To promote the film, TriStar cut a trailer and launched a small screen ad campaign. Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984) Ten years later, another Christmas-themed […] From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to navigationJump to search Not to be confused with Silent Night, Bloody Night. They were trying to find out who owned the rights to the film presently. Well would you look at that, it’s Christmas time, a time that is known around the world as a season of joy. It's just like what his grandpa told him that Santa does to naughty people. The Controversy Begins. We pretty much had the run of the place, so it worked out really well. Billy Chapman is a fictional character in the Silent Night, Deadly Night franchise.Created by writers Paul Caimi and Michael Hickey, the character serves as the protagonist and antivillain of the first film, Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984), and is featured in flashbacks in the sequel, Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 (1987).. I guess it was somebody at Fangoria magazine that remembered that or was there and said ‘contact Scott Schneid because he introduced the movie’ or something like that. “I have nothing against middle-age cultural elitists; I’m one now. Still, when it comes to Christmas-themed horror films, there is one that stands out from the rest of the pack even more: Silent Night, Deadly Night. Despite its short theatrical run, Silent Night, Deadly Night still managed a substantial box-office take. EXCLUSIVE: Orwo Studios and Black Hanger Studios ( Jeepers Creepers: Reborn) have acquired remake rights to controversial 1984 slasher film Silent Night, Deadly Night, which Orwo is … [They were interested in] ‘a limited theatrical run throughout the United States in a few hundred theaters, and would [we] be interested in this?’’And I said ‘yes, of course we’d be interested in this.’” If the response so far has been any indication, horror fans are too. We brought this concept of a psycho Santa to Michael and hired Michael to do a treatment, a very detailed thirty page treatment, and pay him as well to do a feature screenplay off of the treatment. We then hired Michael. From the musician practically having a seizure of a keyboard or two to an accapella christmas carroll. Its historic controversy then served to elevate the film to “legendary” status over the years. 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What some fans might not realize, however, is that they were released on the exact same day. It is worth remembering that SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT was awarded an 'R' rating by the MPAA – the body that had cracked down on violence in slasher movies since the controversy over FRIDAY THE 13TH. '”, Shot in Utah due to it being a Right To Work state and thus non-union (and filled with an abundance of snow), the film’s locations, most notably a toy store and an orphanage run by a group of nuns, are central to the plot. "You've made it through Halloween, now try and survive Christmas!" Slay bells ring, are you listening? The movie was the subject of much controversy, and some protesters demanded that the film be withdrawn. Christmas is of course primarily a time people associate with happiness, good cheer, and celebration. Further backlash from the public over the "killer Santa" character fueled the film's publicity campaign, but did not lead to generally favorable reception. But of course the controversy itself created the high profile, so the thing sort of fed on itself. I just thought it was going to be another one intended for the R-rated teenage audience. Let’s unwrap the films the controversial history and see what made it a cult classic. It’s fairly common knowledge among horror fans that the posters and the TV spots heavily featuring the killer dressed as Santa wielding an ax caused parents to protest the film being shown in theaters. Silent Night, Deadly Night focuses on Billy Chapman, who witnesses the brutal murder of his parents as a child by a criminal dressed in a Santa Claus suit. I didn’t anticipate it, but when it happened I was kind of delighted. When not writing, Michael enjoys going to concerts, taking in live professional wrestling, and debating pop culture. released direct-to-video, concludes the Billy/Ricky storyline, and follows Ricky as he stalks a clairvoyant blind woman on her way to visit her grandmother for … Just in time for the holidays! Silent Night, Deadly Night has a proper plot, and it even starts off establishing a proper backstory for the killer, Billy. That was surely a lump of coal in the stockings of the film's detractors. We knew it was going to be a little movie, we knew it was going to be produced inexpensively if it was produced at all, and I never imagined that it would get noticed or that it would have such a high profile. They showed up when it was released, they’ve been showing up on video ever since. Silent Night, Deadly Night is a 1984 American 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 second film, Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 continues the story of Billy's younger brother, Ricky, who also goes on a murder spree, and is largely made up of flashbacks featuring footage from the first film. That’s what was interesting. The second film, Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 continues the story of Billy's younger brother, Ricky, who also goes on a murder spree, and is largely made up of flashbacks featuring footage from the first film. Michael Kennedy is an avid movie and TV fan that's been working for Screen Rant in various capacities since 2014. Right from the beginning, Dennis and I said, this was the time of the original Friday the 13th and Halloween, and this concept just struck Dennis and I as being potentially incredibly visual and franchisable, franchisable [meaning] it lead itself to spawning potential sequels ala the Friday the 13th series and Halloween series. ... Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984) is part 1 of 5 in the Silent Night, Deadly Night series. Set during Christmas, the story concerns a young man, Billy, who suffers from posttraumatic stress over witnessing his parents' Christmas Eve murder and his subsequent … “ Mr. Siskel and Mr. Ebert seemed to have failed to notice that the movie was not made for middle-age cultural elitists,” Hickey recalled. The orphanage was an old school. TriStar Pictures acquired Silent Night, Deadly Night from indie film producer Ira Barmak ( The ABC Afternoon Playbreak TV series) and targeted a November, 1984 release. We completely dressed it out to be a toy store. As a young adult, he gets a job working at a toy store around Christmas. A remake simply titled Silent Night has just been made, it stars Jaime King and Malcolm McDowell. 1 VIDEO | 66 IMAGES. The Jaycees in Cheyenne, Wyo., voted to dismantle the "Santa Room" in a haunted house the club was operating as … Utah has a lot of these old stone-built schools that were built probably a hundred years ago. Silent Night, Deadly Night has gone down in horror history as one of the most controversial holiday horror films, due mostly to its advertising campaign. I was contacted by Meyer Schwarzstein, from Brainstorm Media in Beverly Hills, which is a distribution company. Anyone remember the controversy around "Silent Night, Deadly Night"? The story of a mentally disturbed man who, filled with rage around the holiday season, dresses up as Santa Claus to punish those who are naughty, this equally maligned and celebrated film has developed quite the cult following over the past few decades, either in spite of or perhaps because of its reputation; its humorously dark tone and warped sensibilities has helped keep it going strong. More: Horror Has ALWAYS Been Political - You Just Weren’t Looking. They brought it out around October/Halloween time. Let’s unwrap the films the controversial history and see what made it a cult classic. Concerned parents were  outraged by the idea of a killer Santa Claus and the subsequent marketing materials the film produced; it remains unclear if those vocal detractors ever took the time to view the film in question. Today, Silent Night, Deadly Night is best known for the controversy it caused upon its release. It stemmed out of the fact it was basically a four-walling company that did its own advertising and there were a lot of nasty reviews that went back to a lot of Chuck’s earlier pictures, so I think they had their knives sharpened.”. “. It was a really cool location because it wreaked ‘old orphanage,’ I think. For a complete lists of locations, dates and showtimes, you can visit ScreenVision's official webpage here. It’s impossible to know now how this film would have done without the controversy, but Silent Night, Deadly Night proves in spades that there is really no such thing as bad publicity. Most of the objections toward the film were based solely on the marketing campaign, which featured a man in a Santa suit going down a chimney with a bloody axe. Few, however, endured the barrage of hate experienced by Silent Night, Deadly Night. He also loves both Marvel and DC movies, and wishes every superhero fan could just get along. Not everyone who observes Christmas does it for religious reasons, but it's easily the most popular holiday in America, and in many other parts of the world. This way you’re watching it with a fresh mindset. How does a person end up in a Santa suit with an ax in his hand, gleefully killing people on Christmas Eve? The film is filled with trashy nudity and violence. R | 1h 19min | Horror, Thriller | 9 November 1984 (USA) 1:32 | Trailer. Silent Night, Deadly Night is a 1984 American 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. He said, ‘look, there’s an entity called Screenvision and of course I’m sure you know about Fangoria, the horror magazine.’ [Screenvision] put on a screening a year or so ago of Halloween and had a lot of success with it. Silent Night, Deadly Night has a proper plot, and it even starts off establishing a proper backstory for the killer, Billy. Putting on the suit he associates with his parents' deaths causes him to snap, and go on a killing spree. A FL native, Michael is passionate about pop culture, and earned an AS degree in film production in 2012. Silent Night, Deadly Night is a 1984 American 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. Silent Night, Deadly Night tells the story of a young man named Billy, who suffers from post-traumatic stress over witnessing his parents' murder on Christmas Eve by a … From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to navigationJump to search Not to be confused with Silent Night, Bloody Night. It was being shown at Christmas time to a packed, sold out audience. The film sparked protests and threatened the “sanctity” of Christmas. The reboot is currently slated for release in 2022. When we were working on it, it was just our little movie. The third film, Better Watch Out! In adulthood, the Christmas holiday leads him into a psych… Mothers of children, of teenagers, probably couldn’t stand that these kids were going to see these