At the Movies, 1984-Silent Night, Deadly Night

[demon91]

I love how he never once mentions how Billy is being tormented by the memories and his situation is making it continually worse, which was really the main point in the film.

Siskel and Ebert were fucking shitheads.

[DaviHSM]

If he thought the movie was a shame or any other thing, why did he wached it?

[StefanKulic]

It's a fine movie.

[featheon]

How dare you make a mockery out of a fictional character that we lie to our children about!

[JDBCreations]

Blood money? BLOOD MONEY?! Give me a fucking break! They act like it's a snuff film! The creators of this movie went out, worked hard and made an original, entertaining, MAKE BELIEVE, R Rated slasher flick. They made some well deserved money off of it. These lazy stuck up bastards on the other hand make their money from sitting on their ass, watching movies, then giving their opinions on them.

[demon91]

@JDBCreations

Correct you are sir

[TheKrazyKupcake]

i wonder what they would've thought of Santa's Slay i haven't seen it or this movie but I've heard that both of them are hilarious

[Halloween661]

wow Silent Night Deadly Night was no bad film all these pussys think just because it has a killer santa means its bad for children and a horrible film well it is not I wouldnt say its a master piece but I think its great anyways there has been other killer santa movies and no one ever metioned anything about them I mean come on these dumbass's shouldnt critize about something they hardly even know about it, and if its so bad for the children why should a child even be watching the movie !!!

[movieman104]

this one of the few horror movie series i have seen no installments of not even one but im proably not missing anything. i perfer the halooween scream and nightmare series and evil dead.

[BadLieutenant17]

Now that I own this on dvd every year for christmas my family and I will sit together and watch it. Siskel i'm sure there is a special place in hell for critics. I will see you there

[supernintendan]

@BadLieutenant17 I also on this on DVD. I seen part 2 before the original.. when it first hit Home Video in 1987. I have watched it every single Christmas Eve since 1987, and tonight is Christmas Eve 2011... the 24th anniversary!! The director of the first one Charles E. Sellier Jr died earlier this year (january 31st 2011).

[nmoravec1]

Instead of blaming the filmmakers, the mothers who protested the commercials and the film itself should have done some f*cking parenting and sit down with their kids and explain to them that the show is not real. Another would have been to pay more attention to what the kids were watching and if they saw the commerical, just shut it off. It's bullshit.

[demon91]

@nmoravec1

Yep.

[rvrcdy1990]

Where are peoples suspension of disbelief!?

[ActiveAero]

Jaws was rated PG on initial release and featured a shark ripping children/young adults to shreds while swimming in the ocean, which is something kids can actually do, and yet it is one of the greatest films of all time.

Fictional being, Santa Claus, being depicted in an R rated movie that no young kids will see and it is a grave attack on child innocence lol. I love Siskel and Ebert but they were definitely sipping retard juice on this one.

[TomFallon]

Can't help noticing that they don't actually comment on the quality of the film itself or the writing (both are quite polished in places, you must admit - the main character has more relationships than most slasher film protagonists OR villains get, and there are a few shots and sequences that show a certain amount of class).

I'll always have a soft spot for this one.

[manoftomorrow79]

Silent Night Deadly Night is no master piece but it's a cult classic film. So to Siskel & Ebert: Screw You! They only trash horror movies for ratings but the interesting thing is the friday the 13ths,Hellraisers,etc even this film. Was very tame compared to modern horror films.If they were still alive i'd love to see them review Hatchet. They would instantly take back all the bad remarks they made in the 80's.

[zooeyhall]

I watched Siskel and Ebert for years, and I can't recall ever seeing them as outraged about a movie as this one.

Thumbs up! for both Gene and Roger!!!

[027220]

ABout a boy who witnesses his father being shot and his mother being stabbed to death by a maniac in a Santa Claus suit.

So now the traumatized kid grows up and has to work in a toy store as Santa one Christmas and it freaks him out, he impales one naked girl on a set of antlers, there's another woman with a bow and arrow, another with a knife, and yet, we see Santa give one little girl a bloody knife for a gift, and threaten another little girl with physical punishment as she sits on his lap.

[williamhowe1]

@027220 I think I'm going to hurl.

[027220]

@williamhowe1 Just don't think about it. Think about Christmas Story, how 'bout that?

[williamhowe1]

@027220 That'll put your eye out!

[027220]

@williamhowe1 I tripple dog dare ya.

