Black Christmas (1974) (Collector's Edition)

[BarnDoor]

If it is indeed coming in December, we should at least get artwork and a release date in the next two weeks. Hopefully Scream will disclose some details on the transfer and extras as well.

[Akijama]

Release date: December 6

***BLACK CHRISTMAS Update***
It’s not even Halloween yet but that isn’t stopping us from humming holiday tunes today as we reveal to you a few more details about our upcoming release of Bob Clark’s slasher film classic. Read on or “Billy” might call you up. ;-)
- Official street date is planned for December 6th
- This will be a branded as a 2-Disc "Collector's Edition" that will come with a slipcover.
- The festive, newly-commissioned front-facing artwork you see pictured comes to us from artist Joel Robinson (Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, The Serpent and the Rainbow, Bubba Ho-Tep). The iconic original theatrical image (girl in rocking chair) will be on the reverse side of the wrap.
- Bonus features and specs are still in progress and will be announced sometime in Oct. But we can confirm though that we are in the process of doing a new film transfer.

https://www.shoutfactory.com/film/fi...ctor-s-edition

[BarnDoor]

Great news about the new transfer. Wonder what the source is?

[lilboyblu]

Originally Posted by Akijama

Release date: December 6

C'mon lossless original mono.

[schlock]

I see the floating heads have returned, but it's a decent enough cover. Except for showing Billy's face so clearly. Would have been better to keep him mostly in shadow as he is in the film. Or not show him at all, as it's kind of a spoiler.

billyblackxmas.jpg

[chrismac87]

Originally Posted by schlock

I see the floating heads have returned, but it's a decent enough cover. Except for showing Billy's face so clearly. Would have been better to keep him mostly in shadow as he is in the film. Or not show him at all, as it's kind of a spoiler.

Attachment 149070

I commented on that over on Scream Factory's page. I really hope they intend to darken that image up some, it really ruins an aspect of the film that's really essential to a lot of the suspense the film generates. Putting a face on Billy makes him no longer a mystery, but just someone who's in the house.

[dissention]

Woeful cover, but I'm intrigued by the new transfer and what the source is.

[critterdvd]

Originally Posted by Akijama

Release date: December 6

Thank you for the confirmation! I've never seen this one before (liked the remake however). I'm going to try and save this for Christmas Eve after the youngins' fall asleep

[wonkavision]

Looking forward to this release, but will definitely be flipping the artwork.

[mpstjohn]

Originally Posted by dissention

Woeful cover, but I'm intrigued by the new transfer and what the source is.

I don't care for the cover either. Since I first saw this movie part of what made the film so scary was

[Show spoiler]they never showed the killer's face

, then with this release they lighten the picture enough that there it is, right there. I'll order it directly from the website because I want it early and maybe even frame the poster because I love the movie but I hope they do some retouching so that aspect isn't so obvious.

[Member-222782]

As much as I'd like this in time for Christmas I don't want Shout to rush this just to make a holiday deadline. I get the impression that's what they might do.

[film11]

Originally Posted by critterdvd

Thank you for the confirmation! I've never seen this one before (liked the remake however). I'm going to try and save this for Christmas Eve after the youngins' fall asleep

Good idea, as the original is a more mature film. (No gore either.) Plus, they'd be asking you why they can't have booze too.

"FE...it's a new exchange!"

And Andrea Martin is in both films!

[JohnCarpenterFan]

Please stop spoiling these films for the people that haven't seen them, whether it's in the menus or on the cover art.

This Black Christmas cover is horrible solely because of the spoiler. What's worse is that they're showing even more than what was in the actual film!

[cakefactory]

Originally Posted by mpstjohn

I don't care for the cover either. Since I first saw this movie part of what made the film so scary was

[Show spoiler]they never showed the killer's face

, then with this release they lighten the picture enough that there it is, right there. I'll order it directly from the website because I want it early and maybe even frame the poster because I love the movie but I hope they do some retouching so that aspect isn't so obvious.

Yeah, this is kinda weird. I wonder if that's how the Sleepaway Camp cover

[Show spoiler]originally looked until someone went "Wait a minute..." and they chopped off her head and stuck it in the middle instead

[StingingVelvet]

Originally Posted by schlock

I see the floating heads have returned, but it's a decent enough cover.

99% of their new covers are lame floating heads, not really surprising. Will be flipping it over to the classic poster art anyway, same as most of my Shout releases. Only exception I can think of is The Fog.

[Cutcopy]

Alright so they could have added more darkness around Billy's face. And I would be surprised if they don't ask the artist to go back and add some before all is said and done. But it's not reeeeeally that much of a spoiler. The mystery of Billy isn't who he is but why he is doing it. Even the red herring is more to throw off the characters in the movie than the audience.

[Show spoiler]We all know it ain't the boyfriend.

[AKORIS]

I'm so hopeful that Scream can deliver us a good blu ray transfer.... for the first time.... between dvd and the latter blu ray releases........ why is it so hard to get a version that looks halfway decent?

even some public domain titles have better transfers.....

[Rockercub]

I think that might be the worst SF cover yet. But that's fine -- I'll just flip it. More important is the source of the new transfer. I'm keeping my expectations low so as not to be disappointed if it's a bust.

[Jay Mammoth]

Awesome cover. Don't not need this before December so I'll just order from Best Buy.

[zbinks]

Originally Posted by schlock

I see the floating heads have returned, but it's a decent enough cover. Except for showing Billy's face so clearly. Would have been better to keep him mostly in shadow as he is in the film. Or not show him at all, as it's kind of a spoiler.

Attachment 149070

Originally Posted by mpstjohn

I don't care for the cover either. Since I first saw this movie part of what made the film so scary was

[Show spoiler]they never showed the killer's face

, then with this release they lighten the picture enough that there it is, right there. I'll order it directly from the website because I want it early and maybe even frame the poster because I love the movie but I hope they do some retouching so that aspect isn't so obvious.

Originally Posted by JohnCarpenterFan

Please stop spoiling these films for the people that haven't seen them, whether it's in the menus or on the cover art.

This Black Christmas cover is horrible solely because of the spoiler. What's worse is that they're showing even more than what was in the actual film!

I'm pretty sure it's a clever attempt to include one of the key actors in the artwork, and not really a spoiler, per se. I'm pretty sure the face in the shadows is intended to be

[Show spoiler]Peter (Keir Dullea), not Billy. Only the well-lit eye is actually Billy's.

It's not really a spoiler because, until the final moments, the film strongly alludes to

[Show spoiler]the two being one and the same

.