∇
troperville

∇
tools

∇
toys

SubpagesFilm
Main
NightmareFuel
Trivia
YMMV

main index

Narrative

Genre

Media

Topical Tropes

Other Categories

random

Subpages:

Film: Silent Night, Deadly Night

"Santa's watching, Santa's waiting..."

Silent Night, Deadly Night is a 1984 Slasher Movie.

On the way home from visiting his institutionalized grandfather (who warns him that Santa punishes naughty children severely) little Billy Chapman witnesses his father being shot to death by a drunken criminal dressed as Santa, who kills Mrs. Chapman by slitting her throat after trying to rape her moments later. Placed in an abusive orphanage with his younger brother Billy has puritanical morals drilled into him by the tyrannical mother superior. Growing up Billy eventually gets a job at a toy store but, when the Christmas season comes roaring in, he ultimately snaps and believing himself to be jolly old Saint Nick goes around murdering people he deems naughty (essentially everyone).

Despite there being several Christmas-themed horror films released before, Silent Night, Deadly Night was the one that caused the Moral Guardians to froth at the mouth in rage over the film depicting Santa Claus as a villain. The film was pulled from theatres quickly, but found a cult following on home video and was followed by four sequels: Silent Night Deadly Night Part 2 in 1987, Silent Night Deadly Night III Better Watch Out in 1989, Initiation Silent Night Deadly Night 4 in 1990 and Silent Night Deadly Night 5 The Toymaker in 1991.

After being in Development Hell for years, a remake (simply called Silent Night) was completed in 2012, it stars Malcolm McDowell, Jaime King, Donal Logue and Ellen Wong.

This film provides examples of:

Accidental Murder: Officer Barnes shoots a man in a Santa suit he thought was Billy when the Santa fails to back off from the orphanage children when Barnes yells at him to. Turns out the Santa was Father O'Brien, who was deaf.
Alas, Poor Villain: Sister Margaret's reaction to Billy's death at the end of the film.
Asshole Victim: Andy and Mac.
Attempted Rape: The robber Santa attempts rape Mrs. Chapman before killing her. Andy's rape attempt on Pamela later is the final straw that sends Billy over the edge.
An Axe to Grind: Billy's main weapon.
Bad Santa:
- The robber Santa.
- Billy becomes one when he goes over the edge.
Being Watched: One of the sledders feels Billy watching them before the bullies show up.
Catch Phrase: When Billy kills someone, he yells "Punish!"
Death by Sex: Denise and Tommy.
Drop the Hammer: Billy stabs Mr. Sims in the head with a claw hammer.
Erotic Dream: Billy tries to have one involving Pamela, but it turns into a nightmare when Santa appears and attacks him.
Even Evil Has Standards: Billy goes to extremes to to punish the naughty, but leaves those alone who have been good.
Fan Disservice: All the female victims (apart from Mrs. Randall) die topless.
Flashback Nightmare: Billy suffers from these as a kid.
Gory Discretion Shot: Mr. Sims being stabbed in the head with a claw hammer.
Groin Attack: Tommy manages to kick Billy in the crotch while they're fighting.
Hard Work Montage: Shown when Billy's working at the toy store.
Harmful to Minors: Billy witnessing the deaths of his parents.
Infant Immortality:
- The Santa criminal goes looking for Billy after killing the Chapman parents but he doesn't bother with baby Ricky, who's crying in the car.
- Later, Billy at first looks like he's going to kill Cindy, but leaves her alone when she claims she was good all year.
Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: Denise being impaled on the antlers of a mounted deer head.
Ironic Nursery Tune: "Santa's Watching".
Santa's watching, Santa's creeping
Now you're nodding, now you're sleeping
Were you good for Mom and Dad?
Santa knows when you've been bad...
Jerkass: Grandpa Chapman. It got him on I-Mockery's "Favorite Christmas Movie Assholes" list.
Knight Templar: Mother Superior. She is a "good" version as she tells the cop that the first priority is that kids should not be harmed.
Karma Houdini: The guy who killed the store clerk and the Chapman parents, plus Mother Superior (at least until the sequel).
Off with His Head!: Mac gets his head chopped off while sledding.
Pet the Dog: The scene between Billy and Cindy Sure, he gives her a bloody box cutter as a gift but the look on both their faces (beaming joy and utter befuddlement) is priceless.
Police Are Useless: The police is shown going after the wrong Santas. Captain Richards does take Billy down in the end, though.
Pun-Based Title
Sequel Hook: The film ends with a note that Billy's brother has adopted his doctrine.
Shout Out: One of the film's taglines: "You've made it through Halloween, now try and survive Christmas."
Slashed Throat: Mrs. Chapman has her throat sit.
That Man Is Dead: A variation: After being mortally wounded, Billy tries to comfort the children around him the only way he knows how - by reassuring them that Santa Claus isn't going to haunt anyone anymore. Given Billy's "upbringing" with Mother Superior's Knight Templar brand of morality, this comes out also as another kind of epithet.
Ungrateful Bitch: Billy saves Pamela from being brutally raped. She freaks out and calls him a crazy bastard before punching him in the face. Granted, Billy had gone perhaps a bit further in stopping the attempted rapist than Pamela really wanted him to, but still...
Villain Protagonist: Billy.
Well-Intentioned Extremist: Both Billy and Mother Superior. Despite their rather... extreme methods, they both seem to genuinely believe that they're doing the right thing.