Black Christmas remake wikipedia page

Black Christmas (2006 film)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

Black Christmas
Black christmas ver3.jpg
Official 2006 theatrical poster

Directed by
Glen Morgan
Produced by
Marty Adelstein
 Steven Hoban
 Glen Morgan
 Dawn Parouse
 Victor Solnicki
James Wong
Executive:
Marc Butan
Bob Clark
Mark Cuban
 Scott Nemes
 Noah Segal
Todd Wagner
Screenplay by
Glen Morgan
Based on
Black Christmas
 by A. Roy Moore
Starring
Katie Cassidy
Michelle Trachtenberg
Mary Elizabeth Winstead
Oliver Hudson
Lacey Chabert
Kristen Cloke
Andrea Martin
Music by
Shirley Walker
Cinematography
Robert McLachlan
Editing by
Chris Willingham
Studio
Dimension Films
2929 Productions
Hard Eight Pictures
Distributed by
TVA Films (Canada)
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (United States
Release date(s)
December 25, 2006

Running time
84 minutes[1]
 92 minutes (Unrated cut)
Country
Canada
 United States
Language
English
Budget
$9 million
Box office
$61,510,851[2]
Black Christmas (abbreviated as Black X-Mas) is a 2006 Canadian-American slasher film written for the screen and directed by Glen Morgan and starring Katie Cassidy, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Crystal Lowe, Lacey Chabert, Michelle Trachtenberg, Oliver Hudson, Kristen Cloke, and Andrea Martin. The film takes place several days before Christmas, and tells the story of a group of sorority sisters who are stalked and murdered by one of their house's former inhabitants during a winter storm. It is a loose remake of the 1974 film of the same name.
In December 2006, upon anticipation of its premiere, the film garnered some criticism from religious groups due to its graphic content in a holiday setting, as well as the distributor's decision to release the film on Christmas Day in the United States.[3] The film opened in the United Kingdom on December 15, 2006, and, despite backlash from some religious organizations, opened in US theaters on Christmas Day 2006 to moderate box office success, but generally unfavorable reviews.
The score was the last to be composed and conducted by Shirley Walker, who died a month before the film's release.[4]

