Category: Reviews

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_3,1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]After working on the American release of 1970’s Mark of the Devil, producer Stephen Minasian focused on horror. He helped Sean Cunningham and Wes Craven with The Last House on the Left and funded Friday the 13th. Minasian met producer Dick Randall soon after and co-produced 1982’s Pieces, which began an eventual partnership. Seeing how popular slashers were, Minasian wanted to make two based on holidays: April Fool’s Day and Christmas. Randall offered Edmund Purdom the lead in the Christmas slasher, which he accepted if he got to direct. Filming started in December 1982, but issues quickly arose due to disagreements between Purdom and Randall. Purdom quit the production, so writer Derek Ford took over, only to be replaced by editor Ray Selfie. After two years of reshoots, recastings, and re-editing, Don’t Open Till Christmas finally hit theaters in December 1984.

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Synopsis

On the dreary streets of London, someone in a green jacket and creepy mask is killing people dressed as Santa. Chief Inspector Ian Harris (Edmund Purdom) and Detective Sergeant Powell (Mark Jones) are hot on the case. They interview Kate Briosky (Belinda Mayne) and her boyfriend, Cliff Boyd (Gerry Sundquist), after witnessing her father’s murder days earlier. During all this, a stranger named Giles (Alan Wake), who claims to be a reporter, asks about the murders. Soon, a stripper named Sherry Graham (Kelly Baker) gets kidnapped by the killer after witnessing him murder another Santa. To make matters worse, Kate learns that Harris is no longer on the case, so she does some investigating. After checking a mental hospital that Harris visited, she discovers that the killer had been committed and is Harris’ brother. But who is the Santa slasher, and will his rampage be stopped?

Review

Due to numerous production problems, Don’t Open Till Christmas is a mess but enjoyable nonetheless. Interestingly, this film came out around the same time as Silent Night, Deadly Night but wasn’t nearly as controversial. If anything, it’s much more graphic and sleazy than Charles Sellier, Jr.’s slasher, with almost the opposite plot. For one, nearly every Santa shown is drunk or perverted, either peeping through windows or going to a peep show. Plus, most violent sequences occur in back alleys, public restrooms, or the London Dungeon, adding a layer of grime. A prime example is when Pat Astley wears a Santa coat and a thong while chased by the killer. Also, the kills are much more mean-spirited here, with Santas set ablaze, stabbed repeatedly, shot point blank, and even castrated. If parents complained about Billy impaling a woman on deer antlers, they’d have a field day with this.

While the performances are decent overall, they’re nothing special besides a few standouts, namely Purdom and Lake. Though he disappears during the middle, Edmund Purdom brings a level of class to the film. Alan Lake also does a great job playing a menacing creep who perfectly plays his insanity in an understated way. He doesn’t constantly mug for the camera or go too over the top but instead plays it quietly and subdued. Belinda Mayne makes for a decent heroine, even if there isn’t much to her character. What’s strange is that you’d think she’d be the final girl, but it ends up being Kelly Baker’s experience girl. As for the rest of the cast, they do their jobs fine enough but don’t expect any Oscar-worthy performances. However, scream queen Caroline Munro does have a cameo as herself, which is always appreciated.

Even without knowing the production history, you can tell that something went wrong with the movie’s structure. Characters are introduced as if they will play a significant role, only to vanish with a one-line explanation. Plus, given Purdom left the production, the other characters have to explain what the lead is doing off-screen. Between the scenes of Santa’s being murdered, most of the runtime consists of dialogue that goes on for too long. Even at 86 minutes, the movie feels padded with filler scenes that could’ve easily been excised. Despite how much of a mess this film is, it’s still enjoyable, mainly for the kills and the sleaze. Also, this movie has such an out-of-nowhere ending that you’ll never see coming, which makes it worth watching. Overall, Don’t Open Till Christmas is less of a long-lost classic and more of an interesting curiosity.

Buy Don’t Open Till Christmas from Amazon: https://amzn.to/49PzhyR.

