BLACK CHRISTMAS Before & After "Me Too"

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  • čas přidán 19. 12. 2022
  • Get a whole month of great cinema FREE on MUBI: mubi.com/mmfish
    Join me, Maggie Mae Fish, as we explore the 1974 horror slasher Black Christmas, and its contemporary remake from 2019. Check out my other Christmas videos in this handy dandy festive holiday playlist: • Christmas Chaos
    Get Maggie's Movie Notebook here: store.nebula.tv/products/magg...
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    Select footage and photos courtesy Getty
    Select footage and photos courtesy AP Newsroom
    This video is part of the series Maggie Talks About Movies
  • Krátké a kreslené filmy

Komentáře • 296

  • @MaggieMaeFish
    @MaggieMaeFish  Před rokem +274

    I left the video on a positive note, but this was a rough topic to cover, so thank you for all the support!!!
    The past few videos have been shorter but sweeter because I've been working hard on a SECRET project dropping next year, so STAY TUNED!
    What are you looking forward to next year???

    • @sebastianevangelista4921
      @sebastianevangelista4921 Před rokem +5

      Good luck with your secret project and all. I'm definitely interested given what your baseline level of work is, so if you've been working especially hard then it's gotta be good. Can you at all tease what it may be? Hope you have a wonderful holiday, Maggie, you've earned it!

    • @joesjoeys
      @joesjoeys Před rokem +7

      Cant wait for the 5 hour MCU (Maggie Cinematic Utubiverse) dropping next year! WOO!!! 🥳

    • @troywalkertheprogressivean8433
      @troywalkertheprogressivean8433 Před rokem

      Looking forward to?......the collapse of america which is long overdue

    • @johannageisel5390
      @johannageisel5390 Před rokem +1

      I'm looking forward to sun.
      The winter is not even halfway done and I'm already missing my garden.

    • @Ancusohm
      @Ancusohm Před rokem +1

      More of your delightful and informative videos!

  • @LaurasBookBlog
    @LaurasBookBlog Před rokem +384

    To me, Black Christmas fumbled the ball when they decided to introduce a supernatural element to the plot. The point of the original is that the threat to Jess and her sisters is incredibly mundane; there didn't NEED to be any magic involved in men preying on women. It was such a bizarre, sloppy choice, and it undermined everything the film attempted to stand for.

    • @stephennootens916
      @stephennootens916 Před rokem +24

      It could of worked in another movie and if it was slightly better done. Another difference is that the remake uses a a jack hammer when it comes to the issue while then original goes for realistic feel. I think of the movie Wild with Witherspoon in 2014, there are scenes with her dealing with strange men and you can see and feel the tension in her with these interactions. It isn't screaming look every man is a threat but it shows you that she has to be actively alert and ready to fight or flight. It is the same with the original Black Christmas there are not men being bluntly misogynistic but you see it in the often times small action and the women are running around screaming all men are rapists but you see them on guard with men. That's A better way to play it on my view.

    • @damianoakes2592
      @damianoakes2592 Před rokem +15

      I agree. The ideas were interesting, and I know the film spoke to some people, but the execution was just plain silly. I think supernatural elements in slashers are almost always goofy unless the film is exceptionally well made, and some films lean into that for camp and entertainment value, like the later Friday the 13ths, the non-Wes Craven Nightmares on Elm Street, or the Child's Play franchise, but here it was a bizarre mix of "elevated horror" with Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers.

    • @mariaquiet6211
      @mariaquiet6211 Před rokem +20

      Figures an industry that can't be bothered with original ideas wouldn't understand the lasting appeal of a cult classic. It almost feels like they're systematically neutralizing what was once subversive.

    • @profileuser5845
      @profileuser5845 Před rokem +12

      I think a big part of this is that the intended audience was much younger. I wish people would trust that young women and girls could understand nuance, it felt like the movie was talking down to me. Also, they just kill the men? Kind of felt like it went against the message of 'men can be preyed on by patriarchy' while simultaneously doing the not all men thing. And Kris's character was... Messy to say the least.

    • @AxelHunterTwitch
      @AxelHunterTwitch Před rokem +7

      I get feeling that way, but what made it work for me is that the assault that starts the whole plot was before the supernatural stuff came in. It makes it clear that this was a problem, and the supernatural element was an escalation, and not an explanation.
      Again, I get it being a turnoff.

  • @butt317
    @butt317 Před rokem +192

    Another interesting thing is how Claire, the first victim in the 74 film, is basically a final girl archetype - the one who doesn't engage in "sinful" behaviour. As if it's actively rejecting any possible implication that the victims are being "punished" or that remaining chaste and sober protects women from male aggression. If the movie hadn't been made before the genre was solidified, I'd assume it was a meta-commentary on slasher tropes.
    I vouch for Black Christmas almost every time early slashers are brought up. Fascinating movie

    • @electricfishfan7159
      @electricfishfan7159 Před 5 měsíci +3

      Yep, it was already more thoughtful/subversive than most of the slasher boom which proceeded it. Being shy, brash, having good parents, bad parents, liberal beliefs, conservative beliefs, it all doesn’t necessarily matter, sexism is more nuanced and omnipresent than that.

    • @Wetcamerainc
      @Wetcamerainc Před 3 měsíci +1

      So scary when i saw it as a kid tho. That and final destination gave me nightmares

  • @Brandon-oc8lr
    @Brandon-oc8lr Před rokem +559

    “The reality of not all men is that women are not privledged to know which man it is and which man its not” is such a succinct and powerful way of stating the problem.

