So here is a much more comprehensive look at a little of the original and a lot of the remake.
So here is a much more comprehensive look at a little of the original and a lot of the remake.
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20 comments on “Exploring Black Christmas – Episode 175”
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Ah Studio interference, when will they ever learn ?
Sad that the failure of a film is usually blamed on the director and cast when their original vision has been messed about with by the studio who are almost always looking back at the last big thing and trying to emulate, it rather than trusting the film makers they have hired to come up with a something new.
I agree with Glen Morgan, adding more gore never makes a film scarier, I believe it usually makes it unintentionally comical.
Its sad that time and time again, it seems that studio interference is the cause when a bad movie comes along.
If you want to see an unintentionally comical film, Gary, go see “Pieces” (“BASTARD!…BASTARD!…BASTARD!).
A bit late, Cecil, but I’m the forgiving and grateful sort.
Morgan and Wong actually worked on “21 Jump Street” as showrunners before “The X-Files”.
When people mention Bob Clark directed “A Christmas Story”, I chuckle since he also directed the first two “Porky’s”films (“I got you now, Tommy Turner, and I’m taking you to the principal!!!)
Speaking of Crispin Glover, go watch “River’s Edge”, which also has Keanu Reeves and Dennis Hopper. Based on a true story, a slacker teen kills his girlfriend and shows his friends the dead (and naked) body. The friends become divided on what to do. Horrifying in an non-traditional sense, but oddly funny too.
What are your plans for the 200th episode?
Well, that’s it. Take care, I hope the fan’s choice reviews are fun and remember…”I kick ass for the Lord!”
Clark has such a diverse directing history, it is a shame when I see him on a “worst” list because he directed Baby Geniuses.
200th is a secret! (meaning, I have no idea yet lol)
1.welcome back Cecil?
2.who will vin in a fight billy and his sister or ghostface?
3.Big movie mike reviews dislikes this
4.in my opinion the walking dead games where better than the tv series
1 – thanks
2 – Billy and Agnes
3 – who? (not being a jerk, I don’t know who you mean)
4 – the telltale games at least, survival instincts not so much
Oh my God, Willard. That movie was creepy as fucking hell.
Oddly enough, I think my favorite Bob Clark movie is Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead Things. And not just because of the goofy ass title.
Freaking Weinsteins. I love a good, scary movie, but I can’t really handle gore. It’s brainless decisions like theirs to just dump buckets of fake blood everywhere are what keep me away from some of these movies. I wish they’d stop the lame ass pandering. The original was great and didn’t need rivers of gore.
It really was, a shame a lot of people skipped it because it wasn’t a big name.
Ah CSPWDT, classic.
Weinsteins seemingly bumble along and somehow keep going. The latest blunder I’m hearing (and the reason why Black Christmas is hard to get on Bluray) is there is a rumor that they don’t want to bother getting their films on the format.
Harvey Scissorhands strikes again!!! Between his constant interference with other people’s films and his denial to pick up movies by people who once were his big boys, it’s amazing TWC hasn’t been run into the ground.
I have a Harvey Scissorhands (plus other stuff) video incoming. Their ineptness is mind boggling.
Just watched again and must say this has made me quite angry. I remember watching this movie and not liking it because it degenerated into just another gory, nasty, torture young girls flick.
Because of that I didn’t notice how good looking it is nor how well made and now I’m pissed off because it seems it could have been a modern classic if Morgan had been able to make HIS movie.
I have lost count of how many horror films I’ve sat through that promised so much but failed to deliver.
I would love you to do a report on how/why studios think they know what an audience wants but get it soooooo wrong.
I really believe that the movie would be heralded as a classic if Morgan would have been left to make his movie. There is so much promise here and you can tell he loves movies, but was undone but the “upstairs”.
I thought Cold Fear part 2 was going to be your next video?
Can’t say this film looks anything different from a standard horror movie flick pumped out since the success of Scream. Shame though that is essentially ended the directors directing career when it was never going to be a big success the studio envisioned.
It was a tad late but its up now!
It really is a shame that more movies don’t use such vibrate colours any more. are there any that have come out latley that good colouring?
Also, Katie Cassidy was billed as a regular on ‘Supernatural’ during her run on the show, but that’s a common misconception.
So many movies are color corrected to the teal/orange or are way too muted. No normal fleshtones or blasts of color.
As far as beautiful looking movies, off the top of my head…A Clockwork Orange, Blade Runner, Only God Forgives, Pan’s Labyrinth, Oldboy, What Dreams may come, Vertigo, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Brazil, Suspiria, Sin City (B&W with striking deliberate uses of color), and The House of Flying Daggers.
Your views on this mimic my own for some other remakes. One remake I think got bashed at the time and continues to go unnoticed now is “The Hills Have Eyes”. Probably a more straightforward remake than “Black Christmas”. “The Hills Have Eyes” changed some things but not a whole bunch. I still think its a decent flick and I’ll argue with anyone who says otherwise, the sequel on the other was total shit. The original was pretty good too but I prefer the disfiguring mutant makeup from the remake. The original cast always looked like a gang of post apocalyptic marauders rather than survivors of nuclear fallout to me.
But… I still hate the “Evil Dead” remake. Perhaps its just the fanboy in me but I hated every moment of that movie. I wasn’t thrilled that they were remaking it but at least I was willing to give it a chance. For large parts of the film it was just so slow and boring and the acting and dialogue didn’t help by being so subdued. The effects were great but I can’t say I ever watch movies strictly for the good effects. Who knows maybe after a few years I’ll return to it and change my mind but I really don’t see that happening anytime soon.
As far a Black Christmas goes I really didn’t know what to expect. I hadn’t seen the original and I wanted to see the remake when it was released because I just don’t like traditional Christmas fair but didn’t get around to it till after it came to video. Its been years since I’ve seen it so I can’t really remember a whole lot about it but I don’t remember hating it. One of the major draws for me was Michelle Trachtenberg, her being the only actor I was familiar with at the time, so I was a little disappointed when she got the axe so soon. I can’t remember but isn’t she the one that spends all of her screen time being bitchy and drunk? Regardless I don’t remember hating the film but at the same time I don’t remember enjoying it all that much either. Kind of a middle of the road experience for me.
I loved the Hills Have Eyes remake. I thought it worked better overall than the original.
I didn’t mind the Evil Dead remake. I went in expecting to hate it since they brought in Diablo Cody to punch up the dialog but I thought it was ok. Loved the practical effects and thought they did a decent job of making it not just a copy/paste of the original. Honestly, they could have changed a few things and they could have called it something else.
Michelle was the “good girl” while Crystal Lowe was the drunk.
I was wondering if I could submit a request. If you can, can you review the following films: Tales From the Crypt: Demon Knight (1994), Urban Legend (1998), The Faculty (1998), Animal (2014), Demons (Demoni) (1985). And if you want to review a terribly funny “horror” film, review Shakma (1990). Hope you see this Cecil. Thank you! 🙂 -Nick W.
Planning on doing all of those actually. Most likely, The Faculty and Urban Legend will be the ones to get done first. 🙂