It's a cold and foggy December night, so I decided to give this oldie a viewing. Directed by Theodore Gershuny and starring his then-wife Mary Woronov, it focuses on a series of murders occurring in a New England town on Christmas Eve after a man inherits a family estate that was once an insane asylum. John Carradine and Patrick O'Neal co-star. It's moody, ominous, and genuinely suspenseful; there are even moments that seem to be the basis for elements of "Black Christmas", which was released two years later. It also has the unique distinction of being the only Christmas horror film to feature both an incest subplot and an array of Warhol superstars appearing in a disturbing sepia-toned flashback sequence.
Gasp
| by Anonymous | reply 1 | December 9, 2023 7:13 AM |
This pretty much sums it up:
Despite a few creepy flourishes and the presence of horror-cinema icon John Carradine in a minor role, Silent Night, Bloody Night is more like a lump of coal than a brightly wrapped Christmas present. Not to be confused with the slasher flick Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984), which sparked controversy by featuring a murderer in a Santa Claus costume, Silent Night, Bloody Night is a discombobulated piece about tragedies occurring in a Massachusetts home that once served as an insane asylum. (The title refers to a Christmas Eve murder spree.) Clearly cobbled together during editing from scattershot footage, the picture uses the weak framing device of Diane Adams (Mary Woronov) moping around the central location while delivering somber voiceover about past events, thus triggering extensive flashbacks.
| by Anonymous | reply 2 | December 9, 2023 7:50 AM |