Black Christmas (1974)

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1. 

   mittens

   predecessor of halloween by 4 years, this movie is an excellent example of an early slasher film. this is where the genre began to take shape, with its POV shots and and the idea of a group of people being killed one by one. this movie suprised me with its violence and dark feel. a great movie, but i dont know if it should be this high on the list. 12 years 9 months ago
2. 

   MrE2Me

   Great slice of 70's horror, ironically directed by the same man who brought us another holiday-themed classic, A Christmas Story. 13 years 2 months ago
3. 

   Siskoid

   One of the foundational films of the slasher genre, 1974's Black Christmas is of interest because it both sets up some of the basic tropes that have since become old hat, AND subverts many of those expectations because they weren't tropes yet! And while it has some genuine scares, it's also quite funny! Nice comic turns for Marian Waldman, Margot Kidder, the Bad Santa, and the cops, though again subverting expectations, Andrea Martin plays it straight. The phone calls from inside the house are absolutely demented, and contain the code to perhaps understanding the nature of the killer, but you almost need to read the synopsis of the butchered 2006 sequel to really get a grasp on it, not that it's necessary. Just don't expect too many answers - it's no whodunit. The lively humor of the first half definitely makes the ending seem much darker, especially once you understand the implications of that last, rather subtle, scare. I like the film's Canadianness too; this isn't a great ad for Toronto University. And I learned a lot about why it takes time to trace a call, but as with the main story itself, I'm perhaps left with more questions than answers. 3 years 6 months ago

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