Silent Night, Deadly Night 5: The Toy Maker

Dir: Martin Kitrosser

1991

***

While Silent Night, Deadly Night 5: The Toy Maker isn't the best of the Silent Night, Deadly Night films, it is the first (and last) film of the franchise that finally gets the 'not taking itself too seriously' balance just right. Of course, when I say 'not taking itself too seriously' I mean refreshingly nonsensical and brilliantly silly. It's also a proper Christmas horror film once again, which gives the series and nice rounded finale. Weirdly, the film sort of continues from where the last film left off but remains unrelated. Both Neith Hunter and Clint Howard return in cameo appearances, with Hunter's Kim commenting in one scene that she's 'gone through some weird experiences, I can tell you' seemingly without being scared and almost finding humour in the fact she was nearly set on fire and thrown off a building by Witches in the last film. Christmas Toys attacking is nothing new in the world of horror but it's handled very well here. There is a scene whereby the killer toys interrupt a sexy moment between the babysitter and her boyfriend that is particularly funny/brilliant/memorable. Possibly the biggest surprise of the film is the appearance of Mickey Rooney, who was quite vocal about his hatred of the first film, what it stood for and its lack of seasonal spirit. He, along with a few other Hollywood cranks (I do love him really) asked for it to be banned, so to appear in the fifth film of the series was quite a change of opinion and quite a coup for the franchise. He's pretty good in it too, playing his over the top and rather crazed Toymaker rather well. What really makes the film though is the last ten minutes. It really is one of those films where nothing much happens for a very long time when suddenly everything happens at once. It took me by surprise and I don't believe anyone who says they saw that plot twist coming. You can't beat low-budget early 90s horror, especially at Christmas.