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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Home for the Holidays: Krampus

Welcome back to Home for the Holidays! How's everyone's holiday season going so far? It's been a crazy chaotic one so far. But then again, when isn't it a crazy holiday season each year? Everyone just wishes for the perfect holiday. We keep seeking for those same feelings that we had when we were younger. However we can never rekindle those familiar feelings, we may come a bit close to it. But never achieve that perfect holiday season. And honestly, it's better to appreciate the time that we have with family while we have it. They may be crazy but I mean come on, they can't be as crazy as the Griswolds. 

You may be asking yourself "What does this all have to do with Today's movie?". Honestly, it's the theme and moral of the whole movie. Today, join me as we discuss Michael Dougherty's second holiday classic, Krampus.

Back in 2007, Michael Dougherty brought us the Halloween classic Trick 'R Treat. It was such a delight back then. It perfectly encapsulates a lot of things that we love about the spooky season. I mean there's a reason that it went on to become such a classic all these years later. 

In 2015, Dougherty returned to bring us his second holiday film with Krampus. It was something that I honestly never expected to love as much as I do. I love Trick 'R Treat. It's a family tradition to watch it at least once during the spooky season. But for Christmas, we had Christmas Vacation. I mean to an extent one could view that as a horror movie unto itself. The whole squirrel sequence was one I remember terrifying me as a child. When I had heard word of Krampus, I instantly was excited. I just hoped that it would be as special as Trick 'R Treat. 

When it was released, the terrible thing was that our local theater wasn't playing it. It seemed to have been a victim of a wacky theatrical release. This had unfortunately been the same issue with Trick 'R Treat except that had been shelved and then shoved directly onto home release. 

This led me to first watching it when it hit home release. It honestly lived up to the hype that I had for it. It was a beautiful love letter to the crazy family holidays. Just ya know with Gingerbread Men ready to attack, dwarves that felt like they were out of Phantasm, a Jack in the Box that surpassed Demonic Toys, and the big entity himself - Krampus. 

The Engels somehow manage to outdo the Griswolds when it comes to dysfunction. Actually they wouldn't feel out of place of living down the street from them. Oh crap, now that's head canon. And before you say Howard is nothing like Cousin Eddie, I'll say you are crazy. Howard is probably good buddies with Cousin Eddie. And that is why this film works. It calls upon what we know of holiday classics and adds a beautiful horror twist to them. It's pure nostalgia and love. But it's also completely relatable. I mean there's probably a time or two when we were younger that we could see ourselves as young Max. I mean nowadays I can totally relate to Adam Scott's Tom. 

This cast in the film is fantastic. Each one of them is very unique and distinct. They are a dysfunctional family and not just some cookie cutter Hallmark crap. Adam Scott is so good as Tom. Toni Collette's performance doesn't feel as dissimilar to her performance in Hereditary. That's pretty awesome. David Koechner is also fantastic as Howard. Honestly, I have yet to find a film that he's in where I didn't like his performance. And yes, Scout's Guide to the Apocalypse is amazing. Conchata Ferrell also is superb as the terrible Aunt Dorothy. In the beginning of the film, they all may seem one note. But over time, they grow and become an awesome family unit. You can't help but be endeared by them.

Does this film deliver in the horrors? Absolutely. We watched it this year with our son for the first time. He has heard us discuss it before. And even questioned Why he has a homemade Krampus bell hanging by his door. He absolutely loved the film. He was horrified by the toys in this film. The Angel and Bear were the most terrifying. He kept asking why when they showed the Jack in the Box. That whole sequence with the toys is a bit unsettling. The best part for me this time around was the Snowmen that appeared in the yard. I never really paid them much attention before to notice that as the family members fell, a snowman would appear. That was a very cool attention to detail. And then there's the whole sequence with Beth being chased by Krampus. It just oozes with atmosphere and a bit of dread. 

This is family horror that is done right. Its rating allows it to join the ranks of cult classic alongside Gremlins. It's honestly one that the whole family can enjoy. And that's pretty special as there aren't many good horrors the whole family can watch. Especially as there is not much gore and that does not hinder the film one bit.

Rating: 5 out of 5. 

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Home for the Holidays: ThanksKilling/ThanksKilling 3

 Happy Holidays! Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving. It's been an interesting few days. I spent some time watching ThanksKilling yesterday. At first, I didn't know what to make of it. It's a film. I'll give it that. I honestly have no idea who this film's audience is. I know that there are some people that consider it to be a film that's so bad it's good. I think that I'm probably one that isn't for that audience. And now that it's the wonderful holiday season, thought it'd make a good one to start with. 

    Okay, so ThanksKilling came out in 2009. It's very much a film that feels like a Troma film. Honestly, ThanksKilling feels a little bit like it's a parody of terrible horror films. Jack Frost is definitely the first one that springs to mind. And no, not the Michael Keaton version. Stay tuned as that'll be a film I'll tackle at some point during Home for the Holidays. Now, the story of ThanksKilling is super simple. A group of college kids are being terrorized by a fowl-mouthed bird. The kids have to try to figure out how to kill the turkey. While the film is only a small hour and six minutes, there are definitely parts that feel like it's there to pad it out into a longer running time. And honestly, it doesn't work. I kept wondering exactly how much longer the film would have left. I honestly wish I could get in touch with the filmmakers to ask questions about this and the sequel, ThanksKilling 3. 

    The characters in this film are just so generic. I get that's the point. But take Dude Bro Party Massacre III, that's another horror parody. But what makes that film work is that it gives some depth to its characters. So therefore, you enjoy getting to watch the film. ThanksKilling no. And same goes for ThanksKilling 3. 

    Why were these films made? I have been racking my brain trying to understand why. Yeah, if you want something to turn on when you turn your brain off. You are in luck. ThanksKilling delivers it in spades. And ThanksKilling 3 even manages to outdo the original with its meta-inspired story. 

    Seriously, ThanksKilling 3 is about Turkie trying to track down the last copy of ThanksKilling 2. So that he can make people remember him. And he's accompanied by his child after brutally murdering his wife. Honestly, the whole effect sequence with that is done pretty well. I mean it helps that it's all puppets really. That was the thing that racked my brain even more about ThanksKilling 3 - its cast really is puppets. There is occasionally a person or two, but for the most part - be prepared to watch a cartoon come to life. 

    These films know exactly what kind of films they are. I mean in the first seconds of each of these films - immediately the screen is filled with nudity. Oh man, we have nudity in our film. We can check it off our list. Though, the first film manages to have a scene where Turkie uses a condom to have a good time with one of the other characters. What? That is a sentence that I'm just not sure I'd ever have to write. There are gore in these films. But honestly it's very small budgets. 

    When I had seen that some people were talking these films up, I was a little intrigued. I knew that they were terrible. But I didn't have any idea exactly  what I was getting myself into. Both of these films feel like fever dreams. I honestly don't see myself returning for a second helping with either. 

ThanksKilling Rating: 1 out of 5. 

ThanksKilling 3 Rating: 1.25 out of 5. 

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