black christmas ( 1974 film )
margot kidder as barbie coard in black christmas (1974) - warner bros .
olivia hussey as jessica bradford in black christmas (1974) - warner bros .
this house on clarendon cres. in toronto was used in the 1974 cult horror film black christmas .
16. black christmas opened in canada on october 11, 1974. distributed by ambassador film distributors, black christmas was more of a halloween release than a holiday picture .
before he made a christmas story, the late bob clark directed black christmas .
2. black christmas was produced in cooperation with canadian film development and famous players .
looking for movie tickets? enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing black christmas (1974) near you .
black christmas – never to be confused with irving berlin' s white christmas or elvis presley' s blue christmas ...
october 11, 1974 (1974 - 10 - 11) (canada) december 20, 1974 (1974 - 12 - 20) (u. s .) october 12, 1975 (1975 - 10 - 12) (uk )
billy is the psychopathic killer and the antagonist in the 1974 original film black christmas. his identity is never seen or revealed, save for his eye .
distributed by ambassador film distributors (1974) (canada) (theatrical), warner bros. pictures (1974) (usa) (theatrical )
black christmas works best as a campy deconstruction of the genre than it does as a horror film .
17. black christmas debuted in the united states courtesy warner bros. on december 20, 1974, under the title silent night, evil night. when it performed poorly under that name, the film' s title reverted back to black christmas .
the holiday / horror movie black christmas came to movie theaters in 1974. a canadian production, black christmas features olivia hussey as jessica bradford, a college girl whose sorority house is terrorized by a mysterious caller during the holidays. here are 21 black christmas movie trivia items and fun facts ...
thankfully the worst of my fears did not become reality with black christmas 2006 .
black christmas and halloween. equally influential classics, at the end of the day .
skip die hard this year. black christmas is the cynical 2017 holiday movie alternative .
scream factory' s new black christmas blu - ray release is a fitting release for such an iconic horror film .
a 1974 horror film, redone in 2006, and one of the trope makers for the slasher genre .
here in the states, early slasher film black christmas got the collector’s edition treatment from scream factory last holiday season, but the 1974 film has to date still not been released on blu - ray over in the united kingdom .
shot in toronto, ontario, the film was first released in october of 1974. the title was changed to
bob clark' s black christmas premiered in canada on october 11, 1974. amazing black christmas movie trivia and fun facts encompass oliva hussey, margot kidder, andrea martin, silent night evil night, bette davis, keir dullea, hart house and glen morgan .
you need a holiday film as black and rebellious as your soul right now .
black christmas (1974). directed by bob clark. starring olivia hussey, keir dullea, margot kidder, andrea martin, john saxon, marian waldman, james edmond .
skip die hard this year. black christmas is the cynical 2017 holiday movie alternative. - vox
black christmas is really a groundbreaking movie in the horror industry in terms of the slasher elements and disturbing sequences. this makes me wonder: if black christmas is still so effective today, what were audiences thinking back in 1974? they must have been scared out of their minds !
the 1974 movie was directed by bob clark, who is better known for directing a very different christmas - themed movie ...
generally heralded as the first of its kind, black christmas may actually be one of a kind .
bob clark’s black christmas (1974, poorly remade in 2006), an unnerving “slasher” film avant la lettre, is the best of the christmas horror films. the recent rare exports (2010), from finland, effectively plays on the supernatural elements of the santa myth .
black christmas is a fantastic movie that should be considered a horror classic. i highly recommend this movie .
the third category of big budget christmas movies involves films closer to the christmas story itself, about downtrodden people being given renewed hope over the christmas period .
“collected poems: 1974 — 2004” – rita dove (w. w. norton & company )
black christmas lacks the timing and visual wit to make its splattery ec comics gags either genuinely scary or funny .
15. black christmas' signature tagline: “if this picture doesn’t make your skin crawl…it’s on too tight. ”
these “christmas miracle” films include prancer (1989), one magic christmas (1985), and the christmas star (1986), all sweetly melancholic films .
21. critical mass released a special edition black christmas dvd on december 5, 2006. included is an entertaining feature titled
the twelve days of black christmas ,
with olivia hussey, john saxon, margot kidder and others recalling their work on the film .
black christmas (from a christmas story director, bob clark) is not only one of the greatest christmas - themed horror films of all time, it is one of the most gorgeous and brilliant films i have ever seen .
while i' ll always love the shape emerging to chase after laurie strode, for my money
black christmas
is the supreme slasher film ...
black and white film, furthermore, evokes a nostalgic ambience that enhances the sentimentality that makes christmas movies such prolific producers of warm and fuzzy gut - reactions .
have yourself a scary little, black christmas. it' s not at all like the ones you used to know .
check out the bonus features and trailer below. you can read more on scream factory' s black christmas release here .
