[psycho d]

Black Christmas (2006). Though a total disappoint for hard core fans of the original, this remake takes on a rather formidable job and accomplishes it handsomely. It does this in two ways. First, it adds some more back story to the killer. This works because we already know the killer, and to try to keep it a mystery until would be silly. Second, it is more a comedy with some entertaining kills than a horror whodunit. In my book, to have made such a fun remake in the face of scorn is itself a triumph.

The acting was standard fare for the genre. The impressive achievement here was the use of actresses of a similar caliber and which all seemed to enjoy a similar significance in the eyes of the audience. All of the characters were different enough to get the audience to care about each of them, making it hard to guess which one would pull through to the end. In this sense the movie is not so much a whodunit it but rather a who makes it.

The direction was solid, and that Bob Clark, the director of the original, was on hand as a consultant shows that these movie makers paid their due homage to the original. The one area that was way above average was the photography. While the "groundbreaking" techniques of the original were employed out of respect, the camera's lens was employed in spectacular fashion as if a voyeur or even from big brother's omniscient eye. As well, awkward angles, heck just about every shot known to elicit viewer conviction, was used to full effect without being obtrusive. This alone should have garnered it a better rating at IMDB, but those clones make better lamb chops than reviewers.

In all, this was a marvelously entertaining remake that for the most part does not take itself too seriously, and by "for the most part" I mean the casting, because this is one of the few flicks that might challenge Sick Nurses (2007) in its platter of smoking hot actresses.
d