Black X-mas
In 1974 a little Horror movie from Canada came out that predates Halloween for the beginning of the slasher film genre called Black Christmas. This film was directed by Bob Clark the same guy who directed The Christmas Story. Weird huh??? The title was changed to Silent Night Evil Night but changed back to Black X-mas. This was due to the political bs involving the word Black and how it related to African Americans. This had nothing to do with the movie so they changed it back. This was dark grimly shot little movie staring nobody other than a young Margot Kidder, and directed by Bob Clark. It’s about a group of sorority girls trapped in the house during Christmas eve and a serial killer who used to live there is making absence phone calls and stalking them. The creepiness of this film lives on tody and even watching it for the first time few years ago I generally enjoyed it. It really gave you a sence of the danger these girls were in. The language used in this film is so off the top for 1974, with the way the killer talks to these girls its just too dirty to even repeat. The tag line “If this film does not make your skin crawl its on too tight”, comes from the first victim being choked to death with wrapping paper and X-mas lights. The film did very well only costing 600,000 and grossing 4mil. This was the first in a long line of killer holiday films. I highly recommend it. The dvd has a decent amount of bonus material. I recommend the one from 2006 it really cleaned up the film quality and sound.
In 2006 we got a dreadful remake staring Mary Elizabeth Winstead Lacy Chabert Michelle Trachenberg and Katie Cassidy. This time they explain WAY too much of the killers back story and they make the movie way too glossy. This was also made in America this time not Canada. So it has that really Hollywood appeal to it. It failed at the box office and should not be watched. It’s on dvd with moderate bonus material. It’s a good example of why certain horror movies don’t need to be remade.
