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Black Christmas (2006 film)
Encyclopedia
Black Christmas is 2006 American Slasher film
and a remake of the 1974 horror
slasher film
of the same name
. It was written and directed by Glen Morgan
and stars Katie Cassidy
, Mary Elizabeth Winstead
, Lacey Chabert
, Crystal Lowe
, Michelle Trachtenberg
, Oliver Hudson
, Kristen Cloke
, and Andrea Martin
. The score
was the last to be composed and conducted by Shirley Walker
, who died a month before the film's release.
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. 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.
). Setting her eyes on another man, she kills her husband, and buries his body in the underground crawlspace under the house. When Billy is seen witnessing this, she locks him in the attic. When Mrs. Lenz tries to conceive a new baby with her new man, she realises he is impotent, and goes up to the attic and rapes Billy. Soon, Agnes (Dean Friss) is born, who is loved by her new family. On a Christmas Eve, Billy snaps, escaping, disfiguring Agnes, and gruesomely kills his mother and her new husband. He then proceeds to make cookies out of his mother's flesh. He is caught, and is sent to a mental asylum. On Christmas Eve 2006, Billy escapes from his cell after killing the security guard, butchers a man in a Santa Claus costume, and disguises himself in the costume to escape.
At a sorority house, Delta Alpha Kappa, Claire Crosby (Leela Savasta
) and Megan Helms (Jessica Harmon
), two sorority girls, are brutally killed, unnoticed by the other girls. In the living room, the girls receive a call from a rambling man. During the call, Lauren Hannon (Crystal Lowe
) taunts the caller, and he threatens to kill them. Meanwhile, Claire's sister Leigh (Kristen Cloke
) arrives searching for her. After the lights go out, Dana (Lacey Chabert
) goes to check them under the house, and is killed. The girls go out to find her, only to discover her dead, and find Eve Agnew (Kathleen Kole) also killed.
Heather Lee-Fitzgerald (Mary Elizabeth Winstead
) and Mrs. Mac (Andrea Martin
) want to drive to the police, but are both killed when they step outside towards the car. Kelly and Leigh go check, where the killer strikes again, killing Melissa (in the United States version, she is killed by ice skates slitting the back of her head) (Michelle Trachtenberg
) and Lauren who is stabbed in the neck only in the unrated version. Kelly and Leigh find Kyle, (Oliver Hudson
) Kelly's ex. The three check the attic, where Kyle is killed.
The killer introduces herself as Agnes, and introduces all 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, unintentionally starting a fire. Kelly and Leigh escape and leave Billy and Agnes to burn in the fire, and they are treated at the hospital. While Kelly goes for an x-ray
, Agnes appears in the hospital unharmed and kills Leigh while Billy kills a hospital employee. When Kelly returns to her room, Agnes attacks her as well but Kelly uses the defibrillator and kills Agnes; however, Billy immediately enters through the ceiling and chases after Kelly, furious of Agnes' death. 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. Kelly's parents then take her home. (See Alternate versions below.)
The film has made more money from its DVD sales than it did at the box office with a total DVD gross of $28,963,754. If the DVD sales are added to the total box office gross then overall the movie has grossed a total of $50,474,605.
, labeled "rotten" based on 55 reviews. 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.
"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
. Jim Ridley of The Village Voice
inputs, "The product itself isn't so much afterthought as afterbirth -- a bloody mess to be dumped discreetly." 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." 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." "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.
Marc Savlov of The Austin Chronicle, however, says "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." Reviewers also praised the acting of the sorority sisters, in particular Crystal Lowe
, Michelle Trachtenberg
, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead
. 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". 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."
groups because of the studio's decision to release a bloody slasher film about Christmas on Christmas Day. Several groups, including Liberty Counsel
and Operation "Just Say Merry Christmas", have called the film "offensive, ill-founded and insensitive". Additionally, L.A. Weekly columnist Nikki Finke also questioned the filmmakers' decision to release the film on Christmas. 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." 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 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.
. 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 and Unrated. 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.