[williamhowe1]

@027220 MMMPHHH MMMMPHHH I'M THUCK!!! (Sorry I'm trying to immitate a guy's tongue stuck on a pole as best as I can!)

[027220]

@williamhowe1 I 'personally' like the Dumb and Dumber pole scene 'better' 'cause it's a 'man,' not a 'boy.'

[williamhowe1]

@027220 Boy movies brings out the best and worst out of me when I review them.

[027220]

@williamhowe1 'Really?'

[williamhowe1]

@027220 Yeah I review movies on Tumblr, and if it's a instant classic like avatar I'm head over heels for it, and if it's a shitstain movie like The last assbender (I know it's not what it's called it's a joke) I go apeshit crazy.

[027220]

@williamhowe1 I see.

[williamhowe1]

@027220 Try finding me on tumblr I review Bad movies, Animes and video games.

[027220]

@williamhowe1 Maybe I will.

[NotNamedJones]

This movie is like the total inversion of what makes a good slasher movie, but to its credit, it sucks real good.

[MetallicBill]

For one, the title is a great HEAVY METAL or DEATH METAL song, second, Eberts comment about It's just a Movie is exactly what you tell your kids, you don't expose them to adult material and you don't let them discover it underage either. GEEZ

[ThatGuywhoSpillNerd]

Is this the movie with the guy saying Garbage Day.

[oHelmslyo]

The film's plot just sounds fucking terrible, screw the 'sickness' and 'mean-spiritedness' it just sucks hard. Santa Claus as a spree killer should have been a Simpsons slasher film parody, not a real shitty film!

[027220]

I don't know about 'you,' gradepoint, but I rank this film as the #1 worst christmas film.

[027220]

1:14 - :42 Not fun, sad.

[highwaysonyfan87]

These guys are such pussies

[Moviewhiz1]

God, everyone goes off on S&E whenever they bash one of their favorite films. I could careless. I've agreed/disagreed with them on a lot of things, and they still remain my top two favorite film critics. Grown up...

[SupremacySheets911]

Siskel is a yid and Ebert is a Catholic faggot. End of story.

[RWright2006]

@SupremacySheets911

Whoa take it easy man!

[dmfaust]

Ridiculous that people get so worked up over movies. It's simple... If you don't like what a movie is about, don't watch it.

Personally I thought this movie was hilarious, it's a dude in a santa suit who talks like the incredible Hulk(PUNISH!) killing half naked people.

Ebert of all people showed pure hypocrisy with such sentiments about this film independent of commenting on his view of its quality.

[aaallleeexxx62]

blah blah blah morals morals. Who cares, it's a fucking movie

[poisoncupcake74]

some of you might think this movie is sick, but its truly a movie classic and cult classic to horror movie lovers.

[andell1]

@poisoncupcake74

Well...it's kind of a strange film. I mean, you're right...it is a cult classic...but it really isn't a movie classic, and it's cult status is largely based on the public outcry over the film. But for that outcry, it likely would never have spawned sequels, and would likely be considered a forgettable 80's horror film.

And the outcry only came because adults were worried that kids would have their innocence taken away.

[027220]

:51 :D

[027220]

Relative to Good Son Review :Kevin goes apesh..t Siskel and Ebert

[027220]

Blood money is right.

[FlamingSpidermonkeys]

Lol. In their defense, it's an awful film.

[ChuckyFE]

@FlamingSpidermonkeys Compared to it's sequel, you'd be saying it's worthy of an oscar.

[starkweather444]

@FlamingSpidermonkeys whatever brohymn.

[DramaKaw]

@FlamingSpidermonkeys Most slasher films made in the 80s are crappy. Take a look at The Burning and The Prowler.

[Livingdead21]

"Your Profits truly are blood money." What a fucking joke! Fuck you Siskel! Fuck you too Ebert, you fat disgusting looking piece of shit.

SNDN is one of the greatest movies of all time!

[BigDickMcGirk]

@Livingdead21 Its a sack of shit. Their rage is over-stated, but the film is truly trash.

[ertznay]

"You see Santa Claus tonight boy, you better run! You better run for your life!!"

[gmoney66]

GARBAGE DAY!

[at1212b]

Remember in the 80's, Christmas was really special, festive and celebrated. It just was brighter, warmer and time really stood still to be with family and friends.

