Initiation: Silent Night, Deadly Night 4

Plot synopsis:
Kim Levitt is an aspiring journalist working for the newspaper, L.A. Eye, as a classified ads editor. Her sexist boss, Eli, seems to give all of the men in her office the breaks, including her boyfriend Hank. When a woman is discovered dead on the sidewalk, half-burned to ashes in an apparent case of spontaneous human combustion, Kim decides to pursue the story on her own without Eli's approval. Her first stop is Munn Fresh Meat, a butcher shop run by Jo near the site of the suicide's landing. Kim asks him about the jumper. He tells her that the suicide probably got to the roof of the building she jumped from through the apartments there.Around the corner, she enters a used book store. Kim asks for a book on spontaneous combustion, which the proprietor, Fima, finds for her. At checkout, she insists that Kim take another book from her, Initiation of the Virgin Goddess. Kim initially refuses, but Fima insists and declares it her invitation to a picnic she's having with friends the next day. Fima shows Kim the way to the roof of the building. Kim inspects the spot where the jumper leapt from and tests it herself by standing on the ledge. Behind her, Ricky (a slave) arrives. He sticks his head in a ventilation pipe as Kim approaches him. From inside, Ricky pulls out a large, slimy insect larva. He shows it to Kim, who screams and runs off.Back in her own apartment, Kim discovers her sink is full of cockroaches; she frantically sprays insecticide on them. She settles down on the kitchen table to eat dinner and flips open the book Fima loaned her. The page she randomly arrives at is titled "The Spiral: Symbol of Women's Power". Kim glances at her plate of noodles and notices that they are arranged in a vague spiral. She spies another roach crawling out of a loaf of bread. Using the book, she bats at it. In the process, her spaghetti dish crashes to the floor. Leaving it on the floor, she leaves to spend Christmas Eve with Hank's family.At Hank's parents' house, his mother Ann serves drinks and snacks, his father Gus guzzles beer and his little brother Lonnie shakes the presents under the Christmas tree. When Kim tries to explain to Lonnie that even though she's Jewish, that Hanukkah and Christmas are just two different holidays that deal with the same thing in their different ways, Gus gets upset. When Kim talks about her job at the Eye, Gus says that he believes a woman's place is in the home since Eve was made from Adam's rib. Hank testily replies that that story is just an allegory, but Gus disagrees, claiming it is "goddamned real".When Kim returns to her apartment, she scrapes the dead roach from Fima's book and flips it open. The page she randomly lands on is titled "The Fire of Lilith" and it depicts a woman whose lower half is engulfed in flames. Kim glances down at the plate of spaghetti on the floor. The spaghetti is now arranged in a flame-like pattern. Across from the spaghetti, she thinks she see a giant roach under the couch. She throws the book at it and it scurries off. She looks, but is unable to find it. While looking, she notices the spaghetti on the floor pulsating. She gets violently ill and passes out on the floor. Knocking on the door from her coworker Janice wakes her up the next day. Kim decides not to go to work and instead drives to Fima's picnic. There, the motherly Fima introduces her to Katherine Harrison (Jeanne Bates), a self-described old crone, and the young Jane Yanana. They tell her about Lilith, Adam's first wife and the "spirit of all that crawls". Kim begins to feel the effects of the wine they are drinking and lays down. Just as she begins to see something in the tree branches above her, Hank arrives and drives her to work.At the Eye, Eli, instead of being angry about Kim not showing up for work all morning, lets her officially have the spontaneous combustion story. Kim wonders how Hank knew where to find her. He says that Janice told him. When Kim asks Janice how she knew, Janice claims that Kim herself had told her. Hank and Kim return to the roof to investigate the story further. There, they find a spiral drawn on the ground as well as Ricky's lean-to. Hank leaves and Kim decides to visit Fima's apartment. Fima serves her a cup of tea, which makes Kim nauseous at first and sleepy later. Fima tells Kim of her daughter Lilith, whom Kim reminds her of. Fima offers her another date and demands that Kim eat it. She does, even though it looks like a roach in her hand. Soon after, Kim passes out.She awakens surrounded by Jane, Fima, Katherine, and Li; they strip her of her clothes and paint a dark line from her forehead to her chin and a spiral around her navel. Ricky brings in the same larva from the ventilation pipe, and he places it on her stomach. As Katherine chants a spell and Ricky and Fima slice open a live rat over her, the larva crawls into Kim's body. Under her skin, the larva crawls up Kim's body. It emerges from her mouth as a full-grown, giant, multi-segmented roach; Kim vomits the creature out. Ricky slices the creature in half and drips its innards onto Kim's face in a near-sexual manner. Kim wakes up later fully dressed, still in