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". Maybe then it would have gained a better reputation. Anyhow what's done is done. "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. Director Yunza competent handling makes the most of the leering low-budget, establishing surprising dynamics (an edgy music score and getting some crudely nauseating and graphically surreal rubber make-up effects crafted by Screaming Mad George. There's quite an nightmarish atmosphere… where the premise plays out like some sort of lingering bad dream with its constant off-the-wall images (the ritual sequences take the cake), alarmingly unpleasant streak and spaced-out characters finding its way into the investigative plot-structure. While immensely slow-burn, it did at times get frustrating with its stop and go rhythm amongst its ambiguously eerie plotting. Sometimes it had me captivated, while other instances my interest faded… but it builds up a rush of energy for its bewilderingly suspenseful climax. Other then the bumpy story it's a well-made, low-grade shocker.

Feisty reporter Kim (an appealingly perky performance by the pretty Neith Hunter) investigates the mysterious fiery death of a young woman. Kim uncovers a lethal and mysterious coven of man-hating feminist lesbian witches who worship the powerful Egyptian goddess Isis and want to make Kim a new member. Director Brian Yuzna, working from a wickedly freaky, nasty, and original script by Woody Keith, capably crafts an engrossingly weird and warped shocker: Yuzna maintains a steady pace throughout, develops an appropriately spooky and ominous atmosphere, adds a few inspired moments of amusing dark humor, and piles on the tremendously revolting gross-out moments with real go-for-it unpleasant aplomb (stomach-knotting highlights include loads of icky squirmy giant bugs and larva, Kim giving birth to a vile over-sized insect, and Kim mutating into a giant slimy humanoid worm mutant). 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!). Screaming Mad George provides the deliciously grotesque make-up f/x. The yuletide setting, a pronounced sexually perverse angle, and the bizarre evil rituals all give this picture an extra twisted edge. Both Philip Holahan's slick cinematography and Richard Band's shuddery score are up to speed. Good grody fun.

~Spoiler~ And I thought Silent Night, Deadly Night 3 was bad. Silent Night, Deadly Night 4: The Initiation is Halloween III all over again. But whereas Halloween III was a decent movie, Brian Yuzna has directed a turd. This film has very little in common with the other films in this series. Ricky Caldwell was the main villain in the previous two movies. In Part 4, Clint Howard plays a character named Ricky. However, a last name is never given and I just can't accept that he's the same guy. Also, the film does take place at Christmas time and they managed to sneak in footage from Part 3. But that's not enough to make it a Silent Night, Deadly Night flick. Because, correct me if I'm wrong, I don't remember giant cockroaches and a witch's coven being factors in a slasher movie about Santa Claus. Screaming Mad George, whose effects are usually terrifically twisted, are just okay in this one. Most of the effects are gross rather than cool. Yuzna is a hit or miss director. When he's good, he's good. But when he's bad, he's really bad. If you want to see his good work, check out his Re-animator sequels. If you love bad movies though watch Faust: Love of the Damned. I do have to say though that this is, by far, his worst picture.Note for genre buffs: Keep an eye out for Phantasm's Reggie Bannister. Even the Regman can't save this one.

A female reporter investigates the death of a woman who, on fire, leapt off of a building to her death. Her investigation leads her to discover the existence of a strange cult dedicated Egyptian god Isis--and the cult wants her as its new queen. While the plot is virtually unrelated to the first 3 films, SNDN4 is a surprisingly effective gross-out thriller. There are a few scares and gruesome moments here and there and the visual effects are terrific and, as we've come to expect from Screaming mad George, different. 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. My rating for "Silent Night, Deadly Night 4: Initiation"-8/10.