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Title: Black Christmas (1974)
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Edit
Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Olivia Hussey | ... | ||
| Keir Dullea | ... |
Peter
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| Margot Kidder | ... | ||
| John Saxon | ... | ||
 |
Marian Waldman | ... | |
| Andrea Martin | ... |
Phyl
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James Edmond | ... | |
| Doug McGrath | ... |
Sargeant Nash
(as Douglas McGrath)
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| Art Hindle | ... |
Chris
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| Lynne Griffin | ... | ||
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Michael Rapport | ... |
Patrick
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Leslie Carlson | ... |
Graham
(as Les Carlson)
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Martha Gibson | ... |
Mrs. Quaife
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John Rutter | ... |
Laughing Detective
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Robert Warner | ... |
Doctor
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Edit
Plot Summary
|
Plot Synopsis
Storyline
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? Written by Ed Sutton <esutton@mindspring.com>
Taglines:
Have Yourself a Scary Little, Black Christmas. It's Not at All Like the Ones You Used to Know. See more »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
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See more »
See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
CanadaLanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
20 December 1974 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Silent Night, Evil Night See more »Box Office
Budget:
CAD 686,000 (estimated)Company Credits
Production Co:
Film Funding Ltd. of Canada, Vision IV, Canadian Film Development Corporation (CFDC) See more »
Show detailed
company contact information
on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
MonoColor:
Color (Technicolor)Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1
Edit
Jessica Bradford: It's Jess.
Sergeant Nash: Ms. Bradford, this is Sergeant Nash. Are you the only one in the house?
Jessica Bradford: No. Phyll and Barb are upstairs asleep. Why?
Sergeant Nash: Alright. Now I want you to do exactly what I tell you without asking any questions, okay?
Jessica Bradford: [Begins to question]
Sergeant Nash: No, no, no... no questions. Now just put the phone back on the hook, walk to the front door and leave the house.
Jessica Bradford: What's wrong?
Sergeant Nash: Please, Ms. Bradford, please just do as I tell you.
Jessica Bradford: Okay. I'll get Phyll ...
[...]
See more »
Did You Know?
Goofs
When we see Claire's dead body rocking back and forth on the rocking chair, her eyes are moving up and down when she's supposed to be dead. See more »Quotes
Sergeant Nash: [after Sergeant Nash calls the sorority house] Who is this?Jessica Bradford: It's Jess.
Sergeant Nash: Ms. Bradford, this is Sergeant Nash. Are you the only one in the house?
Jessica Bradford: No. Phyll and Barb are upstairs asleep. Why?
Sergeant Nash: Alright. Now I want you to do exactly what I tell you without asking any questions, okay?
Jessica Bradford: [Begins to question]
Sergeant Nash: No, no, no... no questions. Now just put the phone back on the hook, walk to the front door and leave the house.
Jessica Bradford: What's wrong?
Sergeant Nash: Please, Ms. Bradford, please just do as I tell you.
Jessica Bradford: Okay. I'll get Phyll ...
[...]
See more »
It's not often that you find a film in the thriller/horror genre that has something "new" to say, so it's even more exciting to find that one of the original films in the "slasher" genre is actually still one of the freshest, most unique and utterly entertaining of them all. This is the kind of movie you can't wait to tell your friends about, knowing full well they've probably never seen it, but they've heard of it.
Everything about this film is stellar. The acting, to steal the words of a great reviewer who loves this movie, is flawless. The direction is confident and assured. What is Bob Clark's story? How did he go from making quirky, ground-breaking horror to...well..."Baby Geniuses 2?" His black-humored wit is on display in all his movies, and here too. Margot Kidder and Marian Waldman shine as foul-mouthed alcohol abusers. Particularly Kidder--it's hard to believe she did this at the BEGINNING of her career, she's that assured...and fun to watch. Olivia Hussey is alluring as the lead, Jessica, and her beauty, as well as her speaking voice are a welcome presence.
The plot might seem clichéd now, until you understand that it was all the movies that came AFTER that were the clichés--even "He Knows Your Alone," which seemed so vital at the time, can't compare. "Black Christmas" is a FILM, and goes beyond the conventions of a cheap slasher. The key is the ending--only a director with an artistic sensibility would have fought for it (no spoilers here). Suffice to say, in all the slashers I've watched I've never seen the equal. It's a tricky business to sum up a mystery in a plot, and few can maintain the element of surprise, intelligence or creativity required. You will NOT see the ending coming here, and though the end is a surprise, it works well.
If you're like I was and hesitating to watch this because you think it'll just be "another fear film," don't waste anymore time! You will NOT be sorry you spent your Christmas "black..."