horrible movies in their mind. For 50 years, Film at Lincoln Center has been dedicated to supporting the art and elevating the craft of cinema and enriching film culture. Mickey Rooney, one of the vocal detractors of the film in 1984, surprised people when he starred in Silent Night, Deadly Night 5: The Toy Maker (1991), leading some to call him a hypocrite for appearing in that film. A long-term member of the Screen Rant family, Michael looks forward to continuing on creating new content for the site for many more years to come. Silent Night, Deadly Night tells the story of a young man named Billy, who suffers from post-traumatic stress over witnessing his parents' murder on Christmas Eve by a … In the winter of 1984, Silent Night Deadly Night took audiences by storm. Sadly, these protests against Silent Night, Deadly Night, combined with a public shaming of the filmmakers by iconic film critics Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, actually worked in the short term. It has been theorized that the film was shot under the title The Toy Maker and the name Silent Night, Deadly Night was added to the title in post-production to create an in name only sequel, and that if Rooney knew that the film was a Silent Night, Deadly Night … That was always our intention, to deal with the character as to how he ended up in this horrible predicament in life and to treat it seriously. Coca-Cola, known for its family friendly image, was under fire from family groups for investing in such unwholesome fare as adult-themed TV shows, and, you guessed it, Silent Night Deadly Night. It’s fairly common knowledge among horror fans that the posters and the TV spots heavily featuring the killer dressed as Santa wielding an ax caused parents to protest the film being shown in theaters. Silent Night, Deadly Night attracted considerable controversy when it came out. Considering that half of that movie contained flashbacks from the original, there’s not really a difference though. When it comes to analyzing Silent Night, Deadly Night one must slide away all of the controversy and hype the film has. Concerned parent groups picketed theatres where it was showing, demanding its banning for turning such a lovable family icon as Santa Claus into a psycho. Billy is then sent to an orphanage run by an abusive nun, which doesn't do much to help his mental health. Probably the only reason anyone remembers that movie and why it got sequels. Silent Night, Deadly Night is a 1984 American 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. It (Christmas) is a day of celebration for both religious purposes and for cultural purposes. The film begins with a lengthy prologue in which little Billy sees his family murdered on Christmas Eve by a lunatic dressed as Santa. The film spawned controversy for its violence and marketing campaign, which emphasized the fact that Santa was a … The controversial film that had family values watchdogs in a frenzy in the ’80s, Silent Night, Deadly Night, is getting a reboot from the studio behind Jeepers Creepers: Reborn. The film even played at the Film Society of Lincoln Center last year as part of our Midnight Movies series. The CBS Evening News led off one night with a story about it. The R-rated film was released in the United States on November 9 1984 and immediately the public was in uproar. Story added by mr_blue_sky on January 24, 2021. It's a great film, and a great looking DVD. In his review of Silent Night, Deadly Night, film critic Leonard Maltin admonished the character of Billy, writing: "what's next—the Easter Bunny as a child killer?" Silent Night, Deadly Night was an actually pretty entertaining take on what an emotionally scarred kid who would later grow up to be a killer Santa conveniently done slasher style. Christmas' non-religious mascot is the jolly fat man known as Santa Claus, who brings presents to all the good little children around the world. The Silent Night Deadly Night controversy continued even after it was pulled. The controversial film that had family values watchdogs in a frenzy in the ’80s, Silent Night, Deadly Night, is getting a reboot from the studio behind Jeepers Creepers: Reborn. Eventually… Silent Night, Deadly Night was re-released in 1986 through an independent distributor and was successful enough to spawn a series of sequels and remakes. “I think it was 2006 or 2007, at Christmas time,“ Schneid recalled, “Michael Spence was there and we introduced Silent Night, Deadly Night at a revival theater in Los Angeles. 1 VIDEO | 66 IMAGES. It’s been twenty-nine years since the horror classic Silent Night, Deadly Night was unleashed upon the world to eager teenagers, horrified mothers and angry film critics. silent night, deadly night villains wiki. Little Billy witness his parents getting killed by Santa after being warned by his senile grandpa that Santa punishes those who are naughty. Parents groups protested in droves, mostly concerned with the advertising for … Billy Chapman was just 5 years old when he saw his parents killed by a man dressed as Santa Claus. Slight disclosure – that clip is from the hilariously bad sequel Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2.. As one would expect, Billy is thus traumatized by all things Christmas and, as he grows older, develops a murderous tendency of his own while everyone else is out celebrating the holiday festivities. Silent Night, Deadly Night is a 1984 American 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. Now Billy is 18, and out of the orphanage, and he has just become Santa, himself. Concerned