Fima's apartment. The four women encourage her to stay, but she escapes and runs home. There she finds Hank waiting for her. The stressed Kim starts a fight with him, but he calms her down and they begin to make love. While doing so, Ricky casually enters the apartment, sits on their bed and begins watching TV. When he flips to a channel showing a clip from Silent Night, Deadly Night 3: Better Watch Out!, he laughs. The noise alerts Hank, who demands that Ricky leave. They scuffle and Hank is stabbed to death by Ricky. Kim manages to answer her ringing phone during the fight and screams for Janice to help her. Ricky captures Kim and binds her. Janice arrives, but doesn't help Kim. Instead, she admonishes Ricky for the mess and tells him to take Kim straight to Fima while she cleans up.Ricky locks Kim in the meat locker at Munn Fresh Meat where she passes out again. When she awakens, she is surrounded by the entire cult. Fima places her in a chair and tells her "it's not easy to give birth to yourself." Ricky, wearing a phallic mask, rapes Kim. Kim reawakens alone in the meat locker; at first her fingers bind themselves together in a knot. Then she experiences incredible pain as her legs bind together into an insect-like tail. Kim passes out one more time. She awakens in the meat locker as Jo opens the door. She frees her legs from a brittle cocoon-like substance and covers her as best as she can. Jo tells her that she has been initiated and that she should go.Kim returns to Fima's bookstore where Fima admits that the woman who jumped was her daughter Lilith and that she wants Kim to take her place. She explains that the experience Kim just had has freed her from men and the fear that they bring. Kim believes she was simply hallucinating, but Fima insists that she created everything that she saw using the magic within her. Fima then reveals that she must kill a man in order to complete her initiation or else she will be consumed by fire just as Lilith was, and Kim refuses. Kim brings a policeman, Detective Burt, to her apartment. There, everything is spotless and there's no trace of Hank's body. At her office's Christmas party, Eli claims that Hank is away on assignment. Janice there welcomes her to the family. Furious and confused, Kim storms out of the office and walks down the sidewalk. She notices Ricky following her and ducks into a motel room. Her feet begin to get painfully hot. She jumps into the shower, but they still burst into tiny flames. Ricky enters the room and, in pain, Kim agrees to kidnap Lonnie to complete the initiation.Kim lures Lonnie out of Hank's parents' house and into a waiting van. When Ann goes to investigate, Ricky tapes her mouth shut and strangles and electrocutes Gus with a string of Christmas lights. As the house begins to burn, Ricky jumps into the van and they drive back to Fima's rooftop. With Lonnie tied up on the roof, Fima hands Kim a knife and tells her to kill him. Kim refuses and instead stabs Fima. In anger, Fima pulls the knife from her belly and stabs Ricky. Giant larva feed on the wounded man as Kim's legs begin to get hot. Kim's hands knot themselves into together once again, then they start on fire. She stabs her modified, flaming hands into Fima's knife wound. This transfers the curse of Lilith to her, who dives off the roof just as her daughter had. Kim hugs Lonnie and tells him that it's all over.

Tags: violence, cult, murder

Review:
While asking the owner of a bookstore (Maude Adams) within the building about the strange death, she is lead into a sacrificial cult of modern day witches that plan on using her for one of their sacrificial ceremonies on Christmas Eve.Take elements from "Rosemary's Baby" and throw in some nasty monster creatures and feminist witches in a Christmas setting, and you've got this movie.
This film has pretty decent acting, Maude Adams is the best of the cast as the head of the cult, and the special effects are pretty cheap but sufficient.
This is the only "Silent Night, Deadly Night" film that I've seen so far, but still I'd probably only recommend this to hardcore fans of the "Silent Night, Deadly Night" series, and from what I know this sequel is unrelated to the other films.
Horror-meister Brian Yuzna (Society, Dentist 1 and 2), delivers the goods in this chilling entry into the SN,DN series.
Both The script and acting are unimaginative but it's good horror fun from the Yuzna team that we've all come to love and it makes a great holiday family......err, horror film.
Silent Night, Dead Night 4 (Otherwise known as both Initiation and Bugs) is a weird one because it's another Horror franchise that ditches the original material and goes in a new direction altogether.The first 3 movies were about the psychotic "Naughty" Caldwell brothers, this is oddly about a coven of witches and their bug themed birthing rituals and.....yeah, it gets a bit weird.Starring industry legend Clint Howard and Phantasm alumni Reggie Bannister this isn't as bad as you'd imagine but it's a really weird choice to veer off so dramatically.Okay fine it can work, Halloween 3 for example is my favorite of the franchise and has nothing to do with Michael Myers.This is passable, but weird.
