NEW SILENT NIGHT DEADLY NIGHT/WHITE CHRISTMAS EVIL OST 2014 DEATH WALTZ 3LP w/CD

$

60

Artists
PERRY BOTKIN/MORGAN AMES +
DON CHRISTENSEN, JOEL HARRIS, and JULIA HEYWARD
Titles
SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT (30th Anniversary Edition) +
CHRISTMAS EVIL (YOU BETTER WATCH OUT) Format
Silent Night, Deadly Night 12" 33rpm Colored Vinyl 2LP
Christmas Evil 10" 45rpm Satin Pearly White Vinyl LP
Condition Mint/Original Factory Sealed
Country of manufacture United Kingdom
Label
Catalog
UPC
Release Date
Death Waltz Recording Company
DW003 (Silent Night, Deadly Night) / DW032 (Christmas Evil)
5053760012306 (Silent Night, Deadly Night) / 5053760012320 (Christmas Evil)
December 8, 2014
Info
MEGA RARE, LIMITED EDITION, and LONG OOP!

From 2014:
"Comes with an obi strip and includes a free 45min Death Waltz Recording Company Mix CD featuring a selection of tracks forthcoming in 2015 from both Dealth Waltz Recording Company and originals."
Silent Night, Deadly Night 12" 2LP
Disc 1: OST by Perry Botkin (Transparent Green Vinyl)
Disc 2: Original Christmas songs by Morgan Ames (Transparent Red Vinyl)
Limited to 500 copies worldwide
Original artwork by Nick Percival
Booklet contains liner notes by composer Perry Botkin, Co-Executive Producer Scott Schneid, and Writer Michael Hickey. Also features a host of original reviews including many newspaper clips calling for the film to be banned upon its original release in 1984.

Christmas Evil (You Better Watch Out) 10" LP
OST by Don Christenson, Joel Harris, and Julia Heywood (10" Satin Pearl White Vinyl)
Limited to 400 copies worldwide
Includes sleeve-notes from Writer/Director Lewis Jackson and John Waters.

From 2014:
"The holidays are coming! Here are a couple of deranged Christmas soundtracks from Death Waltz Recording Company to have your annual yuletide nervous breakdown to!

Christmas Evil & Silent Night Deadly Night (OST ) | Death Waltz; Thursday, November 13th, 2014

Death Waltz Recording Co. may be home to some of the scariest music around, but it doesn’t mean that they don’t get into the Christmas spirit now and again. In that tradition, here’s their idea of Xmas cheer as they present the release of the classic 1980 yuletide slasher movie CHRISTMAS EVIL ("The greatest Christmas movie ever made." - John Waters) and SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT.
 
The music of CHRISTMAS EVIL is composed by the trio of Don Christenson, Joel Harris, and Julia Heywood, who created a score both menacing and upbeat, with tunes in the Christmas tradition. Like many horror soundtracks of the era, synthesisers dominate, with melodies similar to John Carpenter’s legendary HALLOWEEN, only in a happier and more deranged fashion. Wild and swirling synths acts as a window into the mind of Harry and what seems to be a nervous breakdown, and a menacing mix of foreboding notes and seasonal bells, all leading up to the ending that’s frankly crackers. This holiday season, give your loved ones CHRISTMAS EVIL. Limited to 400 copies on satin pearl white vinyl. Pre-order now!
 
Perry Botkin’s jolly old score to the controversial 1984 slasher SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT is no slouch in the recording world. His score is both chaotic and tragic; crashing sounds of distorted percussion are punctuated by both synth and acoustic piano, reflecting the sheer damage that has been done to Billy’s mind. The end result is both emotional and terrifying, even more so with the selection of original Christmas songs as composed by Morgan Ames that are spread amongst the film’s soundtrack. But a word of caution: If you don’t have SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT on the turntable this Christmas we’ll have to tell Billy that you’ve been… naughty. Consider yourselves warned. Only 500 copies available. Pre-order now!" Silent Night, Deadly Night
Tracklist:
A1.  Main Titles
A2.  Going Nowhere
A3.  Never Stop For Strangers
A4.  Snow Ax
A5.  Caught In The Act
A6.  Jingle Jam
A7.  Market
A8.  Seventeen
A9.  Running Away
A10.  Erotic Dreams
A11.  Scary Time
A12.  Dress Up
A13.  Billy Loses It

