Book Review - Its Me Billy: Black Christmas Revisited

    Hello everyone, I have returned with another book review. These days it's amazing seeing all of the wonderful books detailing horror franchises like Crystal Lake Memories, Taking Shape, Phantasm Exhumed and Slash of the Titans. I mean these books are even better than any of the special features that we used to get. The depths of where they are able to go is astounding. 

Well, today I have the pleasure of talking about It's Me Billy: Black Christmas Revisited. Inside these pages, you get to hear the story of how Black Christmas came to be. It's something that I had never heard before. I don't have the Shout! Factory release of Black Christmas so I cannot tell you if that's something that was covered here. But it was interesting to hear the lengths it had to go. I also had no idea that Black Christmas came out at a time when Ted Bundy was beginning to be more known. For me, I had just started hearing about that within the last year. So never put two and two together. 

   

    But the depths that Paul Downey and David Hastings have went to for this franchise, it's absolutely incredible. There are quite a few stories that probably have never been told till this point. It just leaves me flabbergasted thinking about how much love and passion has to go in to craft something like this. I tip my hat to those that are able to do that because I know that I don't have the opportunity nor the tools at my disposal to do so. 

    But they don't just give the spotlight to the original, it would be incredibly easy to just do that. They took the time to discuss the 2006 retelling of Black Christmas. By now, we all know that Black Christmas '06 was an interesting take on the material. It expanded on Billy's backstory and brought some elements that were a little more subdued in the original to the forefront. As a fan of this incarnation as well, it was nice getting a more in-depth look at the behind the scenes of it. I enjoy the original DVD that was released for it and was a bit disappointed at the brief amount of Behind the Scenes for it. I am happy to say that this does it justice as well. 

    And oh no, they went even further. By this point, I was smiling ear to ear. All of the stories of the making of for the previous two incarnations had been fantastic. I was super excited to just see where they went with 2019's Black Christmas. Now, I know this incarnation gets so much hate. It's kind of the runt of the franchise. However there were quite a few that enjoyed it, so getting more information regarding it is good. It's just astounding the wealth of information packed into this tome. Just when I thought that it was done, it kept giving more. And honestly, everything I have mentioned is only a fraction of what is covered in this astounding book. 

    Honestly, I would have to say that this entire book is amazing. It manages to cover so much and helped me find a better appreciation for this franchise. I have a massive understanding now of what Black Christmas means to people and why it matters. Paul and David were able to preserve Black Christmas for future generations as they go through their film history. This is probably my favorite out of all of the ones I have read so far. And I cannot recommend it enough. If you are a fan of this series, this is for you. If you appreciate film and its history, get it. 

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Home for the Holidays: Black Christmas (1974)

  

   Hello everyone, Matthew here. How’s everyone’s 2022 been going so far? I hope that it’s been treating everyone well so far. I know the past two years has kinda kicked our asses. But let’s band together and maybe 2022 will be the beginning of something new and not just 2020: Part 3. Let’s kick the year off on a solid start with my thoughts on Black Christmas ‘74.

    Black Christmas ‘74 was a film that when it was originally released to no fan fare. No grand applause. It was just a small blip. Looking back at it in 2022, it’s absolutely crazy to think that it was a quiet release. We are in a point now where Black Christmas ‘74 is hailed as one of the big highlights of the Christmas horror, if not the horror genre. It’s actually pretty cool seeing all of the love this film receives as it has found its audience.

    My experience of Black Christmas is a bit interesting. When I was growing up, I now remember a time where I did get to see it. It was during a snow day weekend that my sister’s friend brought over a collection of horror VHS tapes. So we watched quite a few different movies. Some of the movies were absolutely fantastic. Some of the movies were probably rather trash. But for the most part, I believe that Black Christmas was one of them. However on that initial watch, I wasn’t sold on the film. I thought it was just slow. I thought that it wasn’t engaging. I honestly thought it was a bit overrated. So at that point, it was a film that kinda fell to the wayside.

    Later on, I had seen that it was going to be on TV and recorded it. I had forgotten that previous experience and was very interested. Especially considering this was around the time that Black Christmas ‘06 was gearing up to be released. My Grandma had come over to my Dad’s house for a small Thanksgiving dinner. It was a small gathering that year – just the three of us. My Dad had asked if we wanted to watch a movie as he was looking through the movie channels. He stopped at Black Christmas ‘74. I had mentioned that I just recorded it, but hadn’t watched it yet. Grandma was interested cause she likes her horror movies – nothing too over the top though. Boy, Grandma was a bit taken back with the film she was going to watch.

    Black Christmas ‘74 was something that I was completely unprepared for. I had finally found the right time to see it. It just happened to be the same time that my Grandma had seen it. Her thoughts on it were a bit what you’d expect. ‘The movie is terrible. How could you like something like this? Why do you like it? Oh my goodness, it’s a bit crass. It’s so rude. It’s taking so long.’. Honestly, I find that to be a great review. Let’s use it and call it a wrap, yeah?

