I am velvety-smoothReview is BELOWI am veltely smooth, too
_______
DVD: Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 (1987)
 
       
Review Rating:   Good  
...back to Index
S
   
Label/Studio:
Anchor Bay 
 
Catalog #:
DV12601
 
...or start from scratch
A
Region:
1 (NTSC)
Released:

October 7, 2003

 

 

 
Genre: Horror  
Synopsis:
After witnessing the death of his homicidal brother, Ricky Caldwell grows up into a beefy stud, but beneath all that muscle lies a silent rage.. and persistent prodding from a state-appointed shrink just makes matters worse.  

 

 

Directed by:

Lee Harry

Screenplay by: Lee Harry, Joseph H. Earle
Music by: Michael Armstrong
Produced by: Lawrence Applebaum
Cast:

Eric Freeman, James L. Newman, Elizabeth Cayton (Kaitan), Jean Miller, Darrel Guilbeau, Brian

Film Length: 88 mins
Process/Ratio: 1.85 :1
Colour
Anamorphic DVD: Yes
Languages:  English (Mono)
Subtitles:  
 
Special Features :  

Side A --- Main Feature: "Silent Night Deadly Night" / Audio Interview (35:37) with Director Charles E. Sellier, Jr. / Santa's Stocking of Outrage press montage (8+13+1) / Poster & Still Gallery (20 Images) / 8-page color booklet with liner notes by Adam Rockoff

Side B --- Second Feature: "Silent Night Deadly Night Part 2" / Audio Commentary by Director/Co-writer Lee Harry, Co-writer Joseph H. Earle, & Actor James Newman / Poster & Still Galleries (42) / "Silent Night Deadly Night 2" screenplay in PDF format

 
 
Comments :

There's 2 stories to the beginnings of the “Silent Night Deadly Night” franchise: director Charles Sellier, in the included audio interview, recounts how label LIVE Video wanted a sequel when the first film did very well; on the other hand, director Lee Harry, in the commentary track for the second film, describes a bizarre corporate decision to recut the first film, and pass it off as a sequel!

Sensing an element of ridiculousness, working editor Lee Harry proposed a balance between newly scripted material and flashbacks from the original film – something the producers forced upon the fledgling director – and Harry was compelled to trim more vicious shots from the first film to keep the MPAA calm.

The incorporation of long, long flashback footage, and a lead actor literally cast for a buffed look, ultimately taxes the viewer's patience, until a concluding suburban slaughter offers some minor relief in what's really just a blatant cash-in film. Director Harry's editing skills give the short flashes that presage Eric Freeman's outbursts extra polish, but as Harry explains in the commentary track with his co-writer, money was beyond tight. That major flaw, however, provides some rather funny anecdotes for cheating copyright issues, casting lookalikes for editorial continuity, and grabbing anyone within sneezing distance to fill a shot.

Eric Newman's career was limited to a handful of film and TV work; worthy of a Golden Turkey Award for Worst Performance by a Male Actor, his maniacal eyebrows frequently ripple across the forehead, and the filmmakers point out a key ‘dueling eyebrows' sequence before a Rambo-like shootout. Co-star and co-commentator James Newman was also new to feature movies, and like the filmmakers, he accepted the horror assignment to get his foot in Hollywood 's particleboard door. Though he's enjoyed more film work in recent years, Newman's comments illustrate the dilemmas that an el cheapo sequel can inflict upon an actor hungry for work after years in the theatre.

A natural companion to the first film, “Silent Night Deadly Night: Part 2” was followed by 3 more sequels; each maintained increasingly vague affiliations to the preceding installment, although “Silent Night Deadly Night 4: Initiation” is a classic of a kind, from twisted “Society” director Brian Yuzna.

 

© 2003 Mark R. Hasan

Bzzz-bzz-bazzz-brzzoom!
_IMDB Entry________Script Online _________Fan/Official Film site________Cast/Crew Link
_IMDB Detailed Entry_______Scripts available online ________Fan/Official Film Site__________Additional Related Sites
____Amazon.com __________Amazon.ca _________Bay Street Video_______Comparisons_
__Amazon.com info____Amazon.com info____Basy Street Video info______Compare Different Region releases_
_Soundtrack CD__________CD Review__________LP Review__________Composer Filmog.
_________Soundtrack Review_______Yes, VINYL_________
Brrr-boooshi-bzz-bazzah!
 
 
Vrrfpt-Voot-Voot-Voot!
 

Site designed for 1024 x 768 resolution, using 16M colours, and optimized for MS Explorer 6.0. KQEK Logo and All Original KQEK Art, Interviews, Profiles, and Reviews Copyright © 2001-Present by Mark R. Hasan. All Rights Reserved. Additional Review Content by Contributors 2001-Present used by Permission of Authors. Additional Art Copyrighted by Respective Owners. Reproduction of any Original KQEK Content Requires Written Permission from Copyright Holder and/or Author. Links to non-KQEK sites have been included for your convenience; KQEK is not responsible for their content nor their possible use of any pop-ups, cookies, or information gathering.

 
__