Customer Reviews

Silent Night, Bloody Night

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I saw this back in 82 when WOR out of New York use to have their 'Fright Night' movies on Saturday nights at 12:00 midnight. I've always loved this movie and still think it's scary to this day. The phone calls and sepia toned flasback scene are especially creepy. This will probably sound totally stupid to most people but I like the way this looks on the DVD release. Yes the picture quality is murky and sometimes its hard to see whats going on in a few of the scenes but that's the way these movies looked back when I use to catch them on those late night fright shows and I kinda like remebering them that way.

On the one hand, Silent Night, Bloody Night is a superb slice (pardon the pun) of seventies' slasher fare. Definitely a cut (there I go punning again) above the rest. While the storyline is hardly original, it unfolds in a very unique manner and the film just oozes creepiness, with several good jolts along the way. On the other hand, this DVD release from Diamond Entertainment has to be one of the ugliest transfers I've ever seen. The film print is riddled with scratches and some scenes are so dark that you can barely see the action. However, if it's any consolation, the old VHS version on the Paragon label wasn't much better and since the film is highly recommended for any slasher fan, you'll just have to be content with this sub-par release until a reputable company such as Anchor Bay or Elite give it the proper remastering treatment it so rightfully deserves. I only gave it 3 stars because of the poor print quality. Otherwise, this baby would easily make the 5-star grade.

I purchased Silent Night Bloody Night as part of a Horror Classics set at Best Buy, and I've got to admit, I was pleasantly surprised. Not that it was a perfect movie, but one of the better "b" movies that I've seen. Maybe not quite as good as movies like Black Christmas, Terror Train, etc., but not bad.

First, the bad things. The movie honestly is pretty slow moving, mediocre acting (but no worse than most other "b" movies), and lousy picture & sound quality. Also, the ending to the movie wasn't overly dramatic (but it was acceptable), but I won't spoil it for those who haven't seen the movie.

But, despite these few criticisms, the movie was well directed, and the creator of the movie definitely knows what "horror" is. Creepy score, suspenseful in that the killer's identity is hadden until the end of the movie and you don't get to see too much of the killer too soon in the movie, and a couple of graphic scenes in the film that got my attention. Just enough gore to be effective, but not over the top.

If you don't like slow moving, low budget movies, then you probably won't like Silent Night Bloody Night, but for most of you, I think it's definitely worth watching at least once.

Now, I fully agree this DVD niether looks nor sounds too good for a DVD, but I do still have a copy of the long out-of-print Paragon video, and belive it or not, even with it's flaws this disk is visually a substantial improvment. The audio is better on my tape, but the contrast of the is much higher and the dark scenes are much darker on the cassette. Sure I'd like to see a better copy, but this is better than what I had and for seven bucks your not out much if it's not up to your standards.

Don't confuse this movie with the killer-santa "Silent Night Deadly Night" junk, this one stands alone. Obviosly I like the film or I wouldn't have bought it a second time and if your a fan of "smaller" horror films like Deranged and Lets Scare Jessica To Death you might like it too.

SILENT NIGHT BLOODY NIGHT concerns an old house that used to be a mental institution. In 1935 (on christmas eve), the "inmates" were released to murder their tormenting captors. In 1973, someone is killing people again, someone connected to the house and it's evil history. Why are certain victims being selected? What is their connection to that awful day in '35? John Carradine is one of those stalked by the insane killer. A surprising amount of gore will thrill gorehounds. No nudity or profanity. A nice twist near the end. Better than fruitcake for christmas...

if you're looking for awesome dvd transfer and wicked special effects, go rent the matrix; but don't give a movie a poor rating just because it doesn't look like it was filmed last week. this movie features some extremely gut wrenching violence, particularly the axe scene, and the twists and turns in the plot are highly original. this is one of those movies where a slightly convuluted plot (and it is, i admit it) actually serves to heighten the movies creepiness and atmosphere, which "silent night, bloody night" has plenty of. now, there are some moments when this movie dissapoints, namely the narrative which makes up the first ten minutes. however, the axe scenes, the part where the mute has his hands cut off so he can't "call for help", and the suggestion of a town founded by escaped lunatics more than makes up for these problems. acting wise, i've seen far, far worse, and the soundtrack is very atmospheric. rent this movie, but be warned- this does not look like a dvd. this, as already stated, should have no effect upon ones view of the movie itself, and if it does? well, go rent titanic instead.

