Prepare for a trilogy of pure terror with this collection of films from the Silent Night, Deadly Night series. In Better Watch Out!, it’s a very bloody Christmas after Ricky Caldwell, the notorious “Killer Santa Claus,” awakens from a six-year coma with one thing on his mind: murder. In Initiation, a reporter’s investigation into a mysterious death leads her into the clutches of a cult that’s chosen her as its new queen, and The Toy Maker stars entertainment legend Mickey Rooney as a toy maker whose creations display some very human – and deadly – tendencies.
For thoughts on the Silent Night, Deadly Night Collection, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:
Video Quality
The Silent Night, Deadly Night Collection containing Silent Night, Deadly Night 3-5 finally arrives on Blu-Ray with each film making their 1080p debut. Each film is provided on their own separate disc in their original aspect ratio “digitally restored” without any specific details given about the source. These transfers share a lot of the same qualities, so they will be talked about as a group with any meaningful differences pointed out. None of the transfers offer a 5-star experience, but overall these images impress more than you might expect. Despite the claims of being digitally restored, this appears to be derived from a dated master that has not had a huge amount of work done to it.
Print damage is not completely absent, but it is surprisingly kept to a minimum across all three films. Given the low budget nature of these features, you might be taken aback by how much better they look than any previous release. Scene to scene can look a bit inconsistent, either incredibly clear and distinct or a bit soft and lacking fine detail. The transfer is naturally filmic with some favorable detail in the landscapes, production design and texture of clothing. Colors are a mixed bag with some moments making an impression and others lacking true vibrancy, and the black levels are a bit weak in their depth. It is readily apparent that you are watching an HD transfer, but do not expect to be blown away with the quality. The strongest entry may be the fourth film by a narrow margin, but things stay pretty steady across the three. Brightly lit scenes will be the standout moments from each entry. Fans who have been waiting for these misfit sequels should find these to be more than acceptable.
Audio Quality
Lionsgate Home Entertainment brings us these new Blu-Ray discs with a lossless DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mix that accurately and pleasingly reproduces the soundscapes of these films. While the video may not be anything to write home about, the audio is in much better shape overall. The music that accompanies these movies flows through with a memorable fidelity. The dialogue holds up nicely, coming though clearly without being stepped on by the music or sound effects. The environmental effects are delineated nicely from the kinetic activity that usually results in somebody’s demise. This collection handles audio very well for fans. Optional English, English (SDH) and Spanish subtitles are provided on this disc.
Special Features
Silent Night, Deadly Night 3: Better Watch Out
- Audio Commentary: Film Historian Jarret Gahan delivers an incredible commentary track in which he discusses the legacy of the film, the production history, the careers of the cast and crew involved, how this compares to other entries in the franchise, how this fits into the holiday horror genre, the rise in straight-to-video horror, and so much more. There are a lot of great insights that are worth a listen.
- Outshine The Brain Cap – Interview with Actor Bill Moseley: A new 17-minute interview with Moseley in which he discusses the importance of physicality in a performance, getting involved with the project, his memories of director Monte Hellman, his impression of his fellow cast members, trying to “outshine the brain cap,” attempting to maintain safety on the set and more. Moseley is such a professional, and it is never less than fascinating to hear him discuss his work.
- Monte & Me – Interview with Creative Consultant Steven Gaydos: A new 21-minute interview with Gaydos in which he discuss this film as a good art film instead of a good entry in this series, his 50 years of friendship with Monte Hellman, getting involved with Silent Night Deadly Night 3, shaping the humor of the film, what the team wanted to accomplish with this entry and more.
- For A Live Audience: Silent Night, Deadly Night 3 – Interview with Executive Producer Richard Gladstein: A nearly ten-minute new interview with Gladstein in which he discusses how the home video industry buoyed the independent film scene, the decision to continue this franchise, acquiring the rights to the series, what he learned from making this film and more.
- Trailer: The minute-and-a-half trailer is provided here.
- Still Gallery: A four-minute collection of images from the production of the film and promotional materials are included here.