B1.  Poor Boy
B2.  Mad Hatter
B3.  Santa's Bow & Arrow
B4.  Horns
B5.  A Little Later
B6.  Smiley Face
B7.  No Smoking
B8.  Take Him Away
B9.  Offing Father O'Brian
B10.  Cackle
B11.  Snow Dreams
B12.  Naughty

Original Christmas Songs By Morgan Ames   
C1.  It Must Be Christmas
Backing Vocals – Carmen Twillie, Clydene Jackson, Morgan Ames, Rick Phillips, Steve Lively
Composed By – Rick Phillips
Lead Vocals – Steve Lively
C2.  Slayrider
Backing Vocals – Carmen Twillie, Clydene Jackson, Deedee Dennard*
Composed By – Lee Montgomery, Morgan Ames
Lead Vocals – Lee Montgomery
C3.  Santa's Watching
Composed By – Doug Thiele, Morgan Ames
Vocals – Clydene Jackson, Darlene Koldenhoven, Steve Lively, Warren Kaplan
C4.  Merry Christmas Baby
Backing Vocals – Carmen Twillie, Clydene Jackson, Deedee Dennard*
Composed By – Carmen Twillie, Deedee Dennard*, Morgan Ames
Lead Vocals – Venette Gloud
C5.  The Warm Side Of The Door
Backing Vocals – Carmen Twillie, Clydene Jackson, Deedee Dennard*, Morgan Ames, Oren Waters, Rick Phillips
Composed By – Morgan Ames
Lead Vocals – Lee Montgomery
Piano – Mike Melvoin

D1.  Christmas Party
Backing Vocals – Carmen Twillie, Deedee Dennard*, Oren Waters
Composed By – Carmen Twillie, Morgan Ames
Lead Vocals – Carmen Twillie
D2.  Christmas Flu
Composed By – Morgan Ames
Lead Vocals – Lee Montgomery
Tenor Saxophone – Tom Scott
D3.  Christmas Fever
Composed By – Ira Barmak
Vocals – Clydene Jackson, Darlene Koldenhoven, Steve Lively, Warren Kaplan
D4.  I Wanna Sing You A Love Song
Composed By – Clydene Jackson, Morgan Ames
Vocals [Duet] – Lee Montgomery, Morgan Ames
D5.  Sweet Little Baby
Composed By – Morgan Ames
Piano – Morgan Ames
Vocals – Carmen Twillie, Clydene Jackson, Darlene Koldenhoven

Companies, etc.
Pressed By – GZ Media – 125323E

Credits
Artwork – Nick Percival
Bass – Kenny Wild (tracks: C1 to D5)
Drums – Vinnie Colaiuta (tracks: C1 to D5)
Engineer – Mark Lindsay (tracks: A1 to B12)
Engineer [Assistant] – Carl Protho (tracks: C1 to D5)
Guitar – Pat Kelly (tracks: C1 to D5)
Keyboards, Synth – Stewart Levin* (tracks: C1 to D5)
Music By – Perry Botkin (tracks: A1 to B12)
Percussion – Mike Fisher (tracks: C1 to D5)
Producer, Arranged By – Morgan Ames (tracks: C1 to D5)
Recorded By, Mixed By – Les Brockman (tracks: C1 to D5)

Notes
Quote on the spine : "Mommy, you shouldn't have said that. It's naughty to say bad things about old people. Santa Claus will punish you!"

Barcode and Other Identifiers
Barcode (Obi strip, string): 5053760012306
Barcode (Obi strip, matrix): 5 053760 012306
Matrix / Runout (Side A runout - stamped): 125323E1/A
Matrix / Runout (Side B runout - stamped): 125323E2/A
Matrix / Runout (Side C runout - stamped): 125323E3/A
Matrix / Runout (Side D runout - stamped): 125323E4/A

Christmas Evil
Tracklist:
A1.  Sequence 1
A2.  Sequence 2
A3.  Sequence 3
A4.  Sequence 4
A5.  Sequence 5
A6.  Sequence 6
B1.  Sequence 7
B2.  Sequence 8
B3.  Sequence 9
B4.  Sequence 10
B5.  Sequence 11
B6.  Sequence 12

Companies, etc.
Copyright © – Red Suit Productions

Credits
Cover – Nick Percival

Notes
Recorded in NYC 1980.
Music taken from the M&E track on the original negative.
Quote on the spine : "But if you're bad boys & girls, your name goes in the 'Bad boys & girls" book, and I'll bring you something... horrible.