Contents
  [hide] 1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Release
4 Critical reception
5 Controversy
6 Alternate versions
7 References
8 External links
Plot[edit]
Billy Edward Lenz, a boy born with a rare liver medical condition that makes his skin yellow, is constantly abused and hated by his mother, Mrs. Lenz, due to her hate towards her husband, Frank. Setting her eyes on another man, she has him kill Frank, and they bury his body in the underground crawlspace under the house. When Billy is seen witnessing this, she locks him in the attic.
A few years later, when Mrs. Lenz tries to conceive a new baby with her new man, she realizes he is impotent, and goes up to the attic and engages in incestuous sex with Billy. Soon, a daughter named Agnes is born and treated like a princess.
When Agnes is eight and Christmas comes around, Billy escapes and disfigures Agnes by gouging out her eye and then calls his mother taunting her saying, "she's my family now." Mrs. Lenz, horrified, runs from the kitchen screaming for her son and, with her lover, find Agnes with a bag over head screaming in pain and terror. Mrs. Lenz' lover charges at Billy, but is stabbed through the eye with an umbrella. Horrified, Mrs. Lenz attempts to run away, but Billy wraps the Christmas lights around her neck and drags her into the kitchen, where he beats her to death with a rolling pin. He grabs a cookie cutter and proceeds to make cookies out of his mother's flesh. He is caught by the police, who arrive at the house to see him eating the cookies and dipping them in milk which has him sent to a mental asylum.
On Christmas Eve 2006, Billy escapes from his cell after killing the security guard by stabbing him in the neck with his candy cane he sharpened, butchers a man in a Santa Claus costume, and disguises himself in the costume to escape while carrying the Santa Claus bag. He then heads off to his former home, now a sorority house.
At a sorority house, Delta Alpha Kappa, Clair Crosby is writing a letter Christmas card for her half-sister until the killer enters the house and brutally murders her by stabbing her eye with a fountain pen. Meanwhile Megan Helms, another sorority girl, watches a video tape until she heard noises and goes in the attic to investigate, which the killer suddenly attacks and kills her, unnoticed by the other girls. In the living room, the girls receive a call from a rambling man. During the call, Lauren Hannon taunts the caller, and he threatens to kill them. Meanwhile, Clair's half-sister, Leigh Colvin arrives searching for her. After the lights go out, Dana Mathis hesitantly goes to check them under the house. Suddenly, someone grabs her face and pulls her in. After a violent struggle, the figure finally kills her with a gardening tool. The girls receive a call from Dana on one of their cell phones, and hear a scream. Most of the girls leave the house to find her, only to discover her dead, and find Eve Agnew, decapitated in her car.
Heather Lee-Fitzgerald and Mrs. Mac are willing to drive to the police, Mrs. Mac goes to scrape the window while Heather stays in the van but is killed by the killer who was hiding in the back seat. Mrs. Mac steps back in horror when she sees the killer going out in the window on the inside and hits the door of the garage making a sharp piece of ice fall and impale her head. Kelly Presley and Leigh having noticed they are taking so long for the car to leave, go check in the garage, leaving Melissa Kitt and a sleeping Lauren alone in the house. The killer strikes again, killing Melissa with an ice-skate thrown to her head as she attempts to escape out a window and Lauren, who has her eyes gouged out, much to Kelly and Leigh's horror when they both discover her corpse. Kelly and Leigh find Kyle Autry, Kelly's ex. He proves himself not to be the killer, and helps them. The three check the attic, where Kyle is dragged and stabbed in the head with a unicorn-head statue.
The killer is revealed to be Agnes, now an adult. She introduces most of the murdered girls' dead bodies by a Christmas tree. Billy also makes his way into the attic and both killers close in on Kelly and Leigh starting a fire. Kelly and Leigh manage to escape and leave Billy and Agnes to burn in the fire.
Kelly and Leigh are treated at the hospital. While Kelly goes for an x-ray, Agnes appears in the hospital unharmed and kills Leigh by snapping her neck, while Billy kills a hospital employee. When Kelly returns to her room, Agnes enters through the ceiling and attacks her as well but Kelly uses the defibrillator and kills Agnes; however, Billy immediately enters also through the ceiling and chases after Kelly. They end up in the stairway, where Kelly pushes Billy down the stairs where he is impaled on the tip of a Christmas tree, killing him.
Cast[edit]
Katie Cassidy as Kelly Presley
Michelle Trachtenberg as Melissa Kitt
Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Heather Lee-Fitzgerald
Oliver Hudson as Kyle Autry
Lacey Chabert as Dana Mathis
Kristen Cloke as Leigh Colvin
Andrea Martin as Barbara MacHenry/Mrs. Mac
Crystal Lowe as Lauren
Karin Konoval as Mrs. Lenz
Dean Friss as Agnes Lenz Christina Crivici as 8-year-old Agnes
Robert Mann as Billy Lenz Cainan Wiebe as young Billy
Jessica Harmon as Megan Helms
Leela Savasta as Clair Crosby
Kathleen Kole as Eve Agnew
Peter Wilds as Frank Lenz
Release[edit]
The film was released on Monday, December 25 (Christmas Day), 2006 in the United States and grossed $3,723,364 on its opening weekend. The film went on to gross a total of $16,273,581 domestically and $21,510,851 worldwide.[2] With its $16 million in domestic box office, Black Christmas is the lowest-grossing film among the recent slasher remakes, which consist of When a Stranger Calls (2006), Halloween (2007), Prom Night (2008), My Bloody Valentine 3D (2009) and A Nightmare On Elm Street (2010), lead by Friday The 13th (2009) with $65 million.
The film has made more money from its DVD sales than it did at the box office with a total DVD gross of $29,436,341.[5]
Critical reception[edit]
The film received generally negative reviews. Black Christmas earns a 14% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, labeled "rotten" based on 55 reviews.[6] The critics agreed that it was "a gratuitous remake of the 1974 slasher, Black Christmas pumps out the gore and blood with zero creativity, humor, or visual flair". On Metacritic, the film was given an average rating of 22, based on 17 reviews.[7]
