Protested upon its release and eventually pulled from theatres this holiday slasher can't quite live up to its reputation but it's certainly on my seasonal "must" viewing list.

Years after seeing his parents killed by a robber in a Santa suit and spending time at an orphanage run by a ball-busting Mother Superior, little Billy has all grown-up and finds himself going off the deep end when forced to play Santa at the toy store he works at. Soon he's going around town slicing, dicing and generally knocking-off those he thinks are "naughty" with pointy and sharp objects.

Ripped off many times since (though it itself is a loose rip-off of the Santa tale in 1972's Tales From The Crypt and it can also be linked to 1980's Christmas Evil) this is total exploitation filmmaking with tons of memorable moments (like Linnea Quigley's famous "antler" scene) and it's fairly easy to see why some people got offended; but for us true horror fans the subject delivers pretty much what we're expecting even if it doesn't really get down to the killing until about halfway in.

Entertaining and quite gory, but you'll have to ignore some of the weak plotting and the lack of presence of Robert Brian Wilson as the Santa killer.

Review based on the newly released (2003) uncut version which restores a bunch of the bloodshed cut in the "R" version.

Followed by four sequels.

Directed By: Charles E. Sellier, Jr.
Written By: Michael Hickey.

Starring: Lilyan Chauvin, Gilmer McCormick, Toni Nero, Robert Brian Wilson.