(HORROR) Silent Night, Deadly Night - 1984 *** 1/2

Oh yes, it was cheesy, it was camp, but I was scared!
After witnessing his parents brutal slaying by a maniac in a Santa costume, a young boy named Billy is sent to an orphanage. Here, he grows to intensely dislike the Mother Superior, and relishes the chance to get out once he turns 18 and earn some money.
By chance, he gets a job in a local toy factory and does very well, even developing feelings for one of the girls who works there. However it all changes when, at the last minute, his boss asks him to step in and cover the shop's Santa Claus on Christmas Eve, which brings back all the horror Billy experienced years ago. He flips, and begins a massacre of his own.
I liked it, I couldn't stop watching it, and I'd like to see the sequel.

The Woman in Red - 1984 ***

Not a particularly funny film as Gene Wilder movies go, but still something to watch on a Sunday afternoon. Wilder plays Teddy, a happily married man who becomes besotted by a woman he sees at work. The whole film is basically about him trying to find ways to be close to her without his wife finding out. I thought it was a bit of a sad film, and portrays married men as idiots who can't control themselves.

The Chain - 1984 **

 

This was a bit of a sneaky one from Lovefilm. Mainly because I was on the lookout for something with Nigel Hawthorne in and this was advertised as him playing the lead part. 'Fantastic' I thought, as he was in the midst of his 'Yes Prime Minister' fame. Actually he has one of the much smaller parts and for a massive chunk of the film you don't even see him. It's quite a good comedy. Certainly does have the '1980s vibe' about it. However some parts dragged a lot which made my mind start wandering.

The story is based on moving day and the stress, excitement and anicipation that comes with each trip for the removal men and their 'clients' involved. Each story has different circumstances and different mottos/morals and by the end you're actually a bit relieved. It's quite tiring. Hawthorne was a standout despite having a much smaller part than I was expecting.

Bachelor Party - 1984 **

I mean this was okay but it wasn't anything special. It wasn't even that funny which is a shame because being wintertime you really need something funny to cheer you up. Tom Hanks is just over the top with his stupid big hair and all the women look horrendous. This might be one of those rare times where I think that actually the newer bachelor party - related films are better...

The Lonely Guy - 1984 *** 1/2

I can take or leave Steve Martin. Sometimes I think he's hilarious, and at other times his face annoys me. This time however I was quite amused (what a surprise, a funny film not from modern day Hollywood) at Martin's bumbling excuse of a man who always has bad luck, from catching his girlfriend in bed with someone else, to meeting a man who keeps threatening to commit suicide, to resorting to fake sweat to attract women after pretending he has been on a 10 mile run and so on. Martin's very dry, and some people won't get his sense of humour. And sometimes I don't. But here I did. And I had a couple of laugh out loud moments which rarely happens.