Christmas Evil (1980)

 Taking a break for the most part, working on my Letterboxd account, I did watch Lewis Jackson's "Christmas Evil" (1980) Monday night for the first time in a few years. Every December I plan to watch it, but it seems to go unwatched, whether I do so voluntarily subconsciously because it has certain elements that I consider troubling and disturbing, gloomy and tragic, or because I run up against time constraints. Whatever the case, I still consider "Christmas Evil" a damn good film. You will read, though, that plenty of the younger generations of film reviewers consider "Christmas Evil" too slow, not closer in spirit to "Silent Night, Deadly Night" (1984), feeling betrayed and disappointed due to the unfortunate marketing that seems to color Jackson's film as a Santa slasher, when this is so much more than that. I do think someone's mentioning of "Maniac" (1980) is a good example in regards to similarities to "Christmas Evil" as we spend a lot of time with the emotionally and mentally disturbed Harry Stadling (Brandon Maggart), basically a child in a man's body. I have two Autistic teenagers and I do believe Harry is on the spectrum. Instead of his brother, Phil (Jeffrey DeMunn), being sympathetic and understanding, he instead considers Harry a burden, a lame disappointment he couldn't look up to. When Phil is so pissed off and enraged at years of feeling saddled with his brother's baggage, nearly strangling Harry until he's practically unconscious, it says a lot about the years of hostility he has carried. I find this scene nearly as unsettling as anything else we see.

Adopting Santa as a persona in response to trauma resulting from seeing his dad, dressed as Ole Saint Nick, giving cunnilingus to his mother (the two doing so when they thought their sons were asleep), Harry takes this very seriously. A manager of the accounts at a toy factory, Harry misses the line, but when he is manipulated into working an ungrateful wretch's shift (later learning he was duped when that guy is at a bar with co-workers bragging about it), that just contributes to a downward spiral years in the making. He will look from the top of his building at other kids, through his binoculars, watching their behavior, documenting how good or bad they are in a book, Harry takes issue with one boy who loves to study naked women in a Penthouse magazine. He's so passionate and obsessive, Harry prepares presents to be dropped off at all the kids' houses, unless they are bad kids, he leaves bags of dirt shoveled the day before.

There are awkward moments where we see Harry among adults, not really acclimating well since his mind is always on good kids getting the best toys. I am sure he would be considered a threat to kids by parents today, but I just felt he meant only well within his own "Santa Claus structure". He was clearly repulsed by sex of any kind, as evidenced when he looks from outside his brother's window as Phil makes out with his wife on the couch. It always goes back to that night when Santa committed immorality with his mum.

The violence in the film is more as a result of Harry's deteriorating psyche than just a Santa killer hacking people up with an ax as the box art might indicate. Mean adults out of church poking fun at him and the co-worker taking advantage of him, Harry reacts to those who are or have been naughty. He makes sure his toy company actually lives up to what they were promoting in regards to toys sent to hospital kids by "commandeering" product from the assembly line for that very cause. The Santa sleigh painted on his van, the puffy white beard glued to his chin, the protruding "bowl full of jelly" belly, and the wrapped boxes of gifts; Harry is totally the part, dedicated completely to the role. He even tries to go down the chimney, with no luck. When he kills the co-worker, he uses a Christmas tree star ornament to slash his throat out of panic when his bag wasn't enough to suffocate him, and his little ax and Nutcracker bayonet  that kills those making fun of him out of a church service weren't even intended to be of use for that...these are impulsive acts, not premeditated. Harry wanted to get at the one responsible for the kids hospital advert, made to encourage workers to give to a fund to support that cause...it was all false advertising, however, earning Harry's ire.

The film is at its most troubling when we are in Harry's home with him, or at work when he's alone. When he looks at a mirror, Harry's emerging psychosis is best visualized. Like when he moves his hand down his face, sometimes a smile, other times a frown. Or that particularly worrying laugh as Harry tugs on the glued beard on his chin. It is as if you have this bottled rage just bubbling to the surface and nearly exploding. It was inevitable someone would be killed eventually.

Yes, there are moments of beauty such as when Harry delivers the presents to the children's hospital or is asked to cheer up kids inside a bar with parents who seem quite pleased to see him. They are so few and far between, however. The security guard sure isn't quite trusting of him when Harry pulls up at the hospital and when he tells the kids at the bar to be good girls and boys or else, that tension is there in spades. I wish there were more than brief moments of elation for Harry. When he's in his van after delivering the toys, as an example. That is when he feels the most fulfilled. That and at the end, when his "sleigh" lifts off into the sky towards the moon not long after a mob with lit torches pursue him...he matches the description of the reported Santa killer somewhere in the city. Phil tries to stop him and can only look on as Harry drives off a bridge, seemingly bound for the drink. I like that Harry probably won't realize that since he's totally convinced he's ready for the North Pole. HO-HO-HO! 4.5/5c