Every genre has cliches, but has well does Black Christmas (2006) follow the Christmas Horror rules?
(2006) the bad remake for the 1974 horror film. It was previously tested as a slasher film.The following analysis may contain spoilers for
Black Christmas (2006)
RULE #1
There will be no warning...
"Call the police!" ~ Heather.
"Please. The police are gonna do shit about one wack job phone call." ~ Lauren.
"Just dial *69." ~ Dana.
... for the characters in the Christmas horror film.
1a. Eerie - The movie tried to, but it wasn't properly executed. Song
1b. Creepy guy - A few in the mental hospital, not for the Sorority girl.
1c. Foreshadowing animal death - None.
RULE #2
Sex & Nudity.
"Am I gonna show up on there? Isn't sex enough, Kyle? You need little visual trophies to get your thrill?" ~ Kellie.
Pretty much the usual nudity horror nudity rules apply, except in the case of the rare milder horror movies aimed more at children.
2a. Nudity -
i. Female Nudity - Implied nudity of Megan in online video. Billy's mother during sex with his stepfather. Lauren in shower.
ii. Male Nudity - Implied nudity of Kyle in online video.
iii. Nudity Equals Death - Lauren is killed immediately after we see them. Billy kills his mother. Agnes eventually kills Lauren.
iv. Public vs Private Nudity - Billy's mother's is private but in a public era of the house, but is unseen. Lauren's nudity is private (showering) was watched from the floor. Kyle's sex tapes are shared online.
2b. Sex -
i. Death - All the characters having shown having sex die.
ii. Random Sex - Billy and his mother.
iii. Relationship Sex - Kyle and Megan previously had a sexual relationship (which he filmed), both are killed. Billy's stepfather and mother have sex, 8 years later Billy kills them. Kyle and Kellie have a sexual relationship, but she's only seen refusing sex with him.
iv. Rape - Billy's mother has sex with Billy while he is a child.
RULE #3
Characters.
"All right, all right, who's not here?" ~ Mrs. MacHenry.
"Um, like everybody." ~ Kellie.
A few of the following will appear:
3a. Potential Killers or Victims
i. The Grinch - Nil.
ii. The Christmas Obsessed - Nil.
iii. The Religious Nut - Nil.
iv. An Inappropriate Santa Impersonator - The sleezy fake Santa.
v. Evil Orphan - After Billy kills their parents, Billy and Agnes.
vi. Good Kids - Nil.
vii. Bad Kids - Nil.
viii. Partiers - In theory the girls, but they just drink a little without boys and only Lauren gets drunk.
ix. The Bimbo - The nurse who has a sleazy flirtation with the fake Santa, she lives. We don't know know enough about the sorority girls, perhaps Megan. Billy's mother cheated on Billy's father and when Billy's stepfather fell asleep during sex she goes to Billy to finish.
x. The Sloppy Drunk - Lauren gets drunk, dies while unconscious.
3b. Standard Horror Trope Victims
i. The Nerdy/Funny Guy – Eve is a creepy girl.
ii. Macho jerks - Kyle. The Guard and Santa. Billy's stepfather.
iii. The Strong Female Character - Dana, possibly Mel.
iv. The Protector - It was Mrs McHenry's job, but Leigh over took the role.
v. The Sensitive Guy - Perhaps Billy's father in the flashbacks.
xi. Animals – Nil
3c. Standard Christmas Film Filler Characters
i. Carolers - Appear at the end, distracting hospital staff from saving Kellie.
ii. Silver-haired jovial old person - Mrs McHenry a little.
iii. Someone with a secret - Leigh is set up that way, but it doesn't go anywhere. Kyle and Megan to a degree. Eve could be described that way.
iv. Stressed Young Female - Not about Christmas.
v. The Single - Possibly most of the sorority sisters.
vi. Someone Career Obsessed - Nil.
vii. Grumpy Old (usually) Man - Nil.
viii. Sassy Old (usually) Woman - Mrs McHenry a little.
RULE #4
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
"That sucks, everyone should be home for Christmas." ~ Mel.
4a. Carols - Carolers at the hospital.