Also not one for those with weak stomachs, some of it is really quite grosse.A bizzare choice of content, but it could have been worse.The Good:Reggie Bannister, Clint Howard and Allyce Beasley are all greatCreature effects are greatThe Bad:Just plain weirdSimply not a Silent Night, Deadly Night movieThings I Learnt From This Movie:All Asian people know karate chops.
Both of them were B-movies, sure, but they had good ideas, the weird make-up effects that Society, Yuzna's freaky debut, made him known for, and lots of B-charm of their own.
Why Yuzna even bothered with the trite SNDN series I don't know - probably it started with a late-night call like this: " Well, that last Silent Night Deadly Night movie did OK, so if you have anything which we could somehow distribute under that franchise, we'll do it." The only thing that connects this one to the others is the character of Ricky (this time it's the great Clint Howard in one of his lamest performances) who's shot-to-goo brain has healed remarkably well in just one year.
The story is uninteresting from the start, the acting is bland (the unknown Neith Hunter probably got the lead because she was willing to do the slime-trenched nude scenes) and yes, there's Yuzna's trademark scenes involving Screaming Mad George's body melt effects which are fun as always, but they are few and short, hardly worth the wait.
I'm a huge Brian Yuzna fan, it all began after watching the classic horror/comedy Re-Animator.This fourth installment of the moderately entertaining Silent Night Deadly Night franchise is far better than the previous three.
Granted I was disappointed when Santa never made an appearance in this film, but Yuzna ands ingredients that had been lacking from the original three films.Screaming Mad George's effects are always first rate, the giant bugs were marvelous and gross at the same time.
Lead actress Neith Hunter is a very capable actress, and much like other Yuzna flicks(Re-Animator's Barbara Crampton & Progeny's Jillian McWhirter) isn't afraid to showcase some skin here and there.I absolutely hate Ron Howard's talentless brother Clint, but much like Tori Spelling in Sol Goode, his minuscule talents were suited for the role.Go ahead and rent it if your a fan of decent low budget horror flicks..
For whatever reason they called it a Silent Night, Deadly Night sequel, and had it set at Christmas time.
Just like Pt. 3, it's Christmas in L.A., so now snow on the ground.Clint Howard's character is named Ricky, which has to be more than just a coincidence.
But I can't see how this Ricky can be tied to the Ricky in Pt.2 and 3.Screaming Mad George still has the cochroach puppets left over from Nightmare On Elm Street 4.It's good to see Reggie Banister in a movie not directed by Don Coscorelli..
An ambitious, stubborn wannabe reporter, Kim (pretty Neith Hunter) determines that she'll solve the mystery of a young woman's bizarre suicide - which may have involved spontaneous human combustion, treating her boyfriend Hank (Tommy Hinkley) like crap in the process.
Among all the trappings are a barrage of insects, maggots, and the ghoulishly fun "surrealistic" makeup effects of the great Screaming Mad George, who'd done such memorable work on "Society", Yuzna's directing debut.
The amusing selection of actors also includes Allyce Beasley of 'Moonlighting' fame as Kim's friend Janice, lovely Bond girl Maud Adams as the alluring and enigmatic Fima, Ben Slack, the psychiatrist in "Society", as Hank's prejudiced dad, Yuzna's own son Conan as Hank's kid brother Lonnie, and "Phantasm" series star Reggie Bannister in a highly entertaining turn as Kim and Hank's boss at the newspaper.
What's truly ridiculous is how the makers of these movies seem always obliged to include any sort of archive footage, as scenes from SNDN 3, "Better Watch Out" play out on a TV screen.
This film is totally insane...and by totally insane, I mean that is totally insane to imagine that someone watched any of the previous three Silent Night, Deadly Night films...before dreaming up this lesbian cult bio-horror as an appropriate sequel.In fact, the only logical explanation is that this was a completely separate project, that was already written- and possibly even partially filmed already- when Yuzna had it appropriated by the SNDN franchise...after which he shot a few extra scenes, as to sell the Ricky connection (which is weak as f*ck, at best- and doesn't make sense at all, if you think about it).You could easily go through and watch this entire film without a) realizing it takes place on or around Christmas, and b) that the mental patient that is subservient to the lesbian cult is supposed to be Ricky.It was likely a pre-existing film called Initiation, that they added to the SNDN franchise, because after the second and third films were flops- they figured Yuzna could somehow revive it from it's death throes, by sketchily attempting to tie it into the ongoing storyline, after the fact.With that being said, it's actually a pretty good little film.