    Okay, just kidding. Black Christmas ‘74 was something special. It honestly is a fantastic precursor to what we would later get with John Carpenter’s Halloween. For me, Black Christmas ‘74 manages to capture that feeling pretty well. The story may feel a little long in that first watch. However the more time you spend with the film, the more you uncover about it. It’s honestly a very great paced film. It has the brilliant Christmas feels to it. For the most part, it’s a pretty serious film. But I found some of its small humor to it kinda makes it a little lighter. Especially when you have the great Margot Kidder reacting to the wonderful phone calls from Billy. Black Christmas ‘74 is also filled with some very tense moments. The whole last act of the film works so beautifully. For a bit, I wasn’t sold on the idea of Billy being the killer. I was absolutely sure that somehow Paul was tied into everything and would be responsible for the murders. However, we do know that Billy was a really person and his presence is felt throughout every moment. And the cast in this film are all great. 

Overall, Black Christmas ‘74 is a fantastic film and shouldn’t be missed. And if you find the time, check out the fan-sequel – It’s Me Billy: A Black Christmas Fan Film.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

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Home for the Holidays: Black Christmas (2006)

     Hello everyone. Welcome back to Home for the Holidays. Yesterday, I shared my thoughts on Sophia Takal's Black Christmas from 2019. It's been interesting seeing some of the response to that film. So I guess my thoughts on it could be considered to be a bit of a hot take. 

    Today, I get to present my thoughts on Black Christmas (2006) or as it was presented Black X-Mas. One thing that I have to say is that it feels absolutely crazy that it's been 15 years since this film was released. Where did the time go? It just feels like it was released not that long ago. 

    I remember when it was being released that the marketing was absolutely bonkers with it. Every time I turned the tv on, I would find at least once during a commercial break that there'd be a preview for the film. It was a bit of a big deal and they were pushing the film pretty hard. At that time, I hadn't give it much thought. It was at a time where remakes were a bit of hit or miss. For the most part, the track records were miss. I hadn't even heard of the original Black Christmas either. So this was my initial introduction to Billy. But the previews just made it look rather bland - like it was just every other slasher that was being released at the time. It felt like it lacked the thing that made it unique. 

    I can definitely say that the wait to see it was worth it. And those initial previews for the film were a byproduct of the marketing team not understanding what the film was. When I finally had the chance to see the film, I was taken aback by it. It is a rollercoaster of a film. It is unnerving at some times. It is unrelenting. It is very unapologetic. It's screaming from the rooftops, "I'm Black Christmas. I'm here. Take it or leave it. But just know, I'm not going anywhere.". 

    I remember that there was a time where the appreciation for the film was something that was in the minority. It wasn't very vocal. The mass public had definitely decided to snuff the film because it wasn't the original 1974 film. However, I have been in that minority. I loved the film for being what it was. What Glen Morgan and James Wong were able to do was very interesting. They had taken the essence of the original film and ramped up the weirdness and icky. They were letting the horror flag fly in a sense. When I dived into my DVD features, I was very excited to hear that Bob Clark was very supportive of it. He was enjoying the fact that they were making the story their own, instead of straight up rehashing what had come before. Now, it's awesome seeing the appreciation for the film as it seems to have found its audience and become a bit of  an underrated cult classic. 

    The story of this film roughly has a few key elements of the original. We have Billy, who is stalking in the shadows. We have the sorority who have made his former home their own. We have the creepy boyfriend who has a bit of a secret of his own with Kyle. One by one, Billy begins to take them out. Roughly that's what I remember from the original film. However, it beautifully ramps things up in such a unique way. It hones in on the theme of family so well. They definitely took chances with it. They introduced the character of Agnes working alongside Billy. This whole aspect was one that completely caught me off guard in my first watch of the film. The innerworkings of Billy's backstory is extremely extremely disturbing and creepy. Just the whole relationship between Billy, his mother, and Agnes is one for the history books. Honestly in one aspect, it could feel like a small precursor to what Rob Zombie did with his take on Halloween. The more I think about that, the more I appreciate how it reflects the original films influencing one another. 

    The characters in the film are a bit interesting. For the most part, they do a great job of harkening back to those original characters but a bit more modern. Billy is pretty solid. Yeah, he takes a huge leap into the limelight compared to the original. But that's okay, it honestly makes this such a unique entry. All of the actors and actresses bring their A-game. It was really interesting coming back to this after some time and seeing where some of the actors and actresses went in their careers. I mean Katie Cassidy ended up moving on to other horror films as well as being such a vital part of the CW's Arrow. 

    The gore in this film is on its game. It is not afraid to give the audience what it wants. And that's letting the blood fly. There are countless times where an icicle is used as a weapon. I mean it's basically a key weapon. However, there is a variety to the murder mayhem. And it doesn't disappoint. 

    Overall, I have to say that I still love Black Christmas (2006). It wants to be its own thing. And that's pretty cool. Its definitely a beautiful addition to horror holiday films. I honestly would have loved to have seen a sequel (if it would be possible). If you haven't checked this out, I definitely recommend it. 

Rating: 4 out of 5. 