Disclosure: The above link is an affiliate link, which means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

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Where to watch Don’t Open Till Christmas (1984)

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[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_3,1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]In the early 1980s, producer Scott Schneid received a screenplay by Harvard graduate Paul Caimi about a killer Santa. While he disliked the script, Schneid found the concept intriguing, so he hired Michael Hickey to write a new treatment. Schneid and fellow producer Dennis Whitehead sold the screenplay to Tri-Star Pictures, which recruited Ira Barmak as executive producer. The studio hired Charles E. Sellier Jr. to direct, although Schneid and Whitehead wanted someone fresh and new. With a $750,000 budget, filming lasted from March to April 1983 in Heber City and Midway, Utah. Initially titled Slayride, Tri-Star gave the film a limited release with the plan to go nationwide if it was successful. The producers didn’t expect any controversy since killer Santas had appeared in 1972’s Tales from the Crypt and 1980’s Christmas Evil. Before its release in November 1984, Tri-Star retitled the film Silent Night, Deadly Night.

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Synopsis

When he was only 5, Billy Chapman (Jonathan Best) witnessed a crazed maniac dressed like Santa kill his parents. Three years later, Billy (Danny Wagner) and his younger brother Ricky (Max Broadhead) now live in an orphanage. Despite the pleas of Sister Margaret (Gilmer McCormick), Mother Superior (Lilyan Chauvin) beats Billy into believing that punishment is good. Ten years later, Billy (Robert Brian Wilson) gets a job as a stock boy in a local toy store. Things go smoothly until Christmas when memories of his parent’s murder and the Mother Superior’s abuse still haunt him. To make matters worse, the store owner, Mr. Sims (Britt Leach), has Billy fill in as the store Santa. This act leads to him finally snapping and going on a rampage, killing anyone he deems naughty. Will Sister Margaret be able to stop Billy, or will it be too late to stop his murderous wrath?

Review

It would be a vast understatement to say that Silent Night, Deadly Night upset some people upon its 1984 release. Groups protested in front of the theaters, and child advocacy groups worked to get the film pulled after two weeks. To top it off, critics Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert denounced the movie and tried shaming the filmmakers involved. It’s hard to say if a film like this would generate the same controversy 40 years later, but who knows? Regardless, TriStar is at fault for creating such a sensationalist marketing campaign that, while effective, ultimately was their undoing. I agree with Lilyan Chauvin, who said in a documentary that the distributor should’ve focused on the psychological aspects. Much like Happy Birthday to Me, while the ad campaign has become iconic, it doesn’t represent the film truthfully. Otherwise, parents should have talked with their kids instead of demanding the film’s expulsion.

Controversy aside, this is one of the better slashers to come out of the slasher boom of the early 1980s. There’s much more depth and layers for a movie about a guy dressed as Santa killing people than expected. Like Christmas Evil, this works as a slasher and a character study of an otherwise typical person’s descent into madness. While most slashers briefly explain the killer’s motive, this one spends the first half developing the killer. While you disagree with him killing people, you understand why Billy does what he does and feel sorry for him. Adding to this is Robert Brian Wilson’s performance, where he perfectly goes from friendly and charming to sinister and chilling. Every performance is strong, particularly Lilyan Chauvin as the ruthless Mother Superior and Gilmer McCormick as the sympathetic Sister Margaret. Another highlight is Will Hare, who spectacularly milks his one scene.

Like any good slasher, the kills are well done and brutal, utilizing Christmas iconography in twisted ways. Whether it’s hanging someone with Christmas lights or impaling a girl on deer antlers, the kill scenes are memorable. But for all that works, the film has its share of flaws, namely some flat direction and slow pacing. Several scenes involving people either driving, walking around, or staring go on way longer than needed. One particular scene involving a cop exploring an underground boiler room goes on for way too long. Also, you can tell that Sellier didn’t think too highly of the film since the direction is mostly flat. Even so, taking the controversy out of it, this is one of the best slasher films the ’80s offers. Overall, Silent Night, Deadly Night is a smartly written, well-acted horror film that deserves more credit than it gets.

Buy Silent Night, Deadly Night from Amazon: https://amzn.to/4frkbki.

