BLOOD
OVERALL
BEASTS
BREASTS
Original title:Initiation: Silent
Night, Deadly Night 4, aka
Bugs (UK)
Director: Brian Yuzna
Writers: Richard N. Gladstein (story)
Arthur Gorson (story)
Cast---
Clint Howard         ...         Ricky
Neith Hunter        ...         Kim
Tommy Hinkley        ...         Hank
Hugh Fink        ...         Jeff
Richard N. Gladstein        ...         Woody
Reggie Bannister        ...         Eli
Allyce Beasley        ...         Janice

Runtime: 90 min
SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT 4: INITIATION (1990)

  This movie has nothing to do with the rest of the series. And by nothing, I mean NOTHING, NOTHING,
NOTHING, NOTHING, NOTHING, NOTHING. The 4th times not the charm as the producers of this series
decide to pull a Halloween 3 and take the series into a bizarre left field involving witches and giant bugs!

  Annoying, clown-haired reporter Kim (played by annoying and clown-haired Neith Hunter) wants to
investigate a bizarre suicide where a woman's legs burst into flames as she jumped off of a roof, but her
bosses think she is too much of a woman to do a good job. But sexism is not a dirty word here, because
it's the main theme in this god awful mess of a movie. Kim decides to investigate on her and meets Fima
(played by the still-lovely Maud Adams, who is most well-known as 007's gal Octopussy), who not only
owns a book store on the occult but was the mother of the suicide victim. Soon, with the aide of a dirty
Clint Howard (named Ricky, but having no connection to the Ricky from the previous 3 films), Kim is
seduced into the world of black magic.

  Kim is hesitant at first, and who wouldn't be, but Fima and her coven of hippie witches (young and old)
drag her into their group whether she likes it or not, and only because Kim reminds Fima of her dearly
departed daughter. The film piles on the Rosemary's Baby antics and witchcraft mumbo-jumbo, only to
reference the freaking Christmas season peripherally and keeping our interests peripherally as well. In
the end, it comes down to a battle of wills between Fima and Kim, who has been charged with murdering
her boyfriend Hank's younger brother so she can become a "full woman" or something like that.
Whatever the case may be, the series that once was about a serial killer dressed like Santa becomes
about lesbian witches that play with really large and slimy roaches.

  Starring Reggie Banister (Phantasm), Allyce Beasley (Moonlighting), Maud Adams and Clint Howard
(Ron's brother and star of the classic....oh, wait never mind), this film has some pretty nice ingredients,
and director Brian Yuzna (Society, Bride of Re-Animator) provides some cool effects similar to those
featured in his higher-quality and more notable work. The funny thing is that this film is titled Bugs in the
U.K., which would make sense seeing as it really is about a cult of female-empowering giant bug
worshipers. What doesn't make sense is calling this a sequel to Silent Night, and only having one or two
scenes featuring the damn holiday! The worst decision was showing a clip of part 3 in the film, because
it serves as a boldface statement that the first 3 aren't connected to the fourth, and actually that might
have been a good thing. Stay away from this dull, uninteresting, and cheesily-scored production with
nothing to offer but confusion.






                            

                                                                                                          - Jose Prendes
IMAGES
BLOOD
SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT 4: INITIATION (1990)
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