Barcode
Barcode (Obi strip, string): 5053760012320
Barcode (Obi strip, matrix): 5 053760 012320
Matrix / Runout (Side A, etched): DW 032 A1
Matrix / Runout (Side B, etched): DW 032 B1
Payment & Shipping All items are packed with individual care and shipped promptly upon receipt of payment.

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Bio
Silent Night, Deadly Night is a 1984 American psychological slasher film directed by Charles E. Sellier, Jr., and starring Robert Brian Wilson, Lilyan Chauvin, Gilmer McCormick, Toni Nero, Linnea Quigley, Britt Leach, and Leo Geter. The story concerns a young man named Billy, who suffers from post-traumatic stress over witnessing his parents' murder on Christmas Eve by a man disguised as Santa Claus and his subsequent upbringing in an abusive Catholic orphanage. In adulthood, the Christmas holiday leads him into a psychological breakdown, and he emerges as a spree killer donning a Santa suit.

The film was released by Tri-Star Pictures on November 9, 1984, where it received substantial controversy over its promotional material and content, which featured a killer Santa Claus. In addition to receiving negative reviews, it was pulled from theaters a week after its release. However, it was a success during its opening week, grossing $2.5 million on a budget of $750,000. Since its release, it has developed a cult following and spawned a series, consisting of four sequels, with the fourth and fifth installments having no connection to the original film, as well as a loose remake in 2012. A reboot is planned for a 2022 release.

In 1971, 5-year-old Billy Chapman and his family visit a nursing home in Utah where his catatonic grandfather stays. When Billy's parents leave the room, his grandfather suddenly awakens and tells Billy to fear Santa Claus, as he punishes the naughty.

On the way back home, a criminal dressed in a Santa suit – who had just robbed a liquor store and killed the owner – attempts to carjack the family. As Billy's father tries to drive away, the criminal shoots him dead and then sexually assaults Billy's mother before slashing her throat with a switchblade. Billy flees and hides, leaving his baby brother Ricky in the car.

Three years later, in December 1974, 8-year-old Billy and 4-year-old Ricky are celebrating Christmas in an orphanage run by Mother Superior, a strict disciplinarian who beats children who misbehave and considers punishment to be a "good" thing. Sister Margaret, who sympathizes with the children, tries to help Billy but he is regularly punished. On Christmas, the orphanage invites a man in a Santa Claus suit to visit the children; Billy, forced to sit on his lap by Mother Superior, punches the man before fleeing to his room in horror.

10 years later, in the spring of 1984, Billy turns 18, leaves the orphanage for a normal life, and obtains a job as a stock boy at a local toy store, with support from Sister Margaret. At the store, he develops a crush on his co-worker Pamela; he has sexual thoughts which are often interrupted by morbid visions of his parents' murders. On Christmas Eve, the employee who plays the store's Santa Claus is injured and Billy's boss Mr. Sims makes him take his place. After the store closes, the staff has a Christmas Eve party. Billy, still in a Santa Claus suit, tries to have a good time, but keeps having memories of his parents' murders, causing him to feel depressed. He sees his co-worker Andy making out with Pamela and they walk into the back room. Billy walks after them and sees Andy trying to rape Pamela. This triggers his insanity; he hangs Andy with a string of Christmas lights and, uttering that punishment is "good", murders Pamela with a box cutter.

Next, Billy murders Mr. Sims and his manager Mrs. Randall. Sister Margaret discovers the carnage and returns to the orphanage to seek help. Billy breaks into a nearby house where a young couple named Denise and Tommy are having sex and a little girl named Cindy is sleeping; he impales Denise on a set of deer antlers and throws Tommy through a window. When this awakens Cindy, Billy asks if she has been nice or naughty; she says nice, and he gives her the box cutter he had used earlier. After this, he witnesses bullies picking on two teenage boys and stealing their sleds, and decapitates one of the bullies with his axe.