Silent Night, Deadly Night 4: Initiation
- Audio Commentary: Director Brian Yuzna delivers a great commentary track moderated by Michael Felsher from Red Shirt Pictures in which he discusses his motivation for his prologues, getting involved with directing, his focus on creating images that are aesthetically interesting, the surrealistic flourishes, memories of the performers, the shooting locations, shooting on a limited budget, and much more that makes for a compelling listen.
- Our Man Ricky with Clint Howard: A new 14-minute interview with Howard in which he discusses the unexpected tone of the film, leaning into the insanity of the narrative, his relationship with Yuzna, terrifying his fellow cast members, the special effects of Screaming Mad George and more.
- Ritualistic Behavior – Interview with Screenwriter Woody Keith: A new 14-minute interview with Keith in which he discusses his early work in the industry, his collaborations with Brian Yuzna, the limitations of being connected to the series and more.
- Twisted Visions – Interview with Surrealistic Design & Effects Artist Screaming Mad George: A new 18-minute interview with Screaming Mad George in which he discusses his philosophy of working with special effects, working with Yuzna, his interest in surrealistic imagery, how he practically created certain moments and more.
- For A Live Audience: Silent Night, Deadly Night 4 – Interview with Executive Producer Richard Gladstein: A nine-minute new interview with Gladstein in which he discusses what lead to this fourth entry in the series, the work of Brian Yuzna, developing the story from a thematic perspective, the tone they were trying to strike and more.
- Trailer: The minute-long trailer is provided here.
- Still Gallery: A five-minute collection of images from the production of the film and promotional materials are included here.
Silent Night, Deadly Night 5: Better Watch Out
- Audio Commentary: Director/Co-writer Martin Kitrosser delivers a solid commentary track moderated by Michael Felsher from Red Shirt Pictures in which he discusses getting involved with the franchise, his work in the genre as a whole, the difficulties that arose during production, his excitement working with some legendary actors, taking the series away from a slasher genre, the legacy of the feature and more.
- The Best Presents – Interview with Producer/Co-Writer Brian Yuzna: A new 18-minute interview with Yuzna in which he discusses the unique place of this entry in the franchise, writing this film as “atonement” for getting away from the slasher elements with the previous film, working with Kitrosser, logistical reasons for certain creative decisions and more.
- Pino’s Truth – Interview with Actor Brian Bremer: A new 20-minute interview with Bremer in which he discuss the unique lengths he went to in order to prepare for his audition, working with Yuzna, the shooting locations, acting in the suit, finding a believable motivation for his character and more.
- The Most Toys – Interview with Surrealistic Design & Effects Artist Screaming Mad George: A new 14-minute interview with Screaming Mad George in which he discusses his work on this entry, embracing the black humor of the story, his feelings about his work, his biggest suggestions about the design, how this film fits in with the overall franchise and more.
- For A Live Audience: Silent Night, Deadly Night 5 – Interview with Executive Producer Richard Gladstein: A nine-minute new interview with Gladstein in which he discusses how this entry came to be, how the creative team viewed the franchise as a whole, working with Mickey Rooney, being creative when it came to producing and more.
- Trailer: The minute-and-a-half trailer is provided here.
- Still Gallery: An eight-minute collection of images from the production of the film and promotional materials are included here.
Final Thoughts
The Silent Night, Deadly Night Collection is made for the hardcore fans of the series. The first two films have fans that extend beyond the most fervent horror nerds into a sub-level of mainstream. This is not the aim of this collection. Here we get the three direct-to-video offerings which blaze their own trails when it comes to deciding what exactly this series can be. The results are often grotesque and in poor taste, but they are bold visions executed by some creative visionaries. Holiday horror is such an expansive term, and these three films show you how weird and wild things can get when creatives are somewhat let loose. They are miles away from perfect, but they are interesting messes which really hit the spot when you want something bizarre and horrific. Lionsgate Home Entertainment has released a new Blu-Ray set through their Vestron Video Collector’s Series featuring a decent A/V presentation and a substantial arrangement of special features. If you are a fan of the series, this is a pleasing package at a knockout price. Recommended
Silent Night, Deadly Night Collection is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Lionsgate Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.