Silent Night, Deadly Night part 2 (1987)

"I've got a present for you!" - Ricky

A man tells the murderous tale of how he and his brother really hate Santa Claus.

Starring: Eric Freeman, Elizabeth Kaitan, James Newman, Jean Miller

Link to IMDB

Don't worry if you've never watched part 1, because part 2 shows everything that happened in the previous movie. Seriously. The first 35 minutes is mostly just reused footage explaining part 1.

Ricky and Doc

We meet Ricky Caldwell as he sits in an insane asylum being interviewed by a doctor about the troubled past that he and his older brother, Billy, went through. Recapping large portions of the first movie, we are shown their backstory in detail. Billy was traumatized at a young age when a man dressed as Santa Clause killed their parents, and then was abused at an orphanage by a strict nun. When he turned 18, Billy went on a killing spree dressed as Santa, hoping to get revenge on the "naughty" people that warped his mind, and was eventually killed by the police in front of young Ricky.


The backstory scenes all feel disjointed, because it's an extensive amount of footage from the first movie that looks messy when edited into fragments. Why am I forced to re-watch the first movie when I want to watch Part 2?! Well, at least we get to see some wacky deaths, and the occasional scenes between Ricky and the Doc are oddly humorous.

Anyways...
Finally, we get to Ricky's story and learn how he ended up in the asylum. The narrative feels much better from this point on, and Ricky's story was worth the wait. He grew into his teens without problems but eventually kills a few people, although he's still able to continue his life as normal. Until one day when he is betrayed, and then Ricky snaps just like his brother did and goes on a killing spree! The movie is finally giving me what I want and it is glorious, full-bonkers mayhem!!

This leads him to being committed to the asylum, and it catches us up to the present day. But Ricky's story is not over, because today is Christmas eve and he must find a way to finish the revenge his brother started!

"You tend to get paranoid when everyone around you gets dead." - Ricky

Lit up like a Christmas tree

Despite the first 35 minutes being a pointless backstory that is mostly way too serious and slow, the movie does eventually deliver the goods with hilarious deaths and cheesiness. Eric Freeman gives an intense and goofy performance, making Ricky a memorable character that's compelling and difficult to categorize.
I guess all the reused footage might not be a bother if you haven't watched part one. I really enjoyed the second half, though. It doesn't try to be a dark slasher flick, it's more of a cheap thrill ride about a crazy guy with Santa issues.

Be sure not to miss:
- Ricky's eyebrows are constantly jumping up and down when he talks.
- The infamous Garbage Day moment!
- The movie Ricky watches at the cinema is also a scene from part one! But the trailer for "Chaos" sure sounded good.

Internet review:
"A terrible film that I find endlessly watchable." - Brain

Should I watch it?
It's a pretty fun time, once you get past the awkward beginning.

Where can I find it?
I used the vidzi link here.

Silent Night, part 2 gets...