You Better Watch Out
Suburban New Jersey, Christmas Eve, 1947. Harry catches his mother being sexually groped by his father, who is dressed up as Santa. Heartbroken, the child then rushes up to the attic and cuts his hand with a shard of glass from a shattered snow globe.33 years later in the year 1980, the adult Harry (Brandon Maggart) now works in "a lousy position" as the manager of the Jolly Dreams toy factory. At home, he has taken it upon himself to become the next true Santa; he sleeps in a Santa costume, and his apartment is resplendent all year round with Christmas toys and décor. From the roof of his building, he uses binoculars to spy on neighborhood children to see if they have been 'bad or good' (two children are doing household chores and playing with their doll, the third child, Moss Garcia, is shown rifling through a Penthouse magazine and cutting out a nude photograph). Harry runs back home and writes Moss' name in his "Bad Boys & Girls" book.On his way home from work, Harry peeps into the window of a local bar and sees co-worker Frank Stoller, whom earlier that day had phoned-in sick and Harry had relieved on the assembly line. Harry becomes angry that Frank lied to him about being sick just to avoid not going to work. Harry rushes home, hums a Christmas tune, and breaks one of his male dollhouse figures.The following morning Harry phones his younger brother Phil (Jeffrey DeMunn) and cancels his plans to come over for Thanksgiving dinner with Phil and his family.One month later on Christmas Eve, the Company Christmas party for Jolly Dreams is in full swing. Harry watches the owner of Jolly Dreams making a televised announcement that, if production increases sufficiently, the company will be able to donate toys to the disadvantaged children at Willowy Springs State Hospital. Just then, Harry is greeted by one of his co-workers, named Ben, who thanks him for taking Frank's place at the warehouse on the assembly line. Frank then introduces Harry to newcomer employee George.At home, Harry realizes that people generally consider him a "schmuck" and is constantly exploited by others. He then has a nervous breakdown, and he is now convinced that he truly is Santa Claus. Down in his basement workshop, he begins smelting toy soldiers (with swords at attention) and small axes.Alone after-hours, Harry gets a brilliant idea. He steals company toys, wraps them, loads them into his van, and later drops them off at the hospital. He then leaves a bagful of dirt at bad-boy Moss Garcia's doorstep. Sometime later, Harry passes by a local community center where a party is being held. Two men outside see Harry in his Santa costume and mistake him for the Santa that was supposed to show up for the children. They pull him inside where Harry has fun mingling with the other attendees and giving toy soldiers to the children also there. He soon leaves, but announces to the children to be good or they will not get any presents for next year.At around midnight, Harry passes by a local church where he murders three teenage parishioners who happen to taunt him at the bottom steps of the church. Coincidentally, Frank and George are also attending the midnight mass, and witness "Santa's" bloody crime, the hatchet murders of the young bullying preppies.Later that same evening, Harry manages to invade two family's homes for different reasons. After sneaking into Phil's home, he destroys his nephews' Jolly Dreams gifts, and delivers the newly minted soldiers, as well as toys from his own workshop. At the Stoller home, he sneaks in through their basement, delivers the kids' toys, murders Frank in bed by stabbing him to death, and escapes in his van.Meanwhile, an all points bulletin is posted for the town as police begin to search the area for the murderous Santa Claus. Several street-corner Santas are brought in for questioning as well as police line-up for the witnesses to the three murders outside the church.On Christmas morning, Phil begins to suspect something is seriously wrong with his brother and argues with his wife Jackie. Their children are preoccupied with watching a television program and do not seem to mind playing with their damaged and sub-par toys.At the closed warehouse, Harry gains entrance and activates the assembly lines, breaking even-more toys in the process.That night he drives off, and his van becomes stuck in the snow on a beautifully decorated street with plenty of lights, sending him further into a delusional state. By now his costume is dirty and dishevelled. He eventually finds himself on the wrong side of his brother's neighborhood. When he offers to give a toy soldier to a group of needy children, the children's parents happen by and threaten Harry. One father attacks him with a switchblade knife, before the children come to Harry's defense and allow him to get away. Now, a large torch-bearing mob pursues him. Nevertheless, he manages to drive his van out of the sludge and arrives at his brother's house.Phil quickly realizes that his brother is the homicidal Santa he has heard announced on the news. Harry tries to justify his actions to his brother, but Phil proceeds to choke him unconscious. Phil loads Harry into the front seat of the van, whereupon Harry comes-to, cold-cocks him, and again drives off. During his escape, the oncoming mob appears on the road and forces him and his van off a bridge. The van then is shown to magically fly off towards the moon as Harry's voice over reads the end of "Twas the Night Before Christmas."
cult, murder