1974’s Black Christmas is often acknowledged as an important film in the Horror Genre for being one of the earliest examples of the Slasher sub-genre and an influence on John Carpenter’s Halloween which would define the genre. It was independently produced and directed by Canadian Bob Clark, who astonishingly enough went on to direct another, very different Christmas film, 1983’s A Christmas Story. Early in his career he made low budget horror films such as Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead Things, but went on to direct massively successful films such as the frat comedy Porky’s and the aforementioned A Christmas Story. His later career saw him making low budget and poorly received children’s films such as The Karate Dog and Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2. This makes him probably the only director in history to have had films on both the IMDB Top 250 and Bottom 100. He was tragically killed in car crash in 2007.
Black Christmas follows a group of college girls who are stalked and murdered during the Christmas season by a killer hiding in their sorority house. He makes obscene phone calls and and he creeps about the place in POV shots. The influence on Halloween is obvious in these shots, and the way that Clark shoots the sorority house from a distance with Gothic lighting is similar to Carpenter’s shooting of house in his film. The influence of the Bates residence in Hitchcock’s Psycho on both films should not be forgotten. The film surprisingly features a number of well known actors in the cast, not big A listers, but distinguished enough to be known to film fans. Keir Dullea, best know for playing David Bowman in 2001: A Space Odyssey, appears here as our leading man. It’s a little surreal to see someone who worked with Kubrick on such a legendary film appear in a sleazy Grindhouse flick like this. Olivia Hussey is our leading lady and final girl, best known for Romeo and Juliet, but her performance here is unmemorable and I have to say I much preferred Margot Kidder, best known for Lois Lane in the 70’s Superman movies. Her character is just so enjoyable, swearing and drinking and not taking any crap from the killer when he’s on the phone. Sadly she’s killed off half way through and we are left with the much less fun Hussey, who maybe wasn’t that comfortable appearing in a film like this. Special mention must go to the always enjoyable John Saxon, known for his role in Enter The Dragon and appearing in countless B and Horror movies.
For horror fans Black Christmas should be an essential movie, not just because it’s an important one, but also because it’s enjoyable in it’s own right. Clark directs the film with style and suspense that lifts it above standard grindhouse fare and makes it obvious why it was so influential to Carpenter and others. There’s also a remake, made in 2006, but I haven’t seen it.
Something that dawned on me whilst I was watching Black Christmas was that the Christmas setting itself was largely inconsequential. There’s one scene near the beginning where one of the characters is working as a Santa Claus, but overall the film could have taken place at any time of year with the same story (though the original script was apparently based on a series of murders that occurred over Christmas in Quebec). One film that really takes the Christmas season and runs with its horror film potentials however, is 1980’s Christmas Evil, also known as You Better Watch Out and Terror In Toyland. The film was directed by Lewis Jackson, who has never made another film since, and stars Brandon Maggart, who the same year appeared in Brian DePalma’s Dressed To Kill and since has worked mainly in Television. However the most well known face in the cast to a modern audience will be Jeffrey DeMunn who recently had a recurring role in The Walking Dead.
Brandon plays a man named Harry Stadling. This guy takes Christmas spirit deadly seriously. In the opening scene, we see how as a young boy he witnessed Santa, or what we presume was his dad dressed up as Santa, sexually groping his mother. This obviously had a damning effect on his psyche and as we flash forward to the present day we see how he has taken it upon himself to become the next true Santa, he sleeps in the costume, and his flat is covered in Christmas toys and decorations. He spies on the children in his neighborhood to see it they’ve been bad or good and writes their names in his “Bad Boys & Girls” book. Like I said, this is a man who takes Christmas spirit seriously. As the film goes on, his mental state deteriorates. We see how he works a lowly job at a local toy factory and clashes with his superiors, who are more concerned with profit than giving children a good Christmas. Harry sets off on