Sometimes a film can work so hard at creating atmosphere that it forgets about story. This I think will end up being the legacy created by the very unneeded remake of BLACK CHRISTMAS. I have heard unending bitching since the film hit theaters this past Christmas and promptly vanished.
BLACK CHRISTMAS really is one of those classic films that just doesn't need to be messed with unless you're going to bring something new and exciting to the fold. Unfortunately the powers that be behind this film ignored that and decided to just attempt to create a project full of creepy settings and forgot to make us give a shit about what happened to the people in that setting. Yeah, Billy is back and he is still looking for a family to share Christmas with. Hiding within the walls of the house he peers and peeks at the various residents through out the film terrorizing and killing as time allows.
The end result is a jerky, disjointed film that attempts to tell the story of Billy through the ages and then reintroduce him into a modern day storyline once again revolving around the Holiday season and a house full of sorority sisters hanging around the sorority house instead of going home to be with family. We quickly meet the principal characters and learn of their assorted problems and messed up families.
There is really not one memorable character in this entire film They are laid out as a slasher buffet for our killer with a few minutes of setup to tell us who they are then a few minutes spent getting them into a compromising situation and then watching them get whacked by our psycho Billy.
On a bright side I really did like the color scheme for this film. There is a wonderful use of light that the Christmas season certainly lends itself to and full advantage is taken. There is also an attempt to give the film at least a bit of a feel of the original with the use of some of the similar camera angles from the 1974 classic and that does lend itself to a few unsettling visual moments.
It really is ashamed because I think a decent remake of this film could be made. The story has always creeped me out and the idea of someone stalking around behind the walls of your house and popping out and whacking you is a good one. Nothing works better for scares then familiarity and your own home is always a place where safety is implied. To have that used against you is a powerful scare tactic but one that the BLACK CHRISTMAS remake chose to ignore.
There are actually a few decent gore moments in the film, my particular favorite one occurring in the car as a few of our victims attempt to leave for help. Some early splatter film throwback fun.
When all is said and done I don't know if I found this film to be as horrible as everyone had told me it was. It's not good by any stretch but I've seen worse.
The special features are another situation all together. I enjoyed them
We are treated to a featurette titled WHAT HAVE YOU DONE? The remaking of BLACK CHRISTMAS. Love the title and the show itself is entertaining and very well done. The very first thing we see is the filming of the classic rocking chair in the window scene redone from the original and we hear someone say Is this shot some kind of homage to the original? and the director says No, we're ripping it off but I don't think we've done it as well. Got to love the honesty. What follows next is interviews with all involved including Bob Clark and you realize a little more of what they were attempting to do with this remake even though it didn't work particularly well.
I would recommend picking up the disc if for no other reason then to watch the docu. It is well done and worth the price of a rental to see.
Black Christmas hits shelves on Tue. April 3rd.
