Film Review: SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT 4: INITIATION (1990)

One year after the previous sequel debuted straight to DVD horror director Brian Yuzna (Bride of Re-Animator, Return of the Living Dead 3) was brought on board to develop a different story in which to brand the Silent Night, Deadly Night franchise. Yuzna developed the story (with screenplay written by Woody Keith) and directed this in name only sequel Part 4: Initiation, which is more a witchcraft story than a serial killer Santa Clause film.

The film concerns a young reporter Kim (Neith Hunter) who is frustrated with not being taken seriously at her paper and thus wants to investigate the death of an unknown woman who jumped off a building while also experiencing a strange case of spontaneous human combustion. This leads her investigation to a book seller in the same building that the woman jumped from Fima (Maud Adams) and her group of very liberated women. Fima and her group take Kim into their fold and while Kim thinks she is investigating the death the group is putting Kim through a secret initiation process that forces her to confront her inner fears and demons by making them a physical manifestation. All this is done in order to liberate Kim and make her one of the groups newest members after the tragic accident of their previous member.

The story is very interesting in terms of the story taking a very feminist view on a woman’s place in a world filled with men. Yuzna as always crafts some very interesting visuals as Kim’s inner fears are given physical manifestation in the form of world-like creatures and giant cockroaches. What the film suffers from (like many of Yuzna’s films) is bad performances especially from Hunter who comes off as the angriest woman ever. She is so over the top that even the presence of Adams can’t save the overall film.

The theme of Christmas is very loosely displayed in this film and that’s probably because the film was not meant to be a direct sequel to the franchise. The film could have easily been a standalone film but potential profits with the “Silent Night, Deadly Night” brand name probably dictated the change. Regardless, despite the films many flaws this is the best sequel in the franchise simply because it isn’t a standard slasher film but an exercise in mental and psychological fear.

 

Film Review: SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT 3: BETTER WATCH OUT (1989)

The ‘80s were filled with straight to video sequels of horror films of which the Silent Night, Deadly Night franchise produced its fair share. This second sequel Part 3 Better Watch Out! Was the final story featuring the original “Santa Claus Killer” Ricky Caldwell (this time played by Bill Moseley) who has been kept alive through scientific experimentation. This Dr. Newbury (Richard Beymer) is using Caldwell and experimenting with ESP but doesn’t realize that Caldwell has created a psychic link with a blind woman Laura Anderson (Samantha Scully) who is celebrating the holidays with her brother and girlfriend. Caldwell escapes from Dr. Newbury and people get killed and that’s pretty much it for this film.

The ‘80s were notorious for slasher films that simply presented a killer that killed people for very little reason and that sums up the plot for this film. Written by Carlos Laszlo and directed by Monte Hellman, who directed the drive-in cult classic Two-Lane Backdrop, this film is a by the numbers slasher film on a very limited budget as neither the look of the film nor the kills are as elaborate or intricate as the previous two films. This film is only really for fans of the franchise. I can’t even recommend it to fans of Moseley as he has very little to do other than walk around like a mindless zombie the whole film. It is interesting to note that the film has an early appearance from actress Laura Harring (from Mulholland Dr. and the remake of Willard, to name a few films on her horror resume).

I remember seeing this film when it was originally released and I actually remember liking it (this film along with its brethren made for great holiday viewing every year) but the film has aged horribly (and was probably not all that good when originally released).

Film Review: Four Christmases

Very few Christmas themed movies ever cross pass my radar and if it hadn’t have been for the amazing cast of this film FOUR CHRISTMASES I wouldn’t have taken another look. It’s hard for a holiday film to outshine the classics such as IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE, and A CHRISTMAS STORY and A CHRISTMAS CAROLE or even the darker NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION and SCROOGED, so why bother. I’ve seen all THE SANTA CLAUSES and JINGLE ALL THE WAY and HOME ALONE films that I can stomach and therefore I’ve skipped just about every holiday film to come out within the pass decade (with the exception of A NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS). So what made me go see FOUR CHRISTMASES you might ask? How about Robert Duvall. Sissy Spacek. Mary Steenburgen. Carol Cane. And I could include in that list Jon Voight, Dwight Yoakam, Tim McGraw, and let’s not forget the stars of the film Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon. Now that’s an impressive cast.

FOUR CHRISTMASES is the story of unmarried couple Brad and Kate (Vaughn and Witherspoon, respectively) who don’t believe in the union of marriage due to their fractured family life. In fact, instead of spending the holidays with their families they’d rather go to the islands and spend their holidays in the sun scuba diving, but when their flight is cancelled due to weather they are forced to visit each of their estranged parents and siblings in the course of one day. As they come to terms with their families they must also decide whether or not to take the next step in their own relationship or watch it whither and die away.

Like most holiday films the theme of family is very present (is there any other theme for a holiday movie I ask you). The gimmick of having the couple go to four different Christmases over one day is hectic yet works for the film and gives the tired-old-Christmas story a kick in the ass. There are many funny moments in the film as both Brad and Kate are forced to learn things about each other that they never knew simply because they’ve never really taken their relationship serious enough. Vaughn and Witherspoon have great on-screen chemistry with one another which is good considering that they are on screen every second of the movie and with all the cameos in the film no one over stays their welcome too long. Director Seth Gordon does a great job balancing out all the different elements and stories within the film creating a film that I can honestly say I enjoyed.

Christmas-holiday films may not be my thing but FOUR CHRISTMASES is a film I don’t mind adding to my list of classics.