In the wake of Hollywood's insistence on remaking films, most notably that of classic horror films lately, the one good thing to come out of it is a resurgence of interest in these original films. Generally whenever these (generically bad) big budget films are released, DVD studios end up re-releasing the originals so that audiences can see what real creativity is about. And when we’re really lucky, the studios add on a bunch of extra features so we can learn even more about the films we either grew up with, or grew up hearing about. The latest entry into arena is 1974's "Black Christmas." A remake is set to hit theatres in time for… oddly enough… Christmas, the only possible sign of goodness being that Glenn Morgan is directing it. Morgan does have an eye for the macabre, so there's a slim chance of it actually being a decent film. However, no matter how good he makes it, I guarantee it will pale in comparison to director Bob Clark's original and in many ways, influential, slasher film.

When "Black Christmas" was released, the film world of psychotic killers was still in its infancy. Audiences had still not heard of the likes of Freddy, Jason or Michael Myers, and it was quite refreshing that Clark did not use the title to introduce us to a maniac dressed as Santa. As a matter of fact, we rarely even catch any glimpses of the killer in question, which adds greatly to the terror. When we're not seeing the victims from his perspective, he is kept largely in the shadows. This sense of the unknown, unseen killer is far more frightening psychologically than any make-up scarred or masked actor.

The plot of "Black Christmas", for anyone who has never seen it, will seem very familiar, but only because so many of the devices used in the film have been copied in other, newer films. Here we find the members of a sorority house preparing for the upcoming holidays, unbeknownst to them that they have been targeted by a psychopath. He sneaks into the house during a drunken party and begins making obscene phone calls within the house (sounds like "When a Stranger Calls" doesn't it? Well, it was done here first…). During one of the calls he threatens to kill Jess (Olivia Hussey). No longer thinking the calls are funny, one of the girls decides to leave the party and get ready to go home for the holidays. When it is discovered that she has completely disappeared, and with the calls continuing, the police are called in to search the house. Not having any luck, they leave but not before tapping Jess' phone. When she finds out that not only that the calls are coming from inside the house, but that her friends are dead, she has to find a way to stay alive until help arrives.

"Black Christmas" was given a DVD release back in 1999, but it was a bare bones edition. Now, Critical Mass and Somerville House are teaming up to release a definitive edition of the film, complete with a lot of extra features. When I received the DVD a couple of weeks ago, I couldn’t believe the massive mount of features that were pulled together. Starting off with two complete commentaries, the first by director Bob Clark who goes into great detail about the production, going so far as the comment on how he pushed the moral envelope of what was accepted at the time, even beyond the simple fact that a killer was on the loose. The second commentary features actors John Saxon and Keir Dullea. Saxon has been a staple of the movie industry for years, with tons of horror films under his belt, while Keir Dullea is actually best known from his role in "2001: A Space Odyssey" ("What are you doing, Dave…"). Their commentaries were recorded separately and edited together, with some of the comments coming from fuller interviews elsewhere on the DVD set.

Additionally, you'll find a lengthy documentary that features newer interviews with a good portion of the cast. I was sorry to see Olivia Hussey, Margot Kidder and Andrea Martin left out, but the interviews that are included are very good. Most are surprised to see how popular the movie is even after so many years. There are also 3 separate interviews, one with Bob Clark and two with Saxon. I really love the Saxon interviews because he is such a well-spoken person and rarely strays from whatever point he is making. If that isn’t enough content for you, check out the promotional gallery which is full of photos, ads, posters and the like. Then pop that DVD into your computer so you can read the original uncut script and a few more promotional materials.

The studio also went a step further in their effort to please the fans. The cover of the DVD is reversible, the first side using the new artwork seen in most ads for the disc, the other utilizing the original artwork for the film. It's a little thing, but goes a long way in showing fans they care.

"Black Christmas" isn’t necessarily as famous as some of its later imitators, but it still ranks amongst the best of the original slasher films and I hope that this new DVD release will allow a whole new audience discover it.

Directed by: Bob Clark
Starring: Olivia Hussey, Keir Dullea, Margot Kidder, John Saxon, Marian Waldman
Extras: Two newly-discovered original scenes with a new vocal soundtrack, "The 12 Days of Black Christmas" featurette, Interview segments with Olivia Hussey and Margot Kidder, Midnight screening Q&A with John Saxon, Bob Clark, and Carl Zittrer
Specifications: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Studio: Somerville House
Release Date: 12/5/2006
Region 1
MPAA Rating: R
Website

We'll give Black Christmas an A.