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Black X-Mas (Unrated)

BlackXmasBlack X-mas – Unrated
A Hoban Segal/ Victor Solnicki Production
by- The Angry Princess

The remake of the cult classic “Black Christmas” (which inspired tons of slasher flicks) is stocking shelves at your nearby video store hoping you’ll pick it up the next time your in. The updated version does have that made for teen viewers kinda feel but at times the movie manages to get your blood pumping full of adrenaline from the rush of being spooked. “Black X-mas- unrated” elaborates more on Billy’s background and up bringing a story of his rare kidney disease which caused him to have jaundice. This is one of the main things I didn’t like. He looked stupid painted yellow, this and the fact that this like most other remakes doesn’t stick to much of the original storyline they always think they can make the film better by adding little twists in the plot but this story was better off left alone.

Hip hot young starlets like Michelle Trachtenburg (Dawn Summers from Buffy the vampire TV show), Lacey Chabert (Party of Five), and Katie Cassidy (When A Stranger Calls) grace this colorful cast list. My favorite character from this movie was Kristen Cloke who played Leigh, Claires older sister. She just made this movie for me from her blunt bitchiness to her strong will to live. I will say there were some nicely done bloody bodies and pretty inventive deaths in here- everything from icicles to the infamous crystal unicorn. These snotty sorority sisters are in for a rude awakening once Billy slowly starts to off them one by one as he creeps thru the house virtually unseen by the others.

The original “Black Christmas” directed by Bob Clarke back in 1974 is a movie that chilled my bones the first time I saw it, the way the crank caller (Billy)would call and breathe heavy and say the foulest things to who’d ever pick up the phone or the way he would come slinking down from the attic to off the sorority sisters one by one. The headmistress was a drinker with a sharp tongue and of course Margot Kidder. I can still remember the anticipation of the cop trying trace the call… it was awful. I haven’t seen this movie in along time but I’ll never forget being terrified to go to sleep that night and propping a heavy chair in front of my already locked door. Sadly, Bob Clark has just recently passed away. A drunk driver swerved into the southbound lane colliding head on with Clark and his 22 year old son killing them instantly. Clark also directed one of the best holiday movies ever made “A Christmas Story” with Ralphie trying so hard to get that Red Rider BB Gun.

“Black X-mas” has alot of genuine scares and some equally suspenseful moments to have you jumping a little in your seat, The House is so festive and brightly decorated you never forget for a moment that it’s Christmas as you watch these students scramble to try an escape their fate of not living to open their presents up the next day. I thought the whole eyeball thing was just stupid and totally unnecessary in this film. It was ment to freak you out but I thought it just looked silly and fake. The “Black X-mas” unrated DVD special features consist of three alternate endings , Deleted scenes, May All Your Christmases Be Black- A Filmmaker’s journey and What Have You Done?: The Remaking Of Black Christmas. So grub down those cookies and milk because Santa won’t be stepping foot in Billy’s house this year…no way!

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