WHAT’S IT ABOUT
Hawthorne College is quieting down for the holidays. One by one, sorority girls on campus are being killed by a stalker. But the killer is about to discover that this generation’s women aren’t willing to become hapless victims as they fight back.
MOVIESinMO REVIEW
Just like Pixar lost their mojo with Good Dinosaur, Blumhouse just lost theirs with Black Christmas. There is so much wrong with this movie, where do I start? First, it’s a remake. Yeah, the original from 1974 was ok but the remake after that, in 2006, was horrible. This version falls somewhere in the middle of both of those in terms of quality. It’s better made than the original, but the story is too stupid to survive the forty-plus year generation gap. It’s also not bad enough to be good, so it doesn’t even qualify as a guilty pleasure. The acting is below what you would see at a high school play and the dialog is even worse. About halfway through, I thought the movie would stop, and someone would come out and say, “OK, now time for the real movie.” But that never happened and it was the real movie.
Black Christmas is the perfect example of a movie that should never be remade without some serious changes, but if they made the changes, it wouldn’t be the same movie. That is the main issue with this piece of crap. The original uses the “killers in the attic” story. The next remake tried to give the killer an origin that ultimately involves college, sororities, and an attic. This one has the girls and the school but exchanges the attic for a secret room. Then came the extra stuff. I will not tell you what those things are because if you really still want to see this horrible film, the things that set this movie apart from the others is the only reason to care about viewing it. And there are so many changes, this movie shouldn’t even be called Black Christmas.
OUR RATING – A NOT SO THRILLING 2
MEDIA
- Genre – Thriller
- Street date
- Digital – March 3rd 2020
- DVD/Blu-Ray – March 17th 2020
- Video – 1080p
- Screen size – 1.85:1
- Sound – English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, English DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
- Subtitles – English SDH, Spanish, French
Extras
Disc One:
- Audio Commentaries:
- -Director Commentary with Bob Clark (from 2001 25th Anniversary Edition DVD) A great commentary from the director in which he discusses everything from locations to casting. The quality of the recording isn’t great so keep that remote handy.
- -Actors Commentary with John Saxon and Keir Dullea (from 2001 25th Anniversary Edition DVD) Recorded separately before splicing, this actor’s commentary is a bit dry and repetitive if you’ve watch some of the featurettes on this release. It’s still a great listen regardless to hear John Saxon.
- -Commentary with Billy (From the Anchor Bay “Season’s Grievings” Canadian Blu-ray) Nick Mancuso records an in-character commentary for the film as “Billy”. A clever idea that can be fun if you’re familiar with the film and need a good laugh.
- Audio Interview with Bob Clark (30 mins) Not technically a commentary, but this interview with Clark plays over the film and details the film’s legacy and it’s impact on audiences since 1974.
Disc Two:
- 2006 Critical Mass Cut: The 2006 HD Master of ‘Black Christmas’ in the original Blu-ray 1.78:1 aspect ratio without any digital restoration. Audio tracks available: 5.1 DTS, 2.0 DTS.
- Film and Furs: Remembering Black Christmas with Art Hindle (HD) (26:11) Art Hindle, who played Chris Hayden in the film, fondly tells stories about the production and his time as a struggling Canadian actor. Filmed exclusively for Shout! Factory.
- Victims and Virgins: Remembering Black Christmas with Lynne Griffin (HD) (26:35) Lynne Griffin takes a matter-of-fact approach to the legacy of the film, her celebrity status, and the resurgence of cult horror. Filmed exclusively for Shout! Factory.
- Black Christmas Legacy (HD) (40:22) Ported over from the Anchor Bay Canadian “Season’s Grievings” Blu-ray edition. Retrospective documentary of the film using interviews from cast, crew, horror directors, and leaders in the horror industry.
- 40th Anniversary Panel at FanExpo 2014 (HD) (18:02) From the “Seasons Grievings” Blu-ray, this panel features John Saxon, Art Hindle, Lynne Griffin & Nick Mancuso. Some really cool stories here that are repeated in other interviews or featurettes on the disc.
- On Screen: Black Christmas (HD) (48:41) From the 2001 25th Anniversary DVD this made-for-TV documentary features interviews with Bob Clark, production crew, and industry experts. A well-paced piece that covers the backstory of the production and the legacy of the film. Start here with your trek through the special features disc as this documentary covers nearly everything about the film.
- 12 Days of Black Christmas (HD) (19:48) Narrated by John Saxon, this featurette is carried over from the 25th Anniversary DVD. Not too much new info here on the film. Some archival photos, but it all seems redundant considering the better produced features on the disc.
- Black Christmas Revisited (HD) (36:25) Hosted by Art Hindle and Lynne Griffin this documentary from the Critical Mass DVD follows the two actors as they revisit the house from the film. My favorite part is the cringe-worthy recreation of their kiss from the film. Peppered into their antics are more interviews and footage from the film. Other than the house tour with Art and Lynne there really isn’t any new info here.
- Archival Interviews (HD) (1:41:30) Uncut footage of the 2006 Critical Mass interviews used throughout the featurettes spread across these various home video releases. Interviews include: Olivia Hussey (17 minutes), Art Hindle (23 minutes), Margot Kidder (23 minutes), Bob Clark (25 minutes), and John Saxon (13 minutes).
- Midnight Screening Q&A (HD) (20:21) From the Nuart Theatre in Los Angeles in December 2004 this panel features Bob Clark, John Saxon, and Carl Zittrer.
- Two scenes with a new soundtrack (HD) (3:04) Unused audio was discovered while mixing the 5.1 audio track. Scene One: Trellis Climb & Scene Two: Final Pan
- Theatrical Trailers (English and French) (HD) (8:06) First trailer is in English with a bad Vincent Price-styled narration on top. The second trailer in French looks like the film is projected through a glass of milk.
- Original Radio and TV Spots (HD) (3:09)
- Alternative Title Sequences (HD) (2:47) The ‘Silent Night, Evil Night’ title sequence gives John Saxon his own solo credit apart from the other cast. “Stranger in the House or Black Christmas – Silent Night, Evil Night” opening credits sequence differs only with just the awfully long title card which includes all the film’s alternate titles.
- Those alternate titles came about when studio executives thought the film’s title would confuse people into thinking it was a blaxploitation movie. Can you imagine a blaxploitation sorority house slasher movie? It would’ve done better business than the 2006 remake that’s for sure!
- Photo Gallery (HD) (4:33) 55 images that auto-play through various marketing materials, posters, lobby cards, and promotional materials.