Silent Night, Deadly Night 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.5

Silent Night, Deadly Night 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Silent Night, Deadly Night is a horror classic slasher with a cult following. Produced by Ira Barmak (Ordinary Heroes, Hotel Colonial), Silent Night, Deadly Night is based on a story by Paul Caimi. Co-executive produced by Scott Schneid (Butterfly Dreaming) and Dennis Whitehead (Silent Night, Deadly Night – 2005). Silent Night, Deadly Night was originally released by Tri-Star Pictures. The original has led to multiple sequels, spin-offs, and a remake. Starring Robert Brian Wilson, Danny Wagner, Lilyan Chauvin, Gilmer McCormick, Toni Nero, Britt Leach, Nancy Borgenicht, H.E.D. Redford, and Linnea Quigley.

Young Billy (Danny Wagner) was the unfortunate witness of his parents brutal murder on Christmas Eve by Santa. Young Billy’s grandpa had warned him that Santa goes after those he puts on the naughty list. Years later, Billy (Robert Brian Wilson) is now 18 and released at last from living in an orphanage.

In the orphanage, Billy was tormented by sadistic nuns with their own unorthodox mission. The older Billy now finds himself taking on the costume of Santa himself. Billy goes on his own rampage against those deemed naughty and even the local city council can’t seem to stop his vengeance.

The supporting cast of characters in Silent Night, Deadly Night includes Mother Superior (Lilyan Chauvin), Sister Margaret (Gilmer McCormick), Pamela (Toni Nero), Mr. Sims (Britt Leach), Mrs. Randall (Nancy Borgenicht), Capt. Richards (H.E.D. Redford), and Denise (Linnea Quigley). The actors have some fun with their respective roles. The ensemble expands on the horror filmmaking and narrative.

The cinematography by Henning Schellerup (The Bermuda Triangle, The Annihilators) is reasonably well done. Schellerup did a solid job with the cinematography. The visual element is old-school fun and has some interesting creative styling.  Fans of traditional shot-on-film visuals will appreciate the style of cinematography and the grittiness it provides to the production.

Edited by Michael Spence (One Dark Night, The Boogens), Silent Night, Deadly Night is well-paced fun. The editing style flows well throughout the film. The extra scenes in the unrated version are also well integrated. Either version should provide an interesting experience.

The production designs by Dian Perryman (The Malibu Bikini Shop, Chain Letter) add a lot to the aesthetic of the filmmaking. Perryman did a solid job with the production designs. The old-school energy and production vibes work wonders for the filmmaking. Any fan of 80s slashers will find something to enjoy about the filmmaking aesthetic.

Composed by Perry Botkin Jr. (Weekend Warriors, Goin' South), Silent Night, Deadly Night is well-done and the music plays a significant role in the film. While not top-tier as far as slasher scores go, this is nonetheless a compelling score for the genre film. A solid effort and one that contributes to the style of the film.

Written by Michael Hickey (Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2), Silent Night, Deadly Night is a decent script. The story is well-done for the most part and the characterizations are solid. The script isn’t perfect and it does have flaws compared to the best slasher scripts. Compared to something like Halloween or A Nightmare on Elm Street, Silent Night, Deadly Night is a less creative script and it sometimes feels a bit uneven and tired – even for the first installment in a long running horror film franchise.

Directed by Charles E. Sellier Jr. (The Annihilators, Snowballing), Silent Night, Deadly Night is a decent and worthwhile slasher. Silent Night, Deadly Night isn’t perfect horror filmmaking but it does have a reasonable sense of style and creativity. Silent Night, Deadly Night is worthwhile even if it is a little bit overrated as far as slasher films are concerned. Silent Night, Deadly Night often feels like late night cable television horror – not like something as iconic as the best horror classics.