twisted christmas: if you couldn' t tell from the title, billy' s murders are happening on christmas .
the quality of the film and its portrayal of womanhood is partly why black christmas has recently enjoyed a resurgence in popularity among younger horror fans in the last decade .
this type of christmas film often follows a structure akin to a christmas carol – including, of course, numerous versions of that story. the muppet christmas carol (1992) is a particularly strong rendition of dickens .
it deserves pride of place alongside it’s a wonderful life, national lampoon’s christmas vacation and santa with muscles at the top of everyone’s must see christmas film list .
dir / prod bob clark; scr roy moore. canada, 1974, color, 98 min. rated r
films about christmas would be few and far between if it weren’t for the small screen. by far the most prolific of the christmas film categories is the telemovie .
there are several animated christmas films that are worth watching, including the nightmare before christmas (1993), the polar express (2004), and a christmas carol (2009) – along with innumerable tv specials and cartoons dedicated to christmas .
on the surface, a dark and brooding, slow - paced horror film like black christmas might not seem like the perfect holiday entertainment. but there are a few reasons it’s actually the perfect christmas movie for this particular cultural moment .
black christmas 2006 begins in primarily the same manner as the original from 1974. it is christmas vacation and the sorority sisters are preparing either to go home for the holidays or settle in for a cold winter vacation on campus. unbeknownst to any of them there is an uninvited visitor lurking in the attic .
this film was so ahead of its time and still so impressive today. i never tire of it. the best christmas horror film ever made imo .
, the copycat that launched a thousand more copycats. there has been a push in the last 10–15 years, though, to recognize bob clark' s 1974 film
of course, anyone familiar with clark’s 1974 seminal canadian horror film black christmas knows that wintertime cheer doesn’t last long in this sorority house. disturbing calls harass the sisters and get increasingly unhinged, until the young women start disappearing one by one — attacked by an unknown man who hides in the home’s attic, placing phone calls from within the house itself. griffin plays claire, the film’s first victim, whose grisly death by plastic bag has since become the poster image of black christmas and an unforgettable moment in horror - film history .
black christmas is quite possibly the original slasher horror movie. hfn contributor ronnie angel recently watched this film for the first, and perhaps the last time. it' s that scary !
director bob clark was no stranger to the horror genre when he helmed this canadian gem in 1974. he had previously directed
after viewing bob clark’s black christmas, horror fans will struggle to view slasher classics like halloween, friday the 13th, or nightmare on elm street the same way again. black christmas solidified the template that established many of the subgenre’s conventions and tropes, and with halloween, laid the groundwork for carpenter’s future success. in fact, clark claims he gave carpenter the idea for halloween to direct as a sequel to black christmas. each film is important, and each added new layers and dimensions to the prototype, but due to chronology alone, black christmas deserves serious props for being ahead of the pack .
( 1974) was not the first horror film to squeeze the cheery yuletide for all its worth in latent menace. one of the vignettes comprising ealing' s postwar portmanteau
the meaning of independent film has changed since robert redford established the sundance film festival in 1981 .
black star champions the achievements of black stars from the earliest years of cinema through to the present day, whilst exploring why opportunities to shine on screen have been historically limited for black actors. black star celebrates films that feature black actors in central roles, bringing their work to a new generation of uk audiences and helping to reposition them and their performances in our collective memory .
the sorority house in black christmas is decked out in christmas kitsch. throughout the film, the trappings of christmas are played up to hilarious effect, like when we get a brief glimpse of a sorority member’s jewish boyfriend clad in a santa suit, or when one of the sorority girls serves alcohol to one of the local children who’ve come to the house for a christmas party. the notion of a wholesome christmas gets as thoroughly smashed as the ornaments peter breaks .
it wouldn’t be christmas without a viewing of one of the greatest canadian holiday films around. black christmas is a fantastic piece of horror history, paving the way for numerous films in the slasher genre. there are plenty of horror films set during various holidays, but black christmas is not only one of the first, but one of the best as well .
black christmas 2006 is a remake so it has two strikes against it out of the gate. thankfully there are enough plot twists and creative gore scenes in this film to make it worth while .
black christmas, the original from 1974 directed by bob clark, is often credited with being the original slasher movie. not the first movie to have someone slashed mind you, but the film that defined the modern slasher genre that has a crazy killer slinking around picking off the victims one by one in gross and unpredictable ways .
tfs is showing black christmas this december 2 at artspace, in conjunction with that organization. popcorn and drinks will be available, and it’s free !
august films film funding ltd. of canada vision iv canadian film development corporation (cfdc) famous players
but as a horror film, black christmas is definitely a success. although tempting, it' s unfair to lump black christmas with the teen slasher films of the early 1980s, a cycle that really started with john carpenter' s halloween (1978). this is a film more about atmosphere than body counts, and there' s more disturbing content in billy' s schizophrenic, threatening phone calls than in any of the few scenes of violence. it is this creepiness that makes black christmas a widely regarded horror film that should be of interest to all horror fans no matter what nationality .
