revenge against those on his naughty list. The entire mood of SN, DN lets us know immediately that it's not to be taken seriously, at all. Linnea Quigley's "death-by-antlers" scene alone should be enough of a tip-off that the whole affair is tongue-in-rosy-cheek. Speaking of Ms. Quigley, she just can't seem to keep her clothes on. Not even in December! Brrr! Anyway, just settle in for a nice cozy evening of jingle kills...

Traumatised after witnessing a man in a Santa suit brutally murder his parents, a teenager goes on a killing spree after his employer forces him to dress as Santa in this controversial horror thriller. With a plot that mostly follows slasher clichés, 'Silent Night, Deadly Night' is easy to forget amid the surplus of 1980s horror flicks, but it is a highly competent production that stands up well to revision. The film actually does a better job than John Carpenter's far more iconic 'Halloween' in establishing the psychology and mindset of its serial killer protagonist. Eighteen minutes of exposition may sound like a lot, but it works magnificently for getting us to understand how the character ticks and actually pity him, heinous though his actions may be. The film takes a potent swipe at church-run orphanages too in which children have religion forced upon them with the protagonist a victim of this system in addition the aforementioned childhood trauma. The film does not do itself any favours by painting the nuns as stereotypes and lead actor Robert Brian Wilson is never really convincing, but everything else falls into place so well here that it is hard not to like it. The filmmakers approach the project with the perfect dose of dark humour too; "he sure knows how to handle kids!" comments one mother after Wilson quietly threatens a girl sitting on his Santa's lap! The Yuletide themed deaths also come with streak of black comedy and there is an awesome 'Battleship Potemkin' lions style sequence in which several toy soldiers appear to react to a toy store death.

In 1971, on the Christmas Eve, a family heads to a nursing home to visit the catatonic grandfather of the 5-year-old Billy and the baby Ricky. While his parents go with the baby to discuss the treatment with the doctor in the office, Billy is left alone with grandpa. Out of the blue, he awakens and tells Billy to be afraid of Santa Claus since he punishes who is naughty. While driving back home, a killer posing of Santa Claus lures Billy's father that pull over his car on the road and Billy witnesses the killer murdering his parents. A few years later, Billy and his brother are raised in an orphanage run by the tyrannical Mother Superior (Lilyan Chauvin) that believes that punishment is the better way to educate children. Sister Margaret (Gilmer McCormick) feels that Billy needs psychological support but the Mother Superior does not agree. In 1984, when Billy (Robert Brian Wilson) turns 18 years old, Sister Margaret finds a job in a toy store for Billy. On the Christmas Eve, Billy´s chief Mr. Sims (Britt Leach) asks Billy to replace the employee that plays Santa Claus for the clients and their children since he is injured. The Santa suit associated to alcoholic drink trigger his insanity and Billy begins his murder rampage punishing naughty people.

"Silent Night, Deadly Night" is a bold 1984 horror movie that challenges the Christmas symbol of Santa Claus. The scene on the beginning of the feature with Billy witnessing the murder of his parents is also very brutal and cruel. The deaths and the special effects are original and do not disappoint fans of slaher genre. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Natal Sangrento" ("Bloody Christmas")

I enjoyed this film alot. I'm a horror nut and I love 80's slasher movies..so no its not for everybody...but for those who do like 80's slashers you should really check this out. The story is good, it sounds cheesy with santa being a killer, but the back story is very well done, the character development is great, the music works, and it has one of the coolest death scenes in a movie ever....(antlers) Sure, here and there it can be cheesy-PUNISH!- but it still is very watchable and I recommend it to any horror fan around the holidays.

It isn't hard to see why this movie offended so many people. I mean, it's a slasher movie about CHRISTMAS, and it actually has SANTA as the killer. However, I feel the movie deals with an interesting question. What if you suffered some traumatic event right at Christmas, and the event was somehow bound up with one of the major icons of the holiday? This is what happens to 5-year-old William, who, on Christmas Eve, sees his mother raped and both parents murdered by a street thug dressed as Santa Claus -- right after his semi-senile grandfather tells him that Santa Clause punishes those who are naughty. I think the first part of this movie does an effective job of showing the preadolescent William's struggle to deal with this event as he is raised in a Catholic orphanage and brought face to face with Christmas every year.

I was particularly impressed with the portrayal of the Mother Superior. Although she was most definitely from the Old School of discipline, beating children, locking them in closets for extended periods, and such, I somehow was able to believe she was sincerely trying to do the right thing and cared about the children -- that she was not simply a sadistic hag. There was also an interesting conflict between her and a younger nun, who believed in gentler, more progressive methods.

Alas, the whole thing turns rather formulaic when William puts on the Santa suit and goes on his killing spree. So, as a serious exploration of the question we started with, it falls very short of what it could be. As a slasher movie, though, it's definitely above average.