Don't Open Till Christmas (1984)

   

Directed by: Edmund Purdom

Written by: Derek Ford

Story by: Al McGoohan

Starring:

Edmund Purdom ... Inspector Harris
Belinda Mayne ... Kate
Gerry Sundquist ... Cliff Boyd
Mark Jones ... Sergeant Powell
Alan Lake ... Giles
Kelly Baker ... Experience Girl
Kevin Lloyd ... Gerry
Pat Astley .... Sharon

Special Appearance:

Caroline Munro .... Herself

Release Date: Theatrical: December, 1984

*Images courtesy at: www.jabootu.com

 

 

 

 

 

Rating:

 

During a Christmas Party at a dance club in London, England a man dressed in a Santa suit is brutally slayed as his daughter named Kate (Belinda Mayne) is not going to stop this unsolved case as she tries to find out who killed her father as this killer seems to kill other people dressed in Santa suits at street corners, strip joints, department stores and public areas too.
Inspector Harris (Edmund Purdom), who has a dark past with his younger brother, tries to help Kate on this missing case and is also told by his housekeeper that he received a gift and was not to open it till Christmas.
Harris and his assistant named Sargeant Powell (Mark Jones) can't figure out on what sort of twisted mind is behind these barbarous acts of violence?
Scotland Yard is on the trail but every clue points them in a different direction.
The culprit is right under their noses but will they come to this climactic conclusion in time?

 

There is an interesting dark camera shot closing in on a car with heavy breathing during the very beginning of this film as I got the impression the story and the making of this film was going to be awfully cheesy.
There's okay camera shots on people dancing at a dance club which looked total 80's fashion.
There is a rough scene with a victim being murdered and the reactions with others doesn't look the least bit convincing.
There is an impressive speech by a housekeeper telling Inspector Harris that there's a present and said not to open till Christmas which leaves an impression since this is the title of this movie.
We have some trashy discussions between Gerry instructing a supporting character Sharon on her modelling shot and I thought to myself HO HUM.
We have a good close up shot on both Sharon and Gerry outside when she tries to come on strongly to him and there's a great reaction on the two of them after they are caught by some people walking on the street.
There's good shots on Sharon in a corner street in her Santa suit along with a great close up shot on Giles wearing a mask and pointing his mini blade near her body but yet it is roughly done.
We have a corny conversation between someone dressed in a Santa suit next to a glass booth talking to an experienced girl but the situation on this kinda suits the plot itself.
There's also a good dark scene with another fellow dressed in a Santa suit riding a bike with a gang chasing after him plus a good creepy moment on him exploring a dungeon where a corpse is found and other terrifying things.
There's a good scene with the experience girl in her booth acting nervous with a cold speaking by Giles and then a good shot on his hand breaking through the window of the booth trying to grab her. We have good shots on their legs running on the streets too.
We spot a perfect camera shot on Sergeant Powell holdong a car door and being electrocuted.
We have a nice shot on Sharon slowly walking up to Giles' lifeless body and then he jumps up which truly makes you jump.
Bottom line: Man oh man I was in total torture watching this God awful slasher flick as I was expecting something a little better along in the lines like Silent Night Deadly Night, Black Christmas or even Christmas Evil but this film doesn't even match any of those mentioned. The film was pointless from start to finish and very confusing too with tons of bad writing which includes a flashback scene during the end of the film which should've been used during the very beginning of it. It's also sick and twisted with lots of bad gruesome effects and plenty of skin too. Avoid this one at all costs.

Most of the acting is quite bad I must say but it was mainly due to alot of bad writing.
Alan Lake
(Giles) seemed truly intimidating in his part even if his acting skills weren't that terrific so I'd give him some points for that. There's a good presence by him towards an actress with his icy words and menacing actions.
Mark Jones
(Sergeant Powell) however does a fine job with his firm and serious attitude as one of the inspectors in the film and will be fondly remembered.
Belinda Mayne
(Kate) on the other hand, couldn't act her way out of a wet paper bag as the one trying to get the killer for killing her father and she isn't at all believeable with her emotions or anger. In one scene she performed poorly by her actions after seeing a Santa suit due to the bad memories of her father when she storms out.
Kelly Baker
(Experience Girl) however seemed to pull off her role quite well as I found her to be the best out of them all as a stripper. Performs a great freaked out reaction on Baker after she is slayed.
Kevin Lloyd
(Gerry) played a good idiot in the film but can't see him going places.
We have a supporting actress by Pat Astley (Sharon) showed some good humor in her part as a sleazy model in the film as she offered the odd laugh.
We spot a nice cameo scene with trashy scream queen Carolyn Munro (Herself) perfoming in a band but you can tell that she's lipsynching but does well at screaming after spotting a corpse.

Pat Astley flashes her boobs while getting her pics taken for a modelling shoot and also does the same thing while wearing a Santa uniform outside. She also shows it off again to some inspectors in her room.
A woman is topless during a flashback sequence in a room with a guy dressed as Santa.

A knife is sliced through a persons mouth
Heada are bloodied
Bloody stabbings
A head is slaiced by a machette
Plenty of fake blood splurting

We have alot of cheesy synthesizer music composed by Des Dolan but he has some good stuff too like some high pitched and dark sounding music along with some odd violin suspenseful music here and there and an echoey piano playing during a street corner used in the film.