4. The "Silent Night, Deadly Night" series (1984 - 1991)
Believe it or not, there are a ton of movies that are a variation on the "Santa starts offing folks" idea. I could have populated this whole list with killer Santa movies. But, if I'm going to mention only one, it has to be
Silent Night, Deadly Night. It's infamous for being banned from theaters due to parents groups objecting to its use of Santa holding an axe in the promotional posters and other advertising. The movie is fairly decent and offers up a few unwanted chuckles, but it has more value for its history rather than its content. The sequels are another story. While the law of diminishing returns does take effect, the good news is that the progressive films get nuttier and more bizarre, ending with a movie completely removed from the original's storyline.
Part 2 alone is a wacked out masterpiece that includes the well known "Garbage Day!" scene that made the rounds on the Internet many cycles ago. With a remake of the original now upon us (simply titled
Silent Night), it's a very good time to rediscover the only existing Christmas horror franchise.