Silent Night (2012)

It's Christmas Eve, and the residents of a Midwestern town are gearing up for the annual parade. The police however can't attend because one by one, people are being brutally murdered. Someone dressed as Santa Claus is after those who've been naughty and their punishment will be severe. One of the most controversial films of all time is the 1984 cult film Silent Night, Deadly Night. Parents, particularly mothers, were outraged by the idea of a killer dressed as Santa Claus. Their boycott eventually led to the film being pulled from theatres, but like the phoenix it rose from the ashes.

Today filmmakers can get away with a lot, showing graphic sex and violence. However, it took a long time for this to come to pass. In the 80s a lot of gory horror films were made, but the MPAA and religious groups didn't make it easy. Wanting images like a slashed throat or a decapitation kept from children's eyes is a no brainer. They are not the target audience, but some parents still want violence out of movies and off TV. The fact that four sequels and now a remake of Silent Night, Deadly Night exist proves they're efforts failed.

The really good news about Silent Night, is that it's not a mere remake of the original. Instead, Steven C. Miller and Co. have created more of a re-imagining that pays homage to it. This is his fourth feature film and he puts on a pretty good show. I especially like how the antler scene was executed, though of course it can't beat the original. He also gets good performances out of his actors, especially Jamie King who makes a likeable lead. Icon Malcolm McDowell plays another arrogant authority figure and you'll love watching him relish it.

Though at times a bit over dramatic, the score is really good. At times it's bright and cheerful, at others harsh and adrenaline pumping. One thing one hopes to see in a slasher film is inventive death sequences. Not all of the ones here stand out, but many of them do. This madman is resourceful and not afraid to really mess people up. To keep the film from becoming deadly serious it does provide a few laughs, many thanks to Donal Logue as a sleazy Santa.

In the original film, it's no secret who's doing the killing. This time, Miller and writer Jayson Rothwell have made this a whodunit and a pretty good one. They've always added in some nice homages to both the first film and part 2. There's one involving an old man that feel's forced, but it's still cool they payed tribute to the scene. Lastly, at 90 minutes the film flows at a quick pace and never really gets bogged down.

One of the original's strengths is that it actually has a plot compared to many slasher films. This however is not really the case with this film, which has one thin as tissue paper. And though it is very different from it's predecessor, there's not a lot here we haven't seen in other films. Though never dull, the film does wear out it's welcome, feeling just a few minutes too long. Most disappointing however, is the revelation of who the killer is, but I guess it could have been worse. There are better horror films set at Christmas time, but this one has enough of the goods to be worth a look.

7/10