Cover Art

Credits

Director: Bob Clark Starring: Olivia Hussey, Keir Dullea, Margot Kidder, John Saxon Screenplay: Roy Moore Music: Carl Zittrer Tagline: If this movie doesn't make your skin crawl...It's on too tight! Country: Canada AKA: 'Silent Night, Evil Night', 'Stranger In The House.'

The film is, as has already been mentioned, is set in a sorority house over the festive period. While the residents are enjoying a few drinks and having a bit of a party, we see an intruder breaking into the house and making themselves at home in the attic. Downstairs the telephone rings. One of the girls answers to discover that the caller is someone they have nicknamed 'The Moaner' who has been plaguing them with obscene 'phone calls. Actually, the calls are more than obscene, they are downright terrifying, consisting of foul language, piercing screams and incoherent ramblings in a variety of different voices. The person making these calls is quite obviously a complete basket case. Meanwhile, the uninvited guest in the attic has decided to explore more of the house, (cue creepy POV shots and heavy breathing), and start murdering the residents. The bodies are dragged up into the attic so the remaining girls are unaware that their numbers are gradually dwindling. As the phone calls are becoming increasingly distressing, the girls decide to contact the police for help,so sympathetic Lieutenant Fuller, played by John Saxon, puts a tap on the girls phone to try and trace the origin of the calls. All the while, the pile of corpses upstairs is steadily increasing..

You would certainly be forgiven for thinking that this all sounds fairly typical of the slasher subgenre, so what sets Black Christmas apart from other stalk and slash movies? Well, quite a lot actually. First up, and most importantly, the film is genuinely scary. The atmosphere is tense and nerve jangling throughout and the kill scenes are shot with style and skill. The film is packed with memorable scenes and shots, many of which will stick in the mind long after the film has finished. One scene in particular is one of the most effective I have seen in a horror movie ever - (and I'm not alone in thinking this because it was ripped off in a far inferior splatter movie a few years later). In fact, it's difficult to spot a wasted shot or unnecessary line of dialogue anywhere in the film as it's all very neatly put together. The direction is faultless, the photography is excellent, the script gives us believable characters (and a fun time trying to guess who the killer is) and the unusual music score really adds to the atmosphere. The performances in front of the camera are equally good, especially Kidder and Saxon. Kidder gets most of the funny lines, especially the amusing joke telephone number she gives to a dim-witted police officer, although the foul-mouthed Santa swearing in front of the children raised a few chuckles from me. Humour can often be misplaced in horror movies but in this film it provides a welcome breather from the tension.

First up we have two commentary tracks, the first featuring director Bob Clark and the second featuring actors John Saxon and Keir Dullea. Clark's track is easily the most listenable of the two. He speaks about his thoughts on the making of the film, shooting techniques and points out a few subtle touches that viewers might have missed. There are a few short gaps but, on the whole, it is an interesting commentary which reminded me a lot, in style and content, of William Friedkin's commentary for The Exorcist. On the other track, Saxon and Dullea speak about how they became involved in the production, their own careers and the other cast members. The two actors were recorded separately and the track edited together. There are quite a few breaks but it's still worth a listen.

'Black Christmas Revisited' is a 36 minute feature interviewing most of the cast and crew involved in the making of the film, with Hussey and Kidder being the most notable absentees. All of the major shooting locations are revisited and all aspects of the production discussed. A neat and interesting documentary, although a little rough technically.

Two interviews follow - one with Bob Clark and the other with John Saxon. Both contain information that is already in the commentary tracks, but they are still well worth checking out. Also including is an episode of 'Dark Dreamers' television series with John Saxon. Saxon talks about his involvement in the horror/suspense genre including his experiences working with Clark, Bava and, outside of horror, Bruce Lee. This is a really interesting feature and I would certainly like to see more episodes from the series.