parents were outraged by the idea of a killer Santa Claus and the subsequent marketing materials the film produced; it remains unclear if those vocal detractors ever took the time to view the film in question. A young man dresses like Santa Claus and kills people he deems naughty. FilmLinc Daily recently spoke with Michael Hickey, the film’s screenwriter, Michael Spence, editor and second unit director, and producer Scott Schneid to discuss issues of how the film came to be, its highly publicized theatrical release in 1984 and its legacy today. Concerned parent groups picketed theatres where it was showing, demanding its banning for turning such a lovable family icon as Santa Claus into a psycho. The idea of us taking the Santa character and inverting or subverting it, whatever you want to say, seemed to us that it would appeal tremendously to the teenage demographic out there – the most rebellious creatures on the planet are teenagers – and  felt they would just love the idea of blood on the snow and the psycho Santa. After years of abuse at the hands of tyrannical nuns, Billy's finally flipped! But there was a one sentence idea buried in that screenplay which was a ‘psycho Santa,’ which I responded to. 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 Catholicorphanage. Slight disclosure – that clip is from the hilariously bad sequel Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2.. Starring - Robert Brian Wilson, Lilyan Chauvin, Gilmer McCormick, Toni Nero, and Linnea Quigley. Billy sure did have a hell of swing. Its historic controversy then served to elevate the film to “legendary” status over the years. And I guess other horror films or slasher films might have given that short shrift, brief reference or backstory, but to us that was the story. All the latest gaming news, game reviews and trailers. On opening weekend, Silent Night, Deadly Night was in eighth place with a $1.4 million gross; the second weekend it made $782,600. The first film, Silent Night, Deadly Night, was a minor hit when released, but was met with controversy due to its violent content and subject matter. What many viewers undoubtedly found most disturbing about the film was its backstory. Dennis was acquainted with Michael (Hickey) who was a young writer and in fact he had written some really cool, spec horror/thriller scripts that I liked a lot. I loved it.”, In a very memorable segment on a holiday episode of Siskel and Ebert, Siskel famously called out the filmmakers by name, attempting to publicly antagonize and shame them. When Silent Night, Deadly Night was released, it was extremely controversial. On opening weekend, Silent Night, Deadly Night was in eighth place with a $1.4 million gross; the second weekend it made $782,600. The third film, Better Watch Out! It is not as if Santa was killed teens with a flick-knife attached to a giant phallus wrapped in tinsel, but the fact that Santa was perceived (albeit wrongly) to be the villain at all was too much to bear for … Orwo Studios and Black Hanger Studios will be working with the original film’s producers Scott Schneid and Dennis Whitehead of Wonderwheel Entertainment to hopefully bring the project to screens in 2022 according … We did intend it to be, right from the beginning, a seasonal slasher film that could be released at Christmas time and then future sequels could be released at subsequent Christmases.”. Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984) The first film in the series is memorable even without acknowledging the marketing controversy. The Controversy Begins. The movie that’s widely considered one of the primary influences of the entire slasher film subgenre is set at Christmastime. Silent Night, Deadly Night and A Nightmare on Elm Street are two of 1984’s most popular horror movies. Concerned parents were outraged by the idea of a killer Santa Claus and the subsequent marketing materials the film produced; it remains unclear if those vocal detractors ever took the time to view the film in question. The coverage and the notoriety was amazing and I thought very funny, very good. Considering that half of that movie contained flashbacks from the original, there’s not really a difference though. There was nothing else in the screenplay that interested me. Hopefully, Silent Night, Deadly Night’s cult fame will only further its reboot’s success. “Having worked with [Charles] Sellier [the film’s director] for a long time, “ Spence noted, “the Siskel and Ebert thing went back a long way, all the way back to Hangar 18, which I think was made in 1980. I remember people lost their shit...lol. No characters, no plot, nothing but this concept of a psycho Santa. That background is necessary to point out, because it's clear that the majority of people who protested the release of Silent Night, Deadly Night back in 1984 hadn't actually seen the film, or were even particularly familiar with its plot. The go-to source for comic book and superhero movie fans. “, Hickey was just as shocked by the film’s vitriolic response, although not altogether unpleased. Many of these protesters clearly assumed the killer in the film was actually supposed to be Santa, and not just a crazy man wearing the red suit. “I was an agent trainee at the William Morris office in Beverly Hills and had seen an amateur screenplay written by an alumnus of my university back East who had taken a screenwriting course,” Scott Schneid remembered, “It was pretty awful. On the other hand, the fact that Santa Claus is associated with bringing joy to kids makes him a perfect target for a horror makeover.