Silent Night, Deadly Night is a 1984 American slasher horror film directed by Charles E. Sellier, Jr., produced by Ira R Barmak, written by Michael Hickey, and starring Robert Brian Wilson, Lilyan Chauvin, Gilmer McCormick, Toni Nero, Linnea Quigley, Britt Leach and Leo Geter. Set during Christmas, the story concerns a young man, who after witnessing his parents murdered and raised tumultuously in an abusive Catholic orphanage as a young boy, begins to suffer traumatic experiences years later and emerges into a spree killer (donning a Santa suit) himself.
Released by TriStar Pictures on November 9, 1984, the film gained controversy upon release towards the advertising's deception. In response, this film received negative reviews and was pulled out of theaters a week after its release. While successful during its opening week, the film was a moderate success with $2.5 million made overall. Since its release, the film has developed a cult following and was followed by four sequels (with the fourth and fifth installment having no connection to the film) and a loose remake released about 28 years later. This was the only film in the series to be distributed by TriStar Pictures.