    • @worthasandwich
      @worthasandwich Před rokem +9

      It relay is, it can be so hard for men to see that.

    • @CrashSable
      @CrashSable Před rokem +14

      That's really not a problem to begin with. It's only reasonable behaviour to protect yourself from strangers (e.g. you lock your door at night, don't you?) What's not reasonable is assuming every man is a criminal and deciding they all have to be punished pre-emptively.

    • @Brandon-oc8lr
      @Brandon-oc8lr Před rokem +37

      @@CrashSable To the first part - as the video points out (multiple times) the problem isn't strangers, just as often its people you know. Moreover, if your solution to the problem is "just live your life in paranoia and fear and you'll be fine" then i genuinely feel very sorry for the world outlook you are in and I hope you can move past it. Maybe thats just a cultural thing though.
      To the second part - that is a fairly classic strawman argument. Can you either rephrase it or back up with evidence of an organization (e.g., government, or some other rule setting body) that has called for the pre-emptive punishment of men? Thats not to say there arn't individual people who will be prejudicial (most often due to past trauma) but you're conflating a lot if your equating the attitude/behaviour/beliefs of a rando on twitter with the tangible powers of a CEO/lawmaker. There is a difference between a rando on twitter making a claim about not liking men and that pre-emptive action should be taken versus someone with actual power and influence doing so, just like there is a difference between a rando on twitter spewing hate and bigotry, or attacking womens rights (and so on) and an elected official doing so (e.g., MT(g), Boebert, Cruz, etc.). This is all without saying the obvious fact that there ARE legal explicit pre-emptive discriminatory laws against women (especially post-RvW, but even before then), and thats not even going to the implicitly discriminatory laws out there.

    • @OsirisMalkovich
      @OsirisMalkovich Před rokem +3

      True. I've never heard it articulated so clearly before!

    • @Brandon-oc8lr
      @Brandon-oc8lr Před rokem +6

      @@daviexcx i thought about this as well even as i was writing my original comment. I think this is a tricky and nuanced point but i also think you are neglecting some key differences. the big one is where within established power structures you reside. Females live in a male dominated world and often abuse is not from a stranger but rather from someone they know and have power over them. If your white though then very likely the same is not true - those power structures simply dont exist en mass. A second point ( and this would need some more digging into statistics)- I conjecture that statistics is also a key part to this. We have to consider the ratio of gender/sexually motivated M on F vs F on M violence (which is well documented to lean towards the former) and contrast it against racially motivated W on B violence vs B on W violence, which i suspect leans more heavily towards the former but this js where i need to go do more reading.
      I think these are some of the key differences that make it so that the original statment doesnt really apply to your example. If someone with more expertise can chime in id be interested in hearing about it.

  • @reneepogue2188
    @reneepogue2188 Před rokem +102

    I love that the 2006 version was given the exact amount of time it deserved.

    • @paulinegallagher7821
      @paulinegallagher7821 Před 9 měsíci +4

      At least that version stuck with the actual story and there is an origin story for Billy, as gross as it is. The 2019 one has some nerve taking the name of the film as audience bait, and thats it, because it isnt a remake, thats for sure. Its badly acted, terribly written and the exposition scenes are like something out of Murder she Wrote. The film has not a single sympathetic character, they are all whiny victim brats. Its men against women, and the bs message, well its not for men, is pathetic. If its trying to say something, then men need to be included, not completely alienated. AND make a different movie then, not a facade of a slasher movie when its really a men are bad, women are awesome movie. The women in this are not awesome, they give us a bad name.

  • @RegulationRaptor
    @RegulationRaptor Před rokem +168

    I literally just watched the original for the first time last week and was surprised by how modern elements of it felt.

    • @Deepdarkbasement
      @Deepdarkbasement Před rokem +9

      Same!
      The opening when we’re in the POV of the killer who’s creepily eyeing and stalking the sorority house and then climbing up to the attic like they’ve done this a thousand times absolutely set up the perfectly unsettling mood!

    • @sadmermaid
      @sadmermaid Před rokem +1

      That's so depressing 😭

    • @violettbellerose1173
      @violettbellerose1173 Před rokem +10

      Nothing to little has changed if we keep having the same conversations from 50 years ago. The othey day I was listening to an interview of a black model in the 90s and you could have put that in the 2020s and it would've fit just fine.
      It is indeed frustrating, especially because these subjects are treated as new, when we can see they are not.

  • @jasonblalock4429
    @jasonblalock4429 Před rokem +57

    I've never seen the original Black Christmas (maybe I should) but one thing I noticed in the clips is how often the women are framed below the men, with the men looming over them. Even in scenes that weren't overtly scary. Aside from a couple wide group shots, the only time I noticed a woman on the same level as the men was when Margot Kidder was telling off the desk cop - empowering herself.
    (Silence of the Lambs did the same thing, to emphasize Clarice's vulnerability.)

  • @restingsadface
    @restingsadface Před rokem +204

    I really like the analogy of sexism being like Russian roulette. it’s kind of similar to another analogy about survivors punishing the guys who “haven’t done anything wrong”, where if someone gives you 5 water bottles and told you there was cyanide in ONLY 1 of the bottles, you probably wouldn’t drink all of them and just hope for the best, but just throw them all away.

    • @CrashSable
      @CrashSable Před rokem +5

      The problem there is you "throwing them all away" can be interpreted VERY differently depending on how militant you feel. It's very easy for you to claim you just mean you're not going to take a chance on any of the five guys and continue living alone, but there are A LOT of sexist women out there who think it should mean castration at birth!

