Color, 1980, 90m. / Directed by Lewis Jackson / Starring Brandon Maggart, Dianne Hull, Jeffrey DeMunn, Andy Fenwick, Peter Neuman / Synapse / WS (1.78:1) (16:9), Troma

One of the earlier holiday-themed horror films before the infamy of Silent Night, Deadly Night, this oddball mixture of whimsy and anti-corporate rage has long been lumped in with other killer Santa films (most of which don't feature a real killer Claus at all). Originally titled You Better Watch Out (a name still present on the uncut source print used for Synapse's DVD), the story follows one extremely unfortunate Christmas in the life of Harry (regular TV actor Maggart), a poor soul whose love for December 25th was forever warped when he injured himself while watching his parents copulating with the aid of a Father Christmas outfit. Now a toy factory employee, Harry is still obsessed with Christmas but has taken it to rather frightening extremes, keeping an eye on his neighbors and compiling his own naughty-or-nice list with rather nasty punishments in mind. No one else around him seems willing to indulge Harry's dearly-kept dream to bring the Christmas spirit alive, and soon our poor anit-hero has snapped, turning his fragile psyche into the instrument for a rampage of yuletide violence with his non-charitable co-workers getting the brunt of his seasonal rage.

A rather interesting and sympathetic descent-into-madness story, Christmas Evil has been confounding viewers for decades when they expect to rent another movie with Santa sliding down a chimney and hacking up topless teens with an axe. The on-screen violence is pretty low-key, with director Lewis Jackson instead opting for an off-kilter atmosphere of black comedy and pathos. Even when Harry goes full-tilt nuts at the end, it's hard to avoid feeling for the guy a little bit, especially since most of the other adults are such stern, dishonest lumps of coal. The much-discussed ending (which the director posits as a fantasy) is certainly memorable, ending the film on a note not unlike Thelma & Louise. (Really!) It's really no wonder John Waters raved up and down about this one in his book Crackpot; it's a holiday film truly unlike any other, for better or worse.

Christmas Evil made its first DVD appearance in a dire edition from Troma, whose track record speaks for itself. Luckily you can toss aside that piece of junk in favor of Synapse's far more attractive special edition, which restores some footage deleted from previous video editions (nope, not extra gore -- mainly just more of Harry's trials at work, as far as these eyes could tell). The source print looks great, with those all-important reds and greens popping through quite vividly. The mono audio is also a huge step up compared to the muffled, lifeless past versions.

Anyone wondering about this film's origins and intentions will find plenty of answers in Jackson's commentary track, which covers everything from the financing to the visual scheme and the wacko distribution history. He also offers his own personal outlook on the story and what he was trying to convey, which is indeed a far cry from your average "slasher Santa" yarn. Far less serious but just as educational in its own right is a second commentary with Jackson and the always-entertaining John Waters, who's obviously in a mood similar to his one on the Mommie Dearest DVD. Expect lots of Santa jokes and stories, as well as far more arcane trivia than the first track. A must-hear, obviously.

Other extra goodies include nearly half an hour of fascinating VHS audition footage (it's pretty clear why Maggart got the job), some hilarious audience response cards from test screenings (easily the most enjoyable you'll see this side of Criterion's Videodrome DVD), three storyboard demonstrations, and some interesting but inessential deleted footage. Stuff this one in yer stockings, kiddies!