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This little slice of hell was picketed when released because the psycho killer is dressed as Santa Claus. That ain't the half of it- I have never seen a film with such a devout hatred of children.
The first twenty minutes of this are nauseating as a child is scared after unwisely being left alone with his "catatonic" grandfather (Will Hare). The child sees his parents killed, including his mother (Tara Buckman) getting her top ripped off and her throat slit. His father (Geoff Hansen) gets shot in the head a couple of times. The boy, Billy, and his baby brother, Ricky, go to an orphanage where beatings and tied-to-the-bed torture commence. Billy (Robert Brian Wilson) grows up, leaves the orphanage, finds himself playing Santa at a toy store, has a flashback, and begins killing everyone.
Of the four female characters killed in the film, three of them are topless when their deaths occur. The children at the orphanage witness not one but two men dressed as Santa Claus shot to death in front of them. When Billy, the main killer, is offed, Ricky goes a little nuts, guaranteeing a sequel.
Back in 1984, I remember thinking it was no big deal that the killer dressed like Santa when this came out, but then I watched it. I would not let my kids within a hundred feet of the television while I reviewed this. Despite an iconic movie poster, the film itself is disgusting, without the slightest scare or original idea. Go watch "Black Christmas" instead. Followed by sequels and a remake.
Stats:
(1984) 79 min. (1/10)
-Directed by Charles E. Sellier, Jr.
-Written by William Hickey based on a story by Paul Caimi
-Cast: Lilyan Chauvin, Gilmer McCormick, Linnea Quigley, Toni Nero, Robert Brian Wilson, Britt Leach, Will Hare, Tara Buckman, Geoff Hansen, Charles Dierkop, Nancy Borgenicht, H.E.D. Redford, Leo Geter
(R)
Media Viewed: VHS