"Silent Night, Bloody Night" is a low-budget, poorly edited but compulsively watchable 70s horror flick concerning the escape of a maniac from a mental institution, with an ax (figuratively and literally) to grind with the citizens of a small community that has more dirty little secrets than Peyton Place. An abandoned mansion sits, menacingly in the dark of night, luring some of the town's most prominent members via whispering, creepy phone calls. But who is it? And why? The sheriff's daughter, Diane (Mary Woronov) meets the grandson of the home's original owner, Jeffrey Butler (James Patterson), and the two set out to investigate what is going on. It turns out that both of them are closer to the mystery than they would care to be - with many frightening turns and revelations that I wouldn't think of giving away. One thing about the film that is irritating (besides the choppy editing), is that the top-billed performer, Patrick O'Neal, has a brief bit early on as a real estate agent who, along with his attractive girlfriend (Astrid Hereen) is brutally butchered in the Victorian style bedroom of the ancestral home. Why wouldn't Patterson and Woronov be first in the credits, since their roles are far more prominent? John Carradine gives a very effective performance as the town mute who also has a past entangled with Jeffrey's grandfather, Wilfred Butler.

The shoestring budget can be frustrating at times, particularly during the flashback sequences, and the late night darkness makes viewing more difficult, but it also adds to the atmospheric quality of the production.

And if you know what's good for you, watch when you're not alone - or every noise you hear will make you think that you are the murderer's next target!

SILENT NIGHT, BLOODY NIGHT is one of the earliest of the "slasher" flicks. It inspired such movies as BLACK CHRISTMAS and to a lesser extent, SCREAM. There are a lot of things in this movie that have become staples of slasher films, such as the maniac calling the victims on the phone, and keeping the viewers guessing as to the identity of the killer.

The plot for this movie is a good, albeit simple one. The killer calls the eventual victims and lures them to a house where they meet their eventual demise. However, there are a lot of sub plots (rivaling the nighttime soaps Dallas and Dynasty!) that I found a little difficult to keep up with. Like EVIL DEAD, almost the entire movie takes place in a single night (with the exception of flashbacks, obviously). But unlike EVIL DEAD, there isn't really enough action to sustain it.

The cast is pretty well stocked, with early scream queen Mary Woronov, Patrick O'Neal and John Carradine (who was pretty much wasted in his role). The acting is sufficient to above average, but don't look for anything outstanding here. And although the writing suffers a little in my opinion, there is a lot of well-written dialogue in this film.

The base plot is as follows: Wilfred Butler dies, and leaves his house, grounds and all the belongings (which was used as an insane asylum for a few years) to his only surviving relative (isn't it always that way?), Jeff Butler. The only condition is that he has to keep the house in the same state that it was when he owned it. Jeff adheres to his grandfather's wishes for twenty years, but finally decides to sell it. PLOT POINT: The news travels to a local insane asylum, where we see an escape, but we don't know who it is that escapes. I don't think the writers did, either.

Shortly afterwards, Jeff's lawyer and his mistress arrive to sell the house, and decide to stay in the house overnight. Big mistake. They're the first victims in this new round of killings. Their murders are both violent and bloody. The rest of the film shows the killer luring the victims to the house over the phone. The killer goes by the name Mary Ann, who happens to be Jeff's mother, who as far as he knows died in childbirth. And his father turns out to be none other than his grandfather! The ending itself could have been written a lot better, but the person who turns out to be the killer is a bit of a surprise. But alas, that too turned into a letdown.

The biggest problem with this film is the lighting, or lack thereof. Almost the entire movie is filmed at night, and there seems to be little, if any lighting. There's a scene in the local newspaper office (run by Carradine) where the entire shot seems to be lighted by the single lightbulb hanging from the ceiling! Even the flashlights aren't powerful on this movie (the scene from BLAIR WITCH PROJECT with Heather holding the flashlight to her face is reminiscent of this).

Overall, it's watchable. But the poor lighting, confusing sub-plots and the bad ending pulls it down from a 5 to a 4.

While not a high budget production it still manages to deliver some chills to the viewer. Just get out the popcorn and a soda and set down on a stormy night and enoy an old fashioned thriller.

This movie does not get the credit it deserves for being more of a pioneer in the genre than "Black Christmas" or "Halloween". It's not perfect, but it's a moody, depressing, atmospheric film that was filmed in 1972 when cinema sleaze seemed to be at its peak with great trash like "Pink Flamingos" and "Last House on the Left" hitting midnight theaters and drive-ins.

The story revolves around the sale of a gothic old house by the original owner's mysterious grandson. It's a house of secrets that the citizens of an old New England town would like to see destroyed forever. But what secrets of their own are these people hiding and who would like to see them die?

I only knew Mary Woronov as the bitchy prison matron who sprayed down "Charlie's Angels" for lice and bugs in 1976, and her performance here as the so-called "final girl" isn't as fun or campy. She also seems much younger and softer here.

Still, a lengthy, creepy flashback sequence that looks like old pre-WWII European stock footage (featuring Candy Darling and other Warhol "superstars"), an intriguing storyline, and some shocking gore for its time outweigh a few uninspired performances and some slow spots in the script.

The print looks ragged and worn, but the DVD market is oversaturated with public domain releases of this film and a restored version is highly unlikely.

If you enjoy early '70s twisted thrillers such as "Blood and Lace", "Private Parts" or "Don't Look in the Basement" this one will be right up your alley.