Coming Attractions- Silent Night, Deadly Night

 

Release Date- December 12, 2025

A promising trailer. I’ve always been a big fan of the Silent Night, Deadly Night films, and it looks like they’re going with a more serious and darker tone.

A LOT of noticeable differences, if we’re making comparisons to the original film. Billy in the 1984 film was traumatized from witnessing the sleazebag Santa Claus murdering his parents in front of him, and the abuse from Mother Superior just made things worse. Billy snapped, and he went on a brutal killing spree. Rohan Campbell’s Billy is clearly being portrayed as a more cold-blooded and calculating killer, and he has an accomplice! I like the idea of giving Billy a girlfriend, who’s apparently aroused by his bloodthirsty personality, because it adds another twisted layer to the movie.

The slight parallels to Halloween Ends? Rohan Campbell playing a vengeful killer in a small town in another slasher flick is definitely a freaky and eerie coincidence. Of course, Allyson in Halloween Ends didn’t want to believe Corey was a maniac, and this version of Billy doesn’t have Michael Myers as a mentor, but the similarities are impossible to ignore.

TWO callbacks to the original in the trailer! The dear head kill is a nod to what happened to Linnea Quigley’s character in the ‘84 film, and the beheading on the snowmobile in the woods. I’m not a big fan of the 2012 remake. The 2012 film tried to be more serious, but it just didn’t click with me at all. Going by the trailer, the 2025 remake will be more serious, but there’s also a nutty vibe here, with some dark humor mixed in. 

The more cheesy and kind of goofy stuff was a perfect fit for the 80’s. They’d have to do a full on throwback style slasher to pull that off now. Sure, they could’ve played it safe with more fan service, but it’s not necessary. High hopes for Silent Night, Deadly Night 2025, and I’m glad they’re taking a chance on doing something different.

The Lodge (2019)

 **This post contains spoilers**

The Story- Six months after pushing to finalize a divorce from his wife, Laura (Alicia Silverstone), Richard (Richard Armitage) plans a getaway during the Christmas season with his new fiancée, Grace (Riley Keough), his son, Aiden (Jaeden Martell), and his daughter, Mia (Lia McHugh). The trip to the family’s lodge gets off to a rocky start, and things take a bizarre turn for the worst as time passes.

Grace is forced to deal with her troubled past and a series of strange occurrences, while juggling the responsibilities for taking care of a disgruntled Aiden and Mia. Richard is the only person, who can ease the tensions between Grace, Aiden, and Mia, but there’s also a chance the group is experiencing an unprecedented disturbance…..

My Thoughts- Is Grace a bad person? Well, of course not. The problem is, she’s stuck in an impossible situation trying to earn acceptance and trust from two kids, who clearly hate her. Riley Keough delivers a strong and sympathetic performance, full of emotion and anger, when the situation calls for it. 

Early on in the movie, you can clearly see Grace is TRYING to do everything she can do to carefully ease her way into Aiden and Mia’s lives. Grace is sincerely apologetic, when she unknowingly puts on Laura’s beanie. But on the other side of that, you can understand Grace’s need to stand up for herself, to be an authority figure, because she has to show Aiden and Mia that she’s not a pushover.

It’s hard to not feel any sympathy for Grace, when the story takes a dark turn towards the end. The flashbacks from Grace’s past in the cult, with her father as the leader tells the story of a woman, who truly suffered through hell. To say she didn’t have a normal childhood would be an understatement. Richard, Aiden, and Mia? They were all supposed to be her second chance at happiness and a normal life. More kudos to Riley Keough, because she really drives home the idea of this kind woman, who didn’t deserve what happened to her at the lodge.

Aiden and Mia? You also have to understand, where they’re coming from. Two kids, who deeply love their mother, so when they look at Grace, all they’re going to see is a soulless home-wrecker, who destroyed their family. You could say Aiden is the stronger one in the duo, while Mia, the younger sibling, clings to her toy doll that resembles Laura. 

Jaeden Martell hits all the right notes, as the angsty and stubborn teenager, who flat out refuses to give Grace a fair chance. Lia McHugh does a good job, as the young daughter, who’s still a vulnerable kid at heart, following her older brother’s lead for guidance and a shoulder to lean on. The dynamic between Aiden and Mia is one of the bigger highlights in the movie. They share a tight big brother/little sister bond. They’re a team, and they rely on each other, for good and bad reasons.

The Lodge cleverly fits the pieces of the puzzle for the family drama together, because you can clearly see and understand everyone’s point of view here. Grace wanting to earn her way into a family. Richard trying his best to please Aiden, Grace, and Mia, while he tries to embrace his own happiness with Grace. Aiden and Mia rebelling against Grace replacing their mother, and a heartbroken Laura, who’s not ready to move on with her life.

It’s a prank! An elaborate and cruel prank, but still a prank. Hiding the food, the dead phones, hiding Grace’s medication. Everything was a carefully planned out and detailed setup to drive Grace crazy. Well, it worked. Grace snapped, but it’s obvious Aiden and Mia didn’t expect a few big setbacks.

The Lodge’s finale is genuinely jaw-dropping. The tables turn so quickly, escalating to one violent and gruesome event after another, starting with the sight of Grace’s dog, frozen to death with his tongue still sticking out. Aiden and Mia weren’t as smart as they thought they were. Assuming Aiden was the mastermind, all the careful planning wasn’t enough to overcome the fact that two kids were in way over their heads. Triggering Grace’s past traumas was too much to overcome. 

The final scene, where everyone’s around the table, including Richard’s corpse is truly an eerie and disturbing sight. Covered mouths with duct tape and “sin” written across them for a callback to Grace’s life in her father’s cult, and Aiden and Mia are visibly terrified, while Mia plans to kill them and herself. In the end, Grace’s demons won the battle, and the two demons in the lodge got the best of her.

The final shot of the loaded gun raises so many questions. Did Aiden and Mia manage to run away? Did Grace finish everyone off? Or, was there a struggle between Grace, Mia, and Aiden before she had a chance to do anything? Good call to abruptly end the movie in that spot. A scene that leaves you with a sinking feeling, because no matter how you spin it, there’s no outcome that provides a truly happy ending. 

The Lodge also works as an unconventional Christmas horror film. If we’re making comparisons, it’s not as Christmassy as the Silent Night, Deadly Night films, the Black Christmas remake, or Krampus (2015). The Lodge has a far more serious tone compared to those films. 

Still, it’s set during the Christmas season. Before the story takes a deep dive into the dark side, the lodge is decorated for Christmas, and you’ll see Christmas presents. It’s not festive, and there’s no real cheeriness before the chaos starts. The Lodge slowly injects a crippling poison into of the bigger holidays with bitterness, tension, loss, and family drama. A deep sadness hits at a certain point, because maybe there’s a chance a good and happy Christmas celebration could’ve healed any open wounds. 

Religion plays a big part in the story here. Grace never had a chance. She was corrupted at an early age by her father, Aaron (Danny Keough), a fanatical cult leader. For Grace, religion is the boogeyman that just won’t go away, a leech sucking her soul dry. Brainwashing, and towards the end, religion is used as a guilt tripping mechanism and a scare tactic on both sides. 

The found-footage from Grace’s life in the cult and the mass suicides are a prime example for how religion can be turned into something evil, or used as a deadly weapon in the wrong hands. But there’s also a somber side for religion in The Lodge. A distraught Mia can’t handle the thought of her mother not making it to heaven, because she committed suicide. The Lodge goes with the thought of a loved one not being able to experience eternal peace and happiness as a crippling blow, that’s tough to recover from.

Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala’s work behind the camera is admirable. So many little nuances and subtle storytelling with the shots of the black balloons floating into the sky, Richard touching Grace’s leg and Aiden’s reaction to it. Grace smiling at Mia in the mirror, and of course Mia doesn’t reciprocate the kind gesture. Going back to religion, crosses are not a sign of comfort or reassurances here. Crosses appear in one form or another throughout the movie. When you see a cross, something bad just happened, something bad is about to happen, or they appear during a stretch of hopelessness.

I absolutely loved the zoomed out shots, primarily during certain scenes in the lodge. A calming family retreat? No, the zoomed out shots gives the impression that this ordinary lodge is a spooky and creepy place.

And I can’t forget about Grace, Aiden, and Mia watching John Carpenter’s The Thing! The Thing (1982) is a great choice for a cabin fever movie. Of course, you won’t see any aliens in The Lodge, but a group of people stuck out in the middle of nowhere during a snowstorm, fighting to survive a dangerous threat with limited resources and no means of transportation? You can easily connect the dots between both movies. It’s right there. As far as timing and placement goes, you could say that particular scene from The Thing mirrors and lines up with The Lodge right before things really start going downhill. 

A lot of layers for The Lodge. Suffering through mental illnesses is a big one, if we’re focusing on Grace and Laura. For different reasons, Grace and Laura struggled to hold it together. Two tragic characters connected to each other, starting new lives, with bleak futures, concluding in disastrous results. It’s so bad to the point, where everyone would’ve been better off not crossing paths.    

The shots of the little house diorama throughout the movie works as an unusual and creepy style of foreshadowing. It’s a morbid and detailed replica of the lodge, and there’s a dark irony behind it, when you realize the diorama is also a child’s fancy toy. 

Winter, snow, and freezing temperatures. The Lodge is a cold film in more ways than one. Starting the movie off with Laura committing suicide sets an ominous tone. Alicia Silverstone was fantastic. The way she sits down, calmly pours herself a glass of wine, and removes her jewelry, only to shoot herself seconds later was truly shocking. Laura was depressed, but to do that so quickly was a real gut-wrenching moment, because I honestly didn’t see it coming.

The isolated setting is perfect. The quiet lodge, deep in the woods, during a snowstorm and miles away from civilization adds to the dread and impending sense of doom throughout the movie. It’s a slow, slow burn build to the finale, and for me, it occasionally drags, but The Lodge is still a truly outstanding film. The Lodge plays like a psychological drama, featuring some well-placed horror elements. The nighttime scenes at the lodge, and Grace’s nightmare sequences balances things out on the horror side. And Top notch directing, because there’s no denying The Lodge is a beautifully shot film.

A terrific cast all around. Alicia Silverstone makes the most of her short screen time. Riley Keough is simply phenomenal in the leading role, a powerhouse performance that excels during Grace’s descent into madness, when you finally realize she’s just too far gone. The ending is a nail-biter, but it’s not your typical nail-biter. The Lodge’s ending leaves a few nerve-racking questions. Risky chances (Aiden and Mia possibly rushing and fighting Grace), no positive options, and IF anyone survived, no one has a chance of living a normal life after two big tragedies happening so close together.

Rating- 9/10

The Lodge (2019)(Minor Spoilers)

 

**This post contains MINOR spoilers**

The Story- Six months after pushing to finalize a divorce from his wife, Laura (Alicia Silverstone), Richard (Richard Armitage) plans a getaway during the Christmas season with his new fiancée, Grace (Riley Keough), his son, Aiden (Jaeden Martell), and his daughter, Mia (Lia McHugh). The trip to the family’s lodge gets off to a rocky start, and things take a bizarre turn for the worst as time passes.

Grace is forced to deal with her troubled past and a series of strange occurrences, while juggling the responsibilities for taking care of a disgruntled Aiden and Mia. Richard is the only person, who can ease the tensions between Grace, Aiden, and Mia, but there’s also a chance the group is experiencing an unprecedented disturbance…..

My Thoughts- Is Grace a bad person? Well, of course not. The problem is, she’s stuck in an impossible situation trying to earn acceptance and trust from two kids, who clearly hate her. Riley Keough delivers a strong and sympathetic performance, full of emotion and anger, when the situation calls for it. 

Early on in the movie, you can clearly see Grace is TRYING to do everything she can do to carefully ease her way into Aiden and Mia’s lives. Grace is sincerely apologetic, when she unknowingly puts on Laura’s beanie. But on the other side of that, you can understand Grace’s need to stand up for herself, to be an authority figure, because she has to show Aiden and Mia that she’s not a pushover.

It’s hard to not feel any sympathy for Grace, when the story takes a dark turn towards the end. The flashbacks from Grace’s past in the cult, with her father as the leader tells the story of a woman, who truly suffered through hell. To say she didn’t have a normal childhood would be an understatement. Richard, Aiden, and Mia? They were all supposed to be her second chance at happiness and a normal life. More kudos to Riley Keough, because she really drives home the idea of this kind woman, who didn’t deserve what happened to her at the lodge.

Aiden and Mia? You also have to understand, where they’re coming from. Two kids, who deeply love their mother, so when they look at Grace, all they’re going to see is a soulless home-wrecker, who destroyed their family. You could say Aiden is the stronger one in the duo, while Mia, the younger sibling, clings to her toy doll that resembles Laura. 

Jaeden Martell hits all the right notes, as the angsty and stubborn teenager, who flat out refuses to give Grace a fair chance. Lia McHugh does a good job, as the young daughter, who’s still a vulnerable kid at heart, following her older brother’s lead for guidance and a shoulder to lean on. The dynamic between Aiden and Mia is one of the bigger highlights in the movie. They share a tight big brother/little sister bond. They’re a team, and they rely on each other, for good and bad reasons.

The Lodge cleverly fits the pieces of the puzzle for the family drama together, because you can clearly see and understand everyone’s point of view here. Grace wanting to earn her way into a family. Richard trying his best to please Aiden, Grace, and Mia, while he tries to embrace his own happiness with Grace. Aiden and Mia rebelling against Grace replacing their mother, and a heartbroken Laura, who’s not ready to move on with her life.

The Lodge also works as an unconventional Christmas horror film. If we’re making comparisons, it’s not as Christmassy as the Silent Night, Deadly Night films, the Black Christmas remake, or Krampus (2015). The Lodge has a far more serious tone compared to those films. 

Still, it’s set during the Christmas season. Before the story takes a deep dive into the dark side, the lodge is decorated for Christmas, and you’ll see Christmas presents. It’s not festive, and there’s no real cheeriness before the chaos starts. The Lodge slowly injects a crippling poison into of the bigger holidays with bitterness, tension, loss, and family drama. A deep sadness hits at a certain point, because maybe there’s a chance a good and happy Christmas celebration could’ve healed any open wounds. 

Religion plays a big part in the story here. Grace never had a chance. She was corrupted at an early age by her father, Aaron (Danny Keough), a fanatical cult leader. For Grace, religion is the boogeyman that just won’t go away, a leech sucking her soul dry. Brainwashing, and towards the end, religion is used as a guilt tripping mechanism and a scare tactic on both sides. Also, the found-footage from Grace’s life in the cult and the mass suicides are a prime example for how religion can be turned into something evil, or used as a deadly weapon in the wrong hands.

Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala’s work behind the camera is admirable. So many little nuances and subtle storytelling with the shots of the black balloons floating into the sky, Richard touching Grace’s leg and Aiden’s reaction to it. Grace smiling at Mia in the mirror, and of course Mia doesn’t reciprocate the kind gesture. Going back to religion, crosses are not a sign of comfort or reassurances here. Crosses appear in one form or another throughout the movie. When you see a cross, something bad just happened, something bad is about to happen, or they appear during a stretch of hopelessness.

