Looking for the next feel good holiday themed movie to put on at Christmas time? Well, keep looking. Buuuuut if you are looking for a real creepy-as-shit horror film, look no further! Black Christmas (1974) is the one you want.
Black Christmas (1974) is about sorority girls being stalked and killed by a mystery man with an even more mysterious (and terribly traumatic) past. Directed by Bob Clark, written by A. Roy Moore, and starring Olivia Hussey, Margot Kidder, and John Saxon, Black Christmas has become recognized by many as one of the best horror films of all time.
One of the first things to notice is how purposefully-assembled it all is. The set design, the characters, the music, the use of darkness, and impeccable framing, all of it adds together to create an environment of terror which is immediate. This is also the first film to use the now-classic “the calls are coming from inside the house” trope. Billy (the unseen and uncredited murderer) harrasses the sorority sisters with phone calls all throughout the film. The phone calls are awesomely frightening- Billy is one creepy mofo. In fact, he’s such a creepy enigma that no single actor actually plays him. All uncredited, Nick Mancuso did the phone voice, Bob Clark (the director) apparently was Billy’s shadow and did some phone voice as well, and Albert J. Dunk did Billy’s POV. Much like the fears we dream up ourselves in the dark of night, Billy has an ever-shifting presence of terror.
Now, I wrote an article about Black Christmas way back in the day, and I will say I have changed my mind about a few things. In the words of Earl from Tremors, “I’m older and I’m wiser.” I mentioned wanting to know more about Billy’s backstory and wanting to watch the remake from 2006. Well, I was WRONG. In the 1974 movie, we get just enough of a taste of who Billy is and what his trauma is to keep things moving along and maintain the creepy without giving away the secret ingredients. The 2006 remake reveals it all, deconstructing the secret ingredients and leaving a bad taste in your mouth.
As you might have guessed, after viewing all three Black Christmas films (confusingly all named the same thing), I’m coming out on the side of the film historians who rate the OG ‘74 classic as one of the best. Black Christmas ‘74 is a must-watch. There’s a reason that John Carpenter cited it as a major influence for his own work, Halloween in particular. Grab some Christmas cookies, cozy up with your loved ones by the fire, and watch the bodies drop!
My very official ranking of the Black Christmas films from best to worst:
- Black Christmas 1974
- Black Christmas 2019
- Black Christmas 2006
