Black Christmas

February 06, 2007

Black Christmas (1974) starring Olivia Hussey, Margot Kidder, and John Saxon. The film is directed by Bob Clark, you might remember him as the director of another Christmas movie: A Christmas Story (1983).

A sorority house is terrorized by a stranger who makes frightening phone calls and then murders the sorority sisters during Christmas break. (www.imdb.com)

So I thought I would watch a few Christmas that are a little different than the ones that have to do with peace on Earth and good will towards men.

Well Black Christmas certainly was different. At first I was bored, really bored. Though as the death toll started to go up and the Christmas music started to back ground music to all the gratuitous death scenes I became more and more intrigued and really freaked out. Clark keeps showing us certain images to keep the horror constant. It works and it really starts to creep you out after a while.

The film plays on the parallels between joy and horror. I was left in lurch about the film ending but all in all I got where Clark was taking the film. He used a few urban legends to bring this tale to life.

Olivia Hussey is the lead sorority girl that keeps answering the phone when the killer is about to strike. Her terror at first is almost laughable. Keir Dullea, who plays her boyfriend, is both disturbing and blah when it comes to his performance. One has to wonder if his performance is this way on purpose or is it his acting?

This was a one timer but one to watch early on in the holiday season.


Click here to read the staff review by Mania.