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There are bad movies and then there are bad movies that are so fun they are good. Movies that despite the budget either tell a good story, are unintentionally funny, or have amazing special effects that belie the low budget. 1980's To All A Goodnight is not one of those movies. It is in fact the former, just plain bad. It is a shame really because it has a lot going for it. Namely two of my personal favorite things in horror cinema, David Hess and Santa killers. It should've been good. No, it should've been great. Hell! It could've been the greatest of the greats. There aren't a lot of good Christmas horror movies, lets be honest, really there is only Black Christmas. David Hess on the other hand is always good even when the film is kind of not up to par, see Swamp Thing. His raw realistic acting is a thing of rarity in cinema. He is the Marlon Brando of exploitation horror. But like Marlon Brando (see One Eyed Jacks), a director he is not.
To All A Goodnight gives clues early on to how bad it will be. The plot of a child murdered by other children, at a girls school, which is then haunted by a mysterious killer, gives way too much of a nod to a certain hockey mask wearing slasher franchise. The twists and turns admittedly aren't always predictable, but that's only because only a moron would write them so obvious. The direction is downright nonexistent and its obvious David Hess didn't know what he was doing. He sticks to the safe shots and delivers a competently shot film but one with no life in it. Coming from one of horror cinemas most passionate actors it is a letdown. The acting side of things isn't any better to say the least. Typical bad 80's TV acting that does nothing to help the film. And again the big reveal, which kind of predicts the twist ending of Scream, is only shocking because of its moronic obviousness.
So if you are looking for a really creepy Christmas horror film or want to see the genius of David Hess look no further here because not a trace of either resides in this film. Even amongst all the generic and mediocre 80s horror films of the era ,like The Mutilator and Final Exam, this one stands out as being maybe the best example of how bad 80s horror could get.