black christmas received the kind of treatment from critics one would expect. like much of canuxploitation, canadian critics attacked the film for appealing to more low - brow (read: american) tastes. black christmas was made an example of the kind of film that should not be receiving any arts funding. alexander points out that the catch - 22 of english canadian film is that the film represents a cinema that simultaneously attempts to reject and cater to popular american cinema, in the process fails both countries .
black xxxmas: a xxx parody (2012) (video) pornographic parody .
upon initial release in the us the films title was changed to
silent night, evil night
because the american distributor feared the title
black christmas
might cause the film to be mistaken for a' blaxploitation' flick. however the film didn' t do well under the new title and it was changed back to the original
black christmas
title, under which it was a success .
keep in mind that black christmas director bob clark would go on to direct one of the most famous christmas films of all time, 1983’s a christmas story. it’s easy to see how much clark has thought about the holiday in black christmas, and the way it has an impact on both the story and the atmosphere. as a result, there are all kinds of nods to the dismantling of your childhood belief in a perfect and happy christmastime .
if bob clark' s black christmas doesn' t make you want to deck the halls and sing jingle bells; you must be a grinch scrooge .
make this holiday season bearable, watch black christmas and drink every tiem: barb drinks, mrs. mac drinks, the phone rings, someone dies .
a black star themed strand will feature in the 2016 into film festival. the festival is aimed at young people aged 5 - 19 and takes place in november. the black star strand will illuminate on - screen talent and feature british black stars as well as actors and actresses from the african diaspora from across film history, focusing on talent and films that resonate with into film’s young audience and are engaging and relevant for educators using film in the classroom
black christmas birthed the slasher genre back in 1974 and remains a highly influential piece of horror cinema to this day. it’s a taut thriller with a great cast and frights that linger well after the credits roll. shout! factory’s choice to retain the film’s 70’s patina should satisfy classic horror fans .
– bruce douglas, high def digest
the essential 1980s christmas comedy, perhaps, is national lampoon’s christmas vacation (1989) – and no self - respecting christmas film lover’s december can pass without a visit to the griswolds. chevy chase offers a pitch - perfect comedic performance as the quintessential frustrated american suburban dad, and christmas vacation is, arguably, the funniest of the vacation series .
the sorority house from black christmas (1974) is located in old toronto, ontario. the house is on a private road and director bob clark stumbled across the house by accident. actors art hindle and lynne griffin returned to the house in the dvd extra black christmas revisited. unfortunately, this extra was included on the now out - of - print 2002 special edition and was not carried over to the current blu - ray / dvd release .
at a special event held at bfi southbank in london with comedian gina yashere and dj norman jay mbe, the bfi tonight unveiled black star, the uk’s biggest ever season of film and television dedicated to celebrating the range, versatility and power of black actors. black star celebrates the relationship between stars and the audiences who love them, spotlighting great performances by black actors on screen .
a film director and his strange friends struggle to produce the first major silent feature film in forty years .
this reimagining showcases with encyclopaedic relish just about every slasher convention and variation that has evolved over the last thirty or so years since the original black christmas screened .
“little baby bunting, daddy’s went a - hunting, gonna fetch a rabbit skin to wrap his baby agnes in. ” (the killer, black christmas )
7. black christmas was made for a meager $ 686, 000 ($ 620, 000 u. s .), consuming eight weeks of filming .
thankfully, black christmas 2006 falls into this second category. if you like fast action, intense “turn around, turn around! ” scenes, creative and “yell out loud” gore and an interesting and compelling story - line, the black christmas 2006 is worth your time and effort. just watch out for the icicles .
black christmas is the quintessential holiday horror film, and scream factory has done an excellent job with this collector' s edition, amassing all previous extras along with a new beautiful 2k scan of the film .
– ryne barber, the moon is a dead world
black christmas is an example of the second type, the whodunit slasher, where the plot is as much about finding the killer’s identity as how they’re eventually defeated .
black christmas ‘s high rating earns it a place in the hallowed that was a bit mental hall of fame. click here to see what else made the grade .
although halloween is credited as the film that kicked off the slasher genre and friday the 13th is the considered the one that inspired a slew of imitations, black christmas pre - dates them both by nearly half a decade .
big budget, mainstream hollywood christmas films usually fall into one of three categories .
bfi player will present the work of some of film’s biggest black stars to audiences right across the uk. with a collection of over 50 titles, the bfi player black star collection will be divided into a number of themes including :
i saw black christmas for the first time ten years ago, during my first month - long horror film marathon and it’s been my favorite ever since. not only is it my favorite horror movie, it’s also one of my favorite christmas movies. yes, i know what that probably says about me .
