BLACK CHRISTMAS NEWS:

Director of the Original 'Black Christmas' Dies in Car Crash

April 4, 2007 -- The same week the remake of his original masterpiece "Black Christmas" hit DVD, Bob Clark, who helmed such legendary horror films as "Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things," has suddenly passed away. This just reported by the Associated Press:

Film director Robert Clark, best known for the holiday classic "A Christmas Story," was killed with his son Wednesday in a head-on crash with a vehicle steered into the wrong lane by a drunken driver, police and the filmmaker's assistant said.

Clark, 67, and son Ariel Hanrath-Clark, 22, were killed in the accident in Pacific Palisades, said Lyne Leavy, Clark's personal assistant.

The two men were in an Infiniti that collided head-on with a GMC Yukon around 2:30 a.m. PDT, said Lt. Paul Vernon, a police spokesman. The driver of the other car was under the influence of alcohol and was driving without a license, Vernon said.

The driver, Hector Velazquez-Nava, 24, of Los Angeles, remained hospitalized and will be booked for investigation of gross vehicular manslaughter after being treated, Vernon said. A female passenger in his car also was taken to the hospital with minor injuries and released, police said.

In Clark's most famous film, all 9-year-old Ralphie Parker wants for Christmas is an official Red Ryder carbine-action 200-shot range model air rifle.

His mother, teacher and Santa Claus all warn: "You'll shoot your eye out, kid."

A school bully named Scut Farkus, a leg lamp, a freezing flagpole mishap and some four-letter defiance helped the movie become a seasonal fixture with "It's A Wonderful Life" and "Miracle on 34th Street."

Scott Schwartz, who played Flick in "A Christmas Story" and kept in touch with Clark, called Clark one of the "nicest, sweetest guys that you'd ever want to come in contact with."

"It's a tragic day for all of us who knew and loved Bob Clark," Schwartz said. "Bob was a fun-loving, jelly-roll kind of guy who will be sorely missed."

Clark specialized in horror movies and thrillers early in his career, directing such 1970s flicks as "Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things," "Murder by Decree," "Breaking Point" and "Black Christmas," which was remade last year.

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New 'Black Christmas' Image, Clip

December 7, 2006 -- Here's a new clip from "Black Christmas," plus a big new image. Click here for the large image and here to download the Quicktime clip.

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New 'Black Christmas' Posters

November 20, 2006 -- Although "Black Christmas" is supposedly a dud, an interesting Euro poster for the remake has emerged, plus a new domestic one. Check 'em out:

One Sheet for 'Black Christmas'

November 6, 2006 -- With the biggest slasher film for the rest of the year only weeks away, it was about time we got a gander at the one sheet for the "Black Christmas" remake. And here it is.

Full 'Black Christmas' Trailer Up

November 6, 2006 -- The first full trailer for "Black Christmas" is up, and it sure is nice to have another Christmas horror film. Even if it is a remake. Click here for it.

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The 'Black Christmas' Teaser

October 19, 2006 -- Here's a look at the "Black Christmas" teaser. Check it out by clicking here.

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Spoiler Pics for 'Black Christmas'

October 16, 2006 -- The latest 1970s horror film getting the remake treatment is the Canadian classic "Black Christmas." Head here for a spoiler-ific gallery from the "Black Christmas" remake hitting American theaters on Dec. 25. The remake was directed by Glen Morgan and stars Katie Cassidy, Michelle Trachtenberg, Crystal Lowe and Mary Elizabeth Winstead.

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Original 'Black Christmas' Back to DVD

Sept. 18, 2006 -- The original "Black Christmas," already released to DVD once in the U.S. before, is heading to disc again to cash in on the Dec. 25 release of the remake, according to DavisDVD. The DVD from Koch is coming out Dec. 5 and boasts a Dolby Digital 5.1 track , two hours of new bonus materials supervised by ItsMeBilly.com (the ultimate "Black Christmas" fan site) and an all-new documentary, plus a midnight screening Q&A with director Bob Clark and actor John Saxon. This is good news indeed because the original "Black Christmas" is one of the most seminal horror films of all time, one of the best of the 1970s and something that has only previously been available in a non-anamorphic format on DVD.

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