    • @epkyt
      @epkyt Před rokem

      @@CrashSable > "but there are A LOT of sexist women out there who think it should mean castration at birth!"
      Huh... NO.
      I don't know in who's fever dream you saw those "sexist women", but certainly not in real life. Lucky you.

    • @phoenixgirl70
      @phoenixgirl70 Před rokem +21

      @@CrashSable What websites are you hanging out in where women are calling for castration of male babies? Sounds like one angry dude said it and it grew from there. I’m 52 and I’ve seen so many babies grow up and love their boys and only an insane person would have this take. Everyone’s had a relationship that was bad or didn’t work after decades of marriage and don’t hate men. And both sexes generalize but to say women want to castrate babies. That’s insanity. Don’t believe insane people. But we’ll just skip over female castration in parts of the world. Some things do need to change.
      Btw, rape, incest, against both men and women is about power and control. Castration does nothing because they’ll use anything they can get their hands on (bottles, you get the idea) and even though there are less women committing these acts, same deal. A penis is not needed. Maybe read some real psychology books on these subjects instead of the Internet. The net has its good points but lacks in so many ways.

    • @phoenixgirl70
      @phoenixgirl70 Před rokem +7

      But really, didn’t mean to pass over it so fast, I’d like to see these forums for male BABY castration. You said there were a LOT.

    • @tychoclavius4818
      @tychoclavius4818 Před rokem +8

      Or rather keeping those bottles around because you can't ever really get rid of them, but having to constantly worry that one might accidentally open and that it might be the one with cyanide.

  • @flandango1985
    @flandango1985 Před rokem +66

    Short or long form makes no difference. It’s all about that Maggie Mae quality!

  • @Sylvie_without_surname
    @Sylvie_without_surname Před rokem +47

    I’m glad to see more and more people putting the Martha back into Marthamas.

  • @jonreededworthy7518
    @jonreededworthy7518 Před rokem +122

    I would just like to say, in the spirit of this video, that other cishet men have literally called me a "pussy" and various gay slurs for being in situations when I had in their minds the opportunity to take advantage of a woman sexually and I didn't want to.
    It genuinely shocks me the ways in which men try to make each other complicit in misogynist violence.

    • @greenaum
      @greenaum Před rokem +3

      Dude, your friends suck.
      When you say "take advantage" you mean literally that? You had a woman at a disadvantage where you could have had sex with her that she didn't really want? Who could possibly enjoy that? Apart from rapists, obviously. I've been in a position where a guy I know asked me to have sex with him in a very out-of-character manner. He was having a mental health crisis and I was looking after him. My response was "I'd love to, once you're better" and of course once he was better the offer wasn't made again.
      Of course I don't regret that. Though it would have been pretty gay of me had I accepted cos we're both dudes. But that's not important right now! Might have been your friends were being a little bit ironic, I know Americans have problems with that. Or might be that the situation was ambiguous, or it might be that your friends are terrible people. I'd expect better from an average man.

    • @theMyRadiowasTaken
      @theMyRadiowasTaken Před 9 měsíci +8

      ​@@greenaumthey never said it was their friends??

    • @greenaum
      @greenaum Před 9 měsíci

      @@theMyRadiowasTaken Well whatever, those men still suck. Low-quality examples. The average man doesn't expect you to take advantage of someone, though he might joke about it.

    • @theMyRadiowasTaken
      @theMyRadiowasTaken Před 9 měsíci +9

      @@greenaum well, obviously they suck

    • @greenaum
      @greenaum Před 9 měsíci

      @@theMyRadiowasTaken Well I'm glad we agree then, christ what do you want from me?

  • @TimothyCHenderson
    @TimothyCHenderson Před rokem +33

    The original Black Christmas was great, one of my favorite horror movies. The ambiguity of the ending was truly chilling.

  • @mehlover
    @mehlover Před rokem +81

    I watched the original Black Christmas and it was so scary how relatable it still felt, even in our modern times.

  • @firstlast2636
    @firstlast2636 Před rokem +54

    Best slasher ever made. The ending reveals that Clare's body was openly visible from the attic window the whole time, but nobody noticed because they didn't bother to look UP! The incompotence of the characters in this movie is no plot contrivance, it is part of the horror.

    • @firstlast2636
      @firstlast2636 Před rokem +13

      One thing that people don't get, about Jess choosing to go back into the house instead of running out, is that she thought Peter was responsible for the obscene phone calls, and she thinks Peter went insane over her intentions to have an abortion, which would imply that she would not be attacked. But, of course, the real killer was not Peter, but he just so happened to also have an obsession with "hurting" babies.

    • @darwiniandude
      @darwiniandude Před rokem +8

      @@firstlast2636 also she doesn’t know that the girls are dead, just that girls as missing. The girl murdered in the field could be unrelated. And she’s going upstairs to find and warn her friends to get out of the house after they haven’t answered her loud calls/screams. Jess is in no way doing the typical “I’m gonna walk down a dark passage seeking the killer instead of leaving the house” thing that so many movies do, causing viewers to yell “get out of the house girl!” at their TVs.

  • @tamsinendley3130
    @tamsinendley3130 Před rokem +23

    The original is one of my fav movies of all time. The scares still get me every time. And also unlike just about every slasher I can name, all of the characters are fully realised and not just boring archetypes (which is one of my biggest problems with the genre). Jess is the coolest final girl of all time. Also like the best horror films, its scares come from a very realistic place. In my humble opinion it is pretty much the perfect horror film.