"Like an ugly tie or a pair of slipper socks, Black Christmas is destined to be forgotten the instant it's unwrapped, gathering dust until the season rolls around again," says reviewer Sam Adams of the Los Angeles Times.[8] Jim Ridley of The Village Voice inputs, "The product itself isn't so much afterthought as afterbirth -- a bloody mess to be dumped discreetly."[9] When compared to the original, Desson Thomson of the Washington Post calls it "a drab, unimaginative remake. [...] The remake neither pays perceptive tribute to the original nor updates it in anything but hackneyed form."[10] Joe Leydon of Variety goes on to say "[...] there can be no argument regarding the scant merits of its slapdash, soporifically routine remake, suitable only for the least discriminating of gore hounds."[11] "Lazy, perfunctory and free of tension, the new version will satisfy neither the admirers of the original nor anyone looking for a gory respite from seasonal good cheer," Jason Anderson of The Globe and Mail agrees.[12]
Marc Savlov of The Austin Chronicle, however, said "This film is an evocative, effective entry into the holiday blood-spray subgenre in its own right. And if it doesn't make your skin crawl ... you probably ate too much Christmas dinner."[13] Reviewers also praised the acting of several of the lead performers, in particular Crystal Lowe, Michelle Trachtenberg, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead.[10] The flashback scene which showed Billy killing his mother also earned praises from critics.
Horror review website Bloody Disgusting gave the film six out of ten and decried moviegoers and critics for comparing the original to the remake, saying "this reviewer doesn’t care if a remake isn’t as good as the original. The original is still there. It makes a lot more sense to judge a remake the same way the original was judged: ON ITS OWN MERITS. If the remake pales, fine. If it doesn’t, that’s fine too. A decent horror movie is a decent horror movie, remake or not" concluding that the film is "a pretty good modern slasher. There’s no self-referential humor, there’s no annoying pop stars playing sassy friends, and no obvious re-editing. Instead, there’s gore, a few decent creepy moments, and some well implemented dark humor, which is more than you can say for most slashers of the past decade".[14] The Radio Times also gave the film a positive review, giving the film three stars out of five and calling the film a "cheeky but no less brutal remake."[15]
Controversy[edit]
The film drew backlash from Christian groups because of the studio's decision to release the film on Christmas Day. Several groups, including Liberty Counsel and Operation "Just Say Merry Christmas", called the film "offensive, ill-founded and insensitive".[16] Additionally, L.A. Weekly columnist Nikki Finke also questioned the filmmakers' decision to release the film on Christmas.[17] Dimension Films defended the timing, saying "There is a long tradition of releasing horror movies during the holiday season as counter-programing to the more regular yuletide fare."[18] Dimension's own Scream, originally released on December 20, 1996, probably being the most successful example. Furthermore, genre critic Egregious Gurnow, of The Horror Review, countered Liberty Counsel's complaint[19] on several counts, foremost of which is the critic's citation that the organization's views upon the feature, are naively idyllic and aesthetically limited, especially from a cultural perspective in that they forbid the notion that such atrocities as murder do not politely take a sabbatical during the holiday season.
Alternate versions[edit]
Additional footage was shot solely for advertisement purposes, at the request of Dimension Films. Apparently, Morgan never knew about the shooting of this footage and was enraged when he watched the trailer and realized scenes were shot without his consent. This footage was only included in the theatrical trailer and television ads, and never was intended to be part of the film. This footage included some of the cast members (including Michelle Trachtenberg and Lacey Chabert), but also featured an unknown actress who was never part of the film's initial production.
In the US, two versions were released on home video - both R-Rated (84 minutes) and Unrated (92 minutes). The DVD release of the film also features all of the alternate endings and deleted scenes from the film, but no trace of the advertisement footage was ever seen nor mentioned after the movie finished its theatrical run.
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ "BLACK CHRISTMAS (15)". Pathé Distribution. British Board of Film Classification. November 21, 2006. Retrieved September 14, 2013.
2.^ Jump up to: a b "Black Christmas (2006) - Box Office Mojo". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
3.Jump up ^ "Christian groups fume over Black Christmas.". Boston Herald. 19 December 2006. Retrieved 8 November 2009.
4.Jump up ^ "MPAA Ratings Updates". Boxofficemojo.com. Retrieved 2010-12-30.
5.Jump up ^ http://www.the-numbers.com/movies/2006/BLKCH-DVD.php
6.Jump up ^ "Black Christmas - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
7.Jump up ^ "Black Christmas Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More at Metacritic". Metacritic.com. Retrieved 31 August 2011.
8.Jump up ^ "Los Angeles Times Movie Review". Retrieved 2000-07-11.
9.Jump up ^ "New York Movies - 'Black Christmas'". Retrieved 2000-07-11.
10.^ Jump up to: a b Thomson, Desson (2006-12-26). "'Black Christmas' Butchers the Slasher Genre". The Washington Post.
11.Jump up ^ Leydon, Joe (2006-12-26). "Black Christmas Movie Review". Variety.
12.Jump up ^ "This page is available to GlobePlus subscribers". Toronto: Theglobeandmail.com. Retrieved 2010-12-30.
13.Jump up ^ "Austing Chronicle reviews". Retrieved 2000-07-11.
14.Jump up ^ "Bloody Disgusting Horror - "Black Christmas (remake)" Movie Info, Review, Headlines, Gallery". Bloody-disgusting.com. 2006-12-25. Retrieved 2010-12-30.
15.Jump up ^ "Black Christmas film review". Radio Times. Retrieved 2010-12-30.[dead link]
16.Jump up ^ "Christian Groups Fume Over Christmas Horror Film". Retrieved 2006-12-18.
17.Jump up ^ "Faith-Based Horror Film for Christmas?". Retrieved 2006-12-18.
18.Jump up ^ "Black Christmas not merry for religious groups". CBC News. 2006-12-15. Retrieved 2006-12-19.
19.Jump up ^ "Horror Bob Presents: The Horror Review - Why I Can’t Discuss Glen Morgan’s New Film, [Censored] [Censored], Because Liberty Counsel Says It’s Rude: Race, Religious Tolerance, Ethics, and Aesthetics and the 21st Century Holiday Horror Film. By Egregious Gurnow (2006)". The Horror Review. 2006-12-15. Retrieved 2010-12-30.
External links[edit]
Official website
Black Christmas at the Internet Movie Database
Black Christmas at Box Office Mojo
Black Christmas at Rotten Tomatoes
Black Christmas at Metacritic