chinatown (1974 )
he' s my brother, he' s my daddy .
similar line to the film chinatown :
she' s my sister, she' s my daughter .
black christmas (1974, horror) hd official trailer for black christmas, the 1974 horror film that was among the first slasher films and is said to have influenced halloween. it' s time for christmas break, and the sorority sisters make plans for the holiday, but the strange anonymous phone calls are beginning to put them on edge. when clare disappears, they contact the police, who don' t express much concern. meanwhile jess is planning to get an abortion, but boyfriend peter is very much against it. the police finally begin to get concerned when a 13 - year - old girl is found dead in the park. they set up a wiretap to the sorority house, but will they be in time to prevent a sorority girl attrition problem? urltoken
this 1974 canadian horror film from the uniquely talented bob clark (look for his films a christmas story and murder by decree in this issue of preview) is widely credited with being the first
slasher
film, the genre of horror that would come to dominate by the 1980s. but unlike the formulaic franchise entries that came in its wake, black christmas is a well - made thriller, with thoughtful characterization and formally creative moments of fright. olivia hussey and margot kidder are still in their college sorority house on christmas eve, even after receiving a series of menacing telephone calls. big mistake, eh ?
there is one final film that transcends these categories in the complexity of its generic composition – and no spectacular christmas would be complete without it .
“i don’t think we’d have final girls the way we do now without black christmas, ” said alex west, a horror film critic and co - host of the podcast faculty of horror, referring to hussey’s character jess, the film’s main character, whose pro - choice opinions and independence were a noteworthy portrayal of young womanhood in a 1970s slasher film .
although this film' s original title was silent night, evil night it shares no connection to the silent night, deadly night (1984) film, another christmas horror movie, or any of its sequels. another similarly titled film called silent night, bloody night (1972) also has no relation to the film .
1974' s black christmas is one of the most important canadian horror films ever made, a decidedly gimmick - free spookshow that weaves terror and humor into a festive holiday package. not only is it of interest to canuxploitation enthusiasts for the canadian connections, but it remains a benchmark flick for horror film fans who want to see the low budget classics that helped create modern big budget slashers .
during their christmas break, a group of sorority girls are stalked by a stranger .
wishing each and every one of you a much better christmas than this lot got .
18. black christmas, which has been called the prototype of the modern - day slasher film, grossed over $ 4 million in the united states alone. reviews for the holiday / horror picture were mixed. reported the boston evening globe in a thumbs - up review: “black christmas is the best chiller of the year, a creepy, murderous suspense film with an ending guaranteed to rattle what’s left of your sensibilities after the movie’s hour and 45 - minute onslaught. ”
“black christmas, ” which landed on local screens a year after its release in canada where it was produced, is a whodunit that begs the question of why it was made .
“once facebook came around, people started to rediscover the film and fans started to rediscover the people who were in black christmas, ” said griffin, who now attends two to three conventions a year to meet fans of the film (sometimes posing with a plastic bag, striking the iconic pose) .
8. black christmas was filmed on location in toronto, canada. the university of toronto and victoria college served as the primary site. hart house, located at 6 belmont street in toronto, doubled as the terrorized sorority house. it' s known today as simply the
black christmas house .
since 1974 the old house has since been renovated, with every wall taken down and rebuilt and the outside white stucco replaced and painted a different color. the huge tree on the main lawn was also removed .
perhaps frightening in 1974, it really doesn' t hold up today unless you can forget the 12, 000 films exactly like it, which is difficult .
a remake was released in 2006. the poster was creepy, but the film, in which andrea martin plays the house mother, follows standard horror film cliches and cannot hold a christmas candle to the original .
black christmas has shared as many identities as the killer it introduces. its original script was titled the babysitter and then mutated into stop me. the current moniker emerged, but that title was changed to silent night, evil night because warner brothers feared viewers might mistake it for a blaxploitation film, which in the mid - 1970s, was possible. however, the film didn’t find popularity until the title was switched back to black christmas. when the film was later released for television, the title switched again, this time to stranger in the house .
likewise, we don’t watch the 1938 version of dickens’s a christmas carol because films were better in the 1930s, but because this particular film is excellent .
halloween is over. christmas is near. a fitting time to explore an interesting link .
the second, related, category features christmas films about the waning of belief in a modern consumerist society, and the subsequent re - invigoration and reproduction of christmas spirit and jubilation .
forty - two years ago, director bob clark unknowingly kick - started the slasher sub - genre with black christmas, originally released in canada in october of 1974. the film was subsequently picked up by warner bros. for release here in the states, debuting in theaters on december 20th of that year. the canadian slasher grossed several times its $ 620, 000 budget at the box office, pulling in an estimated $ 4, 035, 000. a success by any definition of the term, black christmas went on to become revered as one of the most important and influential horror movies ever made .