But all this is secondary to it being only remotely connected (and forced, at that) to the original franchise- whose name it bears.Worth a watch if you are into lesbian cults, bio-horror, or Clint Howard.5.5 out of 10..
A young reporter investigating a bizarre death becomes involved with a coven of modern day witches headed by Maud Adams.
Trying to investigate an apparent suicide, a reporter is drawn into a strange cult-like collection of women looking to host their demonic leader and tries to find a way of keeping a dangerous prophecy from coming true.This was a slightly-more enjoyable sequel effort that still has some problems with it.
The initial story about the suicide attempt and the strange situations that surround it are quite engaging, which is nicely matched by the later storyline of her investigation slowly leading her further and further into their powers which enable plenty of exciting times through some highly effective and shocking scenes.
This one tends to run around thinking that it needs to simply throw weird and slimy special effects around hoping that will cause the audience to squirm when it does nothing of the sort and instead simply continues an overlong tradition of random scene of slimy bugs after another which isn't scary in the slightest.
After the deadly dull third film producer / director Brain Yunza would ambitiously steer away from the psycho Santa formula (no more Billy, Ricky or mother superior) of the first three "Silent Night, Deadly Night" outings, for something unrelated and could have easily stood alone by just sticking to the title "Initiation".
"Initiation: "Silent Night, Deadly Night 4" is an atypically strange holiday shocker, which delves into witchcraft, the occult and nasty looking bugs.
The story centres on a bunch of female characters (an almost feminist stance streams through the material) led by the likes of an outstanding Maud Adams and Neith Hunter as the feisty newspaper reporter heroine, but the scene stealer is support actor Clint Howard who's dementedly humorous with his offbeat character.
The fourth entry in the mostly terrible Silent Night, Deadly Night series tries to move away from the killer Santa shtick.
The story this time is about a female reporter who investigates a girl's suspicious death and becomes involved with a group of witches.
It's directed by Brian Yuzna, who has done more fun and creative horror films than this.
it's no longer about killer Santa any more,This movie was a lot better then the last 2 sequels, A reporter investigating the bizarre death of a woman who leaped from a building in flames finds herself mixed up in a cult of witches who are making her part of their sacrificial ceremony during the Christmas season.There were good moment in this movie, which I really enjoyed some of effect, which can be a little cheesyThe acting was better then last 2 movies as well.
First, let me start off by saying that as an avid horror fan, I can appreciate the vision of most movies - good or bad.
The lead female character is believable to a degree, and Clint Howard delivers a decent performance as well, but the acting in general isn't too thought provoking.
The fact that this film tacks on the Silent Night, Deadly Night moniker on the end of the title is pitiful; I absolutely refuse to label it as an "original horror movie twist about Christmas." For my own personal records that I keep offline, this has to be the second worst horror movie contained within a series, only slightly falling below the Howling III...an abomination so horrendous that the cast and crew responsbile should be tarred and feathered.
Unrelated to the first three movies in this series, this has a confused and confusing story about a newspaper reporter stumbling onto some kind of feminist group in L.A. and they want her to join them to replace one of their number's dead daughter.
This made for cable TV movie is completely unrelated to the first three movies or the next one in this series, it throws everything but the kitchen sink into it's bizarre, nonsensical story: everything from spontaneous combustion to bugs, giant cockroaches and feminists, Adam's legendary first wife Lilith, Clint Howard and more bugs, disgusting special effects and still more bugs, but none of it makes much sense so you don't really care what happens to anyone in the movie.
Ricky was in the film played by Clint howard but he was definately not what I remembered him being like (NAUGHTY, PUNISH).
Yours truly has a dumb but very punctual tradition to watch at least one holiday-themed horror movie during the Christmas period.
After all these years, however, I'm running out of options and pretty much the only Christmas horror movies that I haven't seen yet are the more obscure sequels in the "Silent Night, Deadly Night" franchise.
I couldn't get my filthy claws on part III, so I went straight to Brian Yuzna's fourth installment which has absolutely nothing to do with the original 1984 classic and actually hardly even qualifies as a Christmas movie.
"SN,DN: Initiation" actually feels somewhat as if co- creator and director Brian Yuzna couldn't stuff all his crazy figments in his previous film "Society" and thus especially thought up another senseless plot.
This way, he could also prolong his collaboration with the awesome special effects wizard Screaming Mad George and stuff the script – like a Christmas turkey – with perversities, filth and bugs.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to look for an actual Christmas horror movie!.
Silent Night, Deadly Night 4 (1990)* 1/2 (out of 4) A woman puts herself on fire and jumps from the roof of a building and the next day a reporter (Neith Hunter) tries to figure out why.
