The Silent Night, Deadly Night series was never a top five franchise, but it did make up for its lack of talent with inventive kills or at least some genuine memorable scenes (cue the "Garbage Day" meme...)
How does part 3 hold up?
Despite taking dozens of rounds at the end of part 2, Ricky Caldwell (Bill Moseley) is still alive, albeit in a coma. Dr. Newbury (Richard Beymar) is convinced he can revive the killer. He's already removed the top of his head and installed a clear plastic dome because of SCIENCE!
He's also engaged the services of blind clairvoyant Laura Anderson (Samantha Scully) to try and read Ricky's mind. She's not having the best of luck, but the doc tells her to come back after the holidays. Getting picked up by her brother Chris (Eric Da Re), the pair go to pick up Chris's girlfriend Jerri (Laura Harring) and head out to their grandmother's (Elizabeth Hoffman) house.
The problem comes from Ricky waking up (apparently he sensed a drunken orderly wearing a Santa suit?). He also now shares a link with Laura and knows where she is going. Killing scores of people, he makes his way to Granny's house and dispatches the old woman.
It isn't long before Ricky's victims are found. Lt. Connely (Robert Culp) is on the case! His car is quickly stolen by Dr. Newbury, as SCIENCE demands he try to reason with the mad killer.
Laura and co., having arrived at the house, find things odd. Granny is nowhere to be found, of course, plus the phone lines have been cut. From there it's a cat and mouse game as Ricky moves in for the kill. Will Connely get there in time? Will Newbury prove whatever he's trying to do?
To quote Bill Murray, it just didn't get weird enough. The setup is good. Mad slasher with a plastic head stalking blind psychic. How can it go wrong? Moseley is a delight, although he's the only one. Culp just does his standard tough cop routine.
The kills are pedestrian too, with neither the violence or over the topness of the previous installments.
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