pun - based title: it' s a subversion of the song white christmas, here black not standing for african - american, but for evil... or for utter despair .
in black christmas, the killer is deliberately faceless, almost spectral — and there may even be more than one. if we consider that the house at the center of every horror movie is almost always a metaphor, then black christmas argues that if we want to know how hate and violence spread, we need to stop looking for a generic evil outsider and search for the source in our own homes instead. in a year where hate, misogyny, and xenophobic fear of the other reigned over the political climate, the implications of black christmas couldn’t feel more timely .
it was the night before christmas and all through the house, lay corpses and blood, echoing the screams and shouts. of all the helpless victims of billy the kid, who had his christmas sole from him not like you should. a night of mayhem were peace cannot be found, all wrapped up for unwrapping the pin head frowns. and the christmas and the christmases after that will never forget, that a black christmas is never forgotten not never forget !
black star programmer, ashley clark said: “black star shows us many stories of black stardom, on both sides of the atlantic. from cinema’s earliest trail - blazers to today’s transatlantic stars, i’m excited for audiences to enjoy icons, heroes and heroines back on the big screen where they belong. ”
the film is regarded as being one of the first slasher films (with the texas chainsaw massacre (1974), a bay of blood (1971), psycho (1960), and peeping tom (1960) preceding this film). it set the layout for films such as john carpenter halloween (1978). however, director bob clark considered it to be more of a psychological horror film than a slasher film .
• plot twists – i don’t want to give away anything from the first black christmas if you have not seen it, but there are some minimal twists involved in that story. black christmas 2006 assumes that we already know those twists from the original and adds some extras that not only give depth to the story but add elements that give the movie a reason to have been made .
black christmas (also released under the titles silent night, evil night, and stranger in the house) is a 1974 canadian independent horror film directed by bob clark and written by a. roy moore. it stars olivia hussey, keir dullea, margot kidder, andrea martin, marian waldman and john saxon. the story follows a group of sorority sisters who are stalked and murdered over christmas vacation by a killer hiding in their sorority house. it was inspired by the urban legend of
the babysitter and the man upstairs
, but was also largely based on a series of murders that took place in quebec, canada around christmas time. black christmas is generally considered to be one of the first slasher films. a remake of the same name, produced by clark, was released in december 2006 .
the dark polished wood and its contrast to its christmas lights decorating the banisters, the large staircase, the trellis on the side of the house that the killer climbs to enter it, the square wooden crawl space to access the attic: all of these elements are now signature to black christmas, a modestly budgeted canadian film that inspired the slasher genre .
horror aficionados will insist on watching the five films of the silent night, deadly night (1984) series – crude and unpleasant exercises in mayhem, without the style or suspense of black christmas .
john carpenter’s halloween and bob clark’s black christmas have a good deal in common, and it’s not just that they’re both holiday horror classics. the films were also both released in the 1970s – halloween in 1978 and black christmas several years prior, in 1974 – and they’re both credited for helping to kick - start the american slasher movement that primarily dominated the 1980s. of course, most ’80s slashers had way more in common with friday the 13th – released in 1980 – but the tropes of the sub - genre were firmly established in the ’70s by clark and carpenter .
a christmas story (1983) the leg lamp can be seen in the sorority living room .
9. black christmas is a christmas creeper, opening at a sorority holiday party. several of the girls – jess (olivia hussey), barbie (margot kidder), phyllis (andrea martin) – have been getting obscene phone calls from a stranger they have dubbed
the moaner .
canadian director bob clark (a christmas story, murder by decree) tragically left this mortal realm in a car crash in 2007, but his legacy of work lives on. he worked in several genres, but in horror, his 1970s masterpiece black christmas is revered by both fans and filmmakers .
black christmas with puppet master comic writer shawn gabborin this week on scream addicts, jinx welcomes shawn gabborin to the show. the editor - in - chief of action lab comics (for which he writes the puppet master comic book series), mr. gabborin has chosen bob clark’s classic 1974 proto - slasher black christmas for discussion this week. with its gloomy holiday atmosphere, shocking violence, and goofy humor, black christmas inspires a discussion which touches on the film’s mystery, its place in slasher film history, and whether or not its heroine can be considered a true final girl. along the way, we discuss the remake, mourn the death of video stores, and briefly discuss…stallone’s over the top? ! it’s a fun conversation with a great guest, and it’s one we hope you enjoy! make sure to scream at us on facebook and twitter. we are: @ shawngabborin @ scream addicts @ jinx1981
black christmas was officially released on october 11, 1974, in canada through ambassador film distributors, and in the united states on december 20, 1974, through warner bros. , where it grossed $ 4, 053, 000. it was released in october 1975 in new york city and chicago, and previously played under the title silent night, evil night in virginia in july 1975. and grossed over $ 4, 053, 000 internationally, managing to earn more than the film' s budget of $ 620, 000. when released in the uk, the bbfc had the word
cunt
removed, as well as several other crude and sexual references during the first obscene phone call .