Those wanting to see a killer Santa Claus are going to be disappointed because the fat man doesn't make an appearance here except for a brief clip from the previous movie.
This film here isn't awful but there's simply nothing here we haven't seen before and in the end the thing is just too weak to be entertaining.
The film contains a lot of bug stuff so those creeped out by the critters running around will probably find this stuff effective.
SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT 4 stays away from the controversy of the previous film and I can respect the filmmakers for trying to do something new with the series but in the end it's just something we've seen countless times before.
If you're going to do a movie about a woman getting involved with witches then you need to try something fresher than what's here..
Silent Night, Deadly Night 4 (1990)As I watched this movie, I was baffled as why this film was in the Silent Night series.
Clint Howard (House of the Dead) and Reggie Bannister (Phantasm) were the biggest names in this film, but otherwise the rest are pretty much unknown.
Director Brian Yuzna (The Dentist) lacks the appropriate Christmas scenery, which would add to the film's intensity and horror.
A reporter (Neith Hunter) investigates a woman's mysterious death, but gets caught in witches' coven led by occult bookstore owner (Maud Adams).
In-name-only sequel doesn't follow the first three films, but Ricky (Clint Howard) is in this one with very little to do.
Not to mention that the new Ricky (Portrayed by Clint Howard) is watching footage from 3 in one scene it does'nt make any sense to me.
At the end Ricky is killed but he suddenly repeares in 5 what is wrong with all this 5 Silent Night, Deadly Night movies?
When I was 14 I went through a phase when I needed to watch as many horror flicks as possible.Initiation: Silent Night, Deadly Night 4 (1990),with Allyce Beasley,was one of them.I have read almost all of the comments here, and I find them all pretty accurate--even if severely divergent.
The biggest bug she can't rid herself of is ogre-like Ricky(Clint Howard playing his usually disgusting troll who Yuzna embellishes by photographing him with imaginative angles)who is the coven's gopher/soldier doing their bidding so that their ceremonies and such get accomplished.
Oh, and Yuzna makes sure to show us why this film is in the series as a fourth film(..other than merely exploiting the title for his own purposes)by showing an excerpt of the previous sequel where the blind girl dreams of being nearly attacked by the killer Santa.
Feisty reporter Kim (an appealingly perky performance by the pretty Neith Hunter) investigates the mysterious fiery death of a young woman.
This movie further benefits from sound acting by an able cast, with stand-out contributions by Maud Adams as alluring cult leader Fima, Tommy Hinkley as Kim's horny, supportive boyfriend Hank, Allyce Beasley as sympathetic coworker Janice, and Reggie Banister as Kim's sexist jerk boss Eli. Clint Howard is genuinely creepy and unnerving as geeky and grubby cult flunky Ricky; Howard brutally butchers one man with a knife, strangles another guy with Christmas tree lights, and even has kinky ritualistic sex with Kim (yuck!).
The first Silent Night, Deadly Night is an average slasher movie with a few nice touches, but is overall a pretty forgettable film.
Silent Night, Deadly Night 3 is much better than the previous two and is very entertaining.
Kim, a woman who wants the perfect story so she can finally be a reporter sees this on the news and starts looking for clues.
Kim and Fima become fast friends, but strange things happen to Kim. Weird visions, bugs, and a cult haunt Kim. She learns that the woman in the beginning was Fima's daughter and Fima wants Kim to take her place as her new one.
On Christmas Eve Kim is about to perform the final part of the ritual, but changes her mind and must battle the cult to survive.Good story, effects, and great acting.
A female reporter (Neith Hunter) is investigating the bizarre suicide of a woman in flames who jumped off a building.
Brian Yuzna is responsible for one of my favorite horror movies!
Clint Howard is a revered horror actor, but I couldn't stand him in this movie.
None of the Silent Night: Deadly Night films will ever win an Academy Award, but at least you don't feel cheated out of a couple of hours of your life watching them.
It shouldn't even be allowed to carry the Silent Night/Deadly Night title.It has nothing at all to do with the Christmas killer theme of the others & is sorely lacking any interesting storyline here.
But whereas Halloween III was a decent movie, Brian Yuzna has directed a turd.
In Part 4, Clint Howard plays a character named Ricky.
This horror sequel, also known as SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT PART 4, is another lame affair.
Nowadays she's just an embarrassing old woman.Which leaves me to conclude that, as is sadly the case with a lot of modern horror films, the special effects are the only worthwhile things.
It's horrible.I can only be glad that Brian Yuzna has rid himself of this trash and is now making enjoyable films again, like TICKS, THE DENTIST, and PROGENY.