  • @PsmithNick
    @PsmithNick Před rokem +34

    Black Christmas is one of those movies that can get remade for every generation. It’s pretty grim but true.

    • @timothymclean
      @timothymclean Před rokem +6

      I hope that, some day, we can live in a world where Black Christmas is irrelevant (and not just one where men say it's irrelevant).

  • @kadmii
    @kadmii Před rokem +59

    "not ALL chambers have a bullet" is a great response to the modern use of "not all men"

  • @VamshiOhgs
    @VamshiOhgs Před rokem +28

    Black Cristmas for me is up there with the orginal Halloween, that being it's one of the older popular horror classics that still holds up do this day, which is quite rare for most slashers titles from that time period which feels dated

    • @Arcalius
      @Arcalius Před rokem +2

      It’s the original teen slasher film.

    • @sleepinggorilla
      @sleepinggorilla Před rokem +8

      I don’t know if this is said in the video, but Halloween was proposed as a spiritual sequel to Black Christmas.

    • @Arcalius
      @Arcalius Před rokem +5

      @@sleepinggorilla now that is something I learned today. Thank you.

    • @VamshiOhgs
      @VamshiOhgs Před rokem +2

      @@sleepinggorilla Oh yes, it suprised me too when I saw that Black Cristmas released before Halloween, even though the latter is seen as the ultimate slasher flick

    • @jamisongillespie3524
      @jamisongillespie3524 Před rokem +3

      @@VamshiOhgs I think that's mainly because Black Christmas was released in Canada and Halloween in the US. Halloween just found a larger audience as a result.

  • @em_yu
    @em_yu Před rokem +10

    wow. when the 2019 remake came out i rolled my eyes, having seen the og and the 2006 version and thinking all that could be said is already said. you changed my mind, i'm going to see it asap

  • @anthonywheeler2082
    @anthonywheeler2082 Před rokem +21

    I just rewatched Black Christmas the other day on yt! It holds up so well, which is a horror unto itself. It didn't occur to me until just now, Billy is the darkside of the male ego. Just completely unhinged! I think he might also be a victim maybe. Because is nightmarish ravings clearly point to some past trauma. Instead of getting help he literally destroys every one he comes in contact with. It's a very deep movie. It's the kind of movie that reminds me why I love horror so much! Great job Maggie, and Happy Holidays!

    • @morganalabeille5004
      @morganalabeille5004 Před rokem

      In the 2006 remake they give him a backstory of being sexually abused by his mother

    • @anthonywheeler2082
      @anthonywheeler2082 Před rokem

      @@morganalabeille5004 I haven't seen that one!

  • @MarcAquino1095
    @MarcAquino1095 Před rokem +30

    Black Christmas and A Christmas Story are like the Yin and Yang of Bob Clark holiday cinema and one can argue that they’re more similar to each other aesthetically than most would assume, and not just because of the festive setting. I personally am not qualified to do so, but I’d love to see someone else do it.
    Happy holidays, Maggie!

  • @ribbonquest
    @ribbonquest Před rokem +9

    I watched all the way to the end of the video, expecting it to cut back to "Auntie Maggie" screaming in terror at whoever was actually at the door. I'm gad there were just credits.

  • @Neon_Ghost1
    @Neon_Ghost1 Před rokem +8

    thanks for re-contextualizing these for me (us). I never really saw the appeal of the original and I admittedly thought the remake was cringy and poorly made. I also kinda just obsess with movies on a surface level, I'm not that great at analyzing and finding these deeper meanings and themes, so I'm glad there's smarter people out there that break this stuff down, it makes me have more appreciation for the art. merry happy!

  • @jefferyjones8399
    @jefferyjones8399 Před rokem +8

    I couldn't help but smiling like an idiot during your intro. Super adorable and funny.

  • @afacelessname
    @afacelessname Před rokem +3

    Taking quality out of the equation the 2019, i love the approach of not making the same movie and rather picking themes to explore in different, more modern ways. Wish more remakes did that.

  • @tmamone83
    @tmamone83 Před rokem +8

    I actually watched it for the first time yesterday. I liked it! It's very...what's the word I'm looking for?...relevant. The whole idea that a creepy predator stalking you without even knowing what he looks like. You're constantly on the lookout because you know somewhere he's there, although you don't know who he is. Plus, Margot Kidder was awesome!

  • @UnreasonableOpinions
    @UnreasonableOpinions Před rokem +11

    Somehow, horror film aged at teen or university-aged people specifically seems to be the field of cinema that makes the most effort to genuinely represent the young people it's aimed at. Admittedly not all that well, but at least with more effort to be genuine than most. I wonder sometimes which of the generations has been the least well-served by these films, since if you can't show up in the films made about you and for you, where can you be?

  • @jondreauxlaing
    @jondreauxlaing Před rokem +25

    Haven't finished the video yet, but I just noticed something that I thought was kind of interesting. The fraternity letters ΔΚΟ kind of spell out the Greek word Δικό which means "mine". I dunno, thought it was interesting and maybe intentional on the filmmaker's part.

    • @georgeharrison5753
      @georgeharrison5753 Před rokem +3

      Δικό does not mean mine. It is a preposition that based on the word that follows it may mean "mine, yours, his, hers etc." Mine is "δικό μου"
      Souce: Am Greek

    • @jondreauxlaing
      @jondreauxlaing Před rokem +2

      @@georgeharrison5753 Ah, you're right! Greek is a second language for me, and I got too excited, haha.

