Don't Open Till Christmas (1984)

Synopsis

The movie Don’t Open Till Christmas (1984) is a British slasher film directed by Edmund Purdom and starring Purdom, Alan Lake, Belinda Mayne, and Gerry Sundquist[2]. The film follows a mysterious killer murdering Santa Claus impersonators in London during Christmastime. Scotland Yard detectives, played by Edmund Purdom and Mark Jones, are tasked with stopping the killer before he strikes again[6].

The movie opens with a man dressed as Santa Claus being stabbed to death by an unknown assailant. The killer continues to target anyone dressed as Santa Claus, including a man in a Santa suit who is pushed onto the subway tracks and a Santa Claus stripper who is strangled to death[3].

As the detectives investigate the murders, they encounter a variety of suspects, including a jealous husband, a disgruntled Santa Claus impersonator, and a man who was traumatized by a childhood experience with Santa Claus[5].

Cast

Edmund Purdom as Inspector Harris
Mark Jones as Detective Sergeant Powell
Alan Lake as Giles Barton
Belinda Mayne as Kate Brioski
Gerry Sundquist as Cliff Boyd

Trivia

The movie was directed by Edmund Purdom, who also starred in the film as Inspector Harris.
Don’t Open Till Christmas was released in the UK on December 7, 1984.
The film was banned in the UK for several years due to its graphic violence and sexual content[2].