Silent Night Bloody Night is one hell of a horror gem that deserves the special edition treatment. This forgotten classic has never made it past the murky SLP VHS tape look, and this DVD is no exception to the rule. One can't really complain with the price tag, but I'm getting ahead of myself, let's start from the beginning.

Our story opens as a man, engulfed in flames, runs out of the Butler Estate. 20 years later Jerry Butler (James Patterson), the grandson of the fellow on fire, attempts to sell the Estate, with the help of his lawyer friend (Patrick O'Neil). Seems someone has already set up residence in the estate, and he doesn't take to kindly to strangers, especially strangers trying to sell. The Butler house has a disturbing history; it was once used as a mental institution, while a family was living there. There is a flashback scene in the last 20 minutes of the film that needs to be seen to be believed.

Silent Night was obviously a major influence on many a horror film, including Halloween, Black Christmas, and When a Stranger Calls. There are elements in this film that are truly frightening, and I envy anyone who gets to experience this film for the first time, it's truly a rare treat.

Prepare yourself, here comes the bad news. You knew this was coming. Silent Night, Bloody Night is presented full frame, and has been far from remastered. However, believe it or not, as bad as it looks now, it's still better than the long out of print VHS. The colors are washed out; there are specs and dirt and scratches, etc. Keeping in mind how rare this title is, and the lack of chances for a remastered special edition. I'm just happy to have this title on DVD. Silent Night was obviously shot on little to no budget, and there's no doubt that this is part of the reason we have picture and sound problems.

Extras are pretty much non-existent, not even a trailer. There are bios on some of the stars, including John Carradine. Did I forget to mention he's in this film? He's easy to miss; he plays a mute who rings a bell for attention. Probably the most notable misuse of talent in this film, I never said it was an example of perfection, just good horror. Back to the Bios, there are a few Bios, and I think they're a bit inaccurate too, so don't go in expecting any more than just the film itself.

The sound is, well, eh. There is hiss and dialogue can sound a bit garbled. Purists will not be happy, but a budget title is a budget title after all. If the film in question is hard to find, once again, there really can't be room for complaint. It's either this or nothing; therefore, I'll take this, sigh.

At a cost of around 5-7 dollars retail, you really can't go wrong. The picture and sound quality is about that of a rental cassette, but that's also what the DVD is costing you, the price of a rental. This title is not available anywhere else, so I say, until they do it right. for a few bucks, pick up this DVD, the quality may disappoint you, but the film will not.