Director Steven C. Miller got his first big break with Automaton Transfusion, a zombie movie I never really enjoyed - even if it was quite ambitious for it's scale of budget. He later made the entertaining Scream of the Banshee which I liked a lot more (and it stars, among others, Lance Henriksen and mega-cutie Todd Haberkorn! - yeah, I'm very shallow!). I had no idea he directed Silent Night, last years killer santa film. I've heard somewhere it got a second release this year, in cinemas, which is an awesome idea.
I've read in several places - and comments - that Silent Night should be a remake of some kind of the wonderfully twisted Silent Night, Deadly Night - but nothing could be further from the truth - it's actually more inspired by this real event! There's two references to the SNDN - including "Garbage Day" and "Psycho Grandpa" - but I think they're there just to have some winks to horror fans out there - like me.
Welcome to the town where nothing happens, a crimeless nothingness where the biggest year of the year is the annual Santa parade. This morning is special. Jordan, one of the cops has disappared - probably with a woman - and it's up to young widow Aubrey Bradimore (Jamie King) to do his job until they find a solution. But she ends up in the violent traces of a brutal serial killer, a serial killer dressed like good ol' Santa Clause! He impales, chops, shoots and burns his way through the Christmas spirit and nothing seems to be able to stop him! And it doesn't help that everyone in town is dressed like Santas this special day...
Silent Night is an awesome sight to behold, clearly the best Killer Santa film in many, many years. It's not perfect - the pre-production was very short what I've heard - but it looks great, with that terrible, perfect Christmas atmosphere I hate so much. No snow of coruse, because it's in some sunny town midwestern town in the US, but everything else is there: the ornaments, the lights, Christmas trees and songs. Even if it's very violent and graphic - there's some nifty practical gore effects on display here - it's the dark, dark, dark humor that caught my attention. Every actor is good, McDowell seems to have a lot of fun and Jamie King is a perfect lead, but it's Donal Logue as the extremely cyncial truth-telling Santa that really caught my attention. So much fun, so much hate in one little character. Brilliant writing, brilliant acting.
What I especially like about Silent Night is the totaly lack of defence for Christmas. It's just not there. Sure, it's terrible that he kills people - but in all honest, they all deserve it, even the kids! There's no message at all, that this should be the time of peace and friendship and all that bullshit. Everyone is actually a cynic, almost everyone at least, but most of them are also quite likable. It's like everyone accepts their destiny, they just have to live with this shitty commercialism and shallow happiness.
So, as you can imagine, this movie fits me very like a glove!
"Director Steven C. Miller got his first big break with Automaton Transfusion, a zombie movie I never really enjoyed - even if it was quite ambitious for it's scale of budget."
Never heard of it....thanks Fred.
"I've read in several places - and comments - that Silent Night should be a remake of some kind of the wonderfully twisted Silent Night, Deadly Night - but nothing could be further from the truth - it's actually more inspired by this real event!"
Don´t use IMDB....it´s Megatroll infested area....sadly.
True story....?
I had no idea.
"Silent Night is an awesome sight to behold, clearly the best Killer Santa film in many, many years."
It does sound fun.
"It's like everyone accepts their destiny, they just have to live with this shitty commercialism and shallow happiness."
A great message....very needed in christmas time.
"So, as you can imagine, this movie fits me very like a glove!"
I might have to give this film a chance, good review and thanks.
Posted by: Megatron | December 25, 2013 at 20:26