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Black Christmas [2006]
![Black Christmas [2006]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51ZMNuJJpBL._SL160_.jpg)
RRP: £15.99
Our Price: £3.99 (subject to change)
Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review
Needless and unnecessary are two words that have little meaning in Hollywood, especially when you're talking sequels or remakes. Case in point: Black Christmas, the revisionist version of the 1974 horror thriller largely thought to be the proto-slasher movie (this was four years before the first Halloween installment). The original, from director Bob Clark, is still considered a masterpiece of tension, understatement, innovative camera perspective, economic efficiency (a polite way of saying "ultra-low budget"), and killing off pretty young girls in grisly ways without any cumbersome exposition regarding the psychopath's motives. This, by the way, from the same Bob Clark who would soon bring us the beloved Porky's franchise as well as Black Christmas's polar opposite, the sweetly nostalgic classic A Christmas Story. Anyway, as needless and unnecessary as this remake is, it certainly delivers the goods on 21st-century slasher conventions as the sorority sisters of Alpha Kappa are picked off during Christmas break in ever more gruesome fashion. There's nothing wrong with all of this, particularly for fans of impalements, crushed skulls, ripped-out eyeballs, and some good old-fashioned Christmas cookie cannibalism. Writer-director Glen Morgan, who earned his own credibility as co-creator of the Final Destination series and the interesting 2003 remake of Willard adds a few clever visual homages to the original along with the amped-up extreme gore. Clark's device (was he the first to use it?) of creepy, mouth-breathing phone calls from killer to victim remains intact and creepy. He also resurrects Andrea Martin, one of the then-unknown actor victims who, now famous, plays the prim housemother. Another addition, which may not be so welcome to purists of the genre, is a load of exposition and backstory for the killer. Disturbing as these flashback set pieces are, they're also somewhat distracting to the foreboding tone. But you get what you pay for, and lots of people are going to pay dearly to dream of the shocking frights another Black Christmas will bring. --Ted Fry
Not great but not that bad either...
Review date: 2008-11-28 Rating: 6 out of 10
Many compare this film with the film it is a remake of but this condemns black Xmas strait away so dont do that!
The characters are semi-likeable however this film falls into the same deadly pitfall that the descent fell into. You cant tell them apart.Some look almost identical yet some you dont even realize exist until they die.
The plot is grainy. It is obviously following a typical slasher plan however silly and unnecessary things are thrown in just to add lines to the script. The killer having a rare liver disease that made him yellow? Please.
Deaths (this contains spoilers) the deaths in black xmas are very hard to call. Its a pretty sick and engaging idea to half suffocate someone with a bin bag and then stab, or rip out their eyeball but this is good for 1 death scene and is overused (Why the hell is the killer eating eyeballs anyway?) anyway the deaths that dont involve eyeballs or bin bags are decent at best. The icicle through the head gag was priceless but felt out of place as the icicle doesnt fall from very high and isnt that sharp.
In short black xmas is for someone who can sit down in front of a formulaic slasher film and not care about minute plot details. Its an easy movie to sit through but a hard movie to say that you enjoyed afterwards.
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Reviews
Gorey remake of the 1974 version
Review date: 2008-08-31 Rating: 8 out of 10
The original Black Xmas was good for its day but I believe that the classic needed to be remade as it was beginning to show its age. Usually remakes are crap but I was pleasantly surprised that this was pretty good.
The story is exactly the same, the girls in a sorority house are murdered one by one by a maniac on Christmas Eve, pretty simple but effective. The film has good deaths, blood, evil killer(s) and fit girls! Add all this up and you get a solid remake and an independent film in its own right.
There is worse.... (BUT NOT MUCH!)
Review date: 2008-08-26 Rating: 4 out of 10
I love horror movies and action movies,thrillers/chillers and Gore filled movies. This film delivers gore in the Saw movies style which is crude and intense at some points.
It also delivers the acting quality that you would find from a film purchased from your local £1/99p store and WORSE by a gulf of a margin. The film does offer some appeal as the girls in the film are very attractive and there are the usual shower/bedroom scenes involved(But this does not save it from being rubbish!) This film follows the storyline of a 70's film of the same name(BUY THE ORIGINAL INSTEAD PLEASE!!!) Basically a John Capenters Halloween story RIPOFF. Oh did I say that outloud? cough! RIPOFF! RIPOFF! RIPOFF! oh thats better. Yes, a killer esacapes from a high security hospital at christmas(not halloween) and goes back to his house and trys to kill anyone there. The original got away with it(dues to its directors quality job creating a good horror atmosphere.) But the new one as my local video store boss told me before I made the mistake of going against his advice and hiring it.... WASTED 70 MINUTES OF HIS LIFE!!! If you are curious try this. I did and my life is now 70 MINUTES SHORTER THAN YOURS!!!! Yes I have seen worse but as my review title states... NOT BY MUCH BE WARNED!! THIS FILM IS CARDBOARDESC AMERICAN AT ITS WORST RUBBISH. NO ATMOSPHERE AND TRYS TO BE EVERYTHINIG IT ISENT IE OF SUCSTANCE AND SCARY OH AND IT PRENTENDS TO BE A FILM TOO.... IF YOU WANT TO BE SCARED TRY A CHILDRENS CARTOON. IF YOU WANT TO BE ENTERTAINED PAINT DRYING IS QUITE GOOD. IVE HAD A BETTER TIME PAYING A SPEEDING FINE ON MY DRIVING LICENCE!
A bit slow but a great movie
Review date: 2008-08-07 Rating: 8 out of 10
Black christmas is a brilliant movie I thourouly enjoyed. It is a bit slow to begin with, but the flashbacks are needed to tell the story, plus have a good tale. But once 'Billy' starts, well, you start to love the movie even more. It is a great horror, with a twist of it being at christmas, that is worth watching.
utter rubbish
Review date: 2008-06-11 Rating: 2 out of 10
This is one of the most boring films I have ever watched. For those who don't know, this is a remake of the 1970s classic. The acting is poor and there is very little in the way of storyline.
Product Details/Specifications
Actor(s):
Mary Elizabeth Winstead
Andrea Martin
Katie Cassidy
Michelle Trachtenberg
Oliver Hudson
Creators:
Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Primary Contributor)
Michelle Trachtenberg (Primary Contributor)
Director(s):
Recording label: Pathe Distribution
Manufacturer: Pathe Distribution
EAN: 5060002835593
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: PAL,
Release date: 2007-11-19
Audience rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 79 minutes
Theatrical release date: 2006