Don't Open Till Christmas

Don't Open Till Christmas is a 1984 British slasher horror film directed by Edmund Purdom, who also stars in it alongside Caroline Munro, Alan Lake, Belinda Mayne and Gerry Sundquist. The story centres on a mysterious killer who targets people dressed as Santa Claus in London during the Christmas season. The production was famously troubled: Purdom eventually left the project, and editor Ray Selfe stepped in to finish directing, while screenwriter Alan Birkinshaw carried out major rewrites. Because of these setbacks, principal photography dragged on for nearly two years. The film opened in New York in December 1984 through 21st Century Film Corporation. It remains the only film Purdom ever directed, and it was also the final screen appearance for both Alan Lake and Gerry Sundquist. Despite its chaotic making, it endures as a curious entry in the wave of holiday-themed horror pictures of its era.