Black Christmas (1974) -Directed By: Bob Clark
Black X-Mas (2006)- Directed by: Glen Morgan
Black Christmas (2019)- Directed by: Sophia Takal
I viewed the series in the following format. I viewed the original first, then the 2019 remake, and finally the 2006 remake.
Let's look at the films briefly.
The original Black Christmas 1974 (BC74) focuses on a group of sorority sisters who are taunted by an unknown killer who is taking them out one by one for reasons unknown.
The first remake Black X-Mas 2006 (BC06) focuses on the back story of Billy the mysterious killer from the first film. It centralizes on his back story and his unquenchable blood lust focused on a group of sorority girls who currently vacant his ex home.
The last remake Black Christmas 2019 (BC19) focuses on a group of sorority girls who are being tormented by a masked man in a robe.
So let's now focus on the pro's and con's of the films individually...
BC 74
Pros: Strong characters, cohesive plot, well executed and beautiful cinematography, smooth transitions from scene to scene, and overall flawless in my opinion.
Cons: Not much back story to the killer. I think that adds to the mystery intended.
BC06
Pros: Back story and central focus on Billy the killer from the original series. Although the backstory was a little far fetched in my opinion it explains why he picks on the group of women. Unnerving intentional thread through out the film works for the story it's trying to convey.
Cons: The seamless cinematography was lost in the translation. At times they tried to emulate the cinematography but it doesn't compare. Some of the characters were casted a like so it was hard to distinguish one from the other. The focus on the group of sorority girls was bland and not as important as the focus on Billy was. No real strong character development of final characters. Not much of a cohesive thread throughout the film.
BC19
Pros: A cohesive plot, and clear target for audience. The targeted audience was thoroughly thought about. The characters, themes, score, and focus was woven with the intended audience in mind.
Cons: What made the original classic in my opinion was definitely lost in translation. There was too much focus on the intended audience that the original has honestly no real traces in this remake. Two kills and the house are honestly the only real consistencies with the original in mind. Had a YA feel about the film that was lost on me.
Overall, without comparison the original film from 74 is the strongest and stand out film of the series in my opinion. It had a clear narrative and air of mystery to it that worked. The cinematography is unmistakable and unique. It had strong characters and it kept you interested. The remakes that followed had it's own unique vision that to me personally wasn't my cup of tea.
BC06 if you view the film as a stand alone slasher film is perfect as a title in it's respective category. It had enough kills to satisfy the gore loving horror fan's first watch. It had enough intentional unnerving threads to keep your interests invested. I honestly can't look at sugar cookies the same way again. Much like Kevin Smith's the reason I will never view walruses the same way again. LOL It had a clear story central focal point and that was Billy and his story arc. Your focus was mainly centered on Billy and whether or not the girls would survive the holiday season. With a twist of an added killer his daughter/sister Agnes, with an appetite that is (insert random eyeball pun). I personally liked the ending where Billy is impaled by a Christmas tree. I did find it strange that they made the choice to give him an extreme case of jaundice. I don't feel it really makes sense but it is what it is.
BC19 was more central in it's target audience focus. It was consistent. It had a clear perspective that was unavoidable. The ending was a way of the girls in all the series to finally get their chance to fight back and that was poetic in my opinion. I liked this ending as well. I think it was just as effective as it's predecessor. I didn't care for the weird offshoot killer. A group of frat guys with a secret pact/society. I suppose it makes more sense why they target the women in the house in the first place. I think it also makes sense that this narrative focuses on control. Again, for all the pro's it just isn't the original to me. I feel if I saw the remakes first, my perspective might still be the same but my overall takeaway would be different.
The remakes have their strong points and are unique to the series with their main takeaways. Overall, for me personally the original is just flawless. I wouldn't change anything about it. Plus, I liked the character of Mac lol. I liked the humor, story, and overall every element that makes it a horror classic.
-Morgana Ghastly
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