The next morning, the orphanage is secured with Officer Barnes and Captain Richards and aided by Sister Margaret, who knows that Billy has committed the murders. The deaf pastor, Father O'Brien, who was dressed in a Santa outfit, is shot by Barnes, who mistook him for Billy. As Barnes continues patrolling the area, he is struck in the chest by Billy's axe. Billy confronts Mother Superior, now in a wheelchair. She taunts Billy due to her disbelief in Santa Claus and just as he prepares to kill her, Richards shoots him in the back. Billy drops to the floor, then utters to the children "You're safe now, Santa Claus is gone", before dying from his injuries. A 14-year-old Ricky, coldly staring at Mother Superior, utters "Naughty."

Cast
Robert Brian Wilson as Billy Chapman Age 18
Danny Wagner as Eight-Year-Old Billy Chapman
Jonathan Best as Five-Year-Old Billy Chapman
Alex Burton as Ricky Chapman Age 14
Max Broadhead as Four-Year-Old Ricky Chapman
Melissa Best as Infant Ricky Chapman
Lilyan Chauvin as Mother Superior
Gilmer McCormick as Sister Margaret
Toni Nero as Pamela
Britt Leach as Mr. Sims
Nancy Borgenicht as Mrs. Helen Randall
H.E.D. Redford as Captain Richards
Linnea Quigley as Denise
Leo Geter as Tommy
Randy Stumpf as Andy
Will Hare as Grandpa Chapman
Tara Buckman as Ellie Chapman
Geoff Hansen (Credited as Jeff Hansen) as Jim Chapman
Charles Dierkop as "Killer Santa", Criminal In A Santa Claus Outfit
Eric Hart as Mr. Levitt
A. Madeline Smith as Sister Ellen
Amy Stuyvesant as Cindy
Max Robinson as Officer Barnes
Vinc Massa as Doug
John Michael Alvarez as Jim
John Bishop as Bob
Richard C. Terry as Mac
Oscar Rowland as Dr. Conway
Richard D. Clark as Officer Miller
Tip Boxell as Officer Murphy
Spencer Ashby as Santa at Orphanage (Father O'Brien)
Judith Roberts as Mother Superior (uncredited)

The concept of the film was pitched by executive producer Scott J. Schiend who at the time, accepted screenplay ideas in submissions from the public. One of these was a short story entitled He Sees You When You're Sleeping written by a Harvard University student named Paul Caimi. The story was about a killer Santa Claus and Schiend was impressed with the concept even though he disliked slasher films. He then contacted writer Michael Hickey and requested him to write a screenplay based on the short story in which he agreed. Afterwards, Hickey sent the screenplay to Tri-Star Pictures who were pleased with it and agreed to finance and distribute the film.

The film's working title during production was Slayride and it was to be produced by Slayride Productions Inc. Producer Ira Richard Barmak was recruited by Tri-Star to produce the film. Executive producers, Scott J. Schiend and Dennis Whitehead were hoping to hire a new and young director who would be the "next John Carpenter" and considered Sam Raimi, Albert Magnoli, and Ken Kwapis for the position. Tri-Star expressed interests in television producer Charles E. Sellier Jr. who was well known for producing the Life and Times of Grizzly Adams motion picture and TV series. Schiend and Whitehead disagreed believing that a veteran producer would not give the film a good look and reputation; however, Tri-Star insisted and eventually hired Sellier for the position.

Principal photography lasted from March to April 1983 and was shot on location in Herber City and Midway, Utah. At the time, most of the snow was beginning to melt, so the production crew raced to shoot all exterior shots first. Numerous buildings were used for the interior scenes during filming. The orphanage building was an abandoned school house that was renovated by the crew during production. It was then demolished not long after filming concluded. The Ira's Toys building was a vacant building that was rented out by the crew. As of 2022, it still stands and is currently a gym. During filming, director Charles E. Sellier Jr. was too uncomfortable with shooting the murder sequences and this resulted in editor Michael Spence to come in as the stand-in director for these scenes.