Slasher film
A slasher film is a type of horror film typically involving a psychopathic killer stalking and killing a sequence of victims in a graphically violent manner, often with a cutting tool such as a knife or axe...
and a remake of the 1974 horror
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
slasher film
Slasher film
A slasher film is a type of horror film typically involving a psychopathic killer stalking and killing a sequence of victims in a graphically violent manner, often with a cutting tool such as a knife or axe...
of the same name
Black Christmas (1974 film)
Black Christmas is a 1974 Canadian slasher film directed by Bob Clark and written by A. Roy Moore, and largely based on a series of murders that took place in Quebec, Canada around Christmas time. The film's score is by Carl Zittrer. It was distributed by Ambassador Film Distributors in Canada and...
. It was written and directed by Glen Morgan
Glen Morgan
Glen Morgan is an American television producer, writer, and director.-Biography:Morgan is best known for his screen work with long-time writing partner James Wong, including The X-Files, Millennium, Space: Above and Beyond, the Final Destination series, The One, Willard, and the 2006 remake of...
and stars Katie Cassidy
Katie Cassidy
Katherine Evelyn Anita "Katie" Cassidy is an American actress who has performed in The CW TV series Melrose Place, Supernatural, Harper's Island, and Gossip Girl, and on the films When a Stranger Calls, Black Christmas, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Taken, Monte Carlo, and has roles in the upcoming...
, Mary Elizabeth Winstead
Mary Elizabeth Winstead
Mary Elizabeth Winstead is an American actress. She is best known for her scream queen roles in the horror films Final Destination 3, Black Christmas, Death Proof, and The Thing...
, Lacey Chabert
Lacey Chabert
Lacey Nicole Chabert is an American actress and voice actress, known for her roles as Claudia Salinger in the television drama Party of Five and as Gretchen Wieners in the movie Mean Girls...
, Crystal Lowe
Crystal Lowe
Crystal Lowe is a Canadian-born actress best known for her scream queen roles in the horror films Final Destination 3, Black Christmas, and Wrong Turn 2: Dead End.-Early life:...
, Michelle Trachtenberg
Michelle Trachtenberg
Michelle Christine Trachtenberg is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Dawn Summers in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and as Georgina Sparks in Gossip Girl...
, Oliver Hudson
Oliver Hudson
Oliver Rutledge Hudson is an American actor. He is the son of Goldie Hawn and Bill Hudson, and brother of Kate Hudson...
, Kristen Cloke
Kristen Cloke
Kristen Ann Cloke is an American actress.-Personal life:Cloke was born in Van Nuys, California and attended California State University, Northridge. She is associate artistic director of The Alliance Repertory Company in Burbank, California, where she writes, produces and directs. She is married...
, and Andrea Martin
Andrea Martin
Andrea Louise Martin is an American and Canadian actress and comedienne. She has appeared in films such as My Big Fat Greek Wedding, on stage in productions such as My Favorite Year, Fiddler on the Roof and Candide, and in the television series, SCTV.-Personal life:Martin, the oldest of three...
. The score
Film score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film, forming part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and sound effects...
was the last to be composed and conducted by Shirley Walker
Shirley Walker
Shirley Walker was an American television and film composer and conductor. She was one of the few female film score composers working in Hollywood...
, who died a month before the film's release.
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. 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.
Plot
Billy Edward Lenz (Robert Mann), a boy born with a rare medical condition that makes his skin yellow, is constantly abused and hated by Mrs. Lenz (Karin KonovalKarin Konoval
Karin Konoval is a professional American film and television actress. She has been in several major films, and has appeared as major roles and guest stars for many television shows, including The X-Files episode Home and Tin Man. She recently appeared in an episode on season 4 of Supernatural...
). Setting her eyes on another man, she kills her husband, and buries his body in the underground crawlspace under the house. When Billy is seen witnessing this, she locks him in the attic. When Mrs. Lenz tries to conceive a new baby with her new man, she realises he is impotent, and goes up to the attic and rapes Billy. Soon, Agnes (Dean Friss) is born, who is loved by her new family. On a Christmas Eve, Billy snaps, escaping, disfiguring Agnes, and gruesomely kills his mother and her new husband. He then proceeds to make cookies out of his mother's flesh. He is caught, and is sent to a mental asylum. On Christmas Eve 2006, Billy escapes from his cell after killing the security guard, butchers a man in a Santa Claus costume, and disguises himself in the costume to escape.
