 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Black Christmas (2006)
- Review Date: April 2, 2007
- R
- Genre: Horror
- 2006
Common Sense Media says
Dreary slasher remake is worse than fruitcake.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this holiday-themed horror remake isn't for kids. Although most of the grisly violence is implied rather than explicit, there's no shortage of spattering blood and jump scenes. Sorority house sisters are murdered one by one with weapons including knives, Christmas lights, a pointy Christmas ornament, and a glass unicorn figurine. The film also includes scenes of implied incest, online porn, vomiting, decapitation, bloody slicks on the floor, the consumption of human flesh cooked into Christmas cookie shapes, and human eyeballs being ripped out and eaten. Characters also smoke cigarettes, drink wine, and use lots of foul language (at least 30 "f--ks").
What's the story?
It's Christmas Eve, and sorority sisters Kelli (Katie Cassidy), Heather (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), Dana (Lacey Chabert), and Melissa (Michelle Trachtenberg) are pondering their upcoming holiday on campus. House mother Mrs. Mac (Andrea Martin) regales her charges with the story of the house's previous inhabitant, Billy Lenz (Robert Mann). Flashbacks illustrate his terrible life: Jaundiced as a child and reviled by his chain-smoking, alcoholic mother, he ends up killing his family and is incarcerated in a sanitarium. When Billy escapes, he returns to his old home and creates bloody heck -- he's especially fond of decapitating and de-eyeballing his victims, then eating their flesh and corneas.
Is it any good?
Gruesome and bleak, Black Christmas is a particularly uninspired slasher film remake. Except for the addition of flashbacks and back story (which end up detracting from the scares rather than enhancing them), the story is essentially the same as Bob Clark's 1974 original. But Glen Morgan's not-so-new version is slow-moving, unsurprising, and very, very bloody.
The formula, treated so carelessly, is tiresome: Each girl reveals early on a rudimentary reason why she might "deserve" her upcoming abuse and Billy's story is one we've heard too many times before: Bad mom makes bad son. In addition, the gore is rendered with slurpy sound effects and jarring close-ups in lieu of characterization.
Explore, discuss, enjoy
Families can talk about why the movie, like many modern horror flicks, gives its psycho killer a terrible childhood (the original version doesn't touch on that). How is Billy's mother blamed for her son's subsequent bad behavior? Is what he does less wrong because of how he grew up? Why is it so important to have a specific cause to blame for his behavior?
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Teen, 16 years old
April 2, 2011
AGE
Great movie but very gory
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Adult
April 9, 2008
AGE
Violent, but adults can stand it!
It's very violent, but adults can stand it. I thought it was awesome!
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Adult
September 8, 2010
AGE
Black Christmas 2006
Loved the film alltough deaths were gruesome but still funny to watch if you like saw or other good thrillers you definetly should buy this!
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Teen, 15 years old
February 3, 2011
AGE
Not for kids!
Very scary for kids theres a ew scenes with sex, and one with nudity very violence and gory this the killer dies very very gory scene i dont think teens 15 and under should see it.
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Teen, 15 years old
June 28, 2010
AGE
Perfect for adults, who want to watch violence.
This movie is way off the charts. The violence is way too strong. The killer Billy rips off the eyes of the victim and eats them. Their is also a scene of rape. It is too gruesome!
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Teen, 16 years old
July 8, 2009
AGE
This wasn't bad
I would recommend it for 17+ It wasn't really as scary as it was violent.
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Teen, 17 years old
April 9, 2008
AGE
Black Christmas: Unrated
Every catagory in the rating would have to be a big issue because this movie has everything in it. I also saw the Unrated version, and i dont know what is in the rated version.
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Kid, 12 years old
April 9, 2008
AGE
this movie is good 4 teens
i yhink this is a good movie for teenagers and i think the rated is more acceptable for the teens and the unrated is more for adults
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Teen, 15 years old
January 28, 2011
AGE
Too Scary! Adults will like it but not kids!
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Teen, 17 years old
April 9, 2008
AGE
shocked
when i went with my boyfriend i didnt think it would be as gruesome as it was
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| Studio: | MGM/UA |
| Director: | Glen Morgan |
| Cast: | Andrea Martin, Katie Cassidy, Michelle Trachtenberg |
| Genre: | Horror |
| Run time: | 84 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | December 25, 2006 |
| DVD release date: | April 3, 2007 |
| MPAA rating: | R |
| MPAA explanation: | strong horror violence and gore, sexuality, nudity and language. |
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