Night of the Dark Full Moon (1972)

"Night of the Dark Full Moon" is also known as "Silent Night, Bloody Night" and it's surprisingly a pretty darn good horror film. This one I had my expectations of the film set very low so the film took me by surprise just how interesting it is. It's a low budget film but quite effectively filmed with a story that kept my interest.This one is a bit bloody - it's a prelude to the slew of slasher films that came about in the late 1970s through the 1980s. This film is not one that is a simple hack-them-up teenage movie without a solid story. This film has a solid story that is quite good with some bloody scenes - it's more story than blood and gore.I will have to add this film to my list of "spooky holiday films" to watch during the winter season.7/10

Silent Night, Bloody Night (1972) ** 1/2 (out of 4) Low-budget shocker has a man (James Patterson) inheriting his grandfather's house, which at one time was an asylum. Years earlier the grandfather has been burned alive and left in his will that no one sells the place. Well, the grandson decides to sell it and sends his lawyer (Patrick O'Neil) to do so but soon an axe-carrying maniac starts knocking people off.SILENT NIGHT, BLOODY NIGHT is a somewhat popular title due to its Public Domain status, which means it's been released in countless ways over the past two decades. Most people either really enjoy the film for its story or they're going to be bored by the poor technical aspects. It's really too bad that the screenplay wasn't given some polish because the actual mystery here is so good that you can't help but wonder what someone like Hitchcock could have done with it. Yes, I think there are some very good story ideas running throughout the picture that really could have been exploited by a great director.As it stands, SILENT NIGHT, BLOODY NIGHT is a slightly entertaining, if highly flawed movie. We'll start with some of the good stuff. The highlight is without question that actual mystery, which is strong enough to carry you throughout the entire running time. If you stop and think about a few things there are certainly some holes to be found but at the same time there's no doubt that you'll be guessing up to the very end. Another good aspect here are the murders, which are pretty bloody in their own way. What's so impressive about them isn't so much the blood but the POV way that they're shot. All of them are shot extremely well when you consider the budget.Which, by the same token, makes you wonder why the rest of the film looks so poor. It certainly doesn't look like a professional film and there's no question that the low-budget does more harm than good. Performances are better than average with both Patterson and O'Neal doing a good job as does Mary Woronov. Horror legend John Carradine has a brief role here and it's always fun seeing him.SILENT NIGHT, BLOODY NIGHT is far from a classic but it's a charming film in its own right, warts and all.

Extremely campy, low-budget, Christmas cult horror flick from the early 70's? I'll take it. Take it for what it is though, which is a cultastic piece of low-budget goodness. The film moves along slowly for the first half hour or so, but by the middle of the film, things begin to pick up speed. None of our players are very notable, with the exception of the beautiful Mary Woronov, James Patterson, and the wonderful John Carradine, who doesn't utter a single word throughout the entire film.The film is mostly visual, and is pretty scarce on every character's dialogue for most of the film, but the visual telling of the story is nice and atmospheric, and the diminished quality of the 16mm print only adds to the film's nostalgic feel. The ending of the film begins to drag again, but like I said, it is well-photographed and still manages to keep you intrigued enough to finally see the mystery solved. The long flashback sequence near the end is very Warholian, which makes sense when we realize that a lot of these people were involved with Warhol during his Factory days in the 1960's, and the end even manages to look a little 'Night Of The Living Dead' at times. And dare I say that I might possibly be able to pick out some images and some storyline that may have inspired John Carpenter to write 'Halloween' a few years down the road? In all, it is definitely well-written, and worth watching for the holidays, to get your fill of Christmas horror.SILENT NIGHT, BLOODY NIGHT -----7/10.

Wilfred Butler was a hated man that turned his lonesome mansion into an asylum. After his untimely demise the local townspeople hoped that all of his past sins would fade away and allow them to continue there normal existence with the vacant mansion the only memory of an explosive secret. Enter Jeffrey Butler, the grandson of Wilbur, who has recently put the house up for sale after having been given sole possession of the cursed castle through his grandfather's will. Through Jeffrey's lawyer the Butler estate can be sold to the town for $50,000 cash and subsequently torn down to the delight of the mayor, sheriff, switchboard operator Tess, and the vocally challenged Mr. Towman who only replies via a bell. When an escaped mental patient coincides with an increase in missing people at the Butler estate Jeffrey Butler himself travels to the strange little town to find out why his lawyer has not contacted him. He forms an odd partnership with the mayor's daughter Diane and together they both discover the truth behind the Butler legacy and the townspeople's origin.After about ten months I finally hit the halfway point in my Chilling Classics collection. But enough with the procrastinating, on with the review! Filmed in 1972 when slashers were new to the general movie audience Silent Night Bloody Night does a really good job of establishing a gloomy atmosphere and depressing overtones amid the usually joyous Christmas theme. It even manages to turn the Silent Night song into a dark and dreadful score. I would be remiss if I didn't mention how lovely Mary Woronov looks with her long hair and come hither eyes. There is something to be said about the simplicity of the early 70's look that resonates with me today. I don't understand why you would pay John Carradine to be in this movie and not give him any speaking lines. Did he come at a discount? James Patterson's tortured performance as Jeffrey is made even more poignant as he was battling cancer during filming which claimed his life shortly before Silent Night Bloody Night was released in 1974. My only complaint, and it's a major one, is the absolutely horrendous transfer to DVD from Mill Creek. It looks as if the film was thrown into a mud puddle, put into a microwave, then set on fire. Scenes filmed at night are virtually unwatchable and one rather important flashback segment is marred by the fact that all the faces are encompassed in a black halo like an army of people in the witness protection program. Still, this is a very good example of early 70's horror that made up for lack of budget with superior mood and atmosphere. Stuff this flick into any B-movie fan's stocking.