black christmas from scream factory is a good release. it' s not amazing, but it' s good. i can' t say i was particularly impressed with the picture. there is a note at the beginning of the film that the negative scan produced a result that looks as good as when the film was released in theaters .
black christmas has had a lasting legacy partly because of the influence it had on john carpenter in making halloween, and partly because it’s just a really good film — one whose strident feminism and refusal to shame its sorority girls for their behavior is still rare onscreen and off .
15. deceased the big valley cast members are barbara stanwyck (1907 - 1990), richard long (1927 - 1974), peter breck (1929 - 2012) and napoleon whiting (1910 - 1984). whiting played the barkleys' black servant / chef silas in 36 episodes .
of course, much of the promotion for black christmas was done in theaters, where various props and posters were put on display for movie - goers to see. in some theaters, wreaths were hung up with black cardboard bows on them that read “ it’s going to be a black christmas, ” and in other theaters, dummies were set up in rocking chairs and placed in the lobbies. the chairs, equipped with electric motors, rocked back and forth continuously throughout the day. the dummies had plastic bags over their heads, and the displays essentially brought the film’s poster art to life .
every last detail is there: from the christmas trees, to the christmas lights, to the christmas carolers who sing at the front door, to the depiction of the extreme cold. black christmas, though frightening, is the most christmas - feeling film that i have yet seen. lewis jackson’s you better watch out (1980, aka christmas evil) also does an admirable job of getting the christmas feeling right, but black christmas is simply the best. it’s one of those films that was released under other titles. its original title, silent night, evil night, is rarely used now, at least here in the states. i think a lot of folks confuse it with silent night, deadly night (1984), a truly tasteless take on christmas evil. it was shown on television about 30 years ago as stranger in the house (not to be confused with wes craven’s stranger in our house from 1978, which was based upon the novel summer of fear which was released theatrically in europe under that title and also appears on the movie marquee in wes craven’s deadly blessing, and jeff east is in both of those movies…all right, sorry, getting carried away… )
i' m continuing my countdown to halloween covering scary, creepy and halloween - appropriate christmas entertainments .
1974: the year of watergate, dungeons and dragons, and patty hearst. hillary swank was born and jack benny died. right along side chinatown, the [... ]
regarded among horror fans as the first film to come up with the popular convention of a killer calling from inside the house. however, it was preceded a year earlier by the severed arm (1973), in which a radio announcer is called repeatedly by the killer who the operator soon discovers is inside the studio on another phone, and then by the tv movie mousey (1974), which featured star kirk douglas terrorizing ex - wife (jean seberg) with calls that the police eventually trace to a room upstairs (dialogue between the police inspector and seberg is almost identical to that between jess and sgt nash in this film). both likely set the precedent for this convention popularized by black christmas (1974) .
richard donner’s lethal weapon (1987) is likewise set in los angeles during christmas, and perhaps the most memorable scene in the film is the introduction of cop on the edge martin riggs (mel gibson) as he breaks up a drug deal in a christmas tree lot .
at the end of each year, there are websites that ask their readers to pick their favorite christmas film. the answers are fairly predictable: it’s a wonderful life (1946) and miracle on 34 th street (1947), and then there are some surprises like march of the wooden soldiers (1933) and the man in the santa claus suit (1979). my own personal favorite is a seemingly odd choice: the late bob clark’s masterful 1974 thriller black christmas. i consider this film to be one of the best horror films ever made. it is incredibly scary and at times wildly hilarious (it should come as no surprise that mr. clark also directed porky’s (1981) and a christmas story (1983). i have never seen a thriller walk such a tightrope and manage to juggle both of these extreme emotions successfully. more than that, however, it’s a film that gets christmas completely right .
you need black christmas, a canadian horror film made by director bob clark in 1974 on a shoestring budget (about $ 700, 000), four whole years before halloween supposedly kicked off the slasher genre. set in a sorority house just before the students’ year - end departure for the christmas holidays, the film concerns the escalating terror visited upon the sorority sisters by an unknown assailant who hides in their attic. over the course of a few nights, his terrifying anonymous phone calls grow more violent, girls start disappearing, and the police force, as well as parents and local community members, all get involved in trying to find the killer .
in 1986, olivia hussey met producers for the film roxanne (1987), since they were interested in casting her for the title role. roxanne co - star steve martin met her and said
oh my god, olivia, you were in one of my all time favorite films .
thinking it was romeo and juliet (1968), olivia was surprised to find out it was actually black christmas (1974). martin claimed he had seen it around 27 times .
black christmas may be one of the oldest examples of the modern slasher film, but it’s still one of the best. it still has the power to shock four decades later, and not even a shonky remake in 2006 could damage its reputation. if you’re a fan of slashers and you haven’t seen it yet, correct this as soon as possible because it’s a christmas cracker (sorry) .