  • @caseymckenna7111
    @caseymckenna7111 Před rokem +6

    Spot on, as always, but special shout-out to how unhinged the accent got towards the end 🤣

  • @TheLegPumpkin
    @TheLegPumpkin Před rokem +3

    I first watched Maggie on Cracked. When I found this channel I didn't always agree with the thesis she reaches but they very often show me there is another very valid view on the topics discussed. I am grateful that she eloquently presents a view I otherwise may not have known.

  • @unoriginaljames
    @unoriginaljames Před rokem +4

    This was an absolute banger! This is like the 10th time you've introduced me to a movie I was mildly familiar with that is just brimming with the poignant and powerful social commentary that I crave. Keep up the great work, thank you!

  • @darwiniandude
    @darwiniandude Před rokem +5

    I stoped watching this only a little way in on the day you posted it… I’m not a fan of the horror/slashed genres generally but I sought out and watched the 1974 original. What a brilliant film. While the blood makeup could be more realistic and the sound effect used for the front door opening is something as obvious to me as the Wilhelm scream, it otherwise holds up extremely well. It in no way suffers from the cheesy fakeness of so many slasher films I’ve seen. What a great film. I can see how it was influential. It feels quite grounded and realistic for the most part, and avoids much of the stupid cliches. Instead of yelling at the screen because she’s doing something silly and seeking out the attacker on her own for no reason instead of running, she’s reluctantly going upstairs after arming herself since she’s called out to her friends and hasn’t been able to rouse them, after screaming for them. She goes upstairs to alert them to get out of the house also. And at that point Jess knows people are missing, not that they’re dead, and she suspects it might just be Peter going nuts anyway. The characters seem very real and their motives internally consistent. Love Mrs Mac, and her interactions with Mr Harrison. Ahaha. Anyway thanks for bringing our attention to this film :)

  • @mathieuleader8601
    @mathieuleader8601 Před rokem +12

    speaking of Bob Clark I watched A Christmas Story for the first time last week and its remarkable it was like watching an American version of Adrian Mole

  • @melissah4314
    @melissah4314 Před rokem +5

    YES! This weekend I finally watched the OG 1974 and 2006 versions of Black Christmas, what great timing for me!

  • @legendaryunicorn
    @legendaryunicorn Před rokem +2

    Thank you for posting this because I would have probably never actually watched the original Black Christmas without it

  • @grimmgoosegoose216
    @grimmgoosegoose216 Před rokem +4

    Thank you for the wonderful essay ♡ and Happy Holidays! I hope you have a very Happy New Year!!!

  • @Lycandros
    @Lycandros Před rokem +2

    Always excited to watch a new video!

  • @franco426
    @franco426 Před rokem +2

    Coincidentally I just watched the 2019 version a couple of days ago, so this video was timely! Love your videos and looking forward to the SECRET project in the new year! Happy Holidays!

  • @wblakekimber
    @wblakekimber Před rokem +5

    I thought this was gonna be about the 2006 remake; I had no idea they made another one!

  • @SafieLiverpool
    @SafieLiverpool Před rokem +11

    I know there was a lot of hate for ‘19 and some not unjust criticism, but I’m so glad I went to see in theatres. It only had a year to be made, from script to screen, and it’s a miracle it happened at all.
    It’s great to hear discussion about the themes in it and not just about how they didn’t work, since parts of it really did show promise.

    • @medes5597
      @medes5597 Před rokem +1

      The way I feel about 2019 is that there's so much in it that I like and yet it doesn't add up to a great film as much as I want it to. It's an interesting film that I think is too harshly judged but boy did it need a lot more development. Its ideas get very muddled at times and I think that's less them having an unclear idea of what they were (which is what I've seen argued) and more the end result of trying to edit the screenplay as footage.

  • @kropotkinnie
    @kropotkinnie Před 4 měsíci +2

    The og Black Christmas is probably my all time favorite scary/horror movie. The horror of it is a lot more complex than its killer (though Billy is fucking horrifying). It's a movie you could show basically any afab or fem presenting person and have them immediately understand and resonate with. Its cast of characters aren't just ditzy idiots, and the women are Very much the protagonists; I think disallowing us from ever learning who the killer actually is is pretty genius the same way the first Alien movie was. It forces us not to try and humanize the killer or assume they're the focal point of the film; instead the movie tells us to focus on the stories of the victims, not just of the killer but of the broader patriarchy. It's rare horror movies intend the viewers to focus more on the victims than the antagonists, and even more rare for that to be done so well. You don't cheer or have fun when characters die in Black Christmas the same way you might in most slashers, because the victims are real people to you, while the killer isn't.
    It's also just... so well shot imo. It really is shot the same as so many Christmas/holiday movies from around the same time, and I think that serves two points, one being to provide a VERY eery sense something being off, and two to, in a sense, normalize the situations the female leads are in to a disturbing degree. The killer's scenes are shot almost identically to the scenes with other men casually or overtly enforcing patriarchical views and I don't think that was unintentional. I don't want to spoil too much of the film but it does such a good job showing off its antagonists and making the viewer question whether the killer is the only antagonist in the film.
    I don't want to watch the remake or any followups because, aside from it being a film that did not intend for there to be any, I genuinely don't think it could actually be done better than it was. I feel like all the points it makes are about as modern and timeless as they could possibly be. Black Christmas is an artsy horror movie disguised as a holiday themed slasher, except also it's a societal criticism of masculine roles disguised as an artsy horror movie.
    Go watch the OG one if you haven't.

