Coverart for the new DVD re-release of SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT
© Anchor Bay Entertainment

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SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT Returning to DVD

This film caused quite a controversy back in the 80's and it made an impact on the "Slasher Genre" as a whole. This film was originally scheduled for a holiday release from Tri-Star back when the "slashers" were going strong in cinema, an an era of horror where we got cult classics like Prom Night, Friday the 13th, Graduation Day, Don't Answer the Phone! and The Slumber Party Massacre. The films were so popular that studios were scrambling to make cheap slasher flicks based on a lot of public event days such as Easter, Mother's Day, April Fool's Day, etc..

Tri-Star had plans to release a Christmas style slasher called SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT in the Christmas season of 1984 but a massive media circus unfolded due to angry parents picketing the fact that Santa Clause would be used as an axe murderer. Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel went as far as creating a show where they bashed the "slasher" genre and dedicated a few minutes to read out the credits for SN, DN saying "Shame, Shame, Shame" after each name on the credit list was read aloud.

Needless to say, Tri-Star dropped nearly all promotions from this horror film and then dropped it from its major theatrical release. This kind of media outcry stalled the slasher genre as a whole (at least for the smaller budgeted slashers) but some concepts within the genre still won over the public such as Nightmare on Elm Street (also released in 1984). How times change, right? Now, with a remake of SN, DN scheduled for 2008, Anchor Bay Entertainment is re-releasing the original on DVD with some extra goodies. The coverart (seen to the left here) says "Uncut and Uncensored".

Here's the press release from Anchor Bay.

In the autumn of 1984, a low-budget horror thriller was released that ignited a firestorm of international controversy. The film was Silent Night, Deadly Night, and for more than a generation, it has remained one of the most hotly debated films in the horror genre.

On December 11th, Anchor Bay Entertainment, the industry leader in horror home entertainment, will re-release this unforgettable horror classic, decked out with all-new holiday-themed cover art that truly spreads good cheer…with a few screams! SRP is $14.98, with pre-book on November 8th.

Even before Silent Night, Deadly Night was officially released, protestors lined up to loudly decry a movie portraying Santa Claus as a deranged, axe-wielding killer. The unexpected furor so caught the original distributor off-guard that it hastily yanked the film from theaters, virtually guaranteeing a fast death at the box office. Years later, when the controversy died down and the film was released to the home video market, Silent Night, Deadly Night became the cult classic it is today, having spawned no less than four sequels, with a remake currently in development.

Years ago, little Billy saw his parents murdered by an escaped killer wearing a Santa Claus costume. The experience left indelible scars on his psyche, made all the worse by his subsequent years languishing in an orphanage, where his life was made a living hell by the cruel and domineering Mother Superior (Lilyan Chauvin, Universal Soldier).

With the help of the sympathetic Sister Margaret (Gilmer McCormick, Slaughterhouse-Five, Starting Over), the 18-year-old Billy (Robert Brian Wilson, “Search for Tomorrow”) secures a job at a toy store. But when the store’s regular Santa is injured, Billy is called upon to don the red suit. But as he does, he becomes a ticking time bomb. The traumatic memories of his parents’ murders, combined with the abuse he has suffered at the hands of the Mother Superior, propel him into a state of psychotic rage. Santa Claus is coming to town, and he’s got murder on his mind...

The film also features a notable appearance by legendary “scream queen” Linnea Quigley (Return of the Living Dead, Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers). Silent Night, Deadly Night was directed by Emmy Award nominee Charles E. Sellier Jr. (producer of Breaking the Da Vinci Code, “Encounters With the Unexplained” and the cult classics Hangar 18 and The Boogens).

Bonus features:

* Theatrical Trailer
* TV Spot
* Interview with Director Charles E. Sellier Jr.