Silent Night, Deadly Night

This article is about the first film of the film series. For the film series, see Silent Night, Deadly Night (film series).
Not to be confused with Silent Night, Bloody Night.
Silent Night, Deadly Night
Theatrical release poster
Directed byCharles E. Sellier Jr.
Screenplay byMichael Hickey
Story byPaul Caimi
Produced byIra Richard Barmak
Scott J. Schneid
Dennis Whitehead
Starring
CinematographyHenning Schellerup
Edited byMichael Spence
Music byPerry Botkin
Production
company
Slayride Productions Inc.
Distributed byTri-Star Pictures
Release date
  • November 9, 1984 (1984-11-09)
Running time
82 minutes
85 minutes (Unrated)
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$750,000[1]
Box office$2.5 million[2]

Silent Night, Deadly Night is a 1984 American slasher film directed by Charles E. Sellier, Jr., and starring Robert Brian Wilson, and Linnea Quigley. The story concerns a young man named Billy Chapman, 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 Catholic orphanage. In adulthood, the Christmas holiday leads him into a psychological breakdown, and he emerges as a spree killer donning a Santa suit.

The film was released by Tri-Star Pictures on November 9, 1984; it received substantial controversy over its promotional material and content, which featured a killer Santa Claus. In addition to receiving mixed reviews, it was pulled from theaters a week after its release. However, it was a success during its opening week, grossing $2.5 million on a budget of $750,000. Since its release, it has developed a cult following[3] and spawned a series, consisting of four sequels, with the fourth and fifth installments having no connection to the original film, as well as a loose remake in 2012. Another reboot is in development.

  1. ^ Squires, John (December 22, 2014). "30th Anniversary Silent Night, Deadly Night Retrospective: Part 1". Dead Central. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
  2. ^ "Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
  3. ^ "Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2: So Bad It's Good". Flavorwire. December 12, 2014. Retrieved December 18, 2015.