[hide]
v·
 t·
 e
 
Works by James Wong and Glen Morgan


Television
21 Jump Street·
 Booker·
 The 100 Lives of Black Jack Savage·
 The Commish·
 The X-Files·
 Space: Above and Beyond·
 Millennium·
 The Others
 

Films
The Boys Next Door·
 Final Destination·
 The One·
 Willard·
 Black Christmas·
 Final Destination 3·
 Dragonball Evolution
 

 

Categories: 2006 films
English-language films
2006 horror films
2000s thriller films
Canadian films
Canadian horror films
Canadian teen films
Canadian thriller films
American films
American horror films
American teen films
American thriller films
Cannibalism in fiction
Christmas films
Films about fraternities and sororities
Films based on urban legends
Films set in 1970
Films set in 1975
Films set in 1982
Films set in 1991
Films set in 2006
Films set in Massachusetts
Films shot in Vancouver
Horror film remakes
Incest in film
Slasher films
Splatter films
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films
Dimension Films films




Navigation menu


Create account
Log in


Article
Talk





Read
Edit
View history




 Search 


Navigation
Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Donate to Wikipedia
Wikimedia Shop

Interaction
Help
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact page

Toolbox
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Permanent link
Page information
Data item
Cite this page

Print/export
Create a book
Download as PDF
Printable version

Languages
Deutsch
Español
Français
Italiano
עברית
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Русский
Suomi
Edit links
This page was last modified on 8 October 2013 at 16:33.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
 Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
Privacy policy
About Wikipedia
Disclaimers
Contact Wikipedia
Developers
Mobile view
Wikimedia Foundation
Powered by MediaWiki