By Geno McGahee
This has to be one of the greatest horror films of all time…a slasher that actually frightens you. Bob Clark directs this masterpiece, and it should be noted that he also directed and co-wrote another classic from 1972: “Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead Things.” In Black Christmas, we have a sorority house on Christmas break. They are being terrorized by what is believed to be a prank caller, but this person is very disturbed. The caller has the ability to use different voices, says vulgar things, and makes pig noises. The phone calls are VERY strange.
One of the characters that really shines is Barbie Coard, played by Margot Kidder (Superman, Superman II, Superman III, and even the horrible Superman IV). Barbie is a drunk and raw girl that says what is on her mind at all times. The way that she plays with people and intentionally annoy them is hilarious. Kidder really captured the role and made it her own. She was fantastic in this movie.
Another character that deserves mention is Jessica Bradford (Olivia Hussey). She is a girl with a bun in the oven, a boyfriend that wants to settle down immediately, and it is all too much for her. When you add the phone calls and the missing girls, she is a basket case. She is a vulnerable character and her emotions are at an all time high, and don’t get any better when she is informed that the person making the phone calls is inside the house. Instead of running out the door, as instructed, she searches the house for other girls.
Jessica ends up in the basement and comes face to face with the killer, or so she thinks, and kills him. The story ends on a happy note, but this is a horror movie, and things aren’t what they seem. She killed the wrong guy! She is now lying in a bed inside the sorority house at the end, and the cops leave her alone…with the killer!!! Again!!!
One of the greatest things about this movie is the camera work. It is exceptional, and at the end, when the camera pans the house, you don’t want to see the killer. It is really creepy. This movie is scary and is a notch above most other slasher films. It was also nice to see John Saxon (A Nightmare on Elm Street) as Lt. Kenneth Fuller. Saxon seems to always play a police officer, and is an exceptional actor, and he delivers once again in this gem. I cannot recommend this movie enough.
Scared Stiff Rating: 9.5/10 A scary, disturbing, Xmas Gift for Horror Fans
