• February 2005
  • Nuart Account by John Greely from Ohio. Another Big Black Christmas Fan.

    Ive been sent an account of the Nuart showing night by John Greely who attended the event in LA with me back in December 2004, and thought you guys might enjoy reading it, to see what you missed. We had a truly excellent time over that weekend and I hope a similar event happens one day again in the future.

 

It's been awhile since my trip out to L.A. to see Black Christmas on the big screen, and meet Bob Clark and John Saxon, but I thought I would share the experience I had during my trip with everyone.

Flying out to L.A. for the sole purpose of seeing Black Christmas and meeting Clark and Saxon, made me question my own sanity. After meeting the Man, the Myth, and the Legend; Dan himself, I realized that my obsession with Black Christmas was child's play in comparison to his love for the film. After a few nights of bar hopping on Sunset Strip, while sharing stories and meeting many friendly and colorful…to say the least….locals, the night we had been waiting for finally arrived.

We met up with Tony Masi, the webmaster of Halloweenmovies.com, and his friend Jay West, an independent filmmaker, and arrived at the Nuart about 2 hours before the screening. Thanks to some nice work from Dan we were able to get into the theater well before the doors had even opened. Not long after, a man who looked like he could be your grandpa, dressed in black pants and a loosely hanging button-up shirt walked through the door. It took me a second to realize that this friendly looking gentleman was the man responsible for terrifying me years ago…Mr. Bob Clark. You would think that a big time director would be somewhat reserved and standoffish. However, to my surprise Mr. Clark actually approached us and introduced himself, while thanking us for coming…..as if we were doing him the favor of being there…lol. Clark then began asking us why we enjoyed the film so much and when we first saw the film. Before I knew it, 20 minutes had passed and we were still talking to Mr. Clark about various topics, such as the film, his career, the state of modern day horror and the planned remake. (He even told us the new ending, but that's hush, hush…sorry.J ) I could not believe how accommodating Mr. Clark was to us and really appreciate the time spent talking with him.

Soon afterward, John Saxon arrived and was introduced to us and chatted for a few minutes and reminded me that the film was older than I am, which made him feel really old…lol. However, even though he was thirty years older than he was in Black Christmas, the man still possessed that "cool" charisma that he had back in the day. By this time the crowd had started to trickle in and the lobby became flooded with people. Among those to wander in was the surprise of the night.

As we were standing around talking with Saxon and Clark, Dan noticed someone from the crowd who he had invited, Carl Zittrer, the man responsible for the haunting score of the film. After being introduced to Carl, he seemed surprised that so many people had heard about Black Christmas and took a genuine interest in our views of the film and asked us if he was too overdressed for the night….LOL. If that isn't down-to-earth then I don't know what is. We spent the majority of our time chatting with Carl until the movie started, and were fortunate enough to have him sit with us during the screening.

The film itself was an original print owned by Quentin Tarantino, complete with original trailers or Clockwork Orange and Spinal Tap..lol. It had its scratches and fades, but it was a one of a kind experience to see it on the big screen. I did notice a few extra background sounds that I could not hear in my Critical Mass DVD, which was pretty cool bonus. After the film there was a Q&A session with Clark, Saxon and Zittrer that lasted about an hour and a half. Finally, at 3am the remaining crowd was filing out and everyone began to leave. Before Clark and Zittrer left they approached Dan, Tony, Jay and I, while remember each of our names (to my surprise), and thanked us for coming. Once again, I don't think they knew that the pleasure was all ours…lol.

The night at Nuart Theater was one that any Black Christmas fan would love to be a part of, and one I'll never forget. Not only did I get to see the film on the big screen and meet some amazing fans, I was able to mingle and talk with some of the men who made the film happen. I say it was worth the trip. J.

 

 

  • And All Through The House Video.

As a special treat for all Black Christmas fans, ITSMEBILLY now presents "AND ALL THROUGH THE HOUSE"

A small feature from the UK DVD that was put together for the fans about a year ago (check story so far for details).
The feature uses my footage and a voice-over that I did in one take without notes.
The whole thing took about 4 hours, so I hope you guys enjoy it.

To view the video - you MUST right click the following link - and choose SAVE TARGET AS :

AND ALL THROUGH THE HOUSE - By Dan Duffin and Tartan Video UK

http://www.tartanvideo.co.uk have pioneered the release of quality Asian and Extreme horror films on DVD here in the UK.

 

  • January 2005

Happy New Year to all.

I've been sent some pictures of the Piano room at Toronto University as it looks now by Derrick Chow from Toronto.
Many thanks to him for taking the time to arrange the chairs just how they were for the piano recital.
Eagle eyed viewers will also spot that the original paintings still hang in the same places as they were 30 years ago !

 



 

December 2004

THE NUART SHOWS BLACK CHRISTMAS ON THE BIG SCREEN

You can read all about the recent NUART THEATRE showing of BLACK CHRISTMAS by Clicking Below.