4b. Christmas Eve - Dana claims it's a few days before Christmas, however later, in the hospital the reporter and staff say it's Christmas eve.
4c. Christmas is the real monster - Not covered.
4d. Twisted Christmas title - Black Christmas is a play on "White Christmas."
RULE #5
People will die when they go…
"If we go up there, the second we see they're dead we run the fuck out of this house." ~ Kyle.
5a. Down to the Basement - Dana is killed under the house.
5b. Upstairs - A lot of people are killed upstairs, especially Kyle going up into the attic.
5c. For a Shower - Lauren.
5d. Into old sheds or out buildings - N/A.
5e. Running off to the “safety” of the forest - N/A.
5f. Anywhere alone - A lot of people were killed while alone.
5g. Anywhere Remote, Isolated or Confined - The soroity house a little.
5h. Any Old, Abandoned or Presumably Haunted Buildings - The sorority house a little.
RULE #6
Death will be a punishment for...
"They're my family now." ~ Agnes.
...being on the naughty list. Beyond the usual punishment for transgression, the killers in Halloween horrors will often have a more "naughty or nice" way of determining who will die.
6a. Sex - All characters shown having sex are killed. Kellie survives but isn't actually shown having sex.
6b. Nudity - All characters shown naked are killed.
6c. Drinking - Most of the characters drink. Lauren gets drunk. Clair seems to have a drinking problem or something.
6d. Drugs - No drugs.
6e. Hitchhiking - No hitchhiking.
6f. Other Criminal Behaviour - Kyle films himself having sex with women.
6g. Annoying/Cowardly/Sleazy/Grumpy/Rude - Kyle is sleazy af.
6h. Being a Bystander - Most of Billy's kills. And most of the sorority girls, too, really.
RULE #7
Especially When They Are Most Needed, The Following Things Cannot Be Relied On…
"We will call you when we were at the police station." ~ Mrs MacHenry.
...Anything. But especially:
7a. Communications devices - The phones (landline and mobile) work, and are used by the killers. They worked, but calling the authorities didn't help.
7b. Lighting - The power goes out.
7c. Vehicular Transport - A little difficulty starting a car. A windscreen needs to be cleaned. Two people are killed in cars.
7d. Your Own Legs - Especially with Kellie at the end when she drops the crutch next to Billy and he trips her with the it.
7e. The Authorities – Are too busy to come help. Also, don't seem to have thought warning them Billy had escaped.
7f. Weapons – Especially with Kellie at the end when she drops the crutch next to Billy and he trips her with the it.
7g. Escape Routes - Just the cars.
The Killer has a Connection to…
"I'm really not okay with any of this. I mean, buying a Christmas present for a serial killer?" ~ Heather.
"No. You see, serial killers murder repeatedly for sexual thrill. Billy Lenz was a spree killer - dude just fucking lost it." Mel.
...Christmas.
8a. The Killer will either be:
i. Billy briefly wears a Santa suit, but only to escape the mental hospital.
8b. The Killer will have:
i. Specific Rules - Collecting eyes, removing body parts for a Christmas tree.
ii. A Specific Look - Billy was born yellow for no clear reason. Probably because she's a child of incest Agnes looks like a female Billy.
iii. A Specific Weapon - Anything that comes to hand, Agnes does use Christmas related weapons often.
iv. To be Killed the Twice - Billy and Agnes are actually put in body bags and shipped to the morgue by authorities.
8c. Other
i. The Camera - Yes, especially when looking from the walls.
RULE #9
The End.
"Well, 'cause he wants us to identify all the bodies, and we've only done two." ~ Coroner.
9a. Happy Ending - Not really. All her Sorority sisters are dead.
9b. Evil Lives - Doesn't appear to happen.
9c. Evil is Immortal - Not clear why the authorities thought they were dead when they weren't.
Sequels and Remakes
"Not again." ~ Billy's mother.
Christmas horror films are often cult successes (the premise alone will make give them major "so bad they're good" points) rather than box office hits.
10a. Sequels - No sequels.
10b. Remakes - Is a remake.
10c. Anthologies - Not an Anthology film.
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