Rating: 
Summary: Chills Aplenty
Review: There are a large number of horror films relying on graphic violence and cheap thrills in order to lure in viewers such as myself, and then there are films like Bob Clark's 1974 psychological tour de force "Black Christmas." Foregoing hockey masked serial killers or shambling, meat eating zombies, Canadian director Clark rivets the viewer to the screen with this crackling tale about a college sorority house and a demented psychotic relentlessly hunting its denizens down. The director of this film has often moved freely amongst different film genres during his career, from bawdy comedy (Porky's) to Sherlock Holmes (Murder by Decree) to super intelligent infants (Baby Geniuses). We should all thank the horror gods that he made this film, however, because "Black Christmas" might just rank as one of the creepiest pictures ever made. After viewing this blockbuster, it quickly became apparent that many subsequent films cribbed shamelessly from Clark's objet d'art. If you haven't done so already, you need to hustle out and pick up a copy of this one soon. "Black Christmas" takes place, predictably, around the Christmas season in a sorority house at a large university. The girls at the house all have their own nasty little secrets, little vices both major and minor that eventually emerge as the evening's madness progresses. The only hint of potential trouble at the start is a weird phone call the girls get from some guy screeching and squawking like a madman, which doesn't really concern them all that much because this guy has called before. The phone call did disturb me because it is as eerie as you could possibly imagine. Subsequent phone calls, where this guy screeches out a woman's name that the film never elaborates on adds additional chills. Who is this guy and what does he want from these young women? Sorority sister Claire is the first girl to go missing, causing her father to arrive on the scene and setting into motion a chain of events that rapidly claims the lives of several principal characters. The cops enter into the picture, and soon place a tap on that pesky phone in an effort to understand what's going on at the house. You can take it from here, but I will say the best thing about watching this movie on a DVD is that it lays to rest once and for all who it is making those crazy phone calls. If you have a pause or slow button on your remote, you can see the murderer's face. Moreover, the disc provides information about an alternate ending that leaves no doubt as to the killer's identity. The sound of a ringing phone over the closing credits was a nice touch. "Black Christmas" does an excellent job establishing its characters. The primary sorority girl is Jessica Bradford, played by the delightfully beautiful Olivia Hussey, who soon reveals an unfortunate secret involving her temperamental yet musically gifted boyfriend Peter Smythe (Keir Dullea). Jessica's sorority sisters consist of Barb, a wonderfully foul-mouthed alcoholic played by Margot Kidder at the height of her beauty and SCTV member Andrea Martin as the homely looking Phyllis, a no nonsense young lady who can put even the obnoxious Barb in her place with a mere word. The sorority house also has a landlady of sorts, Mrs. MacHenry, a closet drinker with a flip attitude. John Saxon makes an eventual appearance as a cop, and Art Hindle appears as the boyfriend of quickly disappearing sorority sister Claire. There are quite a few recognizable faces in this film, which gives the movie a sort of instant familiarity. All of the actors do a great job here, with Kidder and the lady who plays MacHenry turning in the best performances. Clark works wonders with this stellar cast, often illuminating a specific character trait by relying upon a quick look or a single word. Watch the scene where a drunken Barb receives a brow beating from Phyllis as proof of the director's ability to sketch out his characters. What I appreciated most about "Black Christmas" was the pervasive atmosphere of impending doom wending its way through the film. Six years before Stanley Kubrick used extended camera shots of the creepy interior of the Overlook Hotel in "The Shining," Clark accomplished the same effect in "Black Christmas." Those lingering shots of the empty hallways and staircases inside the sorority house instill a deeply disturbing sense that something ominous is just around the corner. Moreover, Clark made his film about as bloodless as possible, a rare occurrence in what is essentially a stalk and slash picture. Murders rarely appear in gory detail, but instead show up through quick editing cuts and by implication. Perhaps a rather tame film in terms of gore and an effort to slow down the pace in order to increase the suspense might not appeal to many modern horror fans, but I will take a film like "Black Christmas" over your typical slasher movie any day. There are two DVD versions of this film floating around on the market right now, and unfortunately I watched the one with little in the way of extras. Make sure to look for the one with commentary tracks from Clark and Saxon on it. "Black Christmas" is a classic, although generally forgotten, horror film that belongs in the collection of every serious fan of the cinematic macabre. Besides, even if you don't appreciate the film, you can still learn the proper way to give a cop your new telephone area code!
