Update 4/28/15 - 12/8/17: Happy Ho-Ho-Holidays! Updating with the brand spankin' new, Scream Factory 2-disc blu-ray Collector's Edition. Oh, and Code Red Catch-Up isn't actually finished. I just got busy this week and then had to do this update. But I've got 3 more CR's sitting here on my desk, ready to go after this post. 🎅
Update 12/25/24: It's Christmas - time to celebrate with an all new, UHD upgrade of horror's most notorious seasonal slasher! Let's just hope we won't be disappointed once we unwrap it, right?
The iconic imagery of a killer Santa Claus is a huge part of this movie's success, which is interesting because it's far from the Christmas themed horror movie... or even the first one to specifically feature a killer in a Santa suit. Black Christmas, To All a Good Night, the classic segment from Tales From the Crypt, and even the similarly titled Silent Night, Bloody Night all precede it; and Don't Open Till Christmas was playing in theaters the very same year. But I guess this one's television ads played before the wrong angsty parents, because they protested and got the film pulled. Curiously, longtime Hollywood star Mickey Rooney got on board with the movement, saying, "How dare they! ...The scum who made that movie should be run out of town."1 But then he later wound up starring in Silent Night, Deadly Night part 5.
At any rate, it's a pretty good, little movie. It is also a very pure slasher film, in that it follows all the "rules" and stays very true to the elements of a traditional 80s slasher film. It's got a simple but effective concept, good lines, a nice look, some creative kills and Linnea Quigley, But one thing it does a little different than the norm is follow the killer for the entire film, rather than giving us the standard "good girl" protagonist. Eventually, our heroes turn out to be a pair of nuns who've known the killer since he was a little boy, including the very stern and downright frightening Mother Superior, excellently played by Lilyan Chauvin. Most of the film plays it pretty safe, and while well executed, doesn't try to stand out from its peers; and in the long run it's a little too much of a generic slasher to be really great. But the fact that it's so well crafted from at least some of the performances to the music that have kept it popular among horror fans for decades.
So Anchor Bay, when they were the reigning kings of horror DVDs, first released Silent Night, Deadly Night as a double-sided "flipper" disc with Part 2 in 2003. They later reissued it as a 2-disc set, and Arrow released it in the UK. All of these releases were a little disappointing though, because they were light on extras compared to how beloved and anticipated this particular film has always been, and because their transfers were based on an edited print, with most of the violence reinstated from a much lower quality source. It was murky and grungy, but it was the best they could do. So when Anchor Bay announced an uncut blu-ray special edition taken from a high quality source, people got excited. But... they never technically said it wasn't going to be another composite cut, which it was. And then when Scream Factory announced their uncut blu-ray special edition taken from an brand new 4k scan done by Sony with the original camera negative, people got excited again. But... they never technically said it wasn't going to be another composite cut either, and, well:
Scream also made the interesting decision to give us two discs with both cuts. That way, you can watch the edited theatrical cut in 4k quality without the seams and dupey inserts. But the theatrical cut is really gutted. It's about six minutes difference, and frankly, more than half of the movie's highlights. So if you really wanna watch the theatrical cut, you do you. But for me and most fans, Silent Night, Deadly Night is likely going to be a composite cut for now and forever... something only further reiterated by Scream's latest 2024 release, which gives the film an updated 4k scan on a proper UHD disc. But more frustratingly, not only do they still not have the elements to restore the unrated footage - which fair enough, I think we all expected - but they haven't even put the composite cut on UHD, only the theatrical! So, basically, we're expected to buy a UHD and only watch the included unrated BD (which does, for the record, utilize the new scan), or the crap censored version. Why, Scream Factory, why?!?
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4) There's no theatrical shot of this scene, 'cause it's not in the theatrical cut. 5) ibid. |
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7) This shot's not on the UHD either, again, because it's not in the theatrical cut. |
It does look best on the UHD, though. The suit still looks brighter red than the 2017 edition, but more red than orange. It's essentially the best of both worlds. Resolution is also naturally improved. Comparing the two BD transfers again, it's really a tie. One speck of grain will be clearer on one disc, and another will be on the other. But it's all much better resolved, with smoother, less pixelated edges on the true, 4k disc. It's just a shame I'll never have cause to watch it because it's heavily cut.
Maybe the only reason I can think of to hang onto the AB blu-ray is if you're a big surround mix lover, because they bumped the DVD's old mono track up to a Dolby TrueHD 5.1. But frankly, it wasn't much. It was still kind of flat and basically like the movie's always sounded. And, of course, it's revisionist. Scream Factory has dumped the 5.1 and gone back to a purist DTS-HD mono (in 2.0, of course) on both the 2017 and 2024 releases. I'm a little surprised they didn't throw in both for those fans who've gotta have that 5.1; but I don't miss it and far more pleased to have the mono back, now in HD, the best audio option yet. Oh, and every release except the DVD does have optional subs (AB even has Spanish, too).
But if you're on the fence about double-dipping with the same old SD insert footage, consider the extras. Like I said, the DVDs came up short: essentially just an audio interview with director Charles E. Sellier, Jr. It was good, but just one non-video interview. Well, there was also an insert/ booklet with notes, a stills gallery and "Santa's Stocking of Outrage" which sounds awesome but was really just another gallery, this time of quotes from protestors. Even the trailer or the notorious TV commercial would've been nice, but nope. Just coal in that stocking.