I absolutely loved the zoomed out shots, primarily during certain scenes in the lodge. A calming family retreat? No, the zoomed out shots gives the impression that this ordinary lodge is a spooky and creepy place.

And I can’t forget about Grace, Aiden, and Mia watching John Carpenter’s The Thing! The Thing (1982) is a great choice for a cabin fever movie. Of course, you won’t see any aliens in The Lodge, but a group of people stuck out in the middle of nowhere during a snowstorm, fighting to survive a dangerous threat with limited resources and no means of transportation? You can easily connect the dots between both movies. It’s right there. As far as timing and placement goes, you could say that particular scene from The Thing mirrors and lines up with The Lodge right before things really start going downhill. 

A lot of layers for The Lodge. Suffering through mental illnesses is a big one, if we’re focusing on Grace and Laura. For different reasons, Grace and Laura struggled to hold it together. Two tragic characters connected to each other, starting new lives, with bleak futures, concluding in disastrous results. It’s so bad to the point, where everyone would’ve been better off not crossing paths. 

The shots of the little house diorama throughout the movie works as an unusual and creepy style of foreshadowing. It’s a morbid and detailed replica of the lodge, and there’s a dark irony behind it, when you realize the diorama is also a child’s fancy toy. 

Winter, snow, and freezing temperatures. The Lodge is a cold film in more ways than one. The isolated setting is perfect. The quiet lodge, deep in the woods, during a snowstorm and miles away from civilization adds to the dread and impending sense of doom throughout the movie. It’s a slow, slow burn build to the finale, and for me, it occasionally drags, but The Lodge is still a truly outstanding film. The Lodge plays like a psychological drama, featuring some well-placed horror elements. The nighttime scenes at the lodge, and Grace’s nightmare sequences balances things out on the horror side. And Top notch directing, because there’s no denying The Lodge is a beautifully shot film.

A terrific cast all around. Alicia Silverstone makes the most of her short screen time. Riley Keough is simply phenomenal in the leading role, a powerhouse performance that excels during Grace’s descent into madness, when you finally realize she’s just too far gone. The ending is a nail-biter, but it’s not your typical nail-biter. The Lodge’s ending leaves a few nerve-racking questions. Risky chances, no positive options, and IF anyone survived, no one has a chance of living a normal life after two big tragedies happening so close together.

Rating- 9/10

Coming Attractions- Red One (2024)

 

Director- Jake Kasdan

Cast- Dwayne Johnson, J.K. Simmons, Lucy Liu, Chris Evans, Kiernan Shipka, Nick Kroll, Jenna Kanell, Bonnie Hunt, Wesley Kimmel, Kristofer Hivju, Mary Elizabeth Ellis

Release Date- November 15, 2024

I’m interested to see how they use Krampus overall, because they’re obviously going with a lighthearted approach to Santa’s shadow. 

Red One should be a harmless fun Christmas movie. J.K. Simmons is a good fit to play a jacked up and manly version of Santa Claus. Dwyane Johnson and Chris Evans as a duo has some potential, and Red One perfectly lands in Johnson’s comfort zone: lots of action, and a movie that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Character Spotlight- Ricky Caldwell- Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 (1987)

**This post contains spoilers**

During the closing moments of Silent Night, Deadly Night, Billy was shot to death before he had the chance to murder the ruthless Mother Superior, but another killer was born after Billy's demise. With his brother's bloody axe pointing at his feet, a young and furious Ricky Caldwell issued an ominous warning to a wheelchair-bound Mother Superior with one word: "Naughty."

Years later, Ricky found some comfort with his foster parents, Mr. and Mrs. Rosenberg, but Ricky had to endure another tough setback after Mr. Rosenberg's sudden death. After a brutal killing spree, Ricky is forced to serve a lengthy sentence at a mental hospital.

One day, Ricky receives his last chance evaluation from Dr. Henry Bloom. During the tape recorded chat, Ricky reveals stories from his past, including memories from Billy's killing spree, and Ricky's childhood with Billy at St. Mary's Orphanage. Eventually, Ricky turns the tables on a petrified Dr. Bloom. After Bloom's murder, Ricky escapes the mental hospital to finish Billy's mission. A retired Mother Superior lives alone, and she's still recovering from a stroke, but a remorseless Ricky will stop at nothing to put an end to Mother Superior.

Billy and Ricky hate Mother Superior with a burning, whit hot passion. Both men murdered the woman of their dreams, and both men wore a Santa suit during their killing sprees. The main difference between Ricky and Billy? Ricky is more devious than Billy.

Billy snapped, BUT you could sense some remorse from him during his final plea to Mother Superior. On top of that, Ricky was a victim of Superior's beatings and harsh "punishments" (remember, Superior forced Billy to stay in his room by tying him to the bed one night). On the other hand, Ricky willingly chose his path as a sadistic murderer. He enjoyed killing people, and Ricky actually had a loving support system as a child and a teenager.

Santa was Billy's trigger, and the color red is Ricky's trigger. When Ricky spots ANYTHING red, you're in trouble. SNDN Part 2 finds a way to insert red into the vast majority of Ricky's kills, a red Mustang, a red Jeep, and there's a red B on Dr. Bloom's handkerchief. Plus, you get see the trauma Ricky's experiences from nuns, when a young Ricky spots a group of nuns with his stepmother one day.

Billy never had a chance to experience a relationship with Pamela, but Ricky had Jennifer. After an accident on his motorcycle, Ricky found a girlfriend in Jennifer. Although, the relationship came to an end after a deadly encounter with Jennifer's ex-boyfriend, Chip. The preppy snob (Chip) pushed Ricky too far, while doing some work on his red Mustang one day.

Jennifer and Chip were the first two victims in Ricky's violent killing spree. Ricky's murderous rampage in SNDN Part 2 is memorable for a few reasons. First, the lunacy during the non-stop rollercoaster of mayhem is full of jaw-dropping moments and laughs (Ricky shooting the red car, and the car exploding out of nowhere after a quick flip is my favorite funny moment in this one). Second, Ricky provided us with a great, cheesy one-liner and a popular meme, when he shouts "Garbage Day!" before murdering the poor guy, who's taking out his trash.

I don't know about everyone else, but as far as performances go, I enjoyed Eric Freeman's Ricky more than Robert Brian Wilson's Billy. Freeman's hammy performance is on a short, SHORT list of highlights in SNDN, and his dark side is more creepy, in a comical way of course.

Also, SNDN 2 features two of the most inventive kills in the franchise. Ricky using the jumper cables to electrocute Chip, and Ricky using an umbrella to finish off Rocco (a bully/loan shark) stand out amongst everything in Part 2, and it's not even close. And it's not inventive (and it's not Freeman's Ricky), but Ricky murdering Eddie in the open field with his red Jeep is another noteworthy death scene here. Eddie is having a picnic with his girlfriend. He tries to rape her, and Ricky has a flashback of the Santa trying to rape his mother, so Eddie triggers Ricky's dark side. Ricky uses Eddie's red Jeep to run him over (repeatedly) for the kill, and Eddie's girlfriend express her gratitude with a casual "Thank you" after the murder.

Oh, and Ricky murdering the rude moviegoer at the movie theater is good for a few laughs. Ricky quietly leaves Jennifer alone, murders the moviegoer, and he returns to his seat next to Jennifer like nothing happened. Good stuff.

Regrets? Forget about it! Ricky succeeded in his mission by beheading Mother Superior, but Ricky suffered a series of gunshots. The second-to-last shot of SNDN Part 2 shows Ricky laying in a pile of broken glass, and he flashes a sinister smile at the camera to close out the movie. Unfortunately (and you can't point any fingers at Freeman), the Ricky character returns in Silent Night, Deadly Night 3: Better Watch Out!

Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 is far from perfect, but we'll never forget this meme! 

 
                          

Follow this link to read my spoiler review for Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 (1987). In this review, I give a more in-depth and thorough analysis of the sequel -

http://mitchmacready.blogspot.com/2013/01/silent-night-deadly-night-part-2-1987.html

Wanna know what happens to Ricky after Part 2? Read my spoiler review for Silent Night, Deadly Night 3: Better Watch Out!  http://mitchmacready.blogspot.com/2013/02/silent-night-deadly-night-3-better.html

P2 (2007)

**This review contains spoilers**

On Christmas Eve, Angela Bridges (Rachel Nichols) works late into the night for her law firm in an attempt to tie up some loose ends before the holidays. The first through the door, and the last to leave, Angela is a dedicated worker, but Angela makes a promise to her family: Angela must spend the holidays with her mother, sister, and niece without any interruptions from work. Angela reluctantly agrees, and she decides to surprise her niece with a Santa suit.

In the empty office building after hours, Angela hauls all of her gifts and the Santa suit to her car. But when Angela reaches parking level two, her car won’t start. Angela searches for help, and she eventually finds the security guard, Thomas (Wes Bentley) and his Rottweiler, Rocky. After a failed jump, Angela calls for a cab, but when the cab arrives, Angela can’t make it outside, because Thomas locked every exit in the building. Eventually, the cab leaves, and Angela is stranded inside. Thomas shuts off the lights in the parking garage, and as Angela tries to call for help in the darkness, Thomas sneaks up from behind, and suffocates Angela with a rag dampened in chloroform.

Angela eventually awakens in Thomas’ office, chained to a chair, with her clothes gone, and a new white dress courtesy of Thomas. Thomas prepared a Christmas Eve dinner, and he won’t eat it alone. Angela begs Thomas for her release, but instead, Thomas takes Angela into the parking garage to teach her co-worker, Jim (Simon Reynolds) a lesson. Jim is tied to a chair, and Thomas urges Angela to take his flashlight so she can teach Jim a lesson, after a drunken Jim tried to force himself on Angela in the elevator. Angela refuses, angering Thomas, and Angela is forced to witness the first glimpse of Thomas’ dark side, as he brutally murders Jim. With no help or connections to the outside world, Angela must escape Thomas and Rocky before it’s too late.

I’m not a big Rachel Nichols fan, but she’s believable as the damsel in distress. Wes Bentley delivers the best performance in this film. He’s genuinely creepy, as the obsessive lunatic, who will do anything to impress Angela. But when Angela finally gains the upper hand at the end, Bentley turns into this sniveling and pathetic man during his final moments. He’s such an asshole throughout the movie, but I almost wanted to feel sorry him before Angela delivered the final blow.

Acting wise, you’ll see a few glimpses of some other people, but Angela and Thomas receive 95% of the screen time, and Jim is the only character, who makes an appearance twice (well, there’s another security guard, but he’s dead during his second and third appearances). P2 revolves around the deadly game of cat-and-mouse between Angela and Thomas, as Angela fights to get help, and find a way out of the office building. I really enjoyed the duel and mind games between Angela and Thomas, and Bentley’s performance as the sadistic creep is the driving force behind Angela and Thomas’ ongoing feud. Thomas is such a dick, I rooted for Angela’s survival, and I wanted her to make it to the end alive.

P2 features some nasty gore, but it’s not too much. Two scenes stand out amongst the rest: Thomas killing Jim, and Angela killing Rocky.  First, Thomas drives his car into Jim, smashing him against a wall, while Jim is still tied to the chair. After crushing him a few times, you can clearly see Jim’s guts hanging out, and on the final push, Jim explodes into a gush of blood and chunks of flesh. Angela uses a tire iron to kill Rocky after Rocky corners her in a car. It’s pretty gruesome, because Angela keeps whacking and twisting the tire iron into and over Rocky’s head until he dies.

I actually had a good time with P2, but I was annoyed every now and then. The story is SO predictable, and you can see the ending coming from a mile away. And Thomas’ death is kind of corny. After Angela takes out one of his eyes, and handcuffs him to the door of a car, Thomas pleads for mercy, as Angela walks away. Angry and frustrated, Thomas calls Angela a “cunt.” She stops, and uses a taser to ignite a trail of leaking gasoline leading to Thomas. Thomas catches fire, and the car explodes shortly after, killing him.

Yeah, I get it. Thomas is supposed to suffer for kidnapping and torturing Angela, and his gruesome demise is supposed to be the feel good triumphant moment of vengeance for Angela. But using a vulgar slur to insult the female protagonist before a moment of triumph is too ordinary and counter-productive. I’ve seen this happen in other horror and non-horror films, and to use a more similar comparison off the top of my head, Angela’s decision to brutally murder Thomas reminds me of the ending in Hostel II. One of the torturers calls the remaining female survivor (can’t remember the names, because I haven’t watched Hostel II in a few years) a cunt. She responds by cutting off his genitals, and she feeds them to a dog.

Anyway, P2 is a solid horror/thriller. Yes, the story is formulaic, and you’ll see the ending coming from a mile away. But P2 features a nice set of spooky and eerie atmospherics, and sporadic scenes of nail biting suspense, as Angela fights to escape. It’s  nothing great, but P2 surprised the hell out of me, because I had very low expectations for this one.

Final Rating: 6/10

Silent Night, Deadly Night 5: The Toy Maker (1991)

**This review contains spoilers**

During the month of December, a young Derek Quinn (William Thorne) anxiously awaits Christmas Day. One night, Derek picks up a gift wrapped package from a mysterious stranger. Derek’s father, Tom (Van Quattro) takes the package from Derek, while lecturing him about the dangers of opening the door for strangers. Derek hides on the staircase, while Tom unwraps the package. Inside, Tom finds a Santa Claus ornament. But it’s not an ordinary ornament. The head spins around to reveal the face of a more sinister Santa Claus with fangs. Sparks fly, and the ornament uses its rubber tentacles to strangle Tom. During the struggle with the ornament, Tom falls into a fireplace poker, and is killed on impact. Derek’s mother, Sarah (Jane Higginson) rushes downstairs to find the body of her dead husband, while Derek sits on the steps in a stunned silence.

Two weeks later, Derek is stuck in a mute phase, and his erratic behavior continues to get worse. In attempt to cheer him up, Sarah takes Derek to the local toy store to buy him a gift. Petto’s Toys is run by the owner, Joe Petto (Mickey Rooney), who occasionally receives help from his awkward teenage son, Pino (Brian Bemer). Pino has an obsession for making masks, and Joe is a depressed and angry alcoholic. Joe is consumed by the recent failures in profits for his store, and Joe takes all of his frustrations out on Pino. After witnessing the death of his father, Derek develops a fear of all toys and Santa Claus, so he refuses to accept any gifts from Petto’s Toys.

Meanwhile, Derek and Sarah are unknowingly stalked by a man named Noah (Tracy Fraim). Noah recently left the Army, but he’s struggling to pay his bills, and Noah is forced to take a job as a shopping mall Santa. One day, Noah tries to learn some more information from Derek during an unexpected visit at the mall. But Sarah snatches Derek from Noah’s lap, as Noah becomes more aggressive and persistent. Sarah seeks advice and help from her neighbor and best friend, Kim (Neith Hunter), but Kim’s rebellious and rowdy son, Lonnie (Conan Yuzna) doesn’t help the situation.

The night before Christmas Eve, Sarah takes one final shot at cheering up a silent Derek by allowing him to open an early Christmas present from Petto’s. The present was another gift from the mysterious stranger, but Sarah never suspected any foul play, because she was convinced Kim left the present for Derek. Derek is still tormented by the death of his father, so he throws the present of roller-skates in the trash. Lonnie sees an easy opportunity, and he steals the skates from the trashcan. But the roller-skates are actually rocket powered. And during a harmless test run, the skates malfunction, and Lonnie is hit by a car.