At a sorority house, Delta Alpha Kappa, Claire Crosby (Leela Savasta
Leela Savasta
Leela Savasta is a Canadian actress. She played Clair Crosby in the 2006 film Black Christmas.-Biography:Savasta was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, where she currently resides. She has appeared in such television shows as Smallville, Intelligence, Supernatural and the Showtime series Masters...
) and Megan Helms (Jessica Harmon
Jessica Harmon
Jessica Harmon is a Canadian film actress. In 2010, she won a Leo Award for Best Performance in a Music, Comedy, or Variety Program or Series for her role in the television pilot Wolf Canyon.-Filmography:...
), two sorority girls, are brutally killed, unnoticed by the other girls. In the living room, the girls receive a call from a rambling man. During the call, Lauren Hannon (Crystal Lowe
Crystal Lowe
Crystal Lowe is a Canadian-born actress best known for her scream queen roles in the horror films Final Destination 3, Black Christmas, and Wrong Turn 2: Dead End.-Early life:...
) taunts the caller, and he threatens to kill them. Meanwhile, Claire's sister Leigh (Kristen Cloke
Kristen Cloke
Kristen Ann Cloke is an American actress.-Personal life:Cloke was born in Van Nuys, California and attended California State University, Northridge. She is associate artistic director of The Alliance Repertory Company in Burbank, California, where she writes, produces and directs. She is married...
) arrives searching for her. After the lights go out, Dana (Lacey Chabert
Lacey Chabert
Lacey Nicole Chabert is an American actress and voice actress, known for her roles as Claudia Salinger in the television drama Party of Five and as Gretchen Wieners in the movie Mean Girls...
) goes to check them under the house, and is killed. The girls go out to find her, only to discover her dead, and find Eve Agnew (Kathleen Kole) also killed.
Heather Lee-Fitzgerald (Mary Elizabeth Winstead
Mary Elizabeth Winstead
Mary Elizabeth Winstead is an American actress. She is best known for her scream queen roles in the horror films Final Destination 3, Black Christmas, Death Proof, and The Thing...
) and Mrs. Mac (Andrea Martin
Andrea Martin
Andrea Louise Martin is an American and Canadian actress and comedienne. She has appeared in films such as My Big Fat Greek Wedding, on stage in productions such as My Favorite Year, Fiddler on the Roof and Candide, and in the television series, SCTV.-Personal life:Martin, the oldest of three...
) want to drive to the police, but are both killed when they step outside towards the car. Kelly and Leigh go check, where the killer strikes again, killing Melissa (in the United States version, she is killed by ice skates slitting the back of her head) (Michelle Trachtenberg
Michelle Trachtenberg
Michelle Christine Trachtenberg is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Dawn Summers in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and as Georgina Sparks in Gossip Girl...
) and Lauren who is stabbed in the neck only in the unrated version. Kelly and Leigh find Kyle, (Oliver Hudson
Oliver Hudson
Oliver Rutledge Hudson is an American actor. He is the son of Goldie Hawn and Bill Hudson, and brother of Kate Hudson...
) Kelly's ex. The three check the attic, where Kyle is killed.
The killer introduces herself as Agnes, and introduces all 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, unintentionally starting a fire. Kelly and Leigh escape and leave Billy and Agnes to burn in the fire, and they are treated at the hospital. While Kelly goes for an x-ray
X-ray
X-radiation is a form of electromagnetic radiation. X-rays have a wavelength in the range of 0.01 to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 petahertz to 30 exahertz and energies in the range 120 eV to 120 keV. They are shorter in wavelength than UV rays and longer than gamma...
, Agnes appears in the hospital unharmed and kills Leigh while Billy kills a hospital employee. When Kelly returns to her room, Agnes attacks her as well but Kelly uses the defibrillator and kills Agnes; however, Billy immediately enters through the ceiling and chases after Kelly, furious of Agnes' death. They end up in the stairway, where Kelly pushes Billy down the stairs where he is impaled on the tip of a Christmas tree
Christmas tree
The Christmas tree is a decorated evergreen coniferous tree, real or artificial, and a tradition associated with the celebration of Christmas. The tradition of decorating an evergreen tree at Christmas started in Livonia and Germany in the 16th century...