  • @kovokkovariki
    @kovokkovariki Před rokem +1

    As always, living in the GMT-5 sector will keep me from watching these videos when they're still warm from the oven. I'll give this one a go later.
    Happy Holidays, Fish.

  • @SickOfItAll1988
    @SickOfItAll1988 Před rokem +1

    Great analysis. Going to watch the first one right away!

  • @ruplayinggame3080
    @ruplayinggame3080 Před rokem +1

    I just saw Black Christmas for the first times a few days ago and I was like: damn, this is soooo good, how did I miss it? Gonna rewatch the remake as well, hadn't gotten around to it and am only aware of the fact that the screenwriter got harrassed on Twitter over it, which UGH. LOVE your videos as always and I'm rewatching a lot of them these days, like a warm, provocative security blanky. Merry Martha each and every one!

  • @aj7058
    @aj7058 Před rokem +2

    I don't even know if I've seen these movies or just watched the Scaredy Cats videos about them enough to convince myself that I have.
    I love the Russian Roulette comparison (simile?). Very succinct way to explain it.

  • @Aranock
    @Aranock Před rokem +2

    This was excellent as always 💜 Going to have to check out the film now.

    • @MaggieMaeFish
      @MaggieMaeFish  Před rokem +1

      Ooo I think you'll love it!

    • @Aranock
      @Aranock Před rokem

      @@MaggieMaeFish 🥰

    • @Aranock
      @Aranock Před rokem

      @@MaggieMaeFish also I deleted my twitter if you were wondering why I disappeared lol.

  • @robertopulitano8093
    @robertopulitano8093 Před měsícem

    Great video! I appreciate that you didn't use the Bleep sound effect at full volume (as most CZcams videos do) so I wouldn't feel like ripping my ears off every time a naughty word was uttered. Thanks!

  • @zoebirss9944
    @zoebirss9944 Před rokem

    Black Christmas is one of my favourite horror films. Thanks for the analysis.

  • @Doctor-Infinite
    @Doctor-Infinite Před rokem +2

    maggie mae fish hitting us with an early christmas gift
    average maggie W

  • @carlg7994
    @carlg7994 Před rokem +2

    You are still good.
    I pretended to save a young woman from SA in college once. She actually saved herself, but the threat was real. I only acted because no one else thought her "abduction" in front of many witnesses was untoward.
    I didn't save her, but she did marry me years later. Not really about your video, but, yeah, it's hard to tell which men will do harm with an affable manner.
    Be good, protect yourself, and educate as hard as you can.

  • @FutureNoize
    @FutureNoize Před rokem

    As always, I love it! It helps that I love both Black Christmas movies, but not that much considering I love everything you do! I could watch you talk about paint dry. Even more so on Nebula, which Santa (aka me) may have got myself for Christmas this year...shhh, don't ruin the surprise 🤫

  • @Caffeine_Club
    @Caffeine_Club Před rokem +3

    I should be doing other things, but when Maggie drops a vid, nothing else matters.

  • @meander112
    @meander112 Před rokem +2

    Hooray for watching the un-bleeped version on Nebula!

  • @phoenixgirl70
    @phoenixgirl70 Před rokem

    This was my first horror movie and I was much too young to watch it. I was a (still am) very curious person and noticed small things that sometimes were important. So I knew this wasn’t just a movie even though I was maybe 8 years old. I knew things like this did happen growing up in the 70’s. I never watched another horror movie for decades. I guess it’d be interesting to watch again now.
    But Maggie was so right that the movie(s) pointed out there were many horrific things women went through just to get an education. And so many are STILL fighting for around the world and getting murdered for even having the desire for education. Thanks Maggie. Gee at least you think they’d give us a small win like no centipedes ever entering houses again. Fine outside. Not inside. Happy Hollidays to Maggie’s awesome community!

  • @aaronlutes2126
    @aaronlutes2126 Před rokem

    I truly love this character, and series

  • @michaelholtke4445
    @michaelholtke4445 Před rokem

    Thank you for this video

  • @taymustard620
    @taymustard620 Před rokem +1

    Merry fishmas!

  • @thepunisher326
    @thepunisher326 Před rokem +1

    the 2019 remake of Black Christmas has all the energy of some one telling a complete stranger to "do better" while dead bolting a closet filled with their own skeletons

  • @blaholtzen
    @blaholtzen Před rokem

    thank you maggie

  • @OsirisMalkovich
    @OsirisMalkovich Před rokem +29

    Are _all_ men dangerous? Probably not. But could _any_ man be dangerous? Emphatically _yes._ It's genuinely something most men aren't even aware of, and if we are, it's something we can easily ignore, because "I'm not one of _those_ guys." I've never had male privilege explained so clearly or so chillingly as in this video. Fantastic work, Maggie! Thank you!

    • @bravestoffairies6710
      @bravestoffairies6710 Před rokem +2

      Existential crisis engage, good comment tho and good vid by Maggie.

    • @totallynotmrsinister8705
      @totallynotmrsinister8705 Před 11 měsíci +3

      i dislike this conclusion because it ignores the same power that women hold. i'm a trans woman, but when i was younger and presenting as male, i was sexually assaulted by a girl. I tried to tell authorities, my parents, my teachers, anyone, and i wasn't believed. if she had shown the photos she'd taken to people i would have been punished. I understand the fear of not knowing if a man is trustworthy, and that your report may be swept under the rug, but this fear is not exclusive to men. The issue isn't gendered- the issue is power. Who will be believed, and whose words matter. Of course, power is often gendered, but this isn't always true, and, especially in communities that would be safer for victims of sexual assault, the structures of power are inverted, leaving some people dead outside with nowhere to go.

