Black Christmas (1974)

Stars:  8 / 10

An instant favourite! This is a must-see for any horror film aficionado.

A cult classic, considered to be one of the earliest films of the slasher genre, which highly influenced the Halloween series, as well as numerous other stalker-style slashers and "menacing phone call" horror films (including a 2006 remake) Black Christmas holds its own amongst its peers, and wears its bloody laurels with all due deserve.

Although it is technically a slasher film, there is a lot of psychological terror happening here, and the murder scenes are much less graphic than one can expect from contemporary films. There were several moments when I felt genuinely scared, and glad I'd kept the lights on!

There is also a lot left up to the audience's own conclusions, which I absolutely love! Director Bob Clark manages to leave room for the audience's imagination, without creating holes in the storyline. Bravo.

Without giving spoilers, I will just say that I was absolutely shocked, enthralled, and terrified by the villain's dialogue... I shall say no more.

I enjoyed the casting for Black Christmas: everyone seemed perfectly cast for their roles. It's easy to see that they had Bette Davis in mind for Marion Waldman's character, but  this little-known actress plays it brilliantly.



An interesting note about the music :
Composer Carl Zittrer said in an interview that he created the bizarre music score for the film by tying forks, combs, and knives to the strings of his piano so the sound would warp as he struck the keys. Zittrer also said he would distort the sound further by recording audio tape while putting pressure on the reels of the machine to make it turn slower. (from IMDB)


Director: Bob Clark
Year:  1974
Main Cast: Olivia Hussey, Margot Kidder, Keir Dullea, John Saxon, Marion Waldman

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071222/