NEW Kidder/saxon - Black Christmas (Blu-ray)

To anyone who is a fan of the horror genre from any decade, Black Christmas is a must see. Unlike other horror/suspence movies such as Seven or Jaws, both of which are engaging yet polished, Black Christmas has that rough around the edges dated appeal much like Cabin Feaver and 28 Days Later. What I enjoy most about the movie is the ambiguity of the villian, and the manner in which it's role is played out. And although Black Christmas may not be the first movie to slip between anyone's lips when this genre is either mentioned or thought of, it is on a level with John Carpender's Halloween and Ridley Scott's Alien, if not in cinematic profit, then certainly in it's respect for the genre.

The first time I saw this movie was in the 80's. I had already been subjected to Freddy, Jason and Michael, and this scared me more than the three of them combined. Don't get me wrong, Nightmare, Friday and Halloween were, and still are, very scary movies. I went into it expecting the worst and came out of it wanting to go back to a time before I had witnessed it. It scared me soooo bad that I had to sleep with the lights on for weeks afterwards. Every time the phone rang I sank inside from fear.
Now I am older, wiser and more mature......... I am no longer a teen as I was when I watched this the first time. I have been subjected to things much worse and more horrifying over the past 20 years........... or so I thought......
I thought that the padding of time and the advancements of movies and cinema would cushion me.....
I was wrong.
I watched this movie again with some friends who had not seen it, yet alone even heard of it.
I watched in horror as every feeling came rushing back. I watched in amusement as my friends lost every ounce of cool. I watched in sheer delight as I witnessed, once again, one of the most terrifying movies ever made tear me and my friends to shreds of useless nothing. Even with all the camp that is now visible in the movie, it does not let loose of its horrifying grip.

The premise is that there is a killer loose. It appears that he has chosen the attic of the sorrority house to hold up in. He uses the phone to do some of his or her terrorizing. One by one the sorrority sisters and housemother are picked off. And one by one the list of suspects grows until the climax at the end when everything is solved... or is it?
I could go on about the plot, but others have already done so.
If you watch this with the knowledge that this is one of the originals, not a knock off, then you will have more appreciation for it.
Sure, the acting is questionable, as is the directing, camera work and editing.
But, this is the real deal.. this is what other movies have molded themselves after. This is the movie that deserves all the credit that others get.
Watch this and see if you feel the same way about unicorns that you did before you saw it.
And I dare you to sleep with the lights out afterwards......

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.