ho ho ho . this early post halloween slash fest be intrigue and collectible for two significant reason . it be the first slasher movie to include a santa suit psycho and before silent night deadly night and psycho santa and christmas season massacre make the costume a slasher cliché . secondly it be the directorial debut of david hess a man who be to the horror genre what johan cryuff be to football . not many people know about hess hugely impressive contribution to show business and the thing that he achieve prior to his act exploit . his professional career begin a a singer songwriter for a small label call shalimar music in 1957. his first recording be a song call all shake up and which of course become a massive hit for elvis presley that same year . throughout the month that follow and hess would see conway twitty and andy williams and sal mineo and pat boone take his track to the top end of the chart and then he settle for a career behind the scene a head a and r man for mercury record . then in 1972 his fortune continue to improve when he be offer the lead role in wes craven cult classic the last house on the left . he give such a nasty and memorable performance that he would continue to play tormented character in movie like the eleventh commandment . to all a good night give him the chance to broaden his horizon in the film industry and it be a solid opportunity to express his talent in the director chair . it something that he would like to try again and although he admit that he have neither the time nor the cash flow to direct a second feature . nowadays david hess say that his main priority be spend time with his family . the opening scene be convey so rapidly that it felt like i have my finger on the fast forward button . it christmas vacation at the calvin finish school for girl and the co ed be celebrate by chase one female around the dormitory . she head out onto the balcony and trip over a plant pot and take a fatal tumble to the concrete floor below . we can only presume that the girl die and although be never give an explanation to the scene . we do not even know who any of these character be . two year later and it christmas time again . a large majority of the youngster be go home and but a few party animal be prepare for their own on site celebration . the gang of fun love lady include a curvaceous man eater call melody ( linda gentile ) and who spend her time be swap among the guy like a football card . there a suspiciously plum accent english girl name trisha ( angela bath ) and and then we have the traditional bed hopper and inadvertently bill comic relief character and leia ( judith bridge ) . finally we meet the jamie lee curtis lite goody two shoe call nancy ( jennifer runyon ) . their house be run by ruth jensen ( katherine herrington ) and trina ronsoni ( judy hess ) and who must be relate to the director maybe his wife . she also show a brilliant knack for comic timing and by quip at one point and i will stop off on my way back . that be if the grim reaper doesn not come call . ho hum . anyway and christmas alone for the girl wouldn not be much fun and so they literally fly in a gang of randy would be lotharios include the stereotypical geek and alex ( forest swanson ) . it doesn not take long for the masked santa suit slasher to turn up and begin cut his way through the reveller . he then bury their body in the backyard with the professionalism and speed of a gang of landscape gardener . so who will survive this christmas massacre . to all a good night isn not as bad a it hideous reputation would lead you to believe . in fact it actually fairly watchable in a so bad it good kind of way . it help no end by some breathtaking dialogue from the dim witted cast . at one point and trisha bump in to the maniac and goof in her comical sub brit accent and oh tom and take that bloody mask off and take me to bed . she get what she rightly deserve . then on planet eye test and all the guy be captivate by the hilariously unattractive leia and but they defy logic by completely ignore the much well look and virginal nancy . the aforementioned flat chested redhead also provide most of the nudity and while the buxom and shapely melody remain fully clothe throughout . not be content with constantly rip off her clothes and leia go insane towards the conclusion of the movie and spend the final third of the runtime singing and ballet dance round the corps of her chum . mark shostrum gore effect may well be the most spectacular ever film . we will never know if that true however and because the picture be just too dark . day for night filter be use without any other form of lighting and and at time the lack of clear vision ruin the movie . the only good kill that i remember feature the maniac dress in a suit of armour and it be thankfully film inside the house and so the lighting be at least passable . despite loose about six of their colleague in the first thirty minute and the remain victim fail to acknowledge that there be a maniac stalk the campus . instead they continue to mouth inept comment the following morning and such a and they must have go to bed . even when they uncover the heavily mutilate body of ralph the albino gardener and they still refuse to accept that a maniac be try to cut down the guest list for their xmas party . the utter stupidity of the youngster destroy any sympathy for their eminent demise . on the plus side and there be a humongous body count and a i say and it fairly amuse in an inadvertent kind of way . watch it with a few beer and you will probably enjoy it a lot more .