Silent Night, Bloody Night

Released - 1974
Genre - Horror, Thriller
Director - Theodore Gershuny
Starring - Patrick O'Neal, James Patterson, Mary Woronov, Astrid Heeren, John Carradine, Walter Abel

This is a really atmospheric tale of twisted insanity and incest. Wilfred Butler owns a mansion in a small town and he rapes and impregnates his daughter. He then turns his house into an insane asylum and commits her. Displeased with the doctors he has hired he presides over an inmate uprising which turns very nasty. The film takes place in the modern day and the story gradually comes out through his diary as his son and grandson (one person) investigates. The direction here is really engrossing and the setting is beautifully creepy and appropriate. The plot is tough to follow and there are several revelations but it includes some great wee chilling ideas. This went way beyond my expectations sitting down to watch a low budget horror from the 70's and it is easy to see why it has captured cult status.

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