 

December 2004

HALLOWEENMOVIES.COM

Yes, yes yes ... I Know this is a Black Christmas Site.... But when I was in LA Recently I met up with Tony Masi, The Webmaster of Halloweenmovies.com and last years 25th Anniversary convention organizer. Tony and I toured all the Halloween locations and had a great time before attending the showing at the Nuart. I thought some of you guys may also be Halloween fans and would appreciate the following pictures.

Visit Tony Masi and Transcas Films over at http://www.halloweenmovies.com

 









 

 

October 26 2004

SOME CONFIRMED NEWS !!

BOB CLARK and JOHN SAXON will be appearing at the Nuart`s showing of Black Christmas on December 10th. They will be talking about the film and taking a Q & A session with the audience. This is very exciting news for any Black Christmas fan and a great opportunity to have those long running questions about the mysteries of the film answered.

I can also confirm that I will be attending the event..... after a long flight from England just for the occasion !!

OCT 2004

 

I received some great news today that the Landmark’s Nuart Theatre in West Los Angeles
 is looking to host a rare theatrical screening of Black Christmas on Friday December 10th at Midnight.

The Nuart is famous for premiering such classics as PINK FLAMINGOS, ERASERHEAD, PI, THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT, and currently has one of the most-acclaimed and longest-running weekly performances of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW. They are also coming up on their 30th anniversary of operation in November.

They are very pleased to be including Black Christmas in their lineup this year.

IF THIS NEWS DOESNT MAKE YOUR SKIN CRAWL

ITS ON TOO TIGHT !!!!
Sep 20th 2004

I met up with Bert Dunk last week, the camera operator on Black Christmas. We shared stories and drank a few beers on a warm summer evening in Toronto September 2004, before being interupted by many many happy Canadian Ice Hockey fans, as Canada won the World Cup. Bert was a fantastic guy and you can hear all about his involvement on the special edition DVDs still in shops. UK and Canada.


Bert Dunk and Webmaster Danyuld.
Toronto 2004.

Aug 2004

Check out this animated online review of Black Christmas by Dave Stewart.

 

BLACK CHRISTMAS ANIMATION

 

Click on the WATCH button on the left hand side.....ENJOY


 

 
29 JULY 2004

 

A Brief update on the world of IMB.COM

I`ll be in Toronto again in September, visiting many locations and taking some more pictures. I`ll be more prepared this time for some excellent night shots trying to recapture the atmosphere of the house by night.
If there are any fans located in the area that want to get together with me an talk about all things Black Christmas feel freee to get in touch and we`ll try and arrange something.

 

I have many updates in mind for this site in the coming months, I only hope to find the time to get the completed.

One update may include a fully 3d Modelled BlackChristmas house that visitors can take a virtual tour of...


For now You`ll have to be content looking through these thumbnails of photos i`ll be working from.

 

 
03 DEC 2003

Ive just received the new UK DVD in the post, but havent had a really good chance to look over it yet.
I can tell you that the film itself has a much cleaner image, and the sound quality is dramtically improved over any previous release... I`ll post a full review this weekend before the disc goes on sale Monday, but I can already say, that fans and newcomers alike will not be dissapointed. Ive scanned a few images from the Menu and one shot of the house to show the improved image quality.

The main menu showing the brand new and improved 5.1 Audio selection.

Notice the "and all through the house" section featuring my home video footage and voiceover.



And of course, Monte and I have managed to get our names and pictures on the photo gallery.

 

 

A BRIEF UPDATE :

I`m watching the film now with the new 5.1 Audio track, and let me tell you
I`m hearing things in Black Christmas that cant be heard at all in the Previous Versions.
In the house at the start of the film, the Christmas carols are extremely clear.
And as for Billys phonecalls! They never sounded as good as they do in 5.1 !

The bass levels are up too, making the music that accompanies Claires Closet scene
come alive, more vibrant than before.

Picture now Anamorphically enhanced from the US release, seems much cleaner and brighter

You can now see things clearly on the attic floor....
Nov 25 2003

I managed to get hold of some fantastic collectible items today.

An original Black Christmas Pressbook signed by Olivia Hussey, and also a set of about 12 Stills from the set,
including some pictures that Ive never seen before anywhere.

 
20th Nov 2003

UK Fans Dont forget...Only 18 days till we get our first ever release of BLACK CHRISTMAS on DVD.

Rental Shops will also be carrying the VHS for those who dont yet own DVD.

I know Blockbuster will be stocking it for sure.

Features : Bob Clark Audio Commentary
New Anamorphic Transfer
5.1 Dolby Digital Sound
Exclusive art and photo galleries
Black Christmas Revisited Documentary
And All Through The House Featurette
Trailers and tv spots etc
Newly designed Sleeve Notes, Japanese Pressbook Art

BEFORE HALLOWEEN

BEFORE FRIDAY 13TH

CAME

THE SCARIEST OF THEM ALL
19th Nov 2003

FOR THOSE OF YOU OUT THERE IN THE KNOW -- GET READY FOR ONE OF MY FAVOURITE UPDATES YET


Back in the late nineties when I first got hold of the Internet. I hadn’t met a single person who had ever even heard of Black Christmas let alone seen it. One of my first ever-online searches for Black Christmas revealed a fascinating webpage titled. “Monte Cohens Black Christmas Web Gallery” which included the paintings that are now for sale on ITSMEBILLY.