Eventually, Noah corners Sarah in a long awaited face to face meeting on Christmas Eve. Noah tells Sarah the story of how Joe Petto became a bitter and hateful man after losing his wife and unborn son in a tragic car accident. Petto created a series of toys equipped with lethal weapons, because if he couldn’t have a happy, normal family, then nobody else would either. Unbeknownst to Derek, Noah is his real father, but Sarah wanted a real man, who could provide a secure future for Derek and herself, so she married Tom. Noah went to the Army to become a man, and now he wants to be a father for Derek.

While Noah reconnects with Sarah, Derek is alone with the babysitter, Meredith (Amy L. Taylor) and her boyfriend, Buck (Eric Welch). Meredith and Buck are trying to have sex, but they’re attacked by an army of Petto’s toys, and Derek is kidnapped by Joe Petto in a Santa suit, who uses a red bag to abduct Derek. Eventually, Sarah and Noah arrive at Sarah’s house. As Noah tries to comfort a bloody and hysterical Meredith, Sarah rushes to Petto’s Toys to save her only son. Noah eventually makes it to the toy store, but he’s forced to fight off Petto’s lethal toys. Sarah sneaks into the basement to find the real Joe Petto’s dead body, and here, she learns the truth from Pino: Pino is actually a robot built by Joe. Joe couldn’t handle the heartbreak of losing his wife and son, so he created a robot imitation of his dream child. But during his drunken rages, Joe would break Pino, because Pino wasn‘t a “real son.” After the latest incident, Pino murdered Joe. He made a mask to resemble his father’s face, and after that, he broke into Sarah’s house to kidnap Derek. But Pino’s work isn’t finished. Desperately seeking a mother’s love, Pino plans to kill Derek, and become Sarah’s one and only real son.

Of course, Mickey Rooney is the only recognizable name from this cast. Petto is an innocent old man in front of Sarah and his customers, but he’s an angry, drunken asshole to his son. As the raging drunk, Rooney’s performance is cheesy and over the top, and Rooney throws in this horrible sinister laugh during a fight with Pino towards the end. Rooney isn’t terrible, but his loony codger act is painful to watch at times. Although, Mickey Rooney taking a part in this film is kind of odd and ironic. Rooney was one of the many people, who publicly condemned the original Silent Night film, writing a letter to producers expressing his disgust and disappointment.

Jane Higginson is decent enough. Technically, Derek is the main character. But William Throne only speaks at the very beginning, and towards the end of the film. Throne’s performance is limited to scrunching facial expressions of fear and distress. And while Derek is trying to communicate, Sarah takes center stage as the primary protagonist. Anyway, Tracy Fraim’s Noah is dull and forced. Brian Bemer is spot on, as the creepy and eccentric loyal son, especially during the final showdown, when Pino reveals his true robot form. Neith Hunter is okay, but to be fair, her character is shoved into the background this time around. She’s the one woman support system for Sarah, and Conan Yuzna’s Lonnie is a rebellious troublemaker here. Oh, and Clint Howard (Ricky, the homeless servant from Initiation) has a brief cameo, as one of Noah’s Santa co-workers at the mall.

Well, the Toy Maker is the second stand alone film in the Silent Night franchise. After Ricky murdered Gus and Ann, Kim becomes Lonnie’s legal guardian, and they’re next door neighbors to Sarah and Derek. But The Toy Maker doesn’t make an effort to connect anything to Initiation. Ricky’s out of left field cameo doesn‘t fit within the current story. Kim and Lonnie’s characters actually have an impact on the current story, and Kim actually alludes to her bizarre encounter with Fima’s witch clan in part four, but she doesn’t go into details. So unless you actually watched Initiation, you wouldn‘t have the knowledge for the origins of Kim, Ricky, and Lonnie, because The Toy Maker doesn’t make an effort to provide a backstory for each character. Kim, Lonnie, and Ricky’s appearances in this film are more of a “remember them!” wink for die hard Silent Night fans, and it’s as simple as that.

The Toy Maker tries to return to the cheesy and over the top roots of the first two films. The dialogue, the violence, the music, the antagonists (Joe and Pino), and the story. They tried to resurrect the campy 80’s charm in The Toy Maker, but the efforts are too hit-and-miss for my taste. A prime example of the worst case for misses is when Buck insults Lonnie during a verbal duel one night. Lonnie does his best to get under Buck’s skin, and Buck responds with this: “I eat kids like you for breakfast! That’s why my shit smells so bad!” And trust me, this isn’t the only cringeworthy attempt at humor throughout this film. But on the flip-side of that, The Toy Maker is capable of providing a few cheap laughs. Towards the very end, Pino removes his Santa suit, and praises Joe’s work: “My father could make anything.” Pino looks down to see no male genitalia: “Well, almost anything.”

Too many tonal shifts are a real problem for The Toy Maker. I mean, lethal toys (rubber snake, mechanical hand, tanks, small soldiers, mini airplanes, etc.) are attacking people, so of course you’re not suppose to take this film too seriously. But you’ll see a good amount of blood here (mainly during the big toy assault on Meredith and Buck, and Meredith running out of the house as a bloody mess), and there’s a creepy attempted rape scene during the final minutes of this one. Pino is trying to rape Sarah, and he can’t (for obvious reasons), but still, he won’t give up. And Pino constantly shouts “I love you mommy,” while trying to rape Sarah. It’s not funny, and I’m 90% sure it wasn’t supposed to be a serious attempted rape. It’s just an awkward and weird moment to sit through, and this scene really doesn’t fit within The Toy Maker’s goofy lighthearted atmosphere. Then again, just a few moments before the Pino and Sarah scene, Pino (still wearing the Joe mask) attacks Noah with a small, plastic toy gun, loaded with some kind of corrosive material.

They had an opportunity to make something out of Pino’s struggle to understand and feel human emotions, but it was a case of too little, too late. They spent SO much time trying to unravel the mystery of the mysterious stranger, who delivers lethal toys, and revealing Noah’s backstory. They tried to cram in the machines connecting to the real world dynamic, but we don’t hear Pino’s speech until the end. The mystery of “is Noah a good guy or bad guy?” eats up too much time, because Noah’s true intentions are revealed during The Toy Maker’s home stretch. You would think Noah giving his landlord a toy for his son in exchange for a delayed rent payment was the first sign of Noah possibly trying to help, or working for Joe. As Noah hands his landlord the toy, that eventually kills him, Noah says “it’s to die for.” Noah KNEW something was wrong with the toy, but towards the end he’s fighting to save Sarah, Derek, and take down Pino for good? That’s a HUGE black hole for logic. 

Sub-par cast, below average production values, and a predictable “through the motions” story. Yeah, The Toy Maker can’t rise above the normal straight-to-video horror standards. And The Toy Maker wasn’t the resurrection film for this franchise, because Better Watch Out! buried the Silent Night film series into a deep hole. Initiation disrupted the continuity, and truth be told, Part 2 was a shitty film.

But I enjoy The Toy Maker as a guilty pleasure. The gaps in logic irritate me every time, and you can’t ignore a few noticeable plot holes, but as I said before, The Toy Maker isn’t trying to be a smart horror film (unlike one of its predecessors, Better Watch Out! Which failed miserably on almost every level). Toys are attacking people, and Mickey Rooney’s kooky parody style performance is a shining example of The Toy Maker’s silliness. All in all, The Toy Maker is dumb fun, and another guilty pleasure in the Silent Night franchise. It’s not a great, or good finale, though. And of course, this was the end of the line for the Silent Night franchise, until the remake hit during Christmas time last year.

