ho and ho and homicidal maniac . this spirited tour de force adaptation of a great ec comic horror tale be undoubtedly one of the best episode of the cable tv series ever make . director robert ( back to the future ) zemeckis make the most out of a witty script by fred ( night of the creep and the monster squad ) dekker which center on a ruthless two timing housewife ( well play by mary ellen trainor and who be marry to zemeckis when she star in this episode ) who kill her jilted jerk of a husband ( a nice cameo by marshall bell ) on christmas eve by whack him upside the head with a fire poker . complication ensue when a derange murderous madman dress up a jolly kris kringle escape from a nearby asylum and decide to pay trainor a decidedly unfriendly visit . alan silvestri spooky and stir score and dean cundey typically polish cinematography far enhance the macabre fun . and larry drake ( the sweet gentle giant benny on l. a. law . ) and with his creepy hiccup guffaw and a demented twinkle in his bright green eye and and a leering and truly wicked grin and make for a sensational sanguinary saint nick .