A child
named Harry Stadling (Gus Salud) is convinced
that there is a Santa although his brother tells
him there isn't.
This causes Harry to be obsessed about Santa and
tries to prove him wrong.
Years
later Harry (Brandon Maggart) is all grown up and
is working at a toy factory but is still
disturbed about what he saw as a child.
He
decides to make his own Santa suit and spies on
his local neighborhood going on a killing spree
to decide who's naughty or nice.
The nice people get presents (Mostly the
children) but the naughty one's are slaughtered.
A stupid but well done flick at the
same time which reigned as a cult classic.
There's an old fashioned beginning of this flick
showing a Mother and little kids watching a Santa
Claus (Which is their father) coming down the
chimney and putting presents under the tree. Then
fly's up to the chimney which shows magic on the
film in which you wonder how he did that. But
then the heartwarming moment is jeapardised when
one of the kids named Harry spots his Dad as
Santa getting sleazy with his wife and then
breaking a glass dome and cutting himself with
that. Watching this psych's you out wondering why
he'd do this to himself.
Then present day Harry is working at his factory
seeming obsessive about the toys being done right
making it a mystery as to what he will do next
along with spying on neighborhood kids with a
telescope or spying on them sneaking in their
window as well as having a book on bad kids. This
seemed to work well with the twisted storyline
wondering if he will kill these kids on Christmas
Eve or not.
There's one of my favourite scene's with a little
kid hearing something in the bushes and walks
towards it with Harry scaring him bringing in
some interesting humor to the story even if it's
not too funny and incredibly cheesy too.
A work party occurs involving Harry with his
co-workers in which this all looked cheesy and
not entertaining at all but yet Harry acts
aggressive to them bringing out some pointers
making you wonder if he has deadly plans for
them.
There's some heartwarming moments with Harry in
the Santa suit delivering toys to a children's
hospital but a security guard at first getting a
little aggressive towards him asking why he's
there almost making you wonder if he will snap
and go berserk but then good things happen in
which you do think to yourself while watching
this that he's not a bad guy after all. The scene
for all of this was well done.
Then afterwards there's a good twist as Harry
goes to a cathedral and some sarcastic people
seem to taunt him and there's great quick
killings which looked intense while it starts to
snow leaving the film a good dark and low budget
touch to everything and showing Harry's demented
side since in a slasher film it seemed necessary
for this to be written in.
Then we even see Harry trespassing in a house
with kids sleeping in their beds looking like a
magical Christmas story feeling surrounding all
that's happening here but then that changes later
on when he goes to another home as this one was
my favourite scene when he climbs up a roof and
tries to go down a chimney or any way to get into
a house to deliver presents as well as a deadly
surprise to a family man named Dennis in which
all of this had a perfect dark setting
surrounding this. Harry also does something to
suffocate Dennis sleeping in bed which seemed
disturbing and suspenseful to watch along with
wondering if his wife will wake up and see the
terror.
Christmas morning happens and Dennis' bitter
brother Philip isn't in the spirit at all showing
some nice dysfunctional writing in this scene.
There's even a moment with Harry in the middle of
a village and kids excited to see him thinking
he's Santa as well as the parents losing their
minds aware he's a killer as well as threatening
him as this seemed depressing and distrubing to
watch by doing this in front of their children
since Harry is trying to be jolly this time.
THere's good peer pressure here on different
situations with the townspeople. To top it off
they chase after him holding torches which seems
like an old fashioned type of neighborhood
attacking someone demented. It fits though. The
ending involved Harry is incredibly strange
though and don't want to give it away to those
who haven't seen it. It looked kinda cool to
watch.
Bottom line is this film I am convinced inspired
the cult slasher flick Silent Night
Deadly Night as that story is almost
similar but of course it was done in better
style.
It's silly but very dark and disturbing too.
There's good wintery scenes with a nice dark
horror feel to many of the scene's that were used
in the flick when the killer is about to do
someone in. There's also an interesting en ding
to the plot which was very strange and you will
see what I mean if you check this film out.
The acting is very dated and very
average. Brandon
Maggart (Harry Stadling) did a terrific job
impersonating Santa however and really knows how
to behave bitter, disturbed and instense at
times. He certainly showed a perfect two faced
attitude at first being generous to the good
making out that he's eccentric but good hearted
along with showing a perfect psychotic attitude
to the bad one's when he goes in for the kill. He
was quite energetic by doing alot of this showing
some good versatile characteristics.
Jeffrey DeMunn (Philip Stadling) seems to
really pull off his part as the younger brother
who is closed minded about the Christmas spirit.
