Directed by: Bob Clark 

Starring: Olivia Hussey, Margot Kidder, Keir Dullea, John Saxon, Andrea Martin, Lynne Griffith, Art Hindle, Michael Rapport, Marion Waldman.

(9 out of 10)

Anyone who is at all familiar with my reviews understands that I nearly never give a rating as high as a 9. To be honest this film is probably an 8 on a good day but the incredible DVD package does exactly what well produced extras can do, it makes the viewing experience better which raises the overall rating.

Black Christmas - Silent Night, Evil Night or Stranger in the House, whatever you want to call it - is one of those rare films that lives up to the hype. Is this the one that started the entire slasher genre? That's really hard to say, but you can easily see the influence of this film on many horror films that followed.

We start out with Olivia Hussey, looking lovely and within only a few years of her success in Romeo and Juliet, going to a seemingly harmless party with her sorority sisters which include DePalma veteran/future Superman starlet Margot Kidder and Andrea Martin pre SCTV fame. The party soon ends, the guys go home, and we get our first obscene phone call. This phone call is still very dirty today in our jaded and desensitized culture and is very effective at instantly setting an intense mood. It really shows the talents of all involved that within only a few minutes they have captured your attention completely.

If this weren't enough we're only a few minutes from our first murder which is a cleverly done and effective scene without the need of any blood. Lynne Griffith may not have lived long in the film but her image remains preserved in plastic in the attic and it is pretty chilling. This is actually one of the first drawbacks of the film. The audience has heard the phone call early - the first murder followed quickly - and then there's sort of a long lull. It doesn't really plod along or become boring, it just seems to slow down the pace as if to say BAM we got your attention, now let us tell you a story.

And what a story they tell. The film has more twists and turns and some of the most compellingly developed characters you will ever find in a horror. There really isn't much of a mystery to who the killer is though you never do see his face. The film only really gives you one suspect and doesn't throw a lot of red herrings at you but the film is so well written it doesn't have to. 

This film as a story also stands out because the female characters are simply incredible. They are bold, dynamic, and manage to speak intelligently. Oh sure, sometimes they don't do what the audience wants them to do - but that's what really causes a lot of the suspense - and if you want suspense this is your movie. Black Christmas doesn't rely on gore or silly effects, Black Christmas instead utilizes frightening situations and follows them to their horrific end.

Olivia Hussey manages to give a lot of depth to her character. She is very torn at times, happy at times, scared to death at times and it goes to show why it pays to get an actress that can do more than scream for a horror film. John Saxon turns in a very solid performance and often you wonder if this film also served as his audition tape for Nightmare on Elm Street. He is one of my all time favorite actors and he always seems to make even the worst moments in a movie good because he is the consummate professional and never overplays the scene. 

Really all involved are somewhere between very good and great and you just don't find that in movies anymore.

I would be shamed to not brag about this incredible DVD. We're talking two very good audio commentary tracks, one with director Bob Clark, and one with actors John Saxon and Keir Dullea. A documentary that is good but has a few cheesy moments between the reminiscing Lynne Griffith and Art Hindle but the information is very interesting though you'll want to hold your remote while you watch this - the volume isn't always stable. There's a television show featuring John Saxon. Two interviews - one with John Saxon and one with Bob Clark. Plenty of trailers, alternate openings, picture galleries, television spots, and even a reversible DVD cover. After watching the film and its extras I viewed the trailer for Murder By Decree - also on this DVD - and suddenly got very excited because I know as long as Critical Mass is doing the DVD package it is going to be great. Applause goes out to Critical Mass for putting together this wonderful DVD and I can only hope they will continue to do this quality of work on all of their films.

I would recommend this movie to anybody who enjoy horror films of the last thirty years. People who are a little timid about blood should enjoy this movie - there is some blood - but it is done with style and class realizing that often times implied horror is far more frightening than buckets of gore. For people who are still having a hard time moving beyond Val Lewton or Universal classics this probably isn't for you but if you ever feel adventurous pop into the video store and pick this DVD up.

There's rumblings of a sequel and I don't know if I like that or not. It isn't that I don't feel that there is room in the market or that the film wouldn't still hold up today, I'm just scared that this could be one of those cases when lightning won't strike twice. What can I say though, I'm hooked, if they make it, I know I'll watch it.

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