The website was a mine of information and creativity regarding Black Christmas and really took my appreciation of the film to a new level.

Sadly the site disappeared from the net back in 1999, never to reappear until now. After much persuasion Monte has kindly brought his site upto date and placed it here on the itsmebilly servers as part of the main website. In time I will add a new button to the main menus, but for now, Just click below.

We like to think of it as untouched apart from a few minor updates, and appear almost exactly as it did when I first came across it back in 1997.

So ITSMEBILLY.COM now proudly presents……

 

 
16th Nov 2003

MOVIES: A few new movie clips are added to the sounds section. Quick Links Below.

Make sure you right click and save target as :-

Mrs Mack Flies

Jess hears the truth (spoiler)

8th Nov 2003


For anyone who hasn't seen Black Christmas Yet. Click HERE to view the DVD Trailer from Critical Mass.
Or right click and choose save target as:

 

And as an extra Treat in time for the new UK DVD (8th December folks)
Here is the opening 5 minutes of the film. This should convince everyone that they need
to see this film !

BLAX.WMV
6th Nov 2003

Right more details for you guys!!

The new Black Christmas DVD will definitely feature an extra 10 minute documentary titled "And All thorough the house"
The main footage comes from my visit to the house a year or so ago, blended with a short audio commentary that I nervously sat for yesterday....

I really hope you guys enjoy me showing you round the house,
It was certainly a pleasure to make.....

Anyway here is a couple of pictures showing the IBF Studio in London where the documentary was made.

An extremely professional group of people who did a great job with the material we had. Well done guys!

Sneaky viewers will be able to see the house on the monitor in front of the sound technician in this shot.
And sitting on the right is the man behind the new release Mr. Sam Dunn of Tartan Video. An incredibly knowledgeable guy who just loves his horror!

Trying to recreate that Black Xmas vibe, in time for December 8th Release!
The disc will also include exclusive picture galleries,
Containing pictures by both myself and Monte Philip Cohen, including his legendary Black Christmas paintings.!
Black Christmas memoribilia collectors will also love the new sleeve notes, taken from the japanese pressbook.

Trust me this looks superb inside the DVD cover.
Pictured above is sheet 1 of 4

THE FIRST TIME BLACK CHRISTMAS HAS EVER BEEN AVAILABLE IN UK !
November 5th 2003

THE NEW DVD and DOCUMENTARY

I have been down in London today working with Tartan Video finalizing the new Black Christmas DVD. We have put together a short documentary look at the house itself including a small voice commentary by me....... :)
The DVD itself is looking superb, you guys are going to be over the moon with it.....

I should be able to put some shots up on the web tomorrow that I took in the editing suite this afternoon, just waiting on confirmation.

In other news I should have an exclusive interview with the composer of Black Christmas`s eerie score in the coming few weeks. Carl Zittrer. And this coming Christmas we should be running a competition to win some great prizes - stay tuned!
Mar 26th 2003

Back in December I met up with the actor Nick Mancuso, who was one of the voices for the "Billy" character used in the terrifying phone calls. He told of how he auditioned for the role with the Director Bob Clark sitting in a high backed chair facing away from him. He had to read some of the lines for the Peter character, but ended up being one of the main voices used for the killer. Nick says he did the voices standing on his head whilst compressing the thorax. His performance was commented on by "Carl Zittrer" as being one of the most intense he has ever witnessed.


Nick Mancuso and Webmaster Danyuld.
Winter Toronto 2002.

Jan 7th 2003
The wonderful paintings from Toronto artist Monte Cohen are now available to order on the "paintings" page. I have both here in my home, trust me when I say EVERY Black Christmas fan needs these pictures. There are two paintings available, and each is limited to 50. Orders and interest to sales pages.
Jan 6th 2003

Updates will be as regular as possible. You can now view the Black Christmas Gallery on the paintings page, containing the well known paintings of the Black Christmas House, completed by Monte Cohen a few years ago. Those who are interested in purchasing them (more details online soon) please register your interest at sales pages

One more thing, Please don't e-mail in asking for the address for the Black Christmas House.

There will, however, be a selection of exterior pictures online soon enough......I can also point anyone in the direction of any other shooting location from the film with pleasure. (pictures of these locations also coming soon)
Jan 5th 2003
Try downloading our new Black Christmas "ITSMEBILLY" Wallpapers. Many more downloads coming in the near future. (1024x768) (800x600)
Jan 2003
The new look site is launched. New images, new sounds and much more information. Keep checking back with us, as we have some new competitions running, hopefully from next month with some GREAT prizes......Some sections may not quite be complete, but I thought it better to get the site running, and add info as I go. Keep the emails coming people, I love to read all your stories of Black Christmas discovery.