He certainly came across believeable as someone
who acts like a sourpuss as well as having a good
grouchy behavior too. You can tell that he
studied this role as someone who doesn't really
believe in Christmas at all. He also had the
right rough looks too to portray this character
in which he looks unpleasant to be around.
Dianne Hull (Jackie Stadling) who played his
wife seems to stands out well too for her looks
in a horror film. She comes across well as
someone who is a little more light hearted and
sympathetic.
Joe Jamrog (Dennis Stadling) seems to play
off well as a sarcastic one who works at the toy
factory. He shows off a witty attitude as well as
someone who isn't too serious about stuff in
which he brought his characteristics in well as
someone who could be a victim for the killer. Yet
he seems to have that nice guy appeal too. Plus
had the nice masculine looks to him which also
suited his role well too.
A man's eye is stabbed and then
chopped with a small axe in the head.
A guys throat is cut open by an ornament.
Lewis Jackson's direction
is good with the intense scene's and there's alot
of effective work from him.
He introduces and impressive beginning of the
film with child actors watching their father
dressed up in a Santa suit played by Brian
Hartigan putting presents underneath the tree.
Then suddenly one of the kids performed by Gus
Salud spotting Hartington still dressed as
Santa being lustful with his mother played Ellen
McElduff and Jackson definetely makes it
look good enough for a child to snap.
Brandon
Maggart shows nice insane expressions when
he thinks of the people wanting time off and he
almost loses it while putting toys together in a
factory when the camera pans on him while doing
this. A good camera shot too showing some
effective flashbacks from a previous discussion
almost making you cringe.
There's effective camera shots on him making a
Santa suit.
lThere's a perfect and dark moment
when Maggart is spying on a neighborhood
house peeking in the window and then hiding in
the bushes. Then suddenly child actor Peter
Neuman hearing the rustling in the bushes
and slowly walks towards the bushes acting
cautious and then Maggart scares him
which Jackson made that moment very
memorable.
We spot a bitter coldness on Maggart at
a Christmas party towards some of the supporting
actors like Owen Hollander and Joe
Jamrog as his fellow workers and they react
well to his attitude.
A nice camera shot on him putting on a Santa
beard in a bathroom mirror laughing insanely.
Then it looks so heartwarming when he delivers
presents to the children's hospital as it makes Maggart
look truly caring and not such a madman after
all.
However, the next place he goes to was greatly
directed just as well when he snaps as he is
mocked by two small actors performed by
Michael Klinger and Mark Chamberlain
outside of a church as he shows angry expressions
and they looked believeable at driving him to
snap proving that Jackson can be versatile with
his work by showing both sides to this lead
actor.
Also, the people's reactions to the murder
was believeably intense.
We spot a nice camera shot on Maggart pointing
his finger to some children at a party as he
lectures the cast playing the children about what
he would do if they were bad as his voice sounded
almost cold.
A classic scene was when he climbs up a roof to
the chimney but can't seem to fit in and the
camera shots looked terrific.
Then Jackson makes the moment very dark
and creepy when he goes into a house to drop off
presents and then goes in for the kill showing a
cold look on his face and has great wide eyed
look when he puts his bag on Joe Jamrog's
face in his bed to make him suffer as it's a real
cringing feeling. Small actress Marion Vitale
has a nice shocking look to her face after she
discovers what has happened to him.
Jeffrey DeMunn was great with his dialogue
on the phone with Maggart and does well
at begging him to ask what he will do.
The most disturbing direction of them all was
when Maggart wass in an alley and the locals are
freaking out when they discover who he is when
the children gather around him. Then one
of the parents played by Stephen Mendillo sticks
a knife at him and there's great reactions
between both of them and you think to yourself
"You don't wanna do that"
DeMunn shows great stern attitude towards Maggart
trying to reason with him about his sick
behavior and it looks good when he loses his mind
with him nearly killing him.
The music is a little rusty with
the synthesizer playing. Almost like a toned out
composer trying to make the soundtrack sound
similar to Phantasm but however,
the music in some scenes like when the killer was
climbing the roof sounded neat. There's some good
echoey eerie piano playing as well as screeching
sounds and low tones for the horrific moments
used in the film.
Sally Noland:
It couldn't of have just been a bullet-proof
vest. I hit him in the head at least twice!
Frank McCrae: Look at the marks on your
throat.
Sally Noland: I'm telling you, Frank. His
hands were so big, and they felt like ice... even
through his gloves. He wasn't breathing.
Frank McCrae: Hah... we won't put that in
our report, huh?
Teresa
Mallory(Holding a rifle towards Matt
Cordell holding Jack Forrest in the air):
Put him down Cordell!!!!
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