Silent Night Deadly Night 3 You Better Watch Out! Review
PLOT:
Set several years after Ricky Caldwell was gunned down, killing the
abusive nun who caused him childhood trauma, Ricky is now nearly
brain dead and in a deep coma. Wanting to learn more about why Ricky
and his brother snapped, a crazed scientist tricks a young blind girl
with psychic abilities to link her mind to Ricky and try to wake his
sleeping mind. Sadly this backfires and on Christmas Eve Ricky
awakes, now with the urge to find this young girl so they can be
together forever. Following her to her grandmother's ranch, Ricky
leaves behind a bloody trail, unstoppable and out to kill.
LOWDOWN: I still
remember like it was yesterday. Going to the old video store down the
road from my house and running straight to the horror section to gaze
at all the breathtaking and gruesome covers that were lined up on the
shelf’s. One cover oddly always caught my eye.
Silent Night Deadly
Night 3 You Better Watch Out!
I really can't explain
why. Maybe it was the multicolor icicles, or the very pretty
girl...whatever it was I was always curious and always found myself
picking this title up yet never asking my mother to rent it. Time
passed and when I was in the third grade my mother rented me the
original Silent Night Deadly Night. I still remember
staring at the cover in complete wonder at the sight of Santa
climbing out of the chimney with an ax in his hand. Safe to say I was
blown away...but that's a story for another day. Years later I found
the original along with it's shit sequel as a double-bill on DVD. I
always knew there were other Silent Nights in the series but due to
the fact they were out of print I never really bothered looking for
them.
It wasn't until last year
when I was out VHS hunting and found the third and forth Silent Night
on tape. Beyond excited I knew I had to have them.
That night alone in my
house I popped in the third one since all these childhood memories
came flooding back. First I laughed my ass off like a complete loser
at the Weekend At Barney's trailer before the film
started. (Yep, I'm that guy.)
As the film began I knew
this wasn't just your regular low budget sequel. This movie truly
took the Silent Night movies out of the ruined ashes
that part 2 left behind and tried to take it into a very new and
interesting surreal direction. Just the opening credits with the
haunting theme playing as it slowly fades in on the sleeping girl was
wonderfully shot.
I always love the use of
dreams and visions in movies and this movie truly relied on them. I
also loved the connection between the young blind girl and Ricky,
younger brother to serial killer Billy from the first. This was a
perfect way to wrap up the two brother's storyline and have it for
once poetic justice.
Using several actors from
the cult series Twin Peaks which was still to be
released, I can't help but think David Lynch took a new elements and
nods from this very underrated movie and put it into his own work. A
lot of people may argue with me this is just another stupid slasher,
but I have to disagree. This movie not only had a great storyline,
but was filmed very well with a very slow yet suspenseful build up
right until the very end. I loved the setting of the grandmother's
house in the orange grove, and how determined Ricky was to reach
Laura. (A twisted love story? Maybe...)
Yes the movie has it's
flaws (really could have gone without seeing the brother
shirtless...talk about wearing a sweater! And Ricky having what's
best to explain as a large plastic bubble on his head...really?)
Still, I loved the little nods they kept from the first two movies
(The color red setting off Ricky's rage.) Yeah the whole psychic
thing was a little weak, but I do think this is one of the strongest
entries in the whole series. Had it maybe been a standalone film
maybe, just maybe it would have gotten more props from fans.
4 Stars!
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