, killing him. Kelly's parents then take her home. (See Alternate versions below.)
Cast
- Katie CassidyKatie CassidyKatherine Evelyn Anita "Katie" Cassidy is an American actress who has performed in The CW TV series Melrose Place, Supernatural, Harper's Island, and Gossip Girl, and on the films When a Stranger Calls, Black Christmas, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Taken, Monte Carlo, and has roles in the upcoming...
as Kelly Presley - Michelle TrachtenbergMichelle TrachtenbergMichelle Christine Trachtenberg is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Dawn Summers in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and as Georgina Sparks in Gossip Girl...
as Melissa Kitt - Mary Elizabeth WinsteadMary Elizabeth WinsteadMary Elizabeth Winstead is an American actress. She is best known for her scream queen roles in the horror films Final Destination 3, Black Christmas, Death Proof, and The Thing...
as Heather Lee-Fitzgerald - Lacey ChabertLacey ChabertLacey Nicole Chabert is an American actress and voice actress, known for her roles as Claudia Salinger in the television drama Party of Five and as Gretchen Wieners in the movie Mean Girls...
as Dana Mathis - Kristen ClokeKristen ClokeKristen Ann Cloke is an American actress.-Personal life:Cloke was born in Van Nuys, California and attended California State University, Northridge. She is associate artistic director of The Alliance Repertory Company in Burbank, California, where she writes, produces and directs. She is married...
as Leigh Colvin - Andrea MartinAndrea MartinAndrea Louise Martin is an American and Canadian actress and comedienne. She has appeared in films such as My Big Fat Greek Wedding, on stage in productions such as My Favorite Year, Fiddler on the Roof and Candide, and in the television series, SCTV.-Personal life:Martin, the oldest of three...
as Barbara MacHenry - Crystal LoweCrystal LoweCrystal Lowe is a Canadian-born actress best known for her scream queen roles in the horror films Final Destination 3, Black Christmas, and Wrong Turn 2: Dead End.-Early life:...
as Lauren Hannon - Oliver HudsonOliver HudsonOliver Rutledge Hudson is an American actor. He is the son of Goldie Hawn and Bill Hudson, and brother of Kate Hudson...
as Kyle Autry - Karin KonovalKarin KonovalKarin Konoval is a professional American film and television actress. She has been in several major films, and has appeared as major roles and guest stars for many television shows, including The X-Files episode Home and Tin Man. She recently appeared in an episode on season 4 of Supernatural...
as Mrs. Lenz - Dean Friss as Agnes Lenz
- Robert MannRobert MannRobert Mann is a musician, composer, and conductor.He was a founding member and first violinist of the Juilliard String Quartet for 52 years, and mentor to younger generations of string musicians....
as Billy Lenz - Jessica HarmonJessica HarmonJessica Harmon is a Canadian film actress. In 2010, she won a Leo Award for Best Performance in a Music, Comedy, or Variety Program or Series for her role in the television pilot Wolf Canyon.-Filmography:...
as Megan Helms - Leela SavastaLeela SavastaLeela Savasta is a Canadian actress. She played Clair Crosby in the 2006 film Black Christmas.-Biography:Savasta was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, where she currently resides. She has appeared in such television shows as Smallville, Intelligence, Supernatural and the Showtime series Masters...
as Claire Crosby, - Kathleen Kole as Eve Agnew
- Note: This film has marked the second time Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Cystal Lowe worked together; the first time they did was in Final Destination 3Final Destination 3Final Destination 3 is a 2006 supernatural slasher film, and the third film in the Final Destination series. The film was directed and written by James Wong, who co-wrote and directed the first film, and was produced by Craig Perry. It was released in North America on February 10, 2006...
of the Final Destination series of filmsFinal Destination (film series)The Final Destination series is a series of horror films based on an unproduced script written by Jeffrey Reddick for the X-Files television series. Distributed by New Line Cinema, all five films are centered on the themes of fatalism, predestination, and precognition, in relation to death...
. Another member of the cast, Kristen Cloke, was also in the Final Destination series.
