Black Christmas (1974)

Director:

Bob Clark

Writer:

Roy Moore (writer)

Release Date:

20 December 1974 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

If this movie doesn't make your skin crawl... It's On Too Tight!

Plot:

A sorority house is terrorized by a stranger who makes frightening phone calls and then murders the sorority sisters during Christmas break.

Plot Keywords:

Carolers | Rope | Fireplace | Hockey | Christmas Gift

Awards:

2 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Olivia Hussey	...	Jessica Bradford
Keir Dullea	...	Peter Smythe
Margot Kidder	...	Barbie Coard
John Saxon	...	Lieutenant Kenneth Fuller
Marian Waldman	...	Mrs. Mac
Andrea Martin	...	Phyllis Carlson
James Edmond	...	Mr. Harrison
Doug McGrath	...	Sergeant Nash (as Douglas McGrath)
Art Hindle	...	Chris Hayden
Lynne Griffin	...	Clare Harrison
Michael Rapport	...	Patrick
Leslie Carlson	...	Graham (as Les Carlson)
Martha Gibson	...	Mrs. Quaife
John Rutter	...	Detective Wynman
Robert Warner	...	Doctor

Also Known As:

Noël tragique (Canada: French title)
Silent Night, Evil Night
Stranger in the House (USA) (TV title)

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Singapore:NC-16 | Canada:R (Nova Scotia) | Argentina:18 | Iceland:16 | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Finland:K-18 (DVD) (self applied) (2004) (2007) | USA:TV-MA | Netherlands:12 | Australia:R | Norway:16 (1976) | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:A (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Grenadier Lake, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Film Funding Ltd. of Canada

Trivia:

According to director Bob Clark about five people were responsible for voicing the frightening phone calls, including Clark, actor Nick Mancuso and an unnamed actress.

Goofs:

Continuity: The outside of the sorority house says pi kappa sigma. A picture hung inside the house says pi beta phi.

Quotes:

The Killer: [referring to her potential abortion] Just like having a wart removed.
Jessica Bradford: Oh my God!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Filthy (2003)

Soundtrack:

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Great film for both fans and regular film goers.

This film was really great to watch when I saw it last Christmas. I was expecting more of a "Halloween" type film, except the fact that the always brilliant Margot Kidder was in it. So I was into it from the start. The film follows a sorority house on the days proceeding Christmas when a psycho stalker starts getting into the house and, quite frankly, under the girls skin. Then the murders begin. The

setting has been seen before, and so have the P.O.V. shots, but who cares?

This film was scary anyway.

Olivia Hussey is terrific and tense as the lead sorority sister, Jesse, who has the burden of dealing with all the other sisters' crisis problems. She looked really great too! And in the finale, she really played her role out for all it was worth.

Kier Dullea was descent. A little too humble for the role, and not as, well,

intimidating as he could have been. His scenes here are played out like a play. if not Broadway style, more conservative.

Margot Kidder, being as good as she is, was not surprisingly fabulous! Her

character was the rough tough stuff sister who drinks, swears, and is the only one of them who has the guts to show off some glitz.

The rest of the cast does just fine, particularly Andrea Martin as the soft spoken sister, John Saxon as the police chief who only wants to find the answer, and the actress who played Mrs. Mac was certainly worth the view too!

Writing wise this film was greatly and adroitly planned. The central theme of this film is that you can't trust anyone, friend or foe, and the scares are genuine, and come psychologically, instead of in your face like "Halloween" or "Friday the 13th." Bob Clark is in love with his actors as he photographs them in bright

exuberant colors, while his killer is photographed in jaundiced, grainy colors.

All in all, a very artistic film and very creepy to the bone. Great atmospheric music too!