To All A Good Night

Writing Quality: Eighties horror expectations are met. This is a film that rolls 1974's Black Christmas, 1980's Friday the 13th, and 1980's Terror Train all into one. The dialogue is a bit drippy with lame jokes (Leia) and loose couples who apparently think swinging is the norm. Though it seems to imitate a lot of 80's campy horror, it actually arrived before the more memorable films, so actually the cult classics might have borrowed from this movie after all. . .

Scare Factor: There is one jump scare, maybe two, though the directing and the pacing of suspense lack quality and effectiveness. We often are pushed through a rough transition from a kill to a random conversation. The killer is eerie with the Santa suit and mask, though a closeup of the mask would have aided in the suspense. The camera shots of Santa's boots as the killer is walking draw us into the building tension quite nicely.

Content (sex, language, & violence): A couple of sex scenes, though more focused on female nudity. A full nude shot of a woman in the shower, but she's not taking a shower nor is she dead, nor is she having sex (something original here). Infrequent mild language. Severe violence with some of the kills, though not explicitly shown, have quite the bloody aftermath.

Acting: Jennifer Runyon (Nancy) and Forrest Swanson (Alex) both excel in their roles while the rest are so-so. I wish Swanson had done more films--he's very good as the respectable nerd.

Values: MC Nancy preserves her virginity. She has a wholesome quality that makes her stand out from the rest of the characters.

Bonus: Jennifer Runyon (the "psychic" in Ghostbusters). The ending gives us a triple twist--very odd, that final twist. . . .the first dose is well delivered and very unexpected, but the second dosage falls flat in its delivery. The kills are multi varied and original.