You Better Watch Out (1980)

User Rating:

3.8/10   

Director:

Lewis Jackson

Writer:

Lewis Jackson (writer)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

You'd better take care...Santa is coming to town!

Plot:

A psycho in a Santa suit gets to decide who's been naughty and who's been nice.

Plot Keywords:

Christmas | Toy | Killing | Christmas Horror | Children

Cast

Brandon Maggart	...	Harry Stadling
Jeffrey DeMunn	...	Philip Stadling
Dianne Hull	...	Jackie Stadling
Andy Fenwick	...	Dennis Stadling
Brian Neville	...	Marc Stadling
Joe Jamrog	...	Frank Stoller
Wally Moran	...	Philip Stadling Jr.
Gus Salud	...	Harry Stadling Jr.
Ellen McElduff	...	Harry's mother
Brian Hartigan	...	Harry's father
Peter Neuman	...	Moss Garcia
Lance Holcomb	...	Scotty Goodrich
Elizabeth Ridge	...	Susie Lovett
Chris Browning	...	Richie Sharp
Tyrone Holmes	...	Frankie

Also Known As:

Christmas Evil
Terror in Toyland

Runtime:

100 min | USA:95 min (re-release)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-18 | UK:18 | USA:R | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Glen Ridge, New Jersey, USA

Trivia:

When Harry slips on the street running from the mob, he really did slip, and Lewis Jackson left it in the film.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Harry's brother falls down the hill, it's obviously a fake sheet of snow as it all lifts off the ground.

Quotes:

[last line after Harry gets away from the vigilante mob]
Harry "Santa": But I heard him exclaim as he drove out of sight, "Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night."

Movie Connections:

References Frankenstein (1931)

An astute psychological thriller worthy of re-discovery.

Harry Stadling (Brandon Maggart, in a tour-de-force performance) lives for the Christmas season. His whole dwelling is festooned with Christmas decorations of all kinds. Even his alarm clock has a Christmas theme. Sadly, Harry is also tottering on the edge of sanity. Stuck in this little world of his, he goes so far as to catalog the actions of the children in his neighborhood. He's also taken quite aback at the attitudes of his co-workers at Jolly Dream toy factory, where he works. He becomes determined to spread his own brand of holiday cheer, ultimately dressing up as Saint Nick himself.

This is another film that I wasn't able to properly appreciate when I first viewed it; it's a good candidate for repeat viewings. Its skewed sensibility combines with sympathy for its disturbed protagonist and what is actually a genuine fondness for the holiday season, the commercialization of which is a primary target. It's certainly not the horror film that many might have expected given the way that it was promoted (involving, of course, the new title "Christmas Evil"). Harry does in fact end up murdering a few people, but this is not about jacking up a body count. It's about one mans' ultimate mental deterioration.

Maggart, according to writer / director Lewis Jackson, came in cold for his audition and delivered the exact performance seen in the film. It's truly a memorable piece of work. Seen in an important supporting role is solid veteran character actor Jeffrey DeMunn, as Philip, Harrys' younger brother who finds it hard to deal with the frustration of having to look out for his brother rather than looking up to him. A large number of familiar faces can be seen in small roles; be sure to look for future 'Home Improvement' mom Patricia Richardson as a none-too-pleasant young neighborhood parent.

If this had been intended to be more of a typical horror film, I might have been annoyed at some pretty sub-standard gore, but since that is not the point here, I can happily let it slide. Instead, what I got was a fairly effective electronic score that was a little strange at times but helped to set the mood, a melange of scenes and images such as a Santa Claus line-up and an homage to classic Universal horror films where Harry is pursued by angry citizens bearing torches. The ending sticks in the mind as well.

It's nothing like the sleazy and tasteless slasher fare of "Silent Night, Deadly Night", but it's not totally without the ability to make a viewer uncomfortable, watching Harry spy on the neighborhood kids and writing down their activities. He even has a picture of one adorable young girl that he dotes on; how exactly did he get this picture? In any event, I can admit when I was wrong and think that as long as one is aware of what kind of film this is and doesn't fall for the false advertising, they can enjoy it. It's now one of my favorite holiday-themed films; I know it can count film-maker John Waters as one of its biggest fans.

7/10