Black Christmas (1974)

Wuchak

6.0

Jul 26, 2019

***Historical slasher with John Saxon, Olivia Hussey and Margot Kidder*** It’s the Christmas season at a sorority house in the Northeast wherein an ambiguous psycho hiding in the attic makes crank calls to the girls and slays them one-by-one. John Saxon plays the local detective. “Black Christmas” (1974) obviously influenced “Halloween” (1978), e.g. the closet scene, but was influenced itself by psycho slasher flicks like “Psycho” (1960), “Dementia 13” (1963) and “Silent Night, Bloody Night” (1972). Honestly, the 2006 remake has a more absorbing story which, to me, is the best indica…

Black Christmas is what happens when a director decides to make a slasher but also decides to make a good movie. Each character has a purpose. By that, I don't mean simply to drive the plot along. Each character is a person, and they each have their own unique personalities and motivations. Barb isn't just the drunk and morally abrasive stereotype; she's driven by her jealousy and likely by issues from her childhood. Each character feels about as deep as her, at the least. The only character who isn't fully explained is Billy, and that's for the best. Billy isn't a character we want ex…

Gimly

7.0

Dec 29, 2019

One of only two films in my adult life to have been in any way involved in giving me a sense of genuine fear. _Final rating: ★★★½ - I strongly recommend you make the time._