The film's cast mainly consisted of local actors in the state of Utah. Lead star Robert Brian Wilson (Billy at age 18) was at the time living in Salt Lake City and had no acting experience. He auditioned for his role as the request of his girlfriend. No major and well-known actors were featured in the film and many mostly had experience in only television acting roles.

During post-production, TriStar had decided to change the Slayride title of the film to Silent Night, Deadly Night. Music composer Perry Botkin was hired to compose the musical score; he did so by watching a betamax copy of the film while composing the score as it played. Afterwards, TriSrar hired graphic designer Burt Kleeger to create the infamous theatrical release poster that depicted Santa Claus climbing down a chimney while holding a double-bit axe that also included the film's tagline: "You've made it through Halloween, now try and survive Christmas" along with "He knows when you've been naughty".

Because the film's concept was done before in the 1980 horror film Christmas Evil as well as the first segment of the 1972 horror anthology film, Tales from the Crypt, the producers and TriStar were not concerned about the killer Santa Claus theme being controversial. However, there was concern that the portrayal of the Catholic Church in the film would be. Because of this, TriStar agreed to distribute the film in a limited release in the mostly protestant midwestern United States before moving forward with releasing it in the dominantly catholic northeastern United States. TriStar set the film's theatrical release date as November 9, 1984, around the start of the Christmas season. Robert Brian Wilson expressed dissatisfaction with this decision, believing that the film should have been released around Halloween to avoid less controversy.

The film was released theatrically by Tri-Star Pictures on November 9, 1984, opening in 398 theaters in the Midwest United States. On its opening weekend, the film finished eighth, grossing $1,432,800. It outgrossed Wes Craven's landmark slasher A Nightmare on Elm Street, which opened the same day (albeit in 235 fewer theaters). Before being pulled from theaters, it grossed over $2.4 million in its first 10 days of release.

In November 2013, it was announced that Fangoria in association with Brainstorm Media and Screenvision would be re-releasing the film to theaters in the United States throughout December 2013.

Silent Night, Deadly Night was one of the most controversial films of the 1980s due to its advertising campaign, particularly its posters and TV spots, that made significant emphasis on the killer being dressed as Santa Claus. The PTA fought to have this film removed from theaters due to its subject matter and the fact that it was shown around Christmas, although an earlier film with a similar premise, Christmas Evil, had gone unnoticed. Television advertisements, which aired between episodes of family-friendly series such as Three's Company and Little House on the Prairie, led to parents complaining that their children were terrified of Santa Claus. Large crowds (mostly angry families) formed at theaters and malls around the nation to protest the film; at the film's East Coast premiere at the Interboro Quad Theater in The Bronx in New York City, protesters picketed the theater and sang Christmas carols in protest.

"Most protests were generated by the feeling that the depiction of a killer in a Santa Claus suit would traumatize children and undermine their traditional trust in Santa Claus."

In response, Tri-Star Pictures, the film's original distributor, pulled all ads for the film six days after its release on November 15, 1984. The film itself was also withdrawn shortly thereafter, due to the controversy. In response to the public outcry, producer Ira Barmak told People magazine: "People have taken offense at Santa being used in a scary context... Santa Claus is not a religious figure, he's a mythic character. I didn't deliberately ride roughshod over that sensitivity and I didn't anticipate the objection to it." An editorial published in Variety stated: "Most protests were generated by the feeling that the depiction of a killer in a Santa Claus suit would traumatize children and undermine their traditional trust in Santa Claus." When the film was castigated at length by Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, the backlash against the film became louder and more widespread.

The film was due to be re-released by an independent distributor, Aquarius Films, in May 1985, with an ad campaign replacing the original "Twas the night before Christmas"-themed trailer with a new one that centered on the controversy surrounding the film and edited out all close-up shots of Billy, in the Santa suit, with weapons. The print ad material also replaced the original 'Chimney' picture with one that talked about the controversy. However, the film only had further test engagements.

In the United Kingdom, the movie was never submitted for certification to the BBFC, and its sequel was denied a video certificate in 1987 after the distributors refused to make the cuts required for an '18' certificate. However, in 2009, Arrow Films submitted the film to the BBFC for classification, who passed the film uncut with an 18 certificate. The UK DVD was released on November 23, 2009.

