The Fright Before Christmas

The 1983 Christmas horror-comedy film directed by John R. Cherry III is titled "Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2," not "The Fright Before Christmas" although a direct title match isn't provided in this scenario. Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 is a direct sequel to the 1984 film Silent Night, Deadly Night. Billy, the main character in Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 1, was portrayed by Robert Brian Wilson, a man traumatized by his family's murder by a Santa Claus-obsessed mother when he was a child. After the events of the first film, Billy is institutionalized. The movie begins with a narrative that informs the audience that the first film was not Billy's story but rather a reenactment of the event caused by post-traumatic stress disorder. The narrative continues in the form of a documentary series, where several key players from the first film provide insight into the events that transpired. At the beginning of Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2, one of the nurses at the psychiatric clinic where Billy resides, is brutally murdered by an unknown assailant wearing a Santa Claus costume. The police department is baffled and cannot establish a connection between the murder and a copycat killer, as suggested by the public, who are still traumatized by the events from the first film. As more murders occur, it becomes apparent that the person responsible may indeed be a copycat inspired by the first film. The main character's brother, Ricky (played by Leo G. Carroll), believes he is the true killer but later discovers he is the actual culprit. Ricky has been driven to copy Billy's actions by the family's dark past and the influence of an unstable, overprotective parent who pushed both sons to emulate their father's behavior. Throughout the film, Ricky's actions escalate until it is revealed that Billy is not the true killer, and the actual murderer is none other than his brother. Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 is a direct sequel to the first film but provides limited insight into Billy's psyche due to the documentary-style narrative it uses to tell the story. Despite receiving a more negative reception than its predecessor, Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 is still known for delivering an atmosphere of dread and fear associated with the season of Christmas, as in The Fright Before Christmas concept.