Review of Silent Night, Deadly Night III: Better Watch Out! (1989) by Liam U — 27 Nov 2010

I think the biggest surprise to this piece of crud is that it's directed by Monte Hellman the man who gave us such strong independent films like Cockfighter & 2 Lane Blacktop. His career must have really been in the shitter by the later 80s to take on this project (& trust me his direction is just as lumbering as Bill Moseley's performance).

.and what the hell is Robert Culp doing in this? Did nothing good become of being in The Greatest American Hero? I guess not. After 2 really fun SNDN outings this is by far the worst of the series (even more so then parts 4 & 5).

.After being shot @ the end in part 2 Ricky is in a coma (w/ a glass dome on his head w/ his brain exposed!) & has a connection to a blind girl who dreams about him giving us more reason to have flash backs from the first movie.

The change in tone isn't welcome & there is no fun to be had. Moseley has to give an almost mute performance only really saying 'Laura' when he should be saying NAUGHTY & PUNISH. It's too bad because he's a really good camp horror movie actor.

This feels like a bad hybrid of so many horror movies that Samantha Scully almost looks like a cross between Heather Langenkamp & Jennifer Connelly. I can't believe I have been wanting to see this again for 20 years & when I finally got a hold of it I had to watch it immediately.

A coal in your Yule time stocking.