The real Christmas MVPs - Silent Night Deadly Night 3,4, and 5!

The real Christmas MVPs - Silent Night Deadly Night 3,4, and 5!

We're nearing the 12 day countdown to Christmas. I don't know about anyone else, but it truly feels like this holiday came completely out of nowhere. I'm nowhere close to finishing my shopping, but I have been trying to make the most out of getting into the holiday spirit by watching as many Christmas themed movies as possible. In fact, just this past weekend durning a snow storm, I settled down and watched Home Alone, Lethal Weapon, Night Of the Comet, Scooged, Black X-Mas, and Shout Factory's new release Silent Night Deadly Night which got quite the treatment with tons of new features, colorful artwork, and a pretty awesome action figure based off Billy the killer Santa himself! I've always been a fan of Silent Night Deadly Night, in fact I still remember when my mother rented it for me when I was in the third grade. When people ask me about holiday movies I just HAVE to watch to get into the Christmas spirit, and the Silent Night Deadly Night movies are always at the top of my list. What can I say? I'm a sucker for holiday themed horror! These movies are finally getting the respect that they deserve, even having the killer Santas themselves (Billy and Ricky) start the convention circuit! Still, I can't help but always stick up for the lesser known sequels in the franchisee that really don't get the respect they deserve. Everyone knows and loves the iconic original, then there's the awful sequel which is so bad, it's actually somewhat enjoyable. But what about part 3, 4, and 5?

Well I'm here to tell you, these movies are awesome.

Part III was actually in my eyes the shot of life the series needed after what an EPIC fail the sequel was. I mean, yeah we can laugh about it now, but talk about missing the boat! They had the perfect opportunity continuing with the series with the open ended final shot in the first film. Here the torch, or shall I say axe was passed onto Ricky, Billy's younger brother. Sadly, this film didn't live up to the original with one too many flashbacks of the first film, laughable acting, cheesy over the top low budget moments, and a stale script. Still, I'll give them credit where credit is due. Some of the story wasn't terrible, and it did have the perfect ending. Ricky finally gets the revenge of the nun who caused him and his brother so much pain. He's gunned down, and as far as we know that's the end. Well, in part III we learn that Ricky actually survived that accident, and was placed on life support, in a coma with severe brain damage. In fact, the top of his skull is completely missing, and a glass dome covers it now, with his brain exposed. (Okay, we'll roll with it) Ricky is now played by cult icon Bill Moseley (Who I had sign my VHS tape of this and had a good laugh over the fact that basically his only line in this movie is "Laura...") Director Monte Hellman actually has an eye for making this film hauntingly beautiful.  Even in the opening credits, as we see our lead Laura sleeping, it looks so surreal, and comforting. The score is beautiful, and creepy. We witness that Laura, a young tough blind woman is part of a special experiment. It appears her doctor is studying her seeing if she can link up to Ricky, who's in his coma, seeing if she can enter his dreams and better understand what made him truly snap. Unknown to them, this awakes Ricky who's practically a zombie and awakes, needing to find Laura. Due to their psychic link he follows her up state where she's spending the Christmas holiday with her brother, and his newest girlfriend at their grandmother's who lives just outside an orange grove. Here Ricky murders his way through the hospital, escapes, and continues his rampage, being set off whenever he sees the color red (just like in the past film) when he finally reaches Laura's grandmother's, he kills her family and Laura is faced to square off with him one on one, ignoring her handicap, and using her psychic talent as an advantage. 

Sounds like a weird trip? Well guess what, out of all three films this is the most normal one!

This film has some heavy Twin Peaks elements being made a whole year before the popular TV series. We get two cast members from it (Richard Beymer, and Eric DaRe) as well as the constant use of the name "Laura" as well as the use of dreams. Richard Beymer really shines as the doctor who is responsible for using Laura to reach Ricky. I did enjoy his scenes with Robert Cup (mostly about the car phone) but again, something so beauitfuil and tragic about the scene as he lays on the ground and stares at Robert Cup and says "Don't be stupid..." as well as tiny elements such as Laura having the same psychic connection that her grandmother has who ends up helping her use her brains in order to fight Ricky. Still, I could have gone without that bath scene with Eric DaRe. Yikes!) Still, Silent Night Deadly Night 3 is a strange and truly awesome slasher that perfectly closes the chapter on the two killer brothers. If only part 2 had been a little more serious like this one maybe we would have gotten more movies like this.

Now onto part 4. Initiation. 

Directed by Brian Yuzna (Society, Return Of The Living Dead III) It's exactly what you would expect. It's Brain Yuzna directing a Christmas movie. I'll be the first to admit, it took me up until maybe 2 years ago to finally watch. I had heard nothing but weird things. That this movie really didn't feel like a Christmas movie, was too out there, and really fell flat. Finally after re-visiting Society, I decided to say screw it and give it a chance. I'm sure glad I did!

The film is about the ever so beautiful Kim (Neith Hunter) who's a reporter in LA who writes for a local newspaper, but has yet to be taken seriously. Here she begins to investigate the mysterious death of a young woman who leaped from a building on fire. After some investigation, she discovers a cult of witches who are planning on using her in their sacrificial ceremony.

I'll be the first to admit. This. Movie. Is. Fucking. Weird. 

Still, I think that's a huge reason why I like it. Yuzna actually tells a pretty fascinating story. I love the opening credits, as well as how truly bizarre this movie is. What really steals the show are the effects by Screaming Mad George. The whole Initiation scene is what sold it for me. I mean you get Clint Howard sex (I wish I was joking) a woman's hands lacing together, before basicaly going into a cocoon. It's gross, it's weird, and it's awesome. The ending is pretty sudden, but I really enjoyed this movie, and tell people to always check it out solely for how out there it is.

Last but not least, part 5. The Toy Maker.

Yuzna stayed on as a producer for this gem, and most fans remember it for the amazing fact that lead Mickey Rooney originaly publicly stated what trash he believed the original film was when all the protests were happening. Listen, when times are tough everyone at some point says fuck it!

This movie tells the story of a young boy who witnesses the violent death of his step-father at the hands of a mysterious Christmas gift that shows up at his house one night. The toy comes to life and kills his step-father, making it look like a horrible accident. Traumatized over what happened, the boy goes into shock and becomes mute. In the weeks following, his mother tries everything to snap him out of it as the Christmas holiday approaches. She even brings him to a local toy store run by Joe Petto (Mickey Rooney) and his strange teenage son Pino (Played by the wonderful Brain Bremer from Pumpkin Head and Society) Here all over town more people are receiving these strange toys that come to life and kill them. It seems as if someone is out to get all the children in town! Here it's up to this young woman and her son, as well as a stranger who just drifted into town and suspects something is going on at that local toy store!

This one is really a favorite of mine.

I think yet again it's just how out there it is. This film takes a page out of part 4 in telling a completely different story, but actually captures the whole Christmas feel pretty good. I love how you can tell they tried to cash in on the success of the Home Alone movies which were huge at the time with the tagline "He's home, but he's not alone!". In fact I have pretty vivid memories staring at the covers of part 3 and 5 as a child whenever I would race to the horror section as a kid. This movie is a complete riot to watch. We get a robot dry humping a woman, a kid eating shit on roller-skates that go crazy, a killer worm toy, a cameo by Clint Howard again, and a pretty clever twist. It's not a brilliant film, but still a pretty awesome installment that's a must to watch every December. 

So raise up your spiked egg nog and give three cheers for the true MVPs of the Silent Night Deadly Night series.

3, 4, and 5!!!