Now, the AB blu-ray still wasn't the loaded special edition fans want, but in addition to porting over all the DVD extras, they did get an audio commentary. It features writer Michael Hickey, composer Perry Botkin, editor/ second unit director Michael Spence and co-executive producer Scott J. Schneid. And it's pretty good. I saw some people knock it, but I think they were just salty over their other disappointments with the disc. It's not one of the great commentaries like the ones by John Carpenter or Bruce Campbell; but between the four of them they keep it pretty lively and informative.
But
count on Scream Factory to seize the special features day! Yes, they
have all the old extras from both the DVD and the newer AB commentary.
Even that dumb "Santa's Stocking of Outrage." But oh yeah, also a whole bunch of new stuff. We have a brand new commentary by Billy himself, Robert Brian Wilson,
along with producer Schneid, back for more. Then all those guys -
Hickey, Schneid, Spence, Botkin and Wilson come back for a great little
45 minute documentary, with co-producer Dennis Whitehead, too. My only complaint is that some of these do incorporate some repetition.
You know what's less repetitious, though? All the other new extras with different people. How about a 20+ minute on-camera interview with Linnea Quigley? Okay, it looks like it was shot with a cellphone before cellphone cameras were invented. But still, it's great to finally get her on disc with this film. And I love when they go back and track down the old locations now. This one's no Horror's Hallowed Ground, but it's still a treat. And finally - finally! - the infamous TV ads that cause all the uproar are here. In fact, we get the theatrical trailer, two TV spots, a radio ad and even a VHS trailer. Plus Scream's set comes in a slip cover, and I usually hate their comic book style revisionist artwork, but this is one of their best. But of course I prefer the reversible cover with the original art that we also get. Oh, and if you ordered the "deluxe" version directly from Scream's site, you didn't just get an 18"x24" poster (they roll them now!) but an 8" Billy figure - holy crap! I didn't spring for it, but that's pretty wild.
2024 did net us some additional extras, in addition to carrying everything from the previous editions forward, but it's a little underwhelming. The Hysteria Continues join up with expert Amanda Reyes for an expert commentary on the theatrical cut, in an effort to give us some reason to watch their new UHD. They do come up with some new informative details, but I wish we could've gotten those in a brief interview/ visual essay rather than having to sift through a whole feature commentary to hear them. And we get two more interviews with Schneid and Spence, who've already been featured heavily on previous editions and repeat almost all the same anecdotes they've already shared on their previous extras. The most fun/ rewarding of the new lot is probably a short featurette, which again talks to Schneid and Whitehead (look, nothing against these guys; in fact, it's great to have them on these discs, but how many times can we dip back into the same well?), but this time they tackle a fresher topic, looking at merch from the film, including comic books, soundtrack albums, and the board game. By the way, I've played that game, and it's too simple/ easy (we won it in like 10 minutes on the first try), so it probably needs some additional house rules to make it interesting. But they did a good job with the art and all the little pieces and everything, so fans should get a kick out of it. But anyway, back to Scream's release, that's it for new content, but it does come in a nice slipcover with the beloved traditional artwork.
And since Part 2 comes in the Anchor Bay set, let's take a quick look at that, too; not that the film's any good really. An unbelievable bulk of the film - a good, solid half! - is just footage from Part 1. It basically goes through the entire first film again, using the exact same film, from beginning to end. The only difference is that this time, we keep cutting away every so often to Ricky, the younger brother of the killer in the first film, who's now grown up and recounting the tale to a psychiatrist. Finally, at the end, he gets out and goes on a killing rampage just like his big brother. And none of that new story is anywhere near the quality of the original. But at least it's a direct continuation of the story, unlike subsequent films, which wound up being pretty disconnected. And some of the crazy line deliveries ("garbage day!") have earned this one its own, distinct cult following, so there's that.
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Yes, this IS a screencap from Part 2. I told ya, a huge, huge chunk of it is just footage from Part 1. |
Silent Night, Deadly Night may not be the best yuletide horror movie ever (Christmas Evil, anyone?), but it's one of the most popular, and it sure is fun to watch with the family gathered together on Christmas Eve night. But this latest edition is annoying. Scream continues their tradition of only wanting to pay for a single cut of a film onto UHD, and relegating other versions to BD only (see also: Lifeforce, Army of Darkness, Exorcist 3, etc). That's especially frustrating in cases like this one or Nightbreed, where the cuts they leave off are the most desirable versions. scream used to impress by including multiple cuts even when barely warranted; now it seems the pendulum has swung in the other direction, and some of these 4ks are starting to feel like quick cash-ins on the excellent work they did before.
But, now I'm starting to get a little too negative, because no matter how you slice it, their new 3-disc release is easily the best edition of Silent Night, Deadly Night going. If you've already got the 2017 edition, I'd consider this a very low priority to replace. But if you don't already own this film, yeah, there's no reasonable argument to be made that the 2024 isn't the one to buy.
1Schanie, A. (2010) Movie Confidential: Sex, Scandal, Murder and Mayhem In the Film Industry. Clerisy Press, p 108.
Does the Tristar logo appear at least?
ReplyDeleteNope, no logo; it opens right up with the zooming SNDN title card (or the warning about SD elements being in the composite cut in the case of the Unrated disc).
DeleteScream Factory scanned the original negative files, so they probably do not have the license to include the Tristar references in their products.
DeleteThey received a theatrical copy from Sony Pictures, but no Tristar logo?
ReplyDeleteThanks forr a great read
ReplyDeleteThanks for the caps! I was considering buying this just for the new Unrated cut on Blu (haven't upgraded to 4K yet) but after looking at the orange Santa suit in the new Blu caps, I think I'll just keep spinning the 2017 disc.
ReplyDelete