Disclaimer: Contains spoilers!
Plot Summary: A sorority is hounded by disturbing phone calls as the girls are picked off one by one.
Review: Often referred to as the inspiration for "Halloween" and sometimes even considered to be the first conventional slasher, we come to the original "Black Christmas." In a lot of ways this film does present what would later be considered '80s cliches, but I'd say this film is more of a retelling of a timeless urban legend with aspects of the "whodunnit" plotline. Unfortunately, the slowness and lack of resolution to who, in fact, did "do it" is why this film is nothing more than a cult film to horror buffs rather than a full blown icon in the vein of "Halloween." I should mention it's kind of ironic that the same director of this film, Bob Clark, also did "A Christmas Story?" I guess he wanted to show both ends of the spectrum or something. Maybe I can work on a third movie to bridge the gap between Ralphie's spiral into madness after photos of his pink bunny outfit are leaked and ruin his life. In turn, this leads to him becoming a psychotic killer that segways into the opening scene of "Black Christmas?" Wouldn't that be amusing? Nope? Fine.
While I have my gripes with the overall presentation, there's a lot to like here for those that may be unfamiliar with this film. The atmosphere is great, balancing that eerie unease to the situations while darkening the cheery vibe that Christmas is meant to portray. I know a lot of '70s movies have this certain grainy and dreary look to the film naturally, but it really works to this movie's benefit enhancing the scenes. There are quite a few awesome shots that carry the film well--like the suffocated girl on the cover. At the heart of the story is basically the urban legend about a babysitter receiving phone calls to "check on the children" only to later reveal that these phone calls are coming from within the home. So you have this same underlying plot except the babysitter is replaced by sorority girls and the calls are now simply insane ramblings. At first the calls are the kind of bullshit you'd expect from a horror film, but they become more creative as the movie progresses; this definitely creates some interesting tension as you wonder who the killer may be. And even though things don't turn out as I'd hope, I have to admit the film begs you to speculate as to the killer's identity; theories abound as you might have guessed. The acting is fairly decent from most players, despite a few instances to the contrary, and the killer's insanity feels real and the threats imminent. Finally, this sorority is fugly as hell which emphasizes the lone hottie and lead, Jess, played by the lovely Olivia Hussey. I mean, goddamn, these chicks are looking middle aged or worse! I'm not even joking, but the only cast member who returns for the shitty remake actually looked a thousand times better 32 years later! I actually pulled back in fear when I saw one of the chick's boyfriends too (okay, well not really, but he looked like a fucking monster!). Margot Kidder, Lois Lane herself, even looked old as hell when in reality she was 26 at the time. What happened here? The 1970s: ugliest decade in history?
The main reason why this film has become forgettable, when it easily possesses the potential to be remembered to this day as commonly as "Halloween," is due to the disappointing reveal, or lack thereof, to the killer's identity. You have all these red herrings, subplots, and deliberate camera trickery to mask the killer's face only to never reveal who the killer is or his motive! Come the fuck on! Considering some of the odd and random things the killer says in his phone calls, you'd hope to be blown away by his motive or something, but you never know. There are theories that it was Peter, Jess' boyfriend, all along, but considering we see the killer very much alive at the end, it rules him out. Some people think it was the first victim, Claire's, boyfriend, but I doubt that for a number of reasons, and if it were that simple why close things out with the audience left not knowing? No, there was no intention to reveal the killer's identity which aggravates most people especially when you establish a "whodunnit" setting. Here's the thing, this ending wouldn't be so bad if the film weren't structured in such a way that it needed a payoff, and since there was never a sequel, it's more annoying than anything. Hell, maybe it was Claire's creepy dad? The other aspect that hurts the film, although to a significantly lesser degree, is the slowness to the buildup and the sparse deaths. The film comes out swinging with disturbing calls and murders but then sort of lingers on for a long time until the already explained weak ending. There needed to be something bigger in the second act to bridge into the finale. Instead, all I see is drab colors and people with way too much hair for 40 minutes in between a kill.
In the end, this is a decent movie that most certainly laid a lot of the groundwork for '80s slashers and deserves more attention for this. The atmosphere is strong and commendable, the musical score is ominous, and there is an interesting play on a familiar story to appreciate. While it offers a lot to love, the journey is shaky and the final destination of the story is disappointing. Keeping your killer mysterious in an attempt to make him feel more dangerous and threatening doesn't necessarily work if you follow a by the book "whodunnit" plotline in which the audience is expecting a payoff; this is an avenue "Halloween" was definitely more successful with. I'd still say check this one out if santa leaves it in your stocking.
Notable Moment: It's kind of hard to explain, but they keep cutting back and forth to the first victim, Claire, and after a while it becomes almost comical. There is one particular time they cut to her dead body rocking in the chair and she looks like she's having such a good time I kept imagining upbeat music playing.
Final Rating: 6/10
Ms. Hussey: a diamond in the rough.
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