Box office
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.The film has made more money from its DVD sales than it did at the box office with a total DVD gross of $28,963,754. If the DVD sales are added to the total box office gross then overall the movie has grossed a total of $50,474,605.
Critical reception
The film received generally negative reviews. Black Christmas earns a 15% rating on Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
, labeled "rotten" based on 55 reviews. The critics agreed that it was "a gratuitous remake of the 1974 slasher, Black Christmas
Black Christmas (1974 film)
Black Christmas is a 1974 Canadian slasher film directed by Bob Clark and written by A. Roy Moore, and largely based on a series of murders that took place in Quebec, Canada around Christmas time. The film's score is by Carl Zittrer. It was distributed by Ambassador Film Distributors in Canada and...
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.
"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
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
. Jim Ridley of The Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
inputs, "The product itself isn't so much afterthought as afterbirth -- a bloody mess to be dumped discreetly." 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." Joe Leydon of Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
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." "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
The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail is a nationally distributed Canadian newspaper, based in Toronto and printed in six cities across the country. With a weekly readership of approximately 1 million, it is Canada's largest-circulation national newspaper and second-largest daily newspaper after the Toronto Star...
agrees.
Marc Savlov of The Austin Chronicle, however, says "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." Reviewers also praised the acting of the sorority sisters, in particular Crystal Lowe
Crystal Lowe
Crystal Lowe is a Canadian-born actress best known for her scream queen roles in the horror films Final Destination 3, Black Christmas, and Wrong Turn 2: Dead End.-Early life:...
, Michelle Trachtenberg
Michelle Trachtenberg
Michelle Christine Trachtenberg is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Dawn Summers in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and as Georgina Sparks in Gossip Girl...
, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead
Mary Elizabeth Winstead
Mary Elizabeth Winstead is an American actress. She is best known for her scream queen roles in the horror films Final Destination 3, Black Christmas, Death Proof, and The Thing...
. The flashback scene which showed Billy killing his mother also earned praises from critics. Horror review website Bloody Disgusting
Bloody Disgusting
Bloody Disgusting is a website that covers horror movies with reviews, interviews and news. It is currently run by Brad Miska, and Tom Owen. According to one source, the site has 1.5 million unique visitors and 20 million page views each month. It is widely considered to be the "world's most...
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". The Radio Times
Radio Times
Radio Times is a UK weekly television and radio programme listings magazine, owned by the BBC. It has been published since 1923 by BBC Magazines, which also provides an on-line listings service under the same title...
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."
Controversy
The film drew backlash from ChristianChristian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
groups because of the studio's decision to release a bloody slasher film about Christmas on Christmas Day. Several groups, including Liberty Counsel
Liberty Counsel
Liberty Counsel is a non-profit public interest law firm and ministry that provides free legal assistance in defense of "Christian religious liberty, the sanctity of human life, and the traditional family." Liberty Counsel is headed by attorney Mathew D. Staver, who founded the legal ministry with...
and Operation "Just Say Merry Christmas", have called the film "offensive, ill-founded and insensitive". Additionally, L.A. Weekly columnist Nikki Finke also questioned the filmmakers' decision to release the film on Christmas. Dimension Films
Dimension Films
Dimension Films is a motion picture unit currently a part of The Weinstein Company. It was formerly used as Bob Weinstein's label within Miramax Films, to produce and release genre 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." Dimension's own Scream
Scream (film)
Scream is a 1996 American slasher film written by Kevin Williamson and directed by Wes Craven. The film stars Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Drew Barrymore, and David Arquette...
, 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 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
Additional footage was shot solely for advertisement purposes, at the request of Dimension FilmsDimension Films
Dimension Films is a motion picture unit currently a part of The Weinstein Company. It was formerly used as Bob Weinstein's label within Miramax Films, to produce and release genre 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
Michelle Trachtenberg
Michelle Christine Trachtenberg is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Dawn Summers in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and as Georgina Sparks in Gossip Girl...
and Lacey Chabert
Lacey Chabert
Lacey Nicole Chabert is an American actress and voice actress, known for her roles as Claudia Salinger in the television drama Party of Five and as Gretchen Wieners in the movie Mean Girls...
), 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 and Unrated. 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.