Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		1.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.0

Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf December 12, 2018

1984’s “Silent Night, Deadly Night” was intended to be yet another slasher offering in an increasingly competitive marketplace, using the gimmick of a slaughtering Santa to lure the curious in. Instead of taking over the box office, the picture triggered tremendous controversy over its provocative marketing (Santa holding an ax), which resulted in cult longevity, making the feature something taboo for horror fans to embrace. In 1987, producer Lawrence Appelbaum elected to make a no-budget sequel, trying to rework footage from “Silent Night 1” into “Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2,” an editorial assignment that didn’t work. Enter co-writer/director Lee Harry, who managed to form something of a new story to tell in this universe, mixing footage from the earlier picture with a fresh tale of mass murder, hoping to inspire a potential franchise with a little post-production magic.

After his older brother, Billy, is killed during a psychological break where he assumed the role of Santa, setting out to murder anyone he deemed “naughty,” Ricky (Eric Freeman) is ready to follow in his footsteps, residing in a prison hospital. Dr. Bloom (James L. Newman) is sent in to learn more about Ricky’s violent ways, interviewing the inmate about his troubled life and the dark influence of Billy. Happy to play Dr. Bloom’s games, Ricky recounts Billy’s experience in life, with unresolved trauma leading to a massacre, while his own upbringing with an adopted family encounters untreated mental illness, leaving him prone to surges of anger when challenged by those who are “naughty.”

“Silent Night 2” is an extremely problematic picture, especially from a storytelling perspective. Almost the entire first act of the movie is made up of scenes from “Silent Night 1,” with Ricky recounting Billy’s violent eruption, formed by years of traumatic incidents in the care of Mother Superior at an orphanage, which also offered Ricky a home after the brutal murder of their parents. It’s exhausting to watch the sequel basically reheat the original, with brutally long stretches of the effort devoted to screening old news, with Ricky’s commentary hilariously trying to reinforce some type of brotherly connection that wasn’t there in the 1984 feature (keep in mind, there are four men taking a story credit here), also offering thoughts on moments he wasn’t around for, or even Billy for that manner. I know, I know, picking at gaps in logic is a fool’s errand with “Silent Night 2,” which wasn’t made to expand the Evil Santa universe, but merely to squeeze a dry teat tighter, just to see if there are a few more coins for Appelbaum to collect.

It takes an eternity for Ricky to take command of “Silent Night 2,” and once he does, the viewer is treated to a familiar run of punishment, with early scenes suggesting the damaged man is some type of Batman figure, setting out to right wrongs as he pushes an umbrella through an obnoxious loan shark in an alley, or takes on the lowest of the low, talkers at a movie theater, making sure to mangle jerks daring to interrupt a screening of “Silent Night 1.” Along the way, Ricky finds love with Jennifer (Elizabeth Kaitan), handles her bullying ex-boyfriend with electricity, and loses control around specialized triggers, including the sight of nuns, sexual assault, and the color red.

All this pent-up rage leads to the centerpiece sequence of “Silent Night 2,” where Ricky collects a gun and goes on a suburban rampage, shooting everyone he sees, including a poor man simply trying to bring his garbage can to the curb -- the famous “Garbage day!” meme-ery moment that has single-handedly kept “Silent Night 2” in the hearts and minds of cult film enthusiasts to this day. Well, that and Freeman’s overbaked performance, which is alternately delightful and painful to watch.

Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Without proper elements to bring "Silent Night 2" to Blu-ray in full HD glory, Shout Factory utilizes an archival print for the disc, with flashback sequences from "Silent Night 1" taken from the HD master prepared for the 2017 disc. The blending of sources isn't jarring, with the AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation handling the challenge adequately, maintaining the recycled nature of the film. Print inclusion has its own issues, including some wear and tear, detecting scratches and speckling, some mild discoloration, and slightly reduced resolution for a few sequences, including the love scene. Essentials such as detail are satisfactory, but softness is present, diluting facial surfaces and costuming. Locations keeps their distances, and set decoration remains easy to study. Colors are largely comfortable, capturing the coldness of the hospital encounter and brighter Christmas hues, including decent reds, which play a critical part in the story. Some scenes lean pinkish due to age, and skintones lose their natural snap from time to time. Delineation isn't superb, losing some darker clothing. Grain slips into blockiness for brief moments.

Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix is a straightforward assembly of production elements, missing any sort of overt power to sell the unfolding nightmare. Dialogue exchanges are intelligible, delivering a clear read of wacky performances and acts of intimidation. Scoring sustains its piano-based presence, with adequate instrumentation and emphasis. Sound effects are crude but effective, including snappier gun shots and thumpy property damage.

Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary #1 features director/co-writer Lee Harry and actors Eric Freeman and James L. Newman.

• Commentary #2 features Harry, Newman, and co-writer Joseph H. Earle.

• "Slay Bells Ring Again" (74:39, HD) is an extensive making-of for "Silent Night 2," beginning the creative journey all the way back in the 1970s, when director Lee Harry was figuring out how to make homegrown horror movies with his sibling. Such interest carried into editing, and soon inspired a move to Los Angeles, eventually connecting to producer Lawrence Appelbaum, who needed quick help cleaning up some of his problematic releases. In 1986, Harry was handed "Silent Night, Deadly Night" (he calls it a "mean film") to reorder for a sequel, which inspired a screenplay crafted in two days, offered the green light to make a hybrid continuation with the Ricky character. Casting journeys are recounted, with Eric Freeman, James L. Newman, Darrel Guilbeau, and Elizabeth Kaitan joining the documentary, sharing their tales of auditions and awareness of "Silent Night 1," with most of the actors unprepared for what turned out to be a shoot that only lasted seven days. Harry was also overwhelmed with the challenge, sticking close to storyboards and photographs to help organize the production. Anecdotes about the days and nights making "Silent Night 2" are enjoyable, including Applebaum's insistence that he be around for the shooting of a nude scene, and Freeman's choice to work out with weights before shots. Special effects are recounted with makeup department master Christopher Biggs, and stunt work is lovingly detailed, including a mid-movie car flip that almost killed the main performer. Harry discusses the puzzle-like nature of editing the feature, and his surprise over the bigness of Freeman's performance. Tepid response to the theatrical release is shared (Harry really thought he had a surefire hit), and the "Garbage Day" meme revival is tracked, which inspired the "Finding Freeman" movement and enduring cult appreciation.

• "I Don't Sleep" (62:19, HD) returns to Biggs, who walks through his entire career, with early interests in makeup and sculpting turning into a job with Roger Corman in the late 1970s, working on "Galaxy of Terror" and "Battle Beyond the Stars." Various jobs followed, and tales are shared about the making of "Scalps," "Mausoleum," "Ghoulies" (with producers intentionally bouncing paychecks), and his time with New Line Cinema, working on "Critters," "Nightmare on Elm Street 4," and helping in the development of aborted projects such as "Ghost Rider" and "Toxic Crusaders." Biggs also offers some choice anecdotes about the making of "Teen Wolf" (dealing with flammable prosthetics around a chain-smoking Michael J. Fox) and "Goonies," being one of the men responsible for the deleted octopus encounter. Biggs charts his evolution into digital effects and his work with Disney on "Reign of Fire," and he shares tales from his time creating magic for Disneyland, including a 50th anniversary film with Steve Martin and updating the Madame Leota effect for The Haunted Mansion.

• "Garbage Days are Here Again" (19:30, HD) is a return to the California shooting locations for "Silent Night 2," with host Robert Patterson soon joined by Eric Freeman, who shares tales from the making of the movie while traveling down memory lane.

• "Ricky Today" (7:55, HD) is a short film, with Freeman reprising his role as Ricky, who's still stuck in an institution, once again sharing his story with a therapist.

• Trailer for the documentary "Finding Freeman" (1:01, HD) is offered.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (1:57, SD) is included.

Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Harry can't hide the slapdash construction of "Silent Night 2," which tries to tie into the original movie by returning to Mother Superior as an antagonist, but such stretching is tedious, as the real entertainment value is found with Ricky's random acts of do-goodery and lust for murder, giving into the lunacy of the sequel instead of trying to control it in some futile way. "Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2" isn't much of follow-up to the 1984 original. In fact, it's barely a movie, but Harry seems to be after something defined with this hodgepodge of productions, making a plan to give Ricky the reins of the series, keeping Santa on the loose for another installment. What's actually here is a hot mess, but at least there's the occasional bit of enjoyable stupidity, which helps to sit through an often interminable sequel.