Director – Brian Yuzna (Society, Bride of Re-Animator)
Starring – Clint Howard (The Lords of Salem, Ice Cream Man), Neith Hunter (Fright Night Part 2, Near Dark), and Tommy Hinkley (The Cable Guy, The Little Vampire)
Release Date – 1990
Rating – 3/5
Tagline – “And if I die before I wake…thank you!”
Director Brian Yuzna is one outstanding filmmaker that rarely gets the credit that he deserves. This man has had one hell of a career whether it was producing or directing. This man produced The Guyver, Warlock, Ticks, Return of the Living Dead III, Bride andBeyond Re-Animator, and so many more. On top of producing, he has directed several outstanding horror films like Bride of Re-Animator, Society, andThe Dentist.
In 1990 Yuzna directed the film Silent Night, Deadly Night 4: Initiation. The year before he had released Society which was one hell of a horror film that showcased some amazing practical effects from Screaming Mad George. I was excited to check this one out and could finally do so when I grabbed the 3 film pack that had SNDN 3, 4, and 5.
**Spoiler Alert**The film follows the beautiful Kim (Hunter) who works for the local paper and is often given meaningless tasks that her editor deems fit for a woman. A burned woman was recently found and it was believed that she spontaneously combusted and this inspires her to investigate but her editor refuses to give her the assignment. She sneaks behind his back and starts looking into the matter when she meets a librarian that owns the building the body was found at.
She is a strange woman that shows Kim a lot of attention and eventually invites her for a drink. However, something strange is going on when Kim’s sex drive takes over and soon she finds herself ill. She confronts the strange woman and discovers that she is a member of a secret group of woman and they are putting her through an initiation to join their sect.**Spoiler Alert**
Silent Night, Deadly Night 4: Initiation is a solid film from a horror stand point but is a horrible sequel for the SNDN franchise. The film has nothing to do with the three previous films and has none of the characters or cast members returning.
The acting in this one is actually pretty well done. We get a small role from horror vet Reggie Bannister who fans may remember from the classic Phantasm. The film’s star, Neith Hunter is fantastic in her role and extremely hot. She is truly a babe with an amazing talent in front of the camera. We also have a small role from Clint Howard who is just as creepy in this film as he is in almost every other horror flick he is in. The remainder of the cast does a solid job but they do not stick out.
The story for this one is great as a stand alone film but horrible as a sequel to SNDN. The story is the return of Yuzna to body horror similar to Society and a secret organization. However, it has nothing to do with Christmas and Silent Night, Deadly Night. The film was clearly re-titled to cash in on the success of the first film. This was a big let down.
Finally, the film has a few deaths but they are nothing that great or memorable. However, the film has some great creatures that look fantastic and some great practical effects and twisted body horror. The practical effects are once again done by Screaming Mad George so you know they are top notch. Overall, Silent Night, Deadly Night 4: Initiation is a solid film. It has a great cast and some amazing practical effects. The film is essentially a body horror flick with small creatures but lacks any connection to the previous Silent Night, Deadly Night films. This one is well worth a shot.
