Parents' Guide to Silent Night, Deadly Night

Easily the best in the entire gruesome Silent Night franchise, this remake uses the bones of the original 1980s story but adds many intriguing new elements. The result is an entertaining and even sometimes touching movie. Silent Night, Deadly Night is technically the seventh movie in the series that began back in 1984, when the original caused an uproar among parents and critics, who were upset with TV ads that showed the killer Santa Claus. Times have changed. Now instead of a quick, trashy, cash-in movie, here's a remake that actually tries something new. The story is now somewhat supernatural, rather than just psychological. This Billy is rather likable, a victim of circumstance, who, despite being a murderer, is at least a murderer of bad people. (The movie doesn't address the idea of vigilantism, taking for granted that it's acceptable, which requires some suspension of disbelief.) Pam is fascinating, too; she's depicted as having her own bad side, a vicious temper that flicks on during times of stress.

The movie also offers time for love and grief, rather than just endless slashing. The movie is plenty Christmassy, too, especially in a delightful moment that involves the placement of the angel on a tree. But best of all is the shocking, amazing centerpiece in which Billy finds himself at a Nazi rally, blending in with the crowd of White supremacists in Santa suits who are celebrating a "White power" Christmas. He knows what he has to do. Silent Night, Deadly Night is, of course, far from perfect in its depiction of righteous violence and its lack of explanation of certain plot-related details (it leaves viewers with many questions), but it's a happy (and bloody) holiday surprise.