SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT
**
Directed by Mike P.Nelson.
Starring Rohan Campbell, Ruby Modine, Mark Acheson.
Horror, US, 91 Minutes, Certificate 18.
Released in Cinemas in the UK by Studio Canal on 12th December
Killer Santa’s are nothing new to the genre but it is worth remembering the fuss that was caused, particularly in the US, when the original SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT was released. The sight of an axe-wielding Father Christmas who was also handy with a bow and arrow and strong and deranged enough to impale a naked woman on a set of deer antlers was more than enough for concerned parents to head out in the dead of winter to picket the nearest cinema that dared to show such a depraved take on a beloved figure. In these more enlightened times such a premise is old hat, so for this second remake, following on from the near forgotten 2012 version, a new twist is sorely needed to keep this particular franchise going and relevant.
Director and writer Mike P. Nelson’s attempt transforms Billy, the murderous Santa cosplayer of the original, into a more sympathetic figure here by making him a supernaturally tinged vigilante. The early beats here recall the original with a flashback to Billy as a child witnessing the death of his parents at the hands of a shotgun wielding figure in a red coat and false white beard. Unlike the original, which took time to fill out its main characters psychosis through his formative years in that care free 80’s exploitation style, we jump right into the present day, 20th December to be exact, where this films iteration of Billy, played by Rohan Campbell, goes on a nationwide spree, marking his kills in an advent calendar styled journal. Guided by a disembodied voice that tells him who to murder, Billy finds himself in the small town of Hackett, where he is soon smitten by gift shop employee Pamela, played by Ruby Modine. Gradually tempted to pursue a normal life, Billy soon finds that donning the red suit and trusty axe in this particular town may have more complications and ramifications for himself and those around him.
By forgoing the basic stalk and slash elements that saw the original franchise stretch itself out to five installments, Mike P. Nelson could perhaps be accused of being a tad over ambitious here. The serial killer TV series DEXTER is immediately evoked with the presence of a disembodied figure guiding our homicidal protagonist. That is not to say that it could not be employed here but the way in which it is done here robs the film of any ambiguity whatsoever that could have made this a more interesting film. Also disappointing is Nelson’s direction which is competent for the most part, but in the scenes that should really matter, including a festive Neo-Nazi party cum massacre, the action is slapdash, poorly edited and lacks any real humorous punch, rendering the film uninvolving and unmemorable.
After trying to take on Michael Myers in the severely flawed HALLOWEEN KILLS and his funny performance in THE MONKEY, where he was near unrecognisable, Rohan Campbell does well here as a murderous anti-hero, even delivering reams of exposition that over explains his own backstory as well as the films own mysteries. Fans of the original films may be pleased by the nods to the originals, including certain musical stings and death scenes, but in the end this still feels like a missed opportunity to do something more interesting and memorable with such a basic premise. Maybe now after all these years and all these films, the limits of what exactly can be done with a bloodthirsty Santa have been reached and it is time to pass the axe onto the Easter Bunny for our next seasonal slasher villain
Iain MacLeod