As 'commercial' as it was, this was before the invasion of the big box stores, stores opening almost every single day, no time to enjoy anything.

[zitalee2]

@at1212b big box stores?

[at1212b]

@zitalee2 Walmart, Sam's club, Future Shop, Target, etc

Places where hundreds, thousands of people park their cars into a lot, then walk into a box of a store vs walking along and into a store on a street, city or smaller town, store front, owned by private ppl (not corporate shareholders).

[rathemagnificent]

I'm glad you mentioned there names because I want them to explain to their children and grandchildren that it's just a movie! lol

[027220]

@rathemagnificent That's not funny.

[rathemagnificent]

Your profits are truly blood money! lol

[asouthworth05]

I havent seen the first one but ive seen the second one and i thought it was crap.

[fhood]

You know what holiday is really creepy and scary? Easter. Think about it -- whipping a man 40 times for no reason, nailing him to a cross, his ghost supposedly appearing to prostitutes three days later, etc., etc.. And all those phrases used over and over at Easter -- "Blood of the Lamb", "This is my blood -- take and drink it.", etc, etc., 

[TheeOneWhoTalks]

What idiots in this review, I'm fine with them stating their opinion, but this movie isn't supposed to be seen by children thats why its rated R. About the commercial, its TV and its a great way to sell the movie. Don't watch TV if you're that touchy about things. Calling it sadistic because the killer gave a kid a knife... so if a Killer doesn't do that and just kills people like in GREAT movies like Halloween thats not sadistic at all? Killers are sadistic and evil, they do bad things.

[DawnPatroll1]

@TheeOneWhoTalks

The problem with this movie was that it wasn't a very well made movie nor was it well written.

I saw this movie years ago and thought that it was crap then and having recently seen it on HBO I can still say that it's crap and I like horror movies.

The modern equivalent to the movies in this series are the equally contemptable Hostel movies and the stunningly bad Saw series are not scarry or even that entertaining.

This is coming from someone who enjoys slasher flicks.

[Arthur5041975]

Naughty!

[sonoroustripleh]

they should've been shot for this review movies don't have to have morals, cause there movies shit heads, plus silent night deadly night shows u how the mind of a man can become warped when as a kid he is show great violence

[027220]

@sonoroustripleh don't have to have morals? Yes they do.

[DanRSL]

Actually, the creators have a LOT to be proud of. Due to whatever their motivation, they have only furthered and expanded the understanding of free speech throughout the world and helped open the door to every film that has come since.

And DAMN, Gene better be glad he died before the internet ruined all that he holds so precious. He would have a heart attack if he saw what Rule 34 has done to Santa Claus. Needs to get off his high horse.

[Superfreaxx]

@DanRSL

Genes problem though was that the ad was placed on public television where it can possibly be viewed by unsupervised children. Also, as popular as Rule 34 is, its not really something that small kids will stumble upon by accident.

[AngryAgain]

can't really hear it

[AngryAgain]

can't really hear it

[ConnDevi88]

I want to apologize if my comments have offended any of you. i took them down to prevent further arguments.

[CJ076]

@ConnDevi88

Both better than "Silent Night, Deadly Night" is.

[Raider17]

Yeah, I think they got a little hysterical over these films, especially since Ebert wrote a film in which a half-awake woman fellates a loaded gun before having her brains blown out.

[HalloweenTerrortrain]

Love this movie one of my favorite guilty pleasures

[dzanier]

Roger and Gene are right. This is a contemptible and sick film with no redeeming qualities. Two films in this decade strike me as just as sick and contemptible; The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (The original was great) and Chaos. They are films whose explicit violence and sadism attempt to tell no story but rather are the entire story of the film. It is gratuitous violence without any redemptive qualities. It is simply fuckin awful and disheartening to see such shit put into theaters.

[ylwbrcboi]

Dzanier, you are a dumbass, shut up please

[dzanier]

Blow me you peckerhead.

[unfortunatebeam]

@dzanier Add the extreme shitfest that was the Hostel series to the list of sick and contemptible films of the last decade too. imo, the Hostel movies are the absolute WORST of them all ever in any decade. Some of the saw sequels are also pretty bad.