    • @paulinegallagher7821
      @paulinegallagher7821 Před 9 měsíci

      Ok then, if that is true, and YES, it is true, then WHY is society pushing trans women on actual women??? putting them in their safe spaces? You dare to have concerns about that, and youre transphobic.

  • @fhjunior6183
    @fhjunior6183 Před rokem +1

    Thanks for the vid

  • @katie5737
    @katie5737 Před rokem +1

    Lololololol watching her swallow her resentment about that poker debt was ~chef’s kiss~

  • @zainmudassir2964
    @zainmudassir2964 Před rokem +3

    2019 was like Lisa Simpson of later Simpsons wrote a horror movie. Hashtags and internet jargon without thought to what made the original terrifying

  • @Dantalliumsolarium
    @Dantalliumsolarium Před rokem

    Kisses the vid for giving a nice warning woah now I feel the algorithm beast and carry on

  • @jcrouse7461
    @jcrouse7461 Před rokem +1

    As a northern midwesterner I really appreciate your yooper aunt impression

  • @agraciotti
    @agraciotti Před rokem +2

    YES. Still my favorite slasher ever.

  • @TK-_-GZ
    @TK-_-GZ Před rokem

    Algorithmic punch!
    (Thanks for this thoughtful review. It was a interesting survey of films and context I was not aware of, and helped me take a moment to check in with my self about my own masculinity. Have a happy holidays, and good new year.)

  • @emilyrln
    @emilyrln Před rokem +1

    The Russian roulette metaphor is excellent in giving a very visceral sense of the risk women face. Excellent video!

  • @vianniello93
    @vianniello93 Před 4 měsíci +1

    I remember watching the 2019 movie when it came out because my partner and I loved going to probably terrible movies, esp horror, and sometimes being pleasantly surprised (like happy death day) but neither of us liked this one. It felt too on the nose and hamfisted but this analysis makes me want to go back to it and also watch the original. I hope I was wrong and it actually ends up being good the 2nd time

  • @randalalansmith9883
    @randalalansmith9883 Před rokem +3

    Wow! that is in fact Margot Kidder, Olivia Hussey, and Andrea Martin.

  • @jennanyx4968
    @jennanyx4968 Před rokem +1

    All time fave

  • @Deepdarkbasement
    @Deepdarkbasement Před rokem +4

    I literally saw the original film not even a week ago and really enjoyed it!
    It has this sense of dread I really enjoy seeing in my horror… also I absolutely clung hard to the themes without having to look up any videos or articles spoon feeding them to me
    (Though I wouldn’t claim that’s what this video was doing ^^;).
    I might watch the remakes, not sure yet… kinda wanna watch more “Winter Horror” Movies this year, so I bought John Carpenter’s “The Thing” on Blu-Ray not too long ago lol
    Also, minor note… wild how this Director who actually nailed a film about societal fears many women still have to this day ended up directing the movie Porky’s… weird stuff.

    • @looney1023
      @looney1023 Před rokem +1

      I now wonder if there's any actual feminist readings of Porky's that make it not bad and just how many hours of searching it would take to find one LOL

  • @Paroex
    @Paroex Před rokem +2

    SPOILERS FOR THE 1974 FILM!!!
    I hope this doesn't come off as disrespectful considering the topics discussed, but I wanted to bring something up because no one else ever does, and that fact has me questioning myself:
    The one thing that the entire original film hinges on is that the killer is calling from inside the sorority house, and this is shocking information to the characters. But there's no way that the screaming, squealing, and snarling of Billy in the attic would NOT have been heard by the girls on multiple occasions. Whispered threats? Sure. Even a normal speaking voice could have gone unnoticed. But Billy goes absolutely HAM by the second half of the film.
    I usually don't worry too much about minor plot holes, flubs, or inconsistencies, but that tolerance goes down the closer this "error" is to the central premise of the plot. If the lynchpin of the entire story is entirely unbelievable (in a presumably realistic universe like this one), it's more likely to stick in my mind.

    • @paulinegallagher7821
      @paulinegallagher7821 Před 9 měsíci

      Well he was in the attic; having a tantrum with the rocking chair, breaking toys..yes its unrealistic that he wasnt heard, but the attic is three floors up, and the house is huge.

  • @davidfl4
    @davidfl4 Před rokem

    Bro I just watched this last night 👌it was top notch the original that is. The original holds up well enough, no remake was needed

  • @GeorgeGlass298
    @GeorgeGlass298 Před 9 měsíci +1

    Brilliant video! The loaded gun analogy was perfect. I don't know where your channel has been in my algorithm but I'm absolutely loving it.

  • @mathieuleader8601
    @mathieuleader8601 Před rokem

    I'm really impressed Maggie that you got such an authentic censorship bleep

  • @LegendsP137
    @LegendsP137 Před rokem +2

    Honestly this might be the first youtuber I have watched to speak fondly about the 2019 version. Not surprisingly but many male movie guy's didn't care to much for this movie haha 😆 😅

  • @FunkyM217
    @FunkyM217 Před rokem

    Maggie has a Logo now! And a Very Martha Chrysler to you too!