Disclosure: The above link is an affiliate link, which means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

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[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_3,1_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]In the 1970s, a popular urban legend called “The Babysitter and the Man Upstairs” gained widespread attention. Inspired by this and a series of murders in Montreal in 1943, Roy Moore penned a screenplay called Stop Me. The script caught the attention of Vision IV, who attached director Bob Clark to helm the project. While Clark liked the script, he wanted to make some alterations, namely toning down the violence and adding humor. They cast Olivia Hussey from Romeo and Juliet, Keir Dullea from 2001: A Space Odyssey, and Margot Kidder from Sisters. Aside from John Saxon, the other actors were relatively unknown Canadian actors who only had a few small parts. Filming ran from March to May 1974 in Toronto and Ontario with a budget of $686,000. While released stateside as Silent Night, Evil Night in 1975, the film hit Canadian screens in 1974 as Black Christmas.

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Synopsis

During a Christmas party at the Pi Kappa Sigma sorority house, a stranger sneaks in and hides in the attic. At the party, the girls get an obscene phone call from someone they call “The Moaner.” Upset by the call, Clare (Lynn Griffin) goes upstairs to pack, only to fall victim to the stranger. Clare’s father (James Edmond) asks the sorority sisters for help when she fails to meet him the next day. Jess (Olivia Hussey), Barb (Margot Kidder), and Phyl (Andrea Martin) try filing a police report but aren’t taken seriously. After some convincing, Lieutenant Fuller (John Saxon) starts investigating her disappearance, unaware that her body is in the attic. Fuller decides to tap the phone so he can find the source of the obscene calls and, potentially, the killer. As the body count rises, Jess discovers something horrific: the calls are coming from inside the house!

Review

While Halloween may have popularized the slasher film, Black Christmas arguably laid the groundwork that future slashers followed. There’s the isolated yet relatable location, the shots from the killer’s perspective, and the mysterious phone calls. Though the film might seem cliche to modern audiences, it’s important to remember this movie established the cliches. While later slashers prioritized high body counts and overly gory deaths, this one aimed for psychological scares and foreboding dread. The film also benefits from humorous moments that add levity without destroying the overall tone. From a foul-mouthed Santa to the housemother finding her hidden booze, these scenes help balance the scares. The film is also progressive in portraying college students as real young people instead of an adult’s idea of them. Instead of stereotypically bubbly bimbos, the sorority sisters feel like real people with real issues that audiences can relate to.

Olivia Hussey does an excellent job as Jess Bradford, playing her as the voice of reason while also showing vulnerability. Margot Kidder steals the show as the alcoholic floozy Barbara, whose drunken antics and vulgar tone make her endearing. Though mainly known for comedy, Andrea Martin shows she can deliver a tremendous dramatic performance as Phyllis. As always, John Saxon is excellent as the police lieutenant, while Douglas McGrath is fun as the gullible Sergeant Nash. Despite being an obvious red herring, Keir Dullea is also quite good as Jess’ emotionally unstable boyfriend, Peter. Though unintentional, the film is weirdly progressive in its portrayal of women having agency and casual misogyny. For instance, there’s a subplot about Jess wanting an abortion despite Peter having reservations and suggesting they get married. Even by today’s standards, how the film tackles these issues is nothing short of groundbreaking.

While many elements were repeated in future slashers, a unique component—the killer’s being a mystery — hasn’t been replicated. Slashers like Halloween, Friday the 13th, and A Nightmare on Elm Street made icons of their killers with detailed backstories. Aside from some vague clues, we never conclusively learn who the killer is or their motivation. Some may complain about the lack of closure, but this element of mystery makes the film much more terrifying. Adding to this feeling of terror is the cinematography by Reginald Morris and the haunting score by Carl Zittrer. The movie is a slow burn, but at slightly over 90 minutes, it doesn’t overstay its welcome. Even 50 years after its release, this film has an eerie presence that permeates throughout and leaves you feeling unnerved. Overall, Black Christmas is a true horror cult classic that holds up decades later.

Buy Black Christmas from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3OUddcJ.

Disclosure: The above link is an affiliate link, which means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

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