Silent Night, Deadly NIght
4: Initiation
(1990, dir: Brian Yuzna; cast: Neith Hunter, Maud
Adams, Tommy Hinkley, Reggie Bannister, Clint Howard, Ben
Slack, Conan, Yuzna)
For your viewing
pleasure this Christmas season, consider
Silent Night,
Deadly Night 4: Initiation. Despite being a late sequel in a horror franchise,
this 1990 film offers a surprisingly informed and critical look at
radical feminism.
You needn't watch
the first three SNDN films. The
first featured a crazed killer Santa
who dies at the end. His crazed brother kills some more people in the
sequel, then dies. In the
third film, we learn the original Santa is
not quite dead, but only in a coma. He awakens, kills again, then dies
a second time. Perhaps sensing that they had fully explored every
dramatic nuance in the Crazed Killer Santa motif, the producers
offered an unrelated story for
SNDN 4: Initiation.
Initiation is about
witches. But not traditionally evil witches. They are PC witches.
Career women and business owners. They worship not Satan, but Nature
and The Goddess. They are evil feminist witches.
Hollywood has
always had its "good witches," but a renewed effort to popularize the
witch as heroine -- the eco-feminist Wiccan -- began in earnest in the
1990s, in such TV shows as
Charmed and
Buffy the Vampire Slayer. These
women are portrayed as modern practitioners of the "Olde Religion," a
pre-Christian faith led by "wise women" (the etymology of "witch,"
some claim) who were healers, experts on the medicinal properties of
herbs, and respected by all, until bigoted, patriarchal Christians,
jealous of these strong, independent women, burned them at the stake.
Not that the film
is anti-feminist. Instead,
Initiation pits "equity feminists" (who
only want equality at the workplace) against radical, man-hating
feminists. This makes for an intriguing dynamic.
Kim (Neith Hunter)
is a reporter for a Los Angeles based tabloid. Actually, she works in
classifieds, but she wants to be a reporter. She believes that a glass
ceiling prevents her boss, Eli (Reggie Bannister), from giving her a
chance.
Initiation is heavy-handed on that score. Eli is blatant in
his male chauvinism. None of the film's characters are subtle. But
then, this is low-budget exploitation fare, not
David Lynch.
So Kim investigates
a news story on her own, covering a mysterious incident of spontaneous
human combustion. This leads her to a coven of modern day witches.
Career woman and business owners who dress in modern clothes, while
making snide remarks about men. The head witch, Fima (Maud Adams),
explains her own "Come to Gaia" moment when she realized that all her
problems were caused by her husband (from whom she is now happily
divorced).
Kim only wants to
move up the career ladder. Fima's coven promises to help. But Fima's
coven wants more than prestigious jobs. They seek human sacrifice.
They want Lonnie (Conan Yuzna), a young boy who is brother to Kim's
boyfriend, Hank (Tommy Hinkley). And they expect Kim to deliver the
boy -- or else Kim too will spontaneously combust.
Yes, Fima's coven
caused that previous spontaneous human combustion. The victim was
Fima's adult daughter, who refused to join the coven. If you're not
down with these ladies, and willing to sacrifice a young boy to the
Goddess, then you're with the patriarchy.
Initiation is not
quite a Christmas story. It's set during Christmas time. We see much
Christmas decor around Kim's office, as well as a menorah. A witch in
Fima's coven mentions the Winter Solstice. Kim visits Hank's family,
all seated before a Christmas tree, where she instructs Lonnie on the
similarities between Christmas and Hanukkah. Kim says that all
cultures celebrated something around the time of the solstice. "Bullshit," says Hank's dad.
Dad (Ben Slack)
appears modeled on Archie Bunker. He is upset upon learning that Kim
is Jewish. He is upset that she is pursing a career. Career woman are
unsuitable as potential wives for his son. Dad then dishes up some
blatant male chauvinism, saying that a woman's place is in the home.
He references Adam and Eve, adding, "I believe that's in your Bible
too."
Outside, Kim
berates Hank for not defending her to his dad. She'd previously
berated him for not standing up for her to Eli. Seems Hank is an
insensitive oaf who only wants sex. Surrounded by horny or
chauvinistic men, Kim is drawn to Fima's pagan sisterhood, though Kim
recants when she learns the full extent of Fima's evil.
Initiation is heavy
handed in its themes. Its characters are very broadly drawn. Bad Men.
Bad Radical Feminists. Good Equity Feminist. Hank is the most nuanced
-- Bad Man Trying to Be More Sensitive to Women -- and that's not
saying much.
Even so,
Initiation
is a fun film. Horror fans will appreciate the gory and imaginative
makeup effects. Viewers of an intellectual bent will find some
thought-provoking themes. And though Christmas is merely an arbitrary
backdrop, rather than a catalyst for the story's events, the decor
still provides a yuletide feeling for
Christmas film fans who want a
change from Hallmark's sweet and treacly holiday fare.
Afterwards, if
you're wondering whatever became of Kim and Lonnie, they have a cameo
in
Silent Night, Deadly Night 5: The Toymaker (1991). No killer Santas
or witches in this one.
SNDN 5 is a modern day retelling of the
Pinocchio fable. Hint: do not buy any Christmas gifts from Joe Petto's
toy store.
"Communist Vampires" and "CommunistVampires.com" trademarks are currently unregistered, but pending registration upon need for protection against improper use. The idea of marketing these terms as a commodity is a protected idea under the Lanham Act. 15 U.S.C. s 1114(1) (1994) (defining a trademark infringement claim when the plaintiff has a registered mark); 15 U.S.C. s 1125(a) (1994) (defining an action for unfair competition in the context of trademark infringement when the plaintiff holds an unregistered mark).