According to Robert Brian Wilson, the film had to be re-submitted 4 times to the MPAA to secure an R rating. When released to theatres, Tri-Star originally made these cuts, but when released on home video, the film was unrated. The film was sourced from another master copy containing these scenes. The Theatrical R-rated version never received a home video release until December 4, 2017. Due to the film having these scenes missing from other master copies, Anchor Bay DVD and Blu-ray releases were released as composite cuts. In hopes that Shout! Factory would find uncut footage from the original negatives, their search was unsuccessful. According to them, Tri-Star edited out all uncut footage from all their negatives.

The following edits were made in the R-rated version:
A shot of Billy being slashed by Santa in his nightmare is removed.
After Sims asks Billy what Santa does, it cuts immediately to Andy and Pamela going into the stock room.
Sims and Randall singing carols has been entirely redone.
Billy's flashback has been edited.
Footage of Billy killing Pamela is edited.
Randall's death is edited.
The deer impalement scene is shortened.
The sledding decapitation scene is shortened.
Officer Barnes' death has been edited.
Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, Silent Night, Deadly Night holds a 44% approval rating based on 25 critic reviews, with an average rating of 4.9/10.

Siskel and Ebert condemned the film and Siskel went as far as to read names of the film's production crew on air, telling them, "Shame on you". Gene Siskel also said that all the money the filmmakers were making off of this film was blood money.

Leonard Maltin also denounced the movie, calling it a "...worthless splatter film", citing it as a "BOMB".

A Daily Variety review argued that whatever arguments the film was making on the commercialism of Christmas were overshadowed by the graphic violence, which the reviewer saw as off-putting.

Michael Wilmington wrote in the Los Angeles Times: "[it's] safe to predict that Silent Night, Deadly Night... will start making ‘Worst Movie of All Time’ lists almost immediately".

One positive notice came from Kirk Ellis from The Hollywood Reporter, who complimented director Sellier's "workmanlike competence" and praised the cinematography and Gilmer McCormack's performance as Sister Margaret.

Originally planned to be released on home media by RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video in early 1985, the home media release was cancelled. The film was then originally released on VHS and Beta in May 1986 through USA Home Video. The film was released on Laserdisc in 1987 and reissued on VHS by International Video Entertainment in 1987 and 1988. In, 1992, the film was last released on VHS for the last time by Avid Home Entertainment.

The film was released on as a double feature disc alongside sequel Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 in 2003. The second release was in 2007. The first two Region 1 releases are currently out of print.

The film was released on DVD in the United Kingdom in 2009 by Arrow Video; this set includes an audio interview with director Charles E. Sellier Jr., poster, booklet including "Deadly Director: Charles Sellier Interviewed by Calum Waddell" and "Silent Night, Sex Night: The Slice and Times of Linnea Quigley".

On December 4, 2012, the film was again released alongside Part 2 as a two-disc "Christmas Survival Double Feature", containing the same archival bonus features as the 2003 release.

On September 16, 2014, it was released on Blu-ray by Anchor Bay/Starz Entertainment. No new special features were included, with the exception of a few new commentaries, none of which any of the actors participated in. The Blu-ray contains exactly the same release as previous DVD editions with the extended scenes edited back into the film with noticeable picture quality changes. There has yet to be a release of the full, uncut print from a single source.

On December 5, 2017, Shout! Factory, under its Scream Factory label, released the film in a two-disc set collector's edition on Blu-ray and DVD. It contains the film remastered in a 4K resolution from the original negative sourced from the original R-rated theatrical cut while the unrated version used SD inserts. It also contained new special features such as an interview and audio commentary from actors Robert Brian Wilson and Linnea Quigley, co-executive producers Scott J. Schneid and Dennis Whitehead, writer Michael Hickey, music composer Perry Botkin, and editor Michael Spence. It also contained a new documentary on the making of the film entitled Slay Bells Ring: The Story of Silent Night, Deadly Night which included interviews from the cast and crew. The original theatrical trailer, radio and TV spots are included. It also contained the original special features from the 2003 and 2012 DVD and 2014 Blu-ray releases as well.

