Smell the Movies
Smell the TV
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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| Year: | 1984 |
| Country of origin: | USA |
| Director: | Charles E. Sellier Jr. |
| Genre: | Slasher Santa |
| Starring: | Lilyan Chauvin, Gilmer McCormick, Robert Brian Wilson |
| Rating: | 4/5 |
| IMDB link: | http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088117/ |
| Tagline: | You've made it through Halloween, now try and survive Christmas |
| Favourite line: | "Merry fucking Christmas" |
Yet more 80's slasher fodder, the twist this time being that the killer is dressed as Santa! Sound ridiculous?
Well, I thought so too, but it's actually surprisingly effective.
A young boy witnesses his parents being slaughtered when a robbery goes wrong, and the robber is wearing a Santa disguise. The boy winds up in an orphanage run by a tyrannical Mother Superior, who continually punishes him for being 'naughty'. Unfortunately, these two traumatic elements of his young life become fused together when, ten years on, he is asked to fill in on Christmas Eve for the toy store Santa, as the usual guy has broken his ankle. As the kids squirm on his lap, he threatens them that Santa will punish them if they aren't good and, once the store closes, things go from bad to worse when he witnesses one store employee attempting to rape another.
Tipped over the edge, he begins a killing spree, starting with the store workers, before moving to the town beyond.
It's all very silly, of course, but it's very well directed, cranking up the tension efficiently.
The death scenes are suitably gory, though it's interesting that most of his victims are bare breasted!
To add to the hilarity, the Santa killer ominously intones "Punish!" each time he takes the killer swipe or slice.
Flawed, certainly, but this is a superior bit of slice 'n' dice fun.
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