Silent Night, Deadly Night main backdrop
Silent Night, Deadly Night main poster

Silent Night, Deadly Night

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5.9/10 • 382

1984-11-091h 19m

ThrillerHorror

He knows when you've been naughty.

Billy Chapman, who was traumatized by his parents' Christmas Eve murder, then brutalized by sadistic orphanage nuns, grows up to dress as jolly St. Nick for a yuletide rampage to punish the naughty.

Directors
Charles E. Sellier Jr.
Writters
Michael Hickey
Editors
Michael Spence

Top Billed Cast

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  1. Robert Brian Wilson

    Robert Brian Wilson

    Billy at 18

  2. Lilyan Chauvin

    Lilyan Chauvin

    Mother Superior

  3. Gilmer McCormick

    Gilmer McCormick

    Sister Margaret

  4. Charles Dierkop

    Charles Dierkop

    Killer Santa

  5. Toni Nero

    Toni Nero

    Pamela

  6. Randy Stumpf

    Randy Stumpf

    Andy

  7. Linnea Quigley

    Linnea Quigley

    Denise

  8. Britt Leach

    Britt Leach

    Mr. Sims

  9. Leo Geter

    Leo Geter

    Tommy

Reviews2

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John Chard Avatar

John Chard

Apr 13, 2015

6.5/10

The Original Bad Santa. A cult horror classic, Silent Night, Deadly Night is something of a treat for the old school horror faithful. Plot has a young boy witness the slaying of his parents by a man dressed as Santa Claus. He grows up in an orphanage run by an over zealous Mother Superior, moves out when manhood beckons and gets a job in a department store. Come Christmas time he is coerced into being the store Santa and promptly cracks up, grabbing an axe and wreaking slasher hell on everyone who gets in his way. That's pretty much it, the stalk and slash formula in all its bloody glory. It's done very well here, with invention, genuine shocks and it's all boosted by having the mad Santa as an angelic faced beefcake (Robert Brian Wilson). Of course any new-age horror film fan coming to it for the first time now will struggle to see what the appeal is? So listen to the staccato music, feel the nastiness - the humbug of it all, observe that the film makers don't use filler or padding - they get in for some short sharp shock, and it's deliberately icky to garner a reaction. Masterpiece of horror cinema? No of course not, the acting is sub-standard, the ending rushed, but in the same year as Wes Craven unleashed one of cinema's ultimate bogeymen upon us, Charles E. Sellier Jr. and his writers offered us a reason to actually hope Santa Claus doesn't exist. 6.5/10

Media

  • Silent Night, Deadly Night poster
  • Silent Night, Deadly Night poster
  • Silent Night, Deadly Night poster
  • Silent Night, Deadly Night poster
  • Silent Night, Deadly Night poster
  • Silent Night, Deadly Night poster
  • Silent Night, Deadly Night poster
  • Silent Night, Deadly Night poster
  • Silent Night, Deadly Night poster

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Status
Released
Original Language
English
Budget
$1,065,000.00
Revenue
$2,491,460.00
Keywords
holidaysanta clausgoremurderdecapitationserial killerorphankiller santa clauschristmasperson snappingsantasanty