Silent Night, Bloody Night

I love discovering new-to-me American horror flicks of the 1970s. These independent, backwoods-shot productions usually showcase some then-startling gore effects, as well as creepy atmosphere and a sense of gritty realism usually absent from the slicker Hollywood productions. SILENT NIGHT, BLOODY NIGHT fits the bill as an all-but-forgotten movie from this era, but sadly it turns out to be anything but a gem. Saying that, this early slasher flick even manages to pre-date Black Christmas by a year, and HALLOWEEN fans will find much of interest in the p.o.v. killer shots and the eerie atmosphere that highlight this unusual little movie.

The film was obviously made on the cheap, and in many places things are far too dark to see what's going on. Despite the best intentions of the filmmakers, this film's a chore to sit through. The story is slow beyond belief and the narrative stilted and mishandled; the editing of various scenes is done in such a way to make even the simplest shots confusing to the viewer. In essence, it's about a creepy old abandoned house that may be home to a murderous lunatic, plus some back story about an old asylum. The plot itself is fairly simple and uneventful, at least until the final denouement which has a classic twist of an ending. As is usual for most '70s horror flicks, there's a little gruesomeness, including a double axe murder and a broken bottle in the face, but nothing too off-putting for seasoned buffs who like their horror of the older, more classic variety. One of the most positive aspects of the film lies in director Theodore Gershuny's work – there are some genuinely inventive moments, enhanced by weird camera angles, and an excellent flashback sequence involving inmates taking over the asylum in which things get really spooky and eerie.

The story is cheaply acted by a bunch of no-name or cult stars such as Warhol favourite Mary Woronov. Guest star Patrick O'Neal doesn't hang around for long, while John Carradine doesn't say a word! Leading actor James Patterson was dying of cancer while the film was being made, adding a further level of grubbiness to the thing. SILENT NIGHT, BLOODY NIGHT is a very obscure movie, and it's easy to see why; low budget, quite similar to dozens of others, and with no big names to market it. Despite these factors it works in places and provides a fair few chills during the short running time.

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.

A casual viewing of this old cult favorite will not explain what's going on. The characters are frequently called by other names, and the unseen (until the last scene) insane killer calls himself Marianne. There are so many characters related to each other and so many people involved in the tragedy that it's hard to keep up with who-did-what and why. Jeffrey is a red herring, and we never know for sure if he is who he says he is, even though Diane checks his ID (which is a California drivers license). John Carradine is wasted as a mute who only rings a bell, grunts and writes on a pad to communicate. Mary Woronov is very likable, as is Astrid Heeren, but one I would have liked to see more of was a reluctant telephone operator played by Lisa Richards. In fact, in order to vaguely understand what I had seen, I had to reread all the information here. I am still not impressed with the result, which could have been so much better.

I don't have much to add about this film, which I consider quite effective, that hasn't already been stated by others; however, I'm a bit concerned by those who complain of this film being unwatchable because it is so dark. For those of you who've encountered this problem, I really think you need to take the issue up with the distributor of the video or dvd which you're watching. The dvd copy that I have, released by Diamond Entertainment, is just fine in the lighting department--or, at least, as fine as a low-budget, gloomy horror film is supposed to be. If you want shrill and gleaming horror films this isn't for you: stick to crap from Hollywood.

Really bizarre film that has some sepia film flashbacks-in-time which truly makes the footage look like it was filmed in 1910. The acting is so-so and the first half of the movie is kind of slow-paced. I wish there were still some good clean copies of the film, the DVD versions that are out are somewhat murky and it distracts from the viewing at times. All in all, a weird film that should be viewed at least once.