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Home for the Holidays: Black Christmas (2019)

 

    Black Christmas is considered by many to be the ultimate Christmas horror film. It is the pinnacle of what this branch of the genre provides. It is tense and littered with atmosphere. It keeps its threat in the shadows. Since that 1974 film, we have seen two more additions that crafted an anthological franchise. Honestly, I would consider that to be pretty impressive. 

    In 2019, we had our latest addition to this franchise. It was Sophia Takal's take on Black Christmas. The film was by many considered to be an unmitigated disaster. It was honestly what they would probably consider to be Blumhouse's first black mark on their resume. Blumhouse honestly is to this generation what New Line and Dimension were in the 80s and 90s. For the most part whenever I see something be labelled as a Blumhouse film, I tend to go in a bit open minded. 

    When it came to Black Christmas 2019, I missed it when it was released in theaters. I had kept my ear to the ground on it. So I had heard a lot of what many would consider its faults. For me, I had the pleasure of getting to catch the film last Christmas Eve. My partner and I were finishing up wrapping presents and getting them underneath our tree. Why not watch a Christmas horror film? So, I booted up our Vudu account and hit Play. 

    I had gone all in on the film. I managed to keep an open mind the entire runtime. Yeah, it wasn't a retelling of the story from the original film. It didn't have to be for me. It was something different. It honestly felt a bit fresh. Yeah, it was PG-13. But for me, that didn't hurt it. It's honestly nice to have some Christmas horror films that aren't straight Rated R bloodbaths. Actually sometimes it's nice to be able to go into a horror film that's just PG-13 over R. Almost a bit comforting if you will. Yeah, I have heard that there was originally a Rated R cut that ran 111 minutes. But for the most part, this PG-13 cut was solid. 

    Sophia Takal and April Wolfe crafted a film that stands apart from the original Black Christmas. To some, it probably felt a bit heavy handed with its themes. But it never felt like that. Yeah, its a bit unique with its shifting of the villain from Billy to the Hawthorne College Illuminati. There isn't one sole person but overall those members of the fraternity. It felt like the Hawthorne fraternity was a Legion that was spread by the mysterious black goo. Yeah, I said that right. There's black goo that is able to infect the men and turn them against the women. Does that hinder the film? Not really. 

    The characters in this film are all pretty unique. Well, besides the cold opening character of Lindsay. Every one has something that makes them feel like real people. They just aren't straight cookie cutter stereotypes. All of them also don't take crap when things start coming to a head. Imogen Poots delivers a solid performance as Riley. She's a bit on edge at the beginning of the film, but as it goes on she comes into her own. Cary Elwes once again brings a solid performance to the film. He's a very strong headed character, especially with the reveal at the end of the film. By that point, I wasn't surprised with it. 

    With the trimming of the film down to PG-13, it meant that there was a bit less violence. What violence there is in the film doesn't feel out of place. It all works together to serve a purpose. Would I be interested in seeing what the R cut would have been like? Yeah, I would be interested. Does it hurt the film? No. 

    Overall, Black Christmas 2019 isn't as bad as many have said. If you go in with an open mind, you might be surprised at how smart and entertaining the film can be. Is it perfect? No, but what film is? It is a good watch for the holiday season. 

Rating: 3.75 out of 5. 

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He Called Back - It's Me Billy: A Fan Film Review

Black Christmas. It was a film that was originally released in 1974. In the years since, it’s become a bit of a cult hit. In most of the Christmas horror lists I’ve seen, Black Christmas is usually at the top. And for good reason.

Earlier this year, Dave McRae and Bruce Dale unleashed an unofficial sequel to that 1974 classic. At first, I was going to let it pass without a review. Something that try not to do much of. But revisited the thought again when had seen some of the strong recognition it was getting.

Was the film deserving in the high praises it was receiving? Hell yes it was. It channels everything that made the original film so successful. It brought that 70s feel to the modern time.

The film follows on 50 years after the events of the original film. One of the biggest highlights was seeing a definitive ending to the film. We follow the granddaughter of Jess Bradford, Sam and her friends. They were journeying up to her late grandma’s house one last time to spend Christmas there. Unbeknownst to them, there was more to the house than initially thought.

The pacing of this film is fast. It helps that the runtime is roughly 48 minutes. But ever once did I find myself thinking that it was too slow or too fast. It was the perfect pace for the story they wish to tell. There were a few of the techniques that were established in the original that reemerged.

The acting is incredibly top notch. Everybody brought their A game. Each of the girls (Victoria Moreo, Malaika Hennie-Hamadi and Shelby Handley) bring so much depth and relatability to their character. It also helps that there is so much chemistry in their friendships. Dave McRae does an incredible job as the voice of Billy. He is able to channel that character in such a way that I even forgot that this wasn’t an official sequel. And Bryan Charles Peter is great as Billy. He emulates everything that made Billy such an iconic character in that original film.

Before I knew it, the film was over. I was shocked that it had just flown by. This has now entered the same level as Womp Stomp’s Friday series. Keeping and honoring what came before, yet making it their own. And I just wish we get more of it. Especially after that ending.

Would I recommend it? Yes I would recommend it. This is a fantastic love letter and helps illustrate that there is more that could happen with this idea. And it helped raise the bar for fan films like WOMP STOMP did before them.

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