Michelle Trachtenberg

Holiday slasher flick puts Christian groups in ‘Black’ mood

“Black Christmas [trailer]” is making some religious groups scream. The slasher flick is set to open on Christmas, much to the horror of some Christians, who are calling for a boycott of the movie.

“It’s a disgrace,” said Michele Combs, director of communications for the Christian Coalition, based in Washington, D.C. “The movie industry has really gone too far, and we are sending out an e-mail asking people to discourage others, especially young people, from seeing it.”

A remake of the 1974 horror classic, “Black Christmas” features the slicing and dicing of sorority sisters on Christmas break and stars Michelle Trachtenberg (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer”), Katie Cassidy (David’s daughter) and Oliver Hudson (brother of Kate). The movie, whose trailer plays the hymn “Silent Night” while blood flies, features the tagline: “the ultimate slay ride.”

“It’s another strike against Christmas,” said Robert Marley, co-founder of the Coalition to Save Christmas in Massachusetts (www.savingchristmasinmass.homestead.com). “It’s in bad taste. Not only dooes it send a bad message, it’s the further degradation of our holiday.”

Marley won’t make an issue of the movie on his Web site, however.

“Who is going to see it? It’s full of B-list actors,” he said. “It’s a joke.”

“Black Christmas” isn’t the first holiday-themed horror flick, but most Santa-centric slasher films steer clear of a Christmas Day release. The original “Black Christmas” hit the big screen Dec. 20, in deference to the holiday. Both “You Better Watch Out” (1980) and “Silent Night, Deadly Night” (1984) were released in November of their respective years, and “Silent Night, Bloody Night” hit theaters in April 1974. But Dimension Films, the distributor for “Black Christmas,” stands by its decision, saying in a statement, “There is a long tradition of releasing horror movies during the holiday season as counter-programming to the more regular yuletide fare.”

The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights scored a victory last year when it forced the the retail behemoth Wal-Mart to return to saying “Merry Christmas” to customers but doesn’t want to get involved with the “Black Christmas” controversy.

“There’s not going to be a protest,” said Kiera McCaffrey, director of communications, who told the New York Daily News last week the film was “out of line.”“We’re not outraged. It’s a slasher flick. There’s no reason to get involved.”

Nonsense, said Combs.

“Christmas is one of our holiest of days,” she said. “It is galling that the movie industry would try to destroy the true meaning of Christmas by (releasing) a horror film on that day.”