Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 (1987)

Despite all the silly controversy, Silent Night, Deadly Night was a rather good thriller.  I know most people consider it a slasher, but the rampage that Billy (Robert Bryan Johnson) goes on doesn't come until the end.  He is triggered both by wearing a Santa suit - something that one shouldn't do to a kid who, even at 18, still has trauma from seeing his parents murdered by a guy dressed as Santa Claus - but also by seeing his coworker's attempted rape.  This leads to him going around town, punishing the naughty, and making sure to say "Punish!" and "Naughty!" while doing it. 

The end of Silent Night, Deadly Night finds Billy returning to the orphanage where he was raised to kill the abusive Mother Superior (Lilyan Chauvin), only to be shot down by police before he can finish the job.  The death also happens in full view of his younger brother, Ricky, who appears to immediately take up Billy's crusade to rid the world of the "naughty".  No sequel was planned, but it's the perfect place to start with one.  What happened was that the movie became the target of moral outrage and, although it came out the same time as A Nightmare on Elm Street and was actually outselling that movie, Tri-Star caved to the demands the film be pulled rather than letting the controversy give it free publicity.  In 1986 it was re-released, this time without protests, and did decently in theaters before becoming a hit on video. 

It was at this point that Live Entertainment had the idea to make a sequel.  However, Charles E. Sellier Jr., the director of the original, had no interest in returning, nor did most of the cast.  As a result producer Lawrence Appelbaum decided the best way to make a buck was to re-edit the original film with a new framing story featuring Ricky, this time with the last name changed from Chapman to Caldwell for unknown reasons.  Lee Harry was hired to edit things together, but it soon became evident that some new footage was necessary.  So, in a move that has become notorious, 40 minutes of Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 is an edited version of the first film, showing many of the famous scenes, followed by Ricky's story. 

Ricky Caldwell (Eric Freeman) is being interrogated by Dr. Henry Bloom (James Newman), the 13th psychiatrist to have a go at him.  He is interested in what led up to Ricky's psychotic breakdown, and the latter recounts what happened with his brother Billy, and the aftermath once the orphanage was closed down.  Despite being placed with a Jewish family to avoid being triggered by Christmas, much the same trauma that Billy had is also inherent in Ricky (Brian Michael Henry), and by the time he is a teenager (Darrel Guilbeau) he commits his first murder. 

Despite that he is able to somewhat fit into society, including finding a girlfriend, Jennifer (Elizabeth Kaitan).  Unfortunately, things escalate, and after going on a rampage Ricky is captured.  Before he can stand trial, however, he escapes, and attempts to finish his brother's work. 

Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 had less of a budget than its predecessor, largely because it wasn't even supposed to be a new movie.  What was added, though, has helped the movie become more well-known than the original, and that is due to Eric Freeman's overacting.  Lee Harry was an editor, not a director, and was unsure of himself during the portions of the movie he did direct.  Throughout, Freeman wanted to play Ricky in a cold, calculated manner, while Harry wanted more comic relief.  Joseph H. Earle, who co-wrote the new portions of the movie and helped with directing, kept wanting Freeman to go as over the top as possible.  The result is unhinged scenery chewing, leading to the immortal line, "Garbage day!" before Ricky commits one of his murders.  The scene has since become a meme, and Freeman's performance throughout a thing of legend. 

Truth is, all this was not needed.  They could have made a real movie and turned a profit, using much the same story and sending Ricky out to kill at the end.  The first movie set it all up nicely, and the transition from psychological anti-Catholic thriller to a workman-like slasher wouldn't have taken much, and this still would have had its day on cable and video, while ironically doing better at the box office than it did.  The fact that half of this was a repeat of the first movie got around rather quickly and, though Freeman's performance has made it a cult classic in the last decade or so, at the time even fans of bad movies considered it the lowest form of exploitation. 

While the first movie was not a work of genius, it is still quite a good film.  This, however, is just silly, and without Freeman it would still be remembered as the ripoff it was.  A real sequel may not have been too much better, but at least it wouldn't have left paying patrons feeling like they had been cheated.

Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 (1987)

Time: 88 minutes

Starring: Eric Freeman, James Newman, Elizabeth Kaitan

Director: Lee Harry