This movie is why people hate horror remakes.
Seriously, they tossed out the things that work and add in…uh, a backstory. One of the most unnecessary back stories ever. See, now the sorority house is Billy’s old house, and that is why Billy came back.
Except, now Billy is not alone. Apparently his daughter/sister (don’t ask) is in the house and has been for awhile. Cause somebody is killing the sorority girls while Billy is still locked in the asylum. See, the film does not reveal the sister/daughter until after the killings begin, so it is totally confusing.
The film is just a mess, and truthfully, the cast is not all that memorable in their roles. The characters are far more generic feeling. Bitchy Girl, Drunk Girl, Nice Girl, Weird Girl…the cast feels like it was culled from the WB. Probably cause it was.
There is an added “eyeball torture” aspect and a happier ending. Nothing added to the remake improves upon the original, and everything skipped is that much more noticeable.
Halloween is often cited as the father of the slasher genre. But three years prior was Bob Clark’s Black Christmas. If you are wondering why the name Bob Clark might sound familiar, there is a reason. For about a decade, for 24 hours every Christmas, TNT aired back to back showings of Clark’s “A Christmas Story”. Yeah, that guy who brought us a beloved holiday classic also gave us another, lesser known (but no less classic) holiday film.
Tripping Through Gateways 