Christmas Evil

Christmas Evil (originally titled You Better Watch Out, and also known as Terror in Toyland) is a 1980 American slasher film written and directed by Lewis Jackson and starring Brandon Maggart. The plot follows a deranged man obsessed with Santa Claus who eventually goes on a murderous rampage dressed in a Santa Claus suit. Since its release, it has gained a cult following, including praise and repeated viewings by director John Waters. While not prosecuted for obscenity, Christmas Evil was seized and confiscated in the United Kingdom under Section 3 of the Obscene Publications Act 1959, during the video nasty panic. Plot In suburban New Jersey, on Christmas Eve 1947, a young boy named Harry Stadling sees his mother being sexually groped by his father, who is dressed up as Santa Claus. Traumatized, the child rushes up to the attic and cuts his hand with a shard of glass from a shattered snow globe. Thirty-three years later, an adult Harry works in a low-level position at the Jolly Dreams toy factory, where his colleagues consider him a "schmuck" and make fun of him. At home, he has taken it upon himself to become the next true Santa: he sleeps in costume, and his apartment is resplendent with Christmas décor. He spies on neighborhood children to see if they are being "good" or "bad" and keeps detailed records of their behavior.