Scream Factory also released a limited edition deluxe offer that contained the collector's edition set along with a 18x24 size poster of the new artwork for the film, as well as an 8" tall figure of Billy in his Santa suit holding his double-bit axe. This offer was limited to 2,000 orders and pre-orders started on September 7, 2017.

Due to the minor success of the film, four sequels were produced. The first two, Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 and Silent Night, Deadly Night 3: Better Watch Out!, focus on Billy's younger brother Ricky becoming in turn a serial killer. However, Silent Night, Deadly Night 4: Initiation and Silent Night, Deadly Night 5: The Toy Maker have no connection with the characters from the previous films, with each of them focusing on a different Christmas-themed horror story.

A loose remake of the film, titled Silent Night, was released on December 4, 2012, starring Jaime King and Malcolm McDowell.

In March 2021, another remake was announced when Orwo Studios and Black Hanger Studios acquired the rights to the original film.

Christmas Evil (originally titled You Better Watch Out, also known as Terror in Toyland) is a 1980 American psychological horror-thriller film written and directed by Lewis Jackson and starring Brandon Maggart. The plot follows a deranged man obsessed with Santa Claus who eventually goes on a murderous rampage dressed in a Santa Claus suit. Since its release, it has gained a cult following, including praise and repeated viewings by director John Waters.[4]

While not prosecuted for obscenity, the film was seized and confiscated in the U.K. under Section 3 of the Obscene Publications Act 1959 during the video nasty panic.

In suburban New Jersey, on Christmas Eve 1947, a young boy named Harry Stadling sees his mother being sexually groped by his father, who is dressed up as Santa Claus. Traumatized, the child rushes up to the attic and cuts his hand with a shard of glass from a shattered snow globe.

Thirty-three years later, an adult Harry works in a low-level position at the Jolly Dreams toy factory, where his colleagues consider him a "schmuck" and make fun of him. At home, he has taken it upon himself to become the next true Santa: he sleeps in costume, and his apartment is resplendent with Christmas décor. He spies on neighborhood children to see if they are being "good" or "bad" and keeps detailed records of their behavior.

Harry's coworker Frank asks Harry to cover his shift on the assembly line in order to be with his family. However, on his way home from work, Harry sees Frank drinking with friends at a local bar. Distressed by the man's duplicity, Harry breaks one of his dollhouse figures while humming Christmas tunes. The following day, he cancels Thanksgiving dinner with his younger brother Phil and his family. Phil has been constantly angered by his brother's odd behavior, while Phil's wife Jackie is more sympathetic.

At the company Christmas party, the owner of Jolly Dreams, Mr. Wiseman, announces that the company will donate toys to the children of the local hospital, provided production increases sufficiently and the employees contribute with their own money. Mr. Fletcher, one of the company's high-ranking executives, introduces Harry to new training executive George Grosch, who devised the donation scheme. Harry is angry at both for not really caring about the children. That night, he fills bags with toys he stole from the factory and other bags with dirt.

On Christmas Eve, while glueing a Santa beard to his face, he enters a fugue state that has him convinced that he truly is Santa Claus. Garbed in his Santa suit, Harry starts doing his rounds on the van that he decorated with a sleigh picture, and that he believes to have been trained by Santa Claus's reindeer. He first sneaks into his brother's home and delivers toys for his nephews; then leaves a bagful of dirt at the doorstep of "bad boy" Moss Garcia. Later, Harry drops off toys at the hospital, where he is greeted cheerfully by the staff.

On the street, Harry is taunted by Khaki, Charles, Peter, and Binky leaving Midnight Mass, and he brutally murders them in a fit of rage with a toy soldier and hatchet. Later, Harry is welcomed at a neighborhood Christmas party, where people think he is just some harmless Santa impersonator; he dances and cheers everyone up and makes sure the attending children know they will have to be good boys and girls to receive their gifts. He then breaks into Frank's home, kills him with his sack of gifts and a Christmas tree star, and leaves toys behind for the kids. He makes a run for his van just as Frank's wife finds her dead husband.

