An Interview with Writer & Director, Mike P Nelson
Roger Crow talks to Minnesota-based writer/director Mike P Nelson about his remake of 1984 cult horror classic Silent Night, Deadly Night, which is released in March on DVD and Blu-ray.
Mike, were you a fan of the original namesake horror? Was it something that you’d wanted to do for a while?
You know, I never expected I would do a remake of Silent Night, Deadly Night, to be honest with you. It was something that I was familiar with the original. I didn’t grow up watching the film. I grew up very much remembering the poster for the movie. So, yeah, that left a big impression on me. Watched the movie a lot later in life. And then when the opportunity came up, that was through Brad Miska, who was over at Cineverse and Bloody Disgusting at the time, and Cineverse had the property. They were working with the original producers of the original movie. And they were like, ‘Hey, we’re looking for a new take,’. I had worked with Brad on V/H/S/85. And so, yeah, they were just looking for directors and writers to give them a take. And I took some time and came up with a version of the movie that I would like to see. And they really enjoyed the concept. And here we are.
I love that balance of horror, thrills and laughs, and I really think you got that sweet spot. Was that what attracted you, that kind of lighter element at times?
A hundred percent. Yeah, I mean, that’s sort of my MO when I’m doing anything. Because I personally, I really like violent movies, but they can’t be overly dark. There’s got to be this like a glimmer of hope. There’s got to be this heart. There’s got to be warmth for me for the violence to work. There has to be something more than just bleakness. So yeah, for me, it was about how can I make this fun? How can I make this really warm and exciting? And ultimately, it was writing a love story, you know what I mean? Which was slightly new territory for me, like doing something a little bit more comedic and romantic driven. But look, when you wrap it all up in a nice Christmas package with some blood and guts around it, and it really struck a chord, it really kind of wrote itself. I remember sitting down and writing this thing, it really only took me like three or four weeks to write this, so it just kind of spilled out of me.
“Incredible demons”
How gory was too gory for you?
There needed to be moments that were surprising and a little shocking here and there. But, you know, for me, it’s never about sustained levels of gore. It’s always about quick, swift moments of cinematic brutality, like not these like sustained moments of like constant blood and guts. So I like when violence comes on and it surprises you. And to me, that’s where I feel like we landed with this. And it’s what I like to do with all my work.
I like the lead cast, Rohan Campbell and Ruby Modine, and the fact that they could be the girl or the guy next door. Was that a conscious decision?
Yes. It was always about casting a ‘Billy Chapman’ that again, you’d pass him on the street and think he’s just a ‘normal’ dude. You know, same thing with ‘Pamela’. They’re just people that exist in this world and they happen to meet at the right time in their lives. They’re both dealing with some incredible demons. And I think that both of them having that struggle is really what brings them together. They complete each other.
SILENT NIGHT DEADLY NIGHT will be available on DVD and Blu-ray from 2nd March, 2026
The full audio version of this interview can be found here: podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/nostalgiahhh
Adopted Yorkshireman Roger Crow developed a passion for film and TV in the 1970s and 1980s. He has been a published film and TV reviewer since the 1990s; a world travel and restaurant critic since the noughties, and for the past decade has assessed the pros and cons of live gigs and theatre productions around the UK. His ideal day would involve reviewing a performance of Bat Out of Hell, followed by a Pad Thai while being serenaded by Texas on a cruise around Europe.
crowsfeat.com; nostalgiahhh film podcast