Silent Night, Deadly Night 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on 4K UHD by Shout Factory, Silent Night, Deadly Night is presented in HEVC / H.265 in 2160p 4K resolution. The release includes a native 4K resolution scan. The release also includes a selection of HDR options: both HDR10 (standard) and Dolby Vision. Dolby Vision provides an additional layer of metadata while HDR10 is the standard option for most viewers.

The transfer capably showcases the 4K restoration. The 4K scan looks impressive in spades. There is a good sense of detail and depth to the 4K scanning. The 4K restoration is provided on both versions – the original theatrical version and the unrated version (which splices together the unrated footage from the standard definition inserts).

The HDR grade is subtle but well done. The HDR adds some reserved refinement to the 4K presentation. The HDR allows for a wider color presentation between the brightest brights and the darkest darks. For a film with a darker cinematographic aesthetic, the HDR remains quite reserved throughout but retains a faithful appearance to the original theatrical presentation.

Silent Night, Deadly Night 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes an English DTS-HD Master Audio Mono (in 24 bit depth high-resolution). The lossless, high-resolution audio track sounds crisp and clear on the release. The dynamics of the presentation are well preserved. Dialogue is clear and easy to understand. The soundtrack is exceptionally well reproduced. The dynamics make a wonderful impression overall, too. The presentation capably handles the score and the sound effects.

One of the essential elements of physical media is the lossless audio encoding. The lossless audio encoding provides theater quality sound. For home theater enthusiasts and audiophiles alike, it absolutely can make a noteworthy difference. Streaming video services are limited to lossy (non- lossless) audio encoding. For feature film presentations restored and preserved from the original master audio tapes most especially, the audio clarity difference can be significant and is well worth appreciating with physical media.

Silent Night, Deadly Night 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The first print run of the 4K UHD release includes a nicely designed o-card slipcover. The contents of the three discs are spread out across the discs. The set includes both the theatrical version and an unrated version. The unrated version is sourced from the 4K restoration but with standard-defintion footage inserted for the unrated footage scenes.

On disc supplements:

Theatrical Version (4K) –

Audio Commentary With Author Amanda Reyes and The Hysteria Continues Podcast

Theatrical Version –

Audio Commentary With Author Amanda Reyes and The Hysteria Continues Podcast

The Night He Came Home… For Christmas: Creating Silent Night, Deadly Night – Interview With Producer Scott Schneid (HD, 16:47)

In Search of Charles Sellier Jr: Remembering the Director Interview With Editor Michael Spence (HD, 10:32)

Naughty or Nice: 40 Years Of Silent Night, Deadly Night Interview With Producers Scott Schneid And Dennis Whitehead (HD, 11:52)

Unrated Version –

Audio Commentary With Actor Robert Brian Wilson And Co-Executive Producer Scott J. Schneid

Audio Commentary With Writer Michael Hickey, Composer Perry Botkin, Producer Scott J. Schneid, and Unit Director Michael Spence

Slay Bells Ring: The Story of Silent Night, Deadly Night (HD, 45:51)

Christmas In July – Silent Night, Deadly Night Locations (HD, 10:00)

Audio Interview With Director Charles E. Sellier, Jr. (HD, 58:03)

Santa's Stocking Of Outrage (HD, 4:31)

Poster And Still Gallery (HD, 00:58)

Trailers (HD, 2:20)

TV Spots (SD, 1:10)

Radio Spot (HD, 00:36)

Oh Deer! – Interview With Actor Linnea Quigley (HD, 21:50)

Silent Night, Deadly Night 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Silent Night, Deadly Night is considered a Christmas classic with many horror enthusiasts. The slasher is a decent offering in the genre. Silent Night, Deadly Night might feel a bit overrated compared to some other horror classics of the 80s but genre fans will still find something entertaining in the horror film.

Restored with a new 4K presentation, Silent Night, Deadly Night is provided with both the original theatrical version and the unrated version. The release also features restored lossless audio. An impressive release with an absorbing assortment of bonus features, too. Recommended.