1. black christmas sprouted from the semi - fertile imagination of canadian writer roy moore. moore had gotten his creepy story – that of a stranger making bizarre phone calls to a sorority house – after reading about similar events which reportedly had taken place during a 12 - month period. moore’s working script was initially titled the babysitter, which morphed into stop me, then silent night, evil night, and, ultimately, black christmas .
after several witless murders, john saxon, the film' s unflustered, if perplexed, detective, cynically asks a dumb cop, “don' t you think we ought to look into it? ” considering the ersatz tension and plotting, “black christmas” is hardly worth the efforts of all concerned .
the final credits include the message
goodbye, shirley ,
in tribute to composer shirley walker, a frequent collaborator with director glen morgan. walker passed away in november 2006, before
black christmas
' release .
both one of the most stylish and most creepiest slashers out there—not to mention the essential christmas slasher—and what' s more is it' s one of the genre' s best. black christmas is decked with holiday - horror cheer and slick scares, two things that the genre hasn' t always got right, but here, it' s pretty miraculous. bob clark is a magician and the way he crafts black christmas is another testament to why he was such a diverse director (this dude really made porky' s ii and a christmas story in the same year). with this one he tackles a psychological slasher, fit with great, relatable…
horror doesn' t settle for simple tuesday: one of many slasher films to take place on christmas .
classical hollywood cinema offers the most refined, and in many ways the most aesthetically pleasurable, christmas films .
in 1986, olivia hussey met producers for the film roxanne (1987), since they were interested in casting her for the title role. roxanne co - star steve martin met her and said
oh my god, olivia, you were in one of my all time favorite films .
thinking it was romeo and juliet (1968), olivia was surprised to find out it was actually black christmas (1974). martin claimed he had seen it around 27 times. see more »
black christmas (former alternate titles include silent night, evil night and stranger in the house) is a 1974 canadian psychological slasher film directed by bob clark and written by a. roy moore. it stars olivia hussey, keir dullea, margot kidder, andrea martin, marian waldman and john saxon. the story follows a group of sorority sisters who are receiving threatening phone calls, while being stalked and murdered during the holiday season by a deranged murderer hiding in the attic of their sorority house .
black christmas is an effective, frightening above average slasher movie with a good cast and a frightening, surprise ending. barb (margot kidder) and jess (olivia hussey) are lonely sorority sisters who are having a christmas party in their sorority house during the christmas break. peter (keir dullea) is a mad - killer who terrorizes the women by making threatening telephone calls. as the body count mounts, the women realize that the killer may be in the house. black christmas, one of the first of the slasher pictures, is still frightening despite some plot devices which have now become standard and predictable. director bob clark uses his excellent cast to great effect, and the script, written by roy moore, has some great plot twists and a good, scary surprise ending. black christmas has also been released as silent night, evil night and stranger in the house .
black christmas was officially released on october 11, 1974, in canada through ambassador film distributors, and in the united states on december 20, 1974, through warner bros. , [ 5 ] where it grossed $ 4, 053, 000. it was released in october 1975 in new york city and chicago, [ 6 ] and previously played under the title silent night, evil night in virginia in july 1975. [ 7 ] and grossed over $ 4, 053, 00 internationally, managing to earn more than the film' s budget of $ 620, 000. [ citation needed ] when released in the uk, the bbfc had the word
cunt
removed, as well as several other crude and sexual references during the first obscene phone call .
even though it was made by an american, black christmas has a very strong canadian sensibility. in his review of the film, david alexander points to the killer in black christmas as a representation of the canadian persona. billy stands out against the traditionally macho film murders as a more
effeminate
presence. he is more emotional than logical, seems obsessed with motherhood, and has smaller features. keeping with this, it is the stronger female characters that actually represent a threat to billy, as the male characters often prove as impotent as the
loser
characters in goin down the road .
this classic, enigmatically disturbing horror film from universal studios and expressionistic director edgar g. ulmer was universal' s top - grossing film of the year .
