- Directed by Charles E. Sellier, Jr.
- Written by Paul Caimi, Michael Hickey
- Stars Lilyan, Chauvin, gilmer McCormick, Toni Nero
- Run Time: 1 Hour, 19 Minutes
- Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNBJfv5pIdY
Spoiler-Free Judgement Zone
The first psycho Santa is also one of the best. It’s— traumatic to both the characters and the viewer. A true classic that spawned a number of bad sequels.
Synopsis
It’s Christmas Eve in 1971. Billy and his parents drive in the car, going to visit Grandpa. They listen to Christmas music on the radio. They stop at the Utah Mental Facility, where Grandpa lives. The old man is catatonic; he doesn’t speak or respond. The parents go to talk to the doctor, leaving Billy alone with Grandpa.
Grandpa wakes up and tells Billy that, “Nobody can help you. Christmas Eve is the scariest damned night of the year. You know what happens on Christmas Eve, do ya? All the naughty ones, he punishes! What about you, boy? You been good all year? You see Santa Claus tonight, you better run for your life!” The folks come back, and Grandpa plays catatonic again, so they head back home.
A man dressed as Santa Claus robs a convenience store and shoots the clerk. Billy’s family then spots the same Santa, whose car is broken down on the road. Santa pulls a gun, kills his dad, rapes his mom, then kills her too; Billy hides and sees the whole thing. Baby brother is ignored in the car.
We move to December 1974, at the orphanage where Billy and his little brother have lived since the murders. Billy has drawn Santa being shot, stabbed, and variously mutilated, which the Mother Superior doesn’t appreciate. Sister Margaret understands what the problem is, but Mother Superior isn’t supportive. “Punishment is good,” says the old woman. When Billy has nightmares, Mother Superior ties him to the bed. She insists that Billy will sit on Santa’s lap and behave. He gives Santa a bloody nose.
Ten years later, in 1984, Billy gets a job at Mr. Sims’ toy store doing stockroom things. Cue the happy toy store job montage. But then, the holidays arrive. Billy had been doing good work, but he’s not the same since the Christmas season started. On the other hand, Billy does dream about having sex with Pamela, his co-worker at the toy store— at least until he dreams Santa kills her too.
The store’s Santa Claus breaks his ankle and they need a replacement. Mr. Sims chooses Billy as the replacement. Billy puts on the outfit, and he’s maybe, just a little, conflicted. Sister Margaret finds out what Billy’s new job is and she is concerned.
The store finally closes on Christmas Eve, and the booze bottles come out from hiding. Company party time! Pamela and Andy get naughty in the stockroom as Mr. Sims tells Billy to get started doing what Santa Claus does on Christmas Eve, while giving him booze. Billy goes back to the stock room and watches Andy forcing himself on Pam. Billy snaps and kills Andy. “Punishment is necessary. It is good!” He says as he kills Pamela too. Mr. Sims gets it in the head with a hammer. Mrs. Randall goes looking for him and gets chased all around the store by an ax-wielding Santa. Billy heads out to look for more naughties.
Sister Margaret comes by and experiences the aftermath, finding all the bodies.
Tommy and Denise are having sex on the pool table while little Cindy waits upstairs for Santa to arrive. Santa hacks in the door and impales Denise on reindeer antlers. Tommy doesn’t fare any better. When little Cindy comes in and says she’s been good all year, Santa gives her a bloody box cutter as a gift.
Santa kills a couple of bully sledders in the woods. Sister Margaret goes to the police and talks to Captain Richards. She predicts that he’ll head back to the orphanage. The cops shoot Santa to death in the orphanage play yard, but it’s the wrong Santa; this was Father O’Brien, a deaf man.
Mother Superior knows what’s going on, and she even suspects who the killer really is. As the kids sing Christmas carols, Santa kills the cop on duty outside. One of the little kids lets Santa inside, and Mother Superior recognizes him. As Billy raises the ax, Captain Richards and Sister Margaret arrive and shoot Santa in the back. Billy dies at the feet of Ricky, his younger brother, who still lives in the orphanage.
Commentary
An abundant backstory makes Billy more of a sympathetic character than most slasher villains. He does only kill those who have been naughty, with just a few exceptions. OK, quite a few exceptions. Yes, he’s a murdering maniac, but he’s got reasons.
Nothing says abused and traumatized children like a Catholic orphanage with a mean Mother Superior. This one is a holiday classic now, but at the time of its release it only showed for two weeks in theaters before protests shut it down. Ricky, the baby brother from the beginning, is almost forgotten about and barely mentioned again until the very final scene. It’s almost like they were already planning a sequel…