Fangoria Issue 232 Flipthru RTU

31 Days of Horror 2021 Day 08 Silent Night Deadly Night 4

 

TITLE-Silent Night Deadly Night 4 Initiation

SOURCE-Lionsgate DVD

In late 1990 Live Entertainment ,who became Artisian who got bought by Lionsgate, released this film direct to home video. I saw  it maybe 2 years later. And always suspected this film started off as not part of the SNDN series then had a name change in hopes this would increase sales/rentals on the home video market. Why do I suspect this? Cause it is the only film in this now 6 film series that has no connection to the rest of the films. There is no killer Santa,no Ricky(well kinda) no Billy. Hell it could really just happen in winter instead of around Xmas.Now sure Clint Howard is in the film and plays someone named Ricky. But I've never seen any real proof that Clint is the Ricky we know from the first 3 films.

After a decent start of a woman falling from way up above. And appearing to have suffered from spontaneous combustion. A reporter starts to look into this. Which leads to a cult made up of Wiccan women. And this cult of women has Clint Howard as their homeless insane lackey.

Now if you have a fear of bugs avoid this film. There is so many insects in this film. Sooo Soooo many. All cause the Wiccan's use them in their rituals and stuff. The various bug FX look really good. I remember reading in Fangoria that Screaming Mad George did the Special Effects work in this film. And it does appear to have the high quality look of George's FX work.

Honestly this feels like Halloween III Season of the Witch. Mostly since this film goes in such a different direction of the previous 3 films,plus well ya the supernatural aspect of this film and Halloween III.

Directed by Brian Yuzna,who usually makes great b-horror films,Silent Night Deadly Night 4 is the forgotten entry in this almost forgotten holiday horror franchise. And as of this writing there is no Blu Ray release of part 4. The DVD,which is part of a 3 pack with parts 3 and 5 is long out of print. The VHS release was never easy to find. And no streaming service has the movie. 

Silent Night Deadly Night Part 4 gets a C-.