DVD Review - “Black Christmas”
GRADE: C-
The original “Black Christmas” was a cheesy, gory splatter-fest. It wasn’t the best of the “killer Santa” movies, that would go to “Silent Night, Deadly Night”. This version doesn’t have the over the top, cheesy elements that made the original a silly dark classic. We pretty much get the same old set up, back story and villain in this movie as we do in every other teenage stalker movie. I wasn’t expecting high art while watching this, but I was hoping for something fun. I was mildly amused while I watched this film, but then again I paused the hell out of it while doing house chores. “Black Christmas” didn’t grab me, there was no tension or suspense to it at all.
I was puzzled as to how the casting director convinced this who’s who of young Hollywood actresses to participate in this project. Maybe “Black Christmas” would have been better with some raw talent, and un-known actors in it. I am not sure why Oliver Hudson (son of Goldie Hawn, brother of Kate) is in this movie either. The movie wastes the actors talents, and disposes of him fast. “Black Christmas” is filmed well and I liked the flashback sequences a lot. But the movie wanders off into “urban myth” territory and relies on the back story too much. When we find out who the murderer is, we are not surprised…you could see it a mile away. I was actually happy some of these whining characters were killed off.
The death scenes in “Black Christmas” are routine, boring and not very creative. Each person is pretty much killed off in the same fashion. Watching the killer place a plastic bag over his victims head isn’t really that scary, especially when it happens over 6 times in the same movie. And for someone who loves horror and gore, watching it once isn’t that frightening either. “Black Christmas” may be a good watch if you are planning a sleep over during the holidays, but other than that, skip it. The version that I watched was “un-rated” and even that rating couldn’t muster up any chills. Just add “Black Christmas” to the list of crappy horror movies that Hollywood keeps churning out.
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