  • @gaminganimators7000
    @gaminganimators7000 Před 2 měsíci

    I loved the original but thought the 2019 was too heavy handed. While it still is and has questionable things (like the killers being mind controlled by the statue but then when they're freed are still locked in a burning building), this video definitely put it in a new light for me. Thanks

  • @SteveJubs
    @SteveJubs Před rokem

    And a very merry Martha to you too!

  • @shemphoward666
    @shemphoward666 Před rokem +1

    the 2006 one goes hard

  • @alarcon99
    @alarcon99 Před rokem +2

    Merry Martha, Everyone!

  • @KennyFrierson
    @KennyFrierson Před rokem +2

    Shout out to the niece for the bleepless version

  • @benjaminvolkwein7197
    @benjaminvolkwein7197 Před rokem

    love your videos!
    Many great angles at desribing the reality of patriarchy and natural binary, I also LOVED the evangelical ones :D

  • @BradsPitts.
    @BradsPitts. Před 5 měsíci

    I feel like it’s more of a “giallo” a la Dario Argento - sort of the forerunner to what we call “slashers” today

  • @jasperbonez2547
    @jasperbonez2547 Před 9 měsíci

    I had no idea how close in time and how "Black Christmas" and Ted Bundy match. Art truly imitated Ted.

  • @Crabby303
    @Crabby303 Před rokem +3

    Strange muddying of the waters @ 10:00 - Jane Britton's murderer was ID'd in 2017, I think, as Michael Sumpter through DNA evidence, pretty clear-cut. Otherwise a good critique on misogyny and the patriarchy in film imo.

  • @mathieuleader8601
    @mathieuleader8601 Před rokem +2

    Peter reminds me of an evil version of Shaggy from Scooby Doo

  • @Tyler-2839
    @Tyler-2839 Před rokem

    Yay for Jake the Dog on top of the tree 🙂

  • @tychoclavius4818
    @tychoclavius4818 Před rokem +1

    Slick outro

  • @blossomqueerie2284
    @blossomqueerie2284 Před rokem

    Oh god I’m scared, I love the original so much 😭

    • @blossomqueerie2284
      @blossomqueerie2284 Před rokem

      Your analysis of these movies reminded me a lot of the movie Men, which is an absolutely terrifying watch

  • @profileuser5845
    @profileuser5845 Před rokem +8

    I really hated the 2019 movie, its portrayal of Kris and toxic masculinity especially. I think the messaging was harmed by how over the top it was and the twitter reminiscent dialogue. I think it lacked a lot of nuance that the original had with the handling of 'not all men' and Kris' characterization as an over-the-top-sjw and following the trope of the Black character being the rich one to avoid analyzing the intersection of class and race. I wish the radicalization would've stuck to realism, since those same horrors are committed at that level without any supernatural influence. It definitely got hate for the wrong reasons, but I wouldn't praise it either

    • @looney1023
      @looney1023 Před rokem +1

      Agreed and I think the supernatural brainwashing equals patriarchy metaphor kind of falls apart in the sense that it removes culpability of the individual men. "They aren't rapists; they're mindless victims of [the patriarchy]; but they all deserve to die regardless" seemed to be the takeaway. I just think there was room for more nuance and maybe a supernatural evil that emboldened the men to be terrible instead of brainwashing them into being terrible, if that makes sense

    • @profileuser5845
      @profileuser5845 Před rokem

      @@looney1023 exactly! That's really well stated.

    • @phousefilms
      @phousefilms Před rokem +1

      I would add the ending is ruined by the fact that they leave a bunch of innocent brainwashed people(like the one guy)behind to burn alive and it's treated like it's a good thing/triumphant. Can you imagine if Black Widow murdered Hawkeye in "Avengers"and it was treated as cool because...well, "feminism".
      The movie shouldn't have used the title of the original classic for views, IMO.

  • @pleasedonotwatchmychannel

    Nice video, happy holidays!

  • @Riley-nq3tc
    @Riley-nq3tc Před rokem +1

    He doesnt even propose to her, he just tells here theyre getting married.
    "...I'm leaving the conservatory AND WE'RE GETTING MARRIED!" Is a command/ultimatum (Im not saying she missed this in here analysis or that it wasn't intentional from the filmmakers. Just observing)

  • @dl2725
    @dl2725 Před rokem

    Am I mad, or is Maggie giving Lord John Maclean energy in that opening bit?

  • @sarmythreader
    @sarmythreader Před rokem +1

    The way the gun metephor was made it sound like men can tell if a man is "one of good ones or not"

  • @ztl2505
    @ztl2505 Před rokem +2

    Late to the party on this video but I really have to thank you for the “not all chambers” analogy because it’s perhaps the most succinct explanation I’ve heard for why the “not all men” movement is so hollow and counterproductive.

  • @brianistired7456
    @brianistired7456 Před rokem

    Oh snap, it's Juliet

  • @katherinealvarez9216
    @katherinealvarez9216 Před rokem

    I saw the 2006 version with Katie Cassidy.

  • @paulvoorhies8821
    @paulvoorhies8821 Před rokem

    The original BC is indeed the OG progenitor of the North American slasher film. It is possible to pinpoint October of 1974 as that moment in time during which the slasher was birthed. It would go on to be the spiritual prequel of Halloween, which was very heavily influenced by this film and which would go on to popularize the slasher film 4 years later. The film When A Stranger Calls also owes a debt of gratitude to Bob Clark’s horror classic, though unlike BC, it was only able genuine suspense during its 15 minute opening set piece.