Rating summary

Movie		1.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

Silent Night, Deadly Night Blu-ray Movie Review

There’s a slasher film for every star in the sky, and every now and then, one of these productions manages to upset a lot of people. 1984’s “Silent Night, Deadly Night” was intended to become another holiday horror staple, joining the ranks of “Halloween” and “My Bloody Valentine” as a perennial moneymaker. Instead, the Christmas-themed endeavor from director Charles E. Sellier, Jr. was immediately condemned by parents and family organizations, objecting the use of a maniacal, murderous Santa Claus in marketing materials, moving on to destroy the movie itself as protests were assembled during the feature’s theatrical run. Even Siskel and Ebert went to town on “Silent Night, Deadly Night,” decrying its sleazy content and ill-advised use of an ax-clutching Santa on the poster. The picture didn’t have much luck during its initial release, but like everything that’s branded taboo and hated by parents, it managed to find a second life on home video, giving horror fans a chance to spy what’s actually a fairly clumsy, amateurish, tonal disaster that strives to be cheeky fun, but offers more than enough repellent content to fully stifle whatever yuletide joy ride the producers were intending to make.

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

My colleague Martin Liebman reviewed the 2014 Anchor Bay release of "Silent Night, Deadly Night," and he was not pleased with the results, smacking the video presentation with a one-star review. Coming to the rescue is Shout Factory, who present the slasher picture with an AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation, sourced from a recent 4K scan of the original camera negative. The results are revelatory for "Silent Night, Deadly Night" fans, who are finally gifted a viewing experience that's appealingly sharp (aside from inherent focus issues), picking up on all kinds of detail, including gore zone visits and costuming, which retains fuzzier textures on Santa's outfit. Toy store antics are loaded with pauseable moments to scope out the shelves, and facial particulars are crisp, capturing pained close-ups. Colors are respectfully refreshed, handling holiday hues with care, allowing for bright reds and greens to go along with period browns and pinks. Billy's Santa gear pops accordingly, as does bloodshed. Skintones are natural. Evening lighting adds welcome mood without bloom. Delineation is communicative, never solidifying. Grain is fine and filmic. Source has some speckle storms and single-frame gouges, but they're not distracting. If you still own the Anchor Bay release, feel free to discard it. Your replacement has arrived.

The Unrated Version features the 4K scan of "Silent Night, Deadly Night" with additional footage pulled from what appears to be a VHS tape, with Shout Factory doing what they can to match the footage (the last two screenshots show the difference in quality). It's an impossible task, but the dips in quality aren't too disruptive, though the extra beats offered, outside of gore shots, fail to add much to the movie. Shout includes a note that a quest to find the Extended Version in the Sony vaults was unfortunately fruitless.

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

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix doesn't deal with nuances in sound design, but the blunt force of "Silent Night, Deadly Night" is felt throughout. Dialogue exchanges are clear and true, handling thespian differences without disruption, along with escalations in panic once the murder spree begins. Shrieks and screams aren't hard on the ears. Scoring carries a synth-heavy presence, delivering throb and stings when necessary, comfortably positioned and balanced with the rest of the elements. Soundtrack selections offer pleasingly warm instrumentation. Sound effects are active, contributing to the intensity of select scenes.

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

Theatrical Version:

• T.V. Spots (1:28, SD) are offered.

• Radio Spot (:36) is presented.

• And a VHS Trailer (:30, SD) and a Theatrical Trailer (1:34, HD) are included.

• Commentary #1 features actor Robert Brian Wilson and and producer Scott Schneid.

• Commentary #2 features screenwriter Michael Hickey, composer Perry Botkin, Schneid, and editor Michael Spence.

• "Slay Bells Ringing" (45:51, HD) is a 2017 making-of for "Silent Night, Deadly Night," bringing together Hickey, producers Schneid and Dennis Whitehead, Spence, Botkin, and Wilson. The featurette tracks the project's progression from a one-line idea to a full- fledged screenplay, and one Hickey mentions is inspired by Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining," also reminding viewers that the film is meant to be funny (close-ups of crying babies tends to negate that argument). Schneid and Whitehead also share an interesting story about producer Ira Barmak and his intent to buy the project for himself, cutting the men out of any sweet deals. Interestingly, TriStar Pictures fully intended this project to be their defining slasher offering, hoping to make an icon out of Billy, and Wilson has plenty of anecdotes about the shoot, detailing his love of stunts and the temperaments of co-stars. Technical achievements are noted, and the effort's controversial release is recounted, with the interviewees grateful for the negative attention, giving "Silent Night, Deadly Night" a long life on home video. Nobody seems especially proud of the movie, but they are clear in their gratitude to the fans that can't get enough of the killer Santa stuff.

• "Oh, Deer" (21:50, SD) is an undated discussion of "Silent Night, Deadly Night" with its most famous star, Linnea Quigley, which is captured on extremely low-res equipment, adding to the mystery year of the chat. Quigley is open and excited to talk about the moviemaking experience, charting her progression from early casting aspirations to working with a few of Hollywood's lecherous stars. The actress covers the adjustment period of the night shoot and her surprise with the Utah location, which offered natural beauty. Quigley recalls time with her co-stars, and details her experience with antler impalement, highlighting the effort and time required to pull off the illusion. She closes with thoughts on the film's controversy, her participation in the sequel (which used footage from the original production), and the lasting legacy of "Silent Night, Deadly Night."

• "Christmas in July" (10:00, HD) is look at the "Silent Night, Deadly Night" locations that remain in July, 2017, visiting the urban activity and rural expanse of Heber City, Utah.

• Audio Interview (58:11) features director Charles E. Sellier, Jr.

• "Santa's Stocking of Outrage" (4:31) assembles quotes from parents (and actor Mickey Rooney) who share their disgust about the use of a murderous Santa for "Silent Night, Deadly Night." Considering all the evidence available concerning TriStar's moronic marketing of the movie, these upset guardians aren't exactly wrong.

• Poster and Still Gallery (:58) collects one-sheets and VHS cover art.

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

"Silent Night, Deadly Night" has its fans, and I'm impressed that there are a few out there who can sit through the endeavor more than once. My hat's off to you all. Unfortunately, the fright factor of the effort is minimal, and its sense of humor is never developed in full, with the picture caught between the obvious camp of a homicidal Santa and some rather severe content involving child endangerment, making the feature feel icky instead of amusing. However, cult appeal remains, along with string of sequels and a remake, keeping the "Silent Night, Deadly Night" franchise alive. Thankfully, the faithful are rewarded with an excellent Blu-ray package and a proper presentation of the movie, delivering a true HD viewing event for those who choose to spend their holiday season with Billy and his easily avoidable holiday issues.