[jays2474]

@dzanier I NEVER agreed with siskel and ebert lol.This one I agree with them 100%I have never heard of the movie you mention Chaos..I agree with you about film like that though.The movies I hate like that are movies like Hostil,Saw 1,2,3,4,I only seen saw 1 Im assuming the other are like that.All those torture movies are pointless.I grew up in the slasher flick times though.Im 36 and I still love all the Halloween's,Friday The 13th's,and Nightmare On Elm Streets lol.My wife hates them lol

[AMPFEAST]

@dzanier i think they completly overlooked that this movies shows, quite intense and graphic, how catholicism works so much with guilt and modern ways of thinking/pedagogics are blocked by the hierachic structures in its instituions. i just saw the films first 25 min and i thought that was pretty brave and well done. besides that...its a slasher, what did they ecpect?

[TheKnyghtmirror]

@AMPFEAST Here's my issue--its cheap crap! Slasher films are an interesting genre, but ultra predictable and the only emotion is fear and cheap jump scares. Remember too these critics are professionals with literary backgrounds who understand symbolism, etc. which in slasher is down to the least least common denominator. In other words 2 steps above mental retardation.

[AMPFEAST]

@TheKnyghtmirror thats exactly the problem. their background just hinders them to give any slasher film good credit even if its just for some intelligent scenes, which this one surely has. this one goes beyond the ultra-flat characters of most other genre contributions. i had some film education too at my Uni and surely know that this flic is far away from good, but nevertheless, some smart critic on pedagogics in religious instituions are complety overlooked by those two "professionals" above.

[027220]

@AMPFEAST Do you wanna like Santa or hate him?

[magicatthemovieS]

@AMPFEAST your taking this crap too seriously

[AMPFEAST]

@magicatthemovieS what crap? the movies or Eberts show??

[027220]

@AMPFEAST Check this out. Sneak Previews 1980 - Women in Danger

[DarkwingDork]

There was a moral panic in the U.S. in the early to mid 80s due to a lot of things happening in close proximity with each other, namely heavy metal with Satanic imagery, the growing popularity of Dungeons and Dragons and other RPGs, and of course, slasher movies.

Siskel and Ebert's comments are just part of the backlash by the older generation who thought kids were being led down a moral sewer due to nihilistic and quasi-pagan entertainment.

[Cropsy25]

it is a crazy movie but thats kinda what makes slasher movies fun 2 watch this 1 is nuts lol the only thing i felt with siskel and ebert was that they got 2 upset over slasher movies and 4 ppl 2 get so mad over this movie is just stupid all it is is halloween ripoff but its fun 2 watch lol

[027220]

@Cropsy25 You call a child witnessing murder or threatened by physical punishment 'fun?'

[Cropsy25]

@027220 not in real life but for a movie like this yes...

[MetallicBill]

@027220 Putting kids in mortal danger is controversial no matter WHAT THE FILM, it's a depiction or it's a satire, the humor maybe hard to discern, but how do you censor on the whole? It's ANTI AMERICAN to censor freedom of expression, The Easter Bunny or a Clown can be an evil mad man, slasher, and yes, eventually the mythical Santa (SATAN) Clause will enter ones' home to kill rather then give gifts. It plays on the themes presented, and horror movies are a fact of life, to take a "stab" at...

[027220]

@MetallicBill Try to explain to kids that it's only a movie, 'cause when they see Santa, they feel warm.

[MetallicBill]

@027220 Horror movies give kids bad dreams,... Nightmares, I know because I suffered them for more then a few years, but when you're my age, you see an aspect of life that is fitting for making a scary comparison to for entertainment, and it could be something as simple as taking good and making it bad, or as I said, Santa comes into your home, in a normal situation, you can defend yourself with lethal means in your own home. It's a point I can see

[027220]

@MetallicBill Try telling that to the Milwalkee parents.

[trans8010]

What is funny about the whole thing is after the bad publicity and the ads were pulled from television and the PTA protests and negative reviews teens and fans of the genre still flocked to the cinema to see it so Tri-star pictures pulled the film all together my dad saw it during it's initial run and was pelted by protestors with lipstick and compacts packs of chewing gum just because he was leaving the theater

[KronantheBarbarian]

These guys watch thousands upon thousands of movies it's just a genre they've seen a million times. And yes it's true for the most part they don't really like gutsy films but the slasher genre is sort of over done, one of my favorites, but over done. I really wanna see this film though

[justwannawatchvids]

Damn they used to be real preachy about slasher movies.

[UdoShan]

Yeah really. I wonder what Siskel would do if he saw any of the "Saw" movies or "Turistas".