Final Rating: 5/10

Silent Night, Deadly Night 3: Better Watch Out! (1989)

**SPOILERS**

Sorry I've been absent for a while, but I've been busy job hunting, and it's a time consuming pain in the ass. Coming back with some more reviews, so be on the lookout!

Six years after the events of Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2, Ricky Caldwell (Bill Moseley) is still in a coma. Ricky was presumed dead after the gunshot wounds, but Dr. Newbury (Richard Beymer) surgically reconstructed Ricky’s deformed brain. Dr. Newbury and his assistant revived basic functions with a machine attached to Ricky’s head, but Newbury wanted more.

Dr. Newbury developed an obsession for Ricky, so in an attempt to bring him back to the real world, Dr. Newbury began conducting a series of experiments with a psychic. With the help of some persistent goading from Dr. Newbury, Laura Anderson (Samantha Scully), a blind clairvoyant,  reluctantly uses her powers to form a connection with the comatose Ricky. Laura is frightened by Ricky’s childhood memories, and after a series of lifelike nightmares, where Ricky hunts Laura as his primary victim, Laura contemplates leaving  Dr. Newbury’s mission to study Ricky.

On Christmas Eve, Laura, her brother Chris (Eric Da Re), and his new girlfriend, Jerri (Laura Harring) take the annual trip to their grandmother’s house for Christmas Day. Meanwhile, Ricky is taunted by the hospital’s sleazy Santa Claus. Santa triggers a reaction from Ricky, and once Ricky awakes from his coma, he brutally murders the Santa Claus. In the lobby, Ricky notices the receptionist’s red flower pin, steals her letter opener, and Ricky uses the letter opener to murder the receptionist. Eventually, Ricky hitchhikes a ride, but the driver shows Ricky his hand knitted red Christmas sweater. After murdering the driver and stealing his clothes, Ricky decides to pay a visit to Laura’s grandmother.

Laura is still haunted by Ricky’s childhood memories, and during Dr. Newbury’s experiments, Laura unknowingly developed a telekinetic connection with Ricky. Dr. Newbury teams up with Lt. Connely (Robert Culp) to stop Ricky, but Newbury will do everything in his power to take Ricky alive. Laura, Chris, and Jerri arrive at Granny Anderson’s (Elizabeth Hoffman) house, but Granny’s unusual  disappearance creates an unsettling Christmas Eve atmosphere. Ricky is waiting for the right moment, and things take a turn for the worst, when Chris’ red jeep disappears……..  

Technically, Ricky is the main character in this film, but the story revolves around Laura, and I give the nod to Scully for the best performance in this film. Scully showcases her eardrum, shattering shrieking skills throughout this film, and she’s believable as the sympathetic victim. Moseley is mostly known for his role in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, and more recently, Texas Chainsaw 3D. Also, Moseley worked with Rob Zombie in the past (House Of 1,000 Corpses & The Devil’s Rejects). The replacement Mother Superior in Part 2 annoys me, but Ricky is brain-dead in this film, so you can’t expect any familiar characteristics from Billy’s brother here. Moseley’s dialogue is mostly limited to slow whispers of “Laura,” and it might work for some people, but I can’t buy into Moseley’s silent and zombified deadly killer act. It’s not his fault, though. I blame that fucking ridiculous contraption on the top of his head. Ricky’s brain machine is so cartoonish, and it looks like something out of a bad sci-fi movie. Here take a look:

                               


You won’t see much of her, but Elizabeth Hoffman is spot on as Granny Anderson, and Laura Harring is okay as Jerri. Eric Da Re is just there, and I guess they wanted someone, who embodied the look of an 80’s rock star. Dr. Newbury is a douchebag. A creepy douchebag, but he’s still a douchebag. Plus, Beymer’s pompous “I’m studying Ricky for the good of mankind!” shtick brings too many unintentional laughs out of me. And Robert Culp’s lighthearted approach towards the hard ass cop persona is enjoyable.

Better Watch Out! is the first serious film in the Silent Night, Deadly Night franchise. No corny one-liners, or over the top characters, and the hammy 80’s slasher routine is toned down. Also, Better Watch Out! is the first Silent Night film to drop the killer Santa Claus theme.

I appreciate the effort for change here. The telekinetic connection storyline with Laura and Ricky is something different, BUT the execution in this film is just horrible. During the trip to Granny’s house, Connely and Dr. Newbury go back and forth during a series of annoying arguments about morals and science. I can’t comprehend the point of the “Ricky’s  future” duel between Newbury and Connely. Connely obviously won’t respect Newbury’s opinions, and Newbury is too smug and eccentric, so it’s hard to take him seriously.

Laura has psychic powers. I get that, but Part 3 dropped the ball, because Laura NEVER uses her psychic powers to thwart Ricky’s attacks, or defeat him. In fact, Laura unknowingly gave away Granny’s location, as Ricky listened to Laura’s directions to the house. And during the final confrontation with Ricky, Laura has visions of Granny urging her to use the psychic powers to defeat Ricky. Instead, Laura spends time listening to Ricky’s movements, and destroying the only light bulb in the basement to “even” the odds? And as Ricky is trying to choke Jerri to death, Laura just stands there, and accepts the inevitable?

I understand the dynamic of Ricky searching for Laura, because during his coma, Laura was the only person from the outside, who tried to bond with him. Although, you won’t see the long awaited one on one confrontation between Laura and Ricky until the very end. And everything leading up to the final showdown might put you to sleep. After Laura’s first interaction with Ricky in a nightmare, Better Watch Out! slowly goes through the motions. It’s an unbearable bore-fest, and the underwhelming climax doesn’t help anything.

When Laura, Chris, and Jerri arrive at Granny’s place, the house is empty, and Granny is missing. Laura shows concern, but instead of launching an immediate search party, Chris decides to spend time with Jerri instead. Apparently, making out with and taking a bath with Jerri is more important than your grandmother’s safety? Okay then. Chris is a clueless doofus, and of course, when he finally decides to do something about Granny’s mysterious disappearance, it’s too late. Ugh,  I always dread watching the fiasco at Granny’s house, easily the most mind-numbingly stupid series of events in this film.

Why is Ricky indestructible in this film? All of the sudden Ricky is capable of walking through windows and doors? How? While Ricky chokes Jerri, Chris stabs him with a knife. The knife goes through his arm, Ricky just pulls it out, and continues his pursuit of Laura like nothing happened? Seriously?

The violence and gore in this film is laughable. The splatters of blood in the opening nightmare sequence resemble cheap red paint, and I have the same feelings for Laura’s vision of the receptionist’s death. And I always laugh at Dr. Newbury’s “tragic” death scene…….that shouldn’t happen.

FINALLY they dropped the “attempted rapes trigger a tirade” bullshit in this film, and they used clips from Part I again, but they didn’t show any scenes in their entirety, which is a good thing. They also maintained continuity for Ricky’s character, because red and Santa Claus trigger Ricky’s killer instincts. Still, Part 3 is a pretty lousy film. Every time I decide to watch Part 3, it takes me at least a week or more to finish the entire thing, because I can’t sit through this tedious mess in one viewing. The sub-plot featuring the friction between Laura and Jerri is good for a few laughs, and Laura’s insults are hilarious. But overall, Better Watch Out! fails to meet the very low standards of straight-to-video horror. Better Watch Out! tries to be a “smart” slasher flick, but the end result is a pretentious bore with a convoluted and senseless story.

Final Rating: 2/10

Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 (1987)

**This review contains spoilers**

Following the events of Silent Night, Deadly Night, Billy Chapman is dead after taking a series of gunshots to the back at St. Mary‘s Orphanage. But the sight of his dead brother’s body was too much handle, so as a child, Ricky issued a deadly warning to Mother Superior by placing her on his “naughty” list.