williams, “film bodies: gender, genre, excess” in film quarterly, 44: 4, summer 1991, 2 - 13), 4. ↩
unnecessary remake of the classic groundbreaking horror film of the same name, black christmas is a dull film that has everything you' d expect from a bad remake, bad acting, bad directing, predictable story and a poor cast. the original was a classic film that did not need to be remade. this film is not very entertaining, and relies on old ideas to create its horror. the end result is a film that simply doesn' t work. as with nearly all remakes, black christmas is dull and is a disappointing film. there' s nothing of interest that would make this film worth watching. the film lacks any depth to really make this one really stand out. the film navigates through constant mediocrity and overall ends up being an awful waste of time. usually studios constantly remake horror classics such as prom night, the hitcher friday the 13th to name a few. only a small handful were decent at best. but the black christmas remake suffers from a pointless story with bad acting that really tries too hard to entertain the viewer. good horror films should be effortless in building the terror. however with this one, this is predictable and really bland with nothing new. as a slasher film, this remake doesn' t do any that would make you expect the traditional good elements of what makes a slasher film so special. this remake is bland and predictable and is yet another remake that doesn' t work because previously explored ideas that are just not intriguing. this should be avoided .
has finally gotten the recognition it so richly deserved back in 1974. from the first eerie strains of
silent night ,
to its chilling conclusion, you' ll be glued to the screen .
black star aims to bring strong characters and trail - blazing performances to the widest possible audience. the season will spotlight :
black christmas by lee hays (1976): good luck tracking this one down, it’s long been out of print and awfully pricey as a result. all the same, if you can find it for a reasonable figure, i’d suggest making the purchase. black christmas is one of the most horrifying films ever shot, and the book opens the door for a closer look at the psychology of the story and its players. get it if you can! !
whodunit slashers almost always have a red herring who seems to be the most likely killer, and black christmas is no different. it’s got peter, jess’s boyfriend, who’s a first class knob - end and is controlling and aggressive .
the original title of the films script was
stop me
. it was director bob clark who came up with the title
black christmas
saying that he liked the irony of something dark occurring during such a festive holiday.
black christmas ( former alternate titles include silent night , evil night and stranger in the house ) is a 1974 canadian psychological slasher film directed by bob clark and written by a. roy moore . it stars olivia hussey , keir dullea , margot kidder , andrea martin , marian waldman and john saxon . the story follows a group of sorority sisters who are receiving threatening phone calls , while being stalked and murdered during the holiday season by a deranged murderer hiding in the attic of their sorority house . the film was shot on an estimated budget of $ 620,000 and was released by warner bros. in the united states and canada . when originally released , the film grossed over $ 4 million at the box office and initially received mixed reviews . the film was inspired by a series of murders that took place in the westmount section of montreal , quebec , and the urban legend " the babysitter and the man upstairs " . years after its release , black christmas has received respected praise and is credited for originating the unsolved ambiguous identity for the killer . the film is generally considered to be one of the earliest slasher films , served as an influence for halloween , and has become a cult classic . two years since its original release , a novelization written by lee hayes was published in 1976 and a remake of the same name , produced by clark , was released in december 2006 . 
black christmas (former alternate titles include silent night, evil night and stranger in the house) is a 1974 canadian psychological slasher film directed by bob clark and written by a. roy moore. it stars olivia hussey, keir dullea, margot kidder, andrea martin, marian waldman and john saxon. the story follows a group of sorority sisters who are receiving threatening phone calls, while being stalked and murdered during the holiday season by a deranged murderer hiding in the attic of their sorority house. the film was shot on an estimated budget of $ 620,000 and was released by warner bros. in the united states and canada. when originally released, the film grossed over $ 4 million at the box office and initially received mixed reviews. the film was inspired by a series of murders that took place in the westmount section of montreal, quebec, and the urban legend " the babysitter and the man upstairs ". years after its release, black christmas has received respected praise and is credited for originating the unsolved ambiguous identity for the killer. the film is generally considered to be one of the earliest slasher films, served as an influence for halloween, and has become a cult classic. two years since its original release, a novelization written by lee hayes was published in 1976 and a remake of the same name, produced by clark, was released in december 2006.
black christmas (former alternate titles include silent night, evil night and stranger in the house) is a 1974 canadian psychological slasher film directed by bob clark and written by a. roy moore. it stars olivia hussey, keir dullea, margot kidder, andrea martin, marian waldman and john saxon. the story follows a group of sorority sisters who are receiving threatening phone calls, while being stalked and murdered during the holiday season by a deranged murderer hiding in the attic of their sorority house. the film was shot on an estimated budget of $ 620,000 and was released by warner bros. in the united states and canada. when originally released, the film grossed over $ 4 million at the box office and initially received mixed reviews. the film was inspired by a series of murders that took place in the westmount section of montreal, quebec, and the urban legend " the babysitter and the man upstairs ". years after its release, black christmas has received respected praise and is credited for originating the unsolved ambiguous identity for the killer. the film is generally considered to be one of the earliest slasher films, served as an influence for halloween, and has become a cult classic. two years since its original release, a novelization written by lee hayes was published in 1976 and a remake of the same name, produced by clark, was released in december 2006.