On Christmas morning, his Santa suit disheveled and dirty, Harry returns to Jolly Dreams and activates the assembly lines, breaking all the toys, which he considers subpar. Later, his van becomes stuck in the snow on a beautifully decorated street with plenty of lights, sending him further into a delusional state. The residents shortly recognize him as the murderer and form a torch-bearing mob to pursue him.

Harry manages to free his van from the snow and drives to his brother's house, where Phil has already started to suspect something is seriously wrong with his brother. Harry confronts Phil, accusing him to have been the root cause of his childhood trauma, as Phil was the one who revealed to Harry that the Santa they saw was actually their father. Phil quickly realizes that Harry is the homicidal Santa from the news, and chokes him unconscious. He loads him into the front seat of the van; Harry soon regains his consciousness, punches Phil and drives off again. The angry mob forces him and his van off a bridge; the van is shown to be flying off toward the Moon as a voice-over reads the end of "The Night Before Christmas".

Cast
Brandon Maggart as Harry Stadling
Gus Salud as Young Harry Stadling
Jeffrey DeMunn as Philip Stadling
Wally Moran as Young Philip Stadling
Dianne Hull as Jackie Stadling
Joe Jamrog as Frank Stoller
Peter Neuman as Moss Garcia
Mark Chamberlin as Charles
Scott McKay as Mr. Fletcher
Peter Friedman as Mr. Grosch
Burt Kleiner as Mr. Wiseman
Patricia Richardson as Mrs. Garcia
Raymond J. Barry as Detective Gleason
Mark Margolis as Christmas Party Accoster
Rutanya Alda as Theresa
Michael Klingher as Peter
Colleen Zenk as Binky

During production, the film had the working title Santa.

Principal photography took place in late 1979 and early 1980 in various locations in New Jersey, including Union City, New Brunswick, Edgewater, Englewood, and Montclair. The toy factory featured in the film was a real toy factory in New Brunswick owned by Lynn Pressman, mother of the film's executive producer, Edward R. Pressman; scenes shot at the toy factory were completed in early December 1979, with additional shooting occurring over three days in February 1980.

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 75% based on 6 reviews, with an average of 6.5/10. AllMovie gave the film a positive review, complimenting the film's unique editing style, cinematography, music, and sense of humor, concluding, "Christmas Evil is not for all tastes, but it's well worth the time for those looking for a darker, different kind of yuletide film".

Tom Huddleston from Time Out awarded the film a score of 4 out of 5: "In contrast to most slasher flicks, this isn’t about anything as simple as revenge. Jackson’s concerns are bigger: social responsibility, personal morality, and the gaping gulf between society’s stated aims at Christmastime—charity, hope, goodwill to all men—and the plight of those left on the outside: the children, the mentally ill, the ones who don’t fit in. It’s a great-looking film, too: one shot of a suburban street lined with glowing reindeer looks more like Spielbergian sci-fi than low-budget horror. Bizarre, fascinating, thoughtful, and well worth a look".

Dread Central gave the film a mixed review, commending actor Maggart's empathetic performance and the film's ending, but criticized the film's uninventive direction and flaccid pacing.

In December 2000, Troma Video released the film as a director's cut version, containing material not seen in the theatrical and 1983 reissue prints. This version is in 4:3 full screen, but is presented in unmatted form showing more vertical information than the theatrical widescreen ratio. Director Jackson later stated that this release "was done under false pretenses. I thought that Troma owned the rights, but of course Troma never does what they say they're going to do. It turned out they'd bought the rights in a fire sale—there was literally a fire, and the people who owned the rights were bankrupt and Troma walked into the rubble and picked up whatever was lying around".

In December 2006, Synapse Films released a Special Edition DVD of Christmas Evil. It features audio commentary from the director and cult filmmaker John Waters, who is quoted as saying it is the "greatest Christmas movie ever made". This version is presented in its matted widescreen ratio of 1.85:1 and is also of the director's cut version.

In December 2014, Vinegar Syndrome released Christmas Evil for the first time ever on Blu-ray in a combo pack with a DVD version. Both discs use a brand new 4K master of the director's cut in widescreen, and carry over the audio commentary tracks from the previous Troma and Synapse Films releases. Supplements such as trailers and deleted scenes between both discs remain the same, while the footage from the audition tapes are exclusive to the DVD version in the combo pack.

- wikipedia