Billy failed in his mission to kill Mother Superior, but Billy’s attack forced the closure of St. Mary’s Orphanage. Bound to a wheelchair, Mother Superior (Jean Miller) is retired and recovering from a stroke, and with the help of Sister Mary (Nadya Wynd), Ricky found a foster family. The Rosenbergs embraced Ricky as their own child, but Ricky still experienced flashbacks from his traumatic childhood.

Heartbroken over his stepfather’s death as a teenager, Ricky tries to fight through the depression, but after witnessing an attempted rape, Ricky embarks on a brutal killing spree. But Ricky runs out of luck after murdering his girlfriend Jennifer (Elizabeth Kaitan), her ex-boyfriend Chip (Ken Weichert), and other innocent  bystanders. During the standoff with the police, Ricky tries to commit suicide, but he runs out of bullets.

As an eighteen year-old man, Ricky’s (Eric Freeman) last name is changed to Caldwell, and he’s a patient at a mental hospital. One day, Ricky receives a tape recorded evaluation from Dr. Henry Bloom (James L. Newman). Ricky already angered other psychiatrists, so after failing numerous evaluations, Dr. Bloom becomes Ricky’s last chance to avoid a trip to the electric chair. But as Ricky recalls his troubled childhood and murders as a teenager, Dr. Bloom slowly shows signs of fear after each story. Ricky takes advantage of Dr. Bloom’s fear, murders him, and Ricky escapes the hospital.

Ricky finds a Salvation Army-like Santa Claus, murders him, steals his suit, and Ricky plans to follow in his brother’s footsteps. Picking up where Billy left off, Ricky plans to take his axe to the retired Mother Superior’s home, and finish his brother’s mission.

Eric Freeman’s Ricky is more devious than Robert Brian Wilson’s Billy. Billy was someone, who snapped, AND he showed remorse during his final moments. Billy’s innocence was believable, because his character was victimized and tormented, but Ricky’s a different story. Mother Superior was nice to Ricky. Ricky had a girlfriend, who cared about him, and The Rosenbergs loved him as a child and a teenager. But Ricky chose his path as a sadistic asshole. He enjoyed killing people, and he embraced the murdering psycho inside of him. With all that said, I enjoyed Eric Freeman’s Ricky more than Wilson’s Billy. Yes, Freeman is hammy, but his dark side is more creepy, in a comical way of course.

Also, they added another layer to the Chapman Brother’s traumatic triggers here. In Part I, Billy’s flashbacks from St. Mary’s Orphanage and his parent’s murders trigger his killing sprees. In Part II, Ricky’s rage is triggered by flashbacks from the same events, but the color red and nuns also play an important factor in causing his tirades.

Unfortunately, my praises for this film stop with Freeman. Kaitan is just eye candy, and Newman is solid enough, but the constant flashbacks (more on that later) kill any chances of momentum for his character. Sister Mary is a caring character, but she can’t measure up to Gilmer McComrik’s Sister Margaret.

And they changed the actress, who portrayed Mother Superior! Miller’s crabby and feeble old lady act is painful to watch. Yes, I understand Mother Superior had a stroke, but Lilyan Chauvin was irreplaceable, because she MADE the Mother Superior character. They tried to use the stroke, and awful, distracting deformed skin make-up to justify  Mother Superior’s new personality, but fuck, if they couldn’t get Chauvin to reprise her role, then they should’ve  just killed off the Mother Superior character altogether. Superior is the main target for Billy and Ricky. She’s the reason why they went on the killing sprees in the first place. You can’t use an underwhelming replacement for such an important character, and try to pass her off as the same person in the original. Superior ‘87 is a major problem, and I usually cringe or face palm before her first appearance, because Superior’s presence just KILLS the final climax in this film.

Flashbacks are okay, if you just use a few CLIPS here and there, but Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 literally replays entire scenes from the original. As Ricky retells his story to Dr. Bloom, the story shifts back to Part I, showing select scenes in their entirety (Santa murdering Billy & Ricky’s parents, Billy’s tirades, Billy’s abuse at the orphanage, the ending, etc.). This style of storytelling is just lazy, and it kills all of the momentum for the present story. Yeah, they play flashback footage from the present storyline, but you won’t see it until the forty minute mark. And everything feels so rushed and underdeveloped, when they finally make the transition to Ricky’s escape at the very end. It feels like you’re watching two movies in one, and the constant back and forth shifts to present and past straggle into a giant clustered mess.

I try to stay in suspension of disbelief mode for movies, but Silent Night Part 2 pushes everything too far. SOMEHOW Ricky has vivid memories of his parent’s deaths? Really? How? He was a baby when it all happened. Plus, Ricky was strapped to seat in the car as a baby, and the Santa murdered his mother outside, so he couldn’t see anything. Ricky explains how Billy told him the story of his parent’s murders, but still, I have a hard time buying into an eighteen year-old vividly remembering a tragedy as an infant. They tried to recreate the “flashbacks trigger a tirade” effect with Ricky, but Ricky recalling the tragedies from his childhood was just too far fetched for my taste.

Also, before he reaches the age of eighteen, Ricky is strolling through the woods one day, and he accidentally witnesses a couple having a picnic. The boyfriend tries to rape his girlfriend, but Ricky jumps inside his red jeep, and he runs him over, killing the boyfriend. Umm, why was this necessary? Did they really have to stretch things so far to include a random attempted rape scene to maintain continuity from the first film?

So Ricky EASILY kills Dr. Bloom, and escapes the mental hospital? Umm, if killing psychiatrists and strolling out of the mental hospital is SO easy, then why didn’t Ricky kill one of the psychiatrists before Bloom? I’m suppose to believe Ricky just decided to kill the last psychiatrist out of the blue? No. Just no. 

Ruining the big climax/final showdown with a replacement Mother Superior was bad enough, and Superior’s decapitation just made everything worse. Ricky chops off her head with an axe, but when the cops and Sister Mary arrive at her house, Superior’s body is still in the wheelchair……until Sister Mary’s slight touch causes her head to fall off. AND when the head falls off, you can clearly see signs of a prosthetic dummy head. Ugh, I always roll my eyes at this moment. Unbelievable, just unfuckingbelievable.

Silent Night, Deadly Night 2 is mostly remembered for Ricky’s famous “GARBAGE DAY!” outburst during the wild killing spree towards the end. It’s become a popular and well-known meme over the years, and here’s a pic:

                                

But Part 2 is still a terrible film. Freeman’s nutty raging lunatic act is hilarious, but in good conscience, I can’t give this film a positive score. I just can’t.

Final Rating: 2/10

Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984)

On Christmas Eve in 1971, a young Billy Chapman visits his demented grandfather in a mental hospital. After the doctor insists on having a word in private with Billy’s parents, his mother, father, and infant brother Ricky leave him alone. Suddenly, Grandpa Chapman (Will Hare) delivers an ominous warning about Santa Claus’ methods of punishment for naughty children.

Frightened, Billy leaves with his family, but the Chapman’s receive an unexpected surprise during the nighttime ride home. A man dressed in a Santa Claus’ suit is standing in front of a red car with the hood up, as he signals the Chapman’s for help. But “Santa” is carrying a gun, and as Billy’s father tries to drive away, Santa shoots him in the head, killing him. Billy’s mother tries to escape, but Santa catches her. After an attempted rape, Santa slits Mrs. Chapman’s throat, killing her. Billy hides in the nearby woods, as his baby brother continues to scream and cry.

In 1974, Billy and Ricky are still trying to adjust to life at St. Mary’s Orphanage. But Billy is haunted by flashbacks of his parent’s death, and he slowly develops a deep, seething hatred for Christmas and Santa Claus. Sister Margaret (Gilmer McCormik) tries to provide comfort for Billy, but the strict and domineering Mother Superior (Lilyan Chauvin) won’t tolerate any disobedience or unruly behavior. Billy is constantly beaten and tormented by Mother Superior, and after attacking the orphanage's Santa Claus on Christmas Day, Billy receives another savage beating from Mother Superior.

As an eighteen year-old man in 1984, Billy (Robert Brian Wilson) receives a stocking job at Ira’s Toys (a local toy store) with help of Mother Superior and Sister Margaret. Ricky is still under the care of the other nuns and Mother Superior at the orphanage, and with the exception of his pushy superior Andy, Billy doesn’t encounter any major problems.

But when the store Santa Claus is forced to call in sick, Billy steps into the role of Jolly Old St. Nick. Billy experiences more flashbacks of his parent’s murders, and things get out of control during the store’s annual Christmas party. Drunk, angry, and confused, Billy accidentally witnesses his only crush and co-worker, Pamela with Andy in the stockroom. With Billy’s help, Pamela narrowly escapes Andy’s attack, but witnessing another attempted rape triggers Billy’s flashbacks. Billy kills Andy and Pamela, murders the store manager, and as she tries to call 911, Billy murders the assistant store manager.

Armed with an axe, and a bloody taste for revenge, Billy (or Santa) sets out on a killing spree to punish the naughty people on Christmas Eve, and his mission isn‘t over until he achieves one final goal on Christmas Day: Billy is determined to return to the orphanage, and murder Mother Superior.

The two kids, who portray Billy as a kid are solid, but I'd give the edge to Danny Wagner (8 year-old Billy) for the better performance. Robert Brian Wilson’s hammy performance as the murderous Santa is entertaining. Wilson is over the top during his killing spree, and his evil grin is just perfect. You’ll only see him in the beginning, but Will Hare’s kooky “Santa’s gonna get you!“ act is good for a few cheap laughs. Lilyan Chauvin really nails the ice-cold bitch persona, and McCormik is believable as the caring and understanding nun. And for the most part, the women in this film are just eye candy.

And speaking of eye candy, the lovely scream queen of the 80’s, Linnea Quigley takes the cake here. For me, Quigley is an easy pick for the front and center spot for Silent Night, Deadly Night’s most grisly image. She’s the half naked woman, who suffers the brutal death of being shoved through the antlers of a deer head mount. And speaking of Quigley, the Denise (Quigley) character’s nonsensical actions in this film really irritate me. First, for some asinine reason, Denise feels the need to let the family cat inside the house in the middle of the night. She has the wherewithal to put on jean shorts, but at the same time, she goes outside into the freezing cold night topless? Then, after the cat runs inside the house, she leaves the door open, Billy shows up, and murders her? Sorry, but for YEARS this has been my one big pet peeve for Silent Night, Deadly Night, and everything surrounding  Denise’s death just annoys the shit out of me.

Too much controversy surrounded this film in 1984, and after all the protests, and condemning reviews from critics, Silent Night, Deadly Night was pulled from theaters. It outdrew the original Nightmare On Elm Street film at the box office during the opening weekend, but Santa killing people on Christmas crossed too many lines in 1984, and Silent Night, Deadly Night wouldn’t see theaters again until a few years later, after the uproar settled down of course. The new distributor (Aquarius Films) wanted to capitalize on the controversy, but they re-released a watered-down and heavily edited version of the film to fans of the original.

The uncut DVD version (not sure if they have a Blu-Ray or not) features more blood and gore. But the re-editing causes poor picture quality for some scenes. It’s not a big problem, but it’s noticeable. Anyway, the unrated versions (one released as a singles DVD years ago, one released with the second film as a two-pack, and to help push the remake, the two-pack with the unrated original and the second film was re-released in December under Anchor Bay, I think). Anyway, you can see the differences between the edited versions and the unrated version, but PLEASE don’t buy into the promise of “gratuitous nudity and sex” on the box covers. Trust me, it’s nothing outrageous or shocking. Hell, if anything, the sex and nudity in the unrated version is pretty tamed.

Silent Night, Deadly Night is a cheesy and over the top 80’s slasher. It’s mindless fun, and it’s one of my favorite Christmas horror films. Although, WITHOUT the Christmas theme, Silent Night, Deadly Night would just be another ordinary 80’s slasher. And more importantly, Silent Night, Deadly Night is remembered for sparking controversy, because the special effects are sub-par, the directing is okay at best, and this film is good for some cheap laughs, but at the same time, the writing is very pedestrian and corny.  Silent Night, Deadly Night is a good guilty pleasure, but a good amount of Silent Night fans praise this film as a horror masterpiece, and it’s kind of annoying.

Final Rating: 6/10

Silent Night (2012)

**This review contains spoilers**

It’s Christmas Eve, and a murderous Santa Claus is determined to punish everyone on his naughty list. A small town’s annual Christmas Eve parade is a joyous and peaceful tradition, but two local cops must stop Santa’s bloody rampage. Sheriff James Cooper (Malcolm McDowell) and his nervous Deputy, Aubrey (Jamie King) are the last line of defense. Will they be able to save what’s left of Christmas? Or will Santa eliminate each target on his hit list?

Jamie King. She easily delivers the best performance in this film. On the acting side of things, King really carries this film on her back, because Malcolm McDowell’s performance is just atrocious. And yes, McDowell’s performance is a problem, because he receives a significant amount of screen time. McDowell just phones it in here, and to make things worse, his character is an annoying asshole.

Now let’s talk about Santa. He’s a raging lunatic, and more importantly, Santa has an intimidating presence in the remake. Robert Brian Wilson (the Santa in the original) wasn’t intimidating or scary. In fact, he was kind of goofy at times. But 2012 Santa is a cold-blooded killer, and  the dark eyes on the mask really pull everything together.

Plus, Santa has a larger arsenal of weapons this time around. You can see the flamethrower on the box cover, and Santa also uses a stun gun and a poker. And of course, for the sake of nostalgia, Santa will break out the axe every now and then.

The Silent Night remake is more serious than the original. The 1984 original was very campy and cheesy, but Silent Night 2012 is darker. But the fan base for Silent Night, Deadly Night constantly over hypes that film. Let’s be honest, Silent Night, Deadly Night isn’t remembered for being a quality film. The controversy surrounding the 1984 release caused the uproar. Remember, watching Santa murder people crossed too many lines in 1984, and Silent Night, Deadly Night was pulled from theaters. Angry mothers protested, and the critics went out of their way to condemn it. So in the end, the original is remembered for creating unreal amounts of controversy, because quality wise, it’s an average film at best. Hell, take away the Christmas theme, and it’s just another cheesy and over the top slasher from the 80’s. 

All in all, Silent Night is a respectable remake, but it’s not good enough to stand out amongst other modern-day slasher flicks, that feature tons of blood and nudity. I enjoyed this film, but horror remakes based on campy 80’s originals share this annoying trend. For some strange reason, the filmmakers try so hard to make a more serious movie. If we distance ourselves from the campy stuff in the original, we’ll make a better film. This seems to be the thought process. But if you’re going to fall into the bin with so many other predictable and ordinary modern-day slashers, then what’s the point of changing?

So yeah, if you’re into Christmas horror, and a psychopathic Santa Claus murderer, then Silent Night is worth watching. There’s a nice cliffhanger at the end, and the cliffhanger sets up a sequel. I would give another set of Silent Night films a chance, but nothing is guaranteed so far. But if it does happen, Jamie King NEEDS to come back. Fuck Malcolm McDowell.

Final Rating: 6/10