Rating: 
Summary: Slash the price
Review: This is a fine little film, but hilariously overpriced. When they cut the cost in half (currently about $27), it will be worth everyone's while to check it out. Until then, forget it.
Rating:
Summary: SCARY AS HELL
Review: Before John Carpenter's HALLOWEEN and Sean S. Cunningham's FRIDAY HE 13th, there was a relatively unknown horror film back in 1974 called BLACK CHRISTMAS directed by Bob Clark. Actually one of the first modern style 'slasher' films after PSYCHO, this film clearly knows quite literally how to scare the hell out of anybody that watches it (and you don't have to be in the cinema for this one to scare you). Set a few days before Christmas Eve, a bunch of girls are about to leave a north American university sorority house for the holidays. What happens next is pretty obvious (psycho walks into house and starts killing the few innocent girls that remain including a young Olivia Hussey). The plot may be fairly simple but as the other reviews suggest, it is this movie not HALLOWEEN or FRIDAY THE 13th that came first and unlike its latter films, Bob Clark really knows how to pull out all the scares without having to resort to the tacky knee jerk tactics or 'fake' scares which most modern films now have to resort to. Instead, very effective techniques are used such as using lots of shadows, an unseen killers face throughout the movie and most importantly the menacing phone calls which are the most disturbing factor in this film. Some of you may prefer the later 'well known' horror flicks but trust me if you want to be scared and I mean really scared, watch this film and you will really see why I have awarded it a well deserved five star status.
Rating: 
Summary: The Original Camera Stalking Horror
Review: Even though this film doesn't even come close to "Halloween", it was the original POV (point of view) hand-held camera stalker movie... you know.... where the camera acts like it is the eyes of the killer. Anyway the plot is pretty much your run-of-the-mill deranged serial killer on the loose stalking girls in a university sorority house type horror movie, but it does boast some inventive camera shots, lighting and scares. Even though the film does not have the same kind of impact now, it was certainly a very frightening movie for its time. A girl from the sorority house goes missing, a killer moves into the attic upstairs, strange phone calls are made to the house, a child is found murdered in the park and one of the girls has strange thoughts about an abortion as her boyfriend pianist begins to loose his mind. The acting is pretty tacky but you will find actors like Keir Dullea (2001: A space Odyssey) playing a lead role in this movie. There are also a few other actors who went on to do better things - Margot Kidder (Superman) and John Saxon (Nightmare on Elm Street). Overall there are a lot worse "slasher" movies out there but there are also a lot of better ones. Anyhow, you might as well see the original POV "slasher" movie if you haven't already. It is not that bad ... but it is not that good either. Sort of middle-ground horror hokum.
Rating:
Summary: Black Christmas
Review: For its time, Black Christmas would have been a highly original and frightening experience. This 1974 slasher film was indeed quite creepy, but I found some scenes were always going on forever. Olivia Hussey's performance was fair, but it was Margot Kidder who brought this film a very high quality. The unknown killer is very disturbing, always saying his name is Billy and calling out for a person named Agnes. Overall, this film was pretty scary, but even if it was the first of its kind, it wasn't the best film ever made. Pretty good I guess.
Rating:
Summary: What your mother and I must know...
Review: Black Christmas is without a doubt the greatest horror film you've probably never seen. I hadn't heard anything about it myself until I noticed it cropping up on a lot of people's favourite horror film lists, so decided it was about time I saw what all the fuss was about. The film centres around a Sorority house in the Christmas holiday season, where the girls begin receiving a series of disturbing phone calls from an unknown source. It soon becomes apparent that a faceless killer is stalking them, a killer who has snuck in through an open window and is inhabiting their attic... Pre-dating all of the classic horror films of the late 70s and 80s, Black Christmas is a stark, stylish and creepy film that boasts some chilling moments and some great performances. The genius of the film lies in it's ability to evoke an intense atmosphere of forboding which leaves you constantly unsettled and totally immersed which it does without the need for special effects, gore, or cheap scares. The direction, framing, POV shots, and lighting all work toegther seemlessly to provide moments that really leave you cold (especially the eye through the crack of the door). The script deserves a mention too, because it really is superb. There are some great characters, some good threads of drama and even comedy, but these are brilliantly and appropriately contained within their scenes without detracting from the menacing atmosphere and overall theme of the film. The phone calls are one of the high points, containing shades of Reagan's multi-voice outbursts in the Exorcist but with overtones of despair and confusion which give an insight into the psychological state of the deranged killer. All in all, if you are a fan of horror, and looking for something more than the slick disposable dime a dozen slasher films of recent years, you simply have to own this little gem.
Rating:
Summary: Really well done Horror
Review: This is one of those movies that I remembered from a sneaky late night, parents are asleep, stay up past bedtime, then regret that for the next month when you jump every time the phone rings. I had always remembered that this was a terrifying film but did not remember the title, so was very happy when I finally redicovered it. Although we have seen many imitators of this little canadian film it still holds its own. Set in a partially deserted sorority house right before christmass the film moves smoothly from one scene of suspense, a person POSSIBLY sneaking into the house, to relaxing scenes of the girls leaving for winter vacation. This in turn is the reason why, as some girls are getting attacked their dissappearences are not noticed. The director manages to keep suspense at nail-biting tension. The psycho is not seen, as in Nightmare on Elm Street, where Freddy became more of a Shekky Green spouting one liners, nor as in Hallowwen where Michael Myers became an unkillable otherwordly demon. This person is human, and all the more frightening for that reason. AS the movie builds towards the climax with the still unsuspecting, last women in the house, you get to hear the famous line, probably the first time it was ever used in a teen horror movie.......The CAlls are coming from INSIDE THE HOUSE! This is the origional, before these movies became targets for camp or self paradies. Watch it with the lights on! I very much recomend this movie, it's been imitated but this really is one of the best.
Rating: 
Summary: Not as good as I thought it would be....
Review: After reading several very positive reviews for it, I had to get this movie. I threw it in the DVD player and was fairly disapointed. Its a cool movie, but very SLOW! There are a few jumpy parts, besides that definetly not worth buying. This movie cant even come close to being compared to a great film like Halloween. So overall, Its worth a rent, the killer is pretty cool in some of the things he does, but dont buy it, You'l watch it once and it will be left on the shelf forever......
Rating:
Summary: saw for 1st time on tv
Review: I saw this movie quite a few years ago on an old b&w tv set, and let me tell you it scared the wholly mess out of me. The cast at the time was unknown with the exception of OLivia Hussee, they were all outstanding. This new edition is a must have for horror collectors like myself.............
Rating:
Summary: BLACK CHRISTMAS
Review: I seen this movie on HBO when i was a kid in the 70's. i remembered it scared the hell out of me. To the point where i couldn't sleep for a few nights and for some time i didn't go into the attic without my trustee basball bat. ahh the innocents of childhood. lol. i still like it and it still dose raise some hairs on my head. the phone calls added so much to this film. the murders were pretty decent. the killer is pretty cool. the voices he dose are pretty creepy. they didn't go gore crazy which is a plus when it comes to what i like about horror movies. this movie was made to give you the creeps and it did what it said it would do in the trailer. if your into good scares? this ones for you! if your into total needles gore? then look elswhere. I gave this movie 4 stars for a few reasons. the director tries to scare you instead of trying to make you puke. the only thing i didn't like about this movie is how the surviving woman handles herself. which is usually the same typical way all slasher stalker horror movie woman end up. not doing what they are susposed to do. but if they did? they wouldn't have a ending.
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