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Black Christmas AKA Stranger In The House, Silent Night, Evil Night Robert Clark 1974 Canada

Well whattya know not only did Canadian director David Cronenberg inspire Dan O' Bannon to write Alien, this Canadian film came about four years before Halloween and When A Stranger Calls inspiring them. Black Christmas sets the tone for slasher films and it's one eerie film at that. From the opening scenes of an unseen fiend making it's way (we never find out if it's a he or she) up a latticeway on the side of a girls sorority house. The killer ducks into the attic window.

For the next while we see the inhabitants of the house including talents Olivia Hussey, Margot Kidder and now stand up comedian and performer Andrea Martin. Margot Kidder's character is quite funny, she plays the fowl mouth alcoholic of the bunch. The girls receive a number of obscene phone calls which sound like various evil voices. After girls start disappearing the police get involved and begin to tap their phone. There are a few prime suspects throughout the film like Olivia Hussey's boyfriend.

John Saxon plays the police chief. The conclusion is ultra scary with the killers identity never being known. Too scary for words, an excellent piece of cinematic horror which definitely deserves more recognition.

Rating: 5 Skulls

Richard J.Taylor