'tis the season to be... bloody? Yes, I suppose that will have to do. Silent Night Deadly Night is one of my favourite slasher films of the '80s. Think back to the days of roaming through the horror section of your local video store as a child. Those lurid VHS covers pulling you in, but making you feel like you shouldn't be there at the same time. The frightening feeling of picking up one of those ghastly covers and not knowing what kind of grotesque display was on the back. Or was the the porno section? I can't remember. 

 

 

Silent Night Deadly Night had one of those covers. While the actual VHS cover didn't show that much in terms of violence or sex, it suggested a hell of a lot. The idea that jolly old Santa could be an evil bastard, and that he would be coming down your chimney to murder you was just terrifying. It's the kind of thing that could potentially traumatise a kid.



That is exactly what happens to the main character of the film. After visiting his demented grandfather on Christmas Eve, who warns him of the evil of Christmas, Little Billy witnesses the murder of his parents (including the rape of his mother) by a criminal dressed as Santa Claus. Billy then ends up in an orphanage where the nuns try and force him sit on Santa's lap, and then beat him when he doesn't. He eventually grows up and gets a job in the town toy store. Everything seems fine, until his boss forces him to be the store's Santa Claus. Billy snaps and goes on a murderous rampage and the rest is history. 



Silent Night Deadly Night is special not just because of its killer Santa setup - It also approaches the slasher genre with a unique angle. The main character is the killer, and we get to see the traumatising events that lead to his maniacal meltdown. It also delivers the goods when it comes to violence and nudity, with a heaping helping of blood and gore, an incredibly nasty atmosphere and an appearance by '80s scream queen Linnea Quigley.

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Check out the trailer and VHS cover art below