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Rating
Synopsis
On the dreary streets of London, someone in a green jacket and creepy mask is killing people dressed as Santa. Chief Inspector Ian Harris (Edmund Purdom) and Detective Sergeant Powell (Mark Jones) are hot on the case. They interview Kate Briosky (Belinda Mayne) and her boyfriend, Cliff Boyd (Gerry Sundquist), after witnessing her father’s murder days earlier. During all this, a stranger named Giles (Alan Wake), who claims to be a reporter, asks about the murders. Soon, a stripper named Sherry Graham (Kelly Baker) gets kidnapped by the killer after witnessing him murder another Santa. To make matters worse, Kate learns that Harris is no longer on the case, so she does some investigating. After checking a mental hospital that Harris visited, she discovers that the killer had been committed and is Harris’ brother. But who is the Santa slasher, and will his rampage be stopped?
Review
Due to numerous production problems, Don’t Open Till Christmas is a mess but enjoyable nonetheless. Interestingly, this film came out around the same time as Silent Night, Deadly Night but wasn’t nearly as controversial. If anything, it’s much more graphic and sleazy than Charles Sellier, Jr.’s slasher, with almost the opposite plot. For one, nearly every Santa shown is drunk or perverted, either peeping through windows or going to a peep show. Plus, most violent sequences occur in back alleys, public restrooms, or the London Dungeon, adding a layer of grime. A prime example is when Pat Astley wears a Santa coat and a thong while chased by the killer. Also, the kills are much more mean-spirited here, with Santas set ablaze, stabbed repeatedly, shot point blank, and even castrated. If parents complained about Billy impaling a woman on deer antlers, they’d have a field day with this.
While the performances are decent overall, they’re nothing special besides a few standouts, namely Purdom and Lake. Though he disappears during the middle, Edmund Purdom brings a level of class to the film. Alan Lake also does a great job playing a menacing creep who perfectly plays his insanity in an understated way. He doesn’t constantly mug for the camera or go too over the top but instead plays it quietly and subdued. Belinda Mayne makes for a decent heroine, even if there isn’t much to her character. What’s strange is that you’d think she’d be the final girl, but it ends up being Kelly Baker’s experience girl. As for the rest of the cast, they do their jobs fine enough but don’t expect any Oscar-worthy performances. However, scream queen Caroline Munro does have a cameo as herself, which is always appreciated.
Even without knowing the production history, you can tell that something went wrong with the movie’s structure. Characters are introduced as if they will play a significant role, only to vanish with a one-line explanation. Plus, given Purdom left the production, the other characters have to explain what the lead is doing off-screen. Between the scenes of Santa’s being murdered, most of the runtime consists of dialogue that goes on for too long. Even at 86 minutes, the movie feels padded with filler scenes that could’ve easily been excised. Despite how much of a mess this film is, it’s still enjoyable, mainly for the kills and the sleaze. Also, this movie has such an out-of-nowhere ending that you’ll never see coming, which makes it worth watching. Overall, Don’t Open Till Christmas is less of a long-lost classic and more of an interesting curiosity.
Buy Don’t Open Till Christmas from Amazon: https://amzn.to/49PzhyR.
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