Silent Night Deadly Night Part 2, 1987.
Directed By Lee Harry.
Starring Eric Freeman, Elizabeth Kaitan, James L Newman and Jean Miller.
SYNOPSIS:
Years after his older brother Billy went on a killing spree, young Ricky finds himself incarcerated and telling his story to a psychiatrist. As Ricky tells the doctor about the events of his brother’s rampage and the impact it had on his own life the crazed sibling plots his escape so as avenge his and Billy’s torment at the hands of the tyrannical Mother Superior who ran the orphanage in which they grew up in.
So dear readers we have reached the end of the 12 Days of Christmas Horrors and once more I want to thank you for reading them. I hope you have enjoyed them as much as I have had writing them, even if many of the films sucked jingle balls. So as my final present to you all on this festive day, we’re going to take a look at the sequel to yesterday’s’ review, the infamous 1987 stock footage sequel Silent Night Deadly Night Part 2.
Now in reviewing this film I am presented with a rather difficult position because I could have saved myself time in writing this review, by simply copying and pasting most of my review from yesterday into this one. ‘Why is that?’ I can’t hear you ask. Well, because this is a review written days in advance.
First up here’s the framing device of the film; Ricky (the brother of the first film’s killer Billy) is telling his psychiatrist all about his past, while in a prison cell. So to tell this story, the film uses footage from the first film as flashbacks, such as Ricky and Billy’s parents being murdered by the Santa thug.
The way the flashbacks are done are just odd with Ricky being able to remember moments in which he wasn’t even present, such as Billy’s mental breakdown in the toy store, or most bizarrely a conversation between two policemen on the lookout for Billy, yet they never meet with him or Ricky. I don’t know about you dear readers but I’d kill for the ability to remember conversations I wasn’t present for.
I wouldn’t mind the use of flashback footage to recap the first film; sometimes it can be difficult to fully recall some events. This film takes it to a ridiculous level, the first forty minutes of this film, I repeat the first FORTY MINUTES, is a condensed recap much of the first film, showing us the much of its opening and the near entirety of Billy’s murderous rampage.
Now a sequel recapping the events of its predecessor is one thing, but half of the film being one giant recap is really taking the piss. Perhaps the weirdest moment occurs when Ricky visits the cinema with his girlfriend and the film they’re watching is, and I’m really not kidding here, the first Silent Night Deadly Night.
So you see my dilemma if you want to know my view on the first half of this film, just go and read yesterday’s review again. The same stuff I thought was good the first time around I still thought was good.
This film begins proper about half way through when the plot switches to Ricky’s point of view and the film gives us original material and this is when the film really starts to get good. The lead role of Ricky is played by the magnificent scenery munching monster that is Eric Freeman, quite possibly the funniest horror villain ever committed to film.
Freeman overacts his way through the film, giving widely over the top deliveries of almost every line of dialogue, pulling facial expressions like a man determined to make his eyes explode out his nostrils, and cackling like a lunatic at every opportunity, the man is simply brilliant and I should say that his performance is the only reason to watch the film, with him being hilarious right up to the minute. That is if it weren’t for one truly iconic moment and those of you have seen this moment will know what I’m referring to.
The main set piece of the film and it’s most iconic moment comes towards the end of Ricky’s story to the psychiatrist and we find out what he did to land himself in prison. After killing by his girlfriend’s creeper ex-boyfriend (who looks like a reject from a Duran Duran tribute band) as well as his girlfriend, Ricky snatches a gun and embarks on the funniest killing spree I’ve ever seen in a film.
This scene really shouldn’t be as funny as it is. I mean it’s a shooting spree and Ricky murders a lot of innocent people, but it’s Freeman’s deranged performance that just renders it wonderful, switching back and forth between cold-blooded killing machine and having a right good chuckle to himself. And it’s this hilarious execution that leads me to the most famous moment of the film when Ricky spotting a victim taking out his rubbish bins utters the line that ensured this film a place in meme history. Say it with me now – “GARBAGE DAY!!!!!!!!!!!”
This one line and Freeman’s wonderful performance is why I picked Silent Night Deadly Night Part 2 to review for Christmas Day. Sure I could have picked something obvious like The Nightmare Before Christmas (which people did request) or something like Krampus (which I looked at a few days ago).
If I may slightly reuse what I said in October (because like this film I love reusing stuff) at the end of my series then, I pick films like this one not because they’re classic beloved by all, but I pick them because they’re the kinds of films that are best watched with your friends laughing at the daft stuff along with you. And isn’t togetherness and happiness the best feelings to experience at this wonderful time of year.
So once again thanks for reading and I humbly and truly wish you and your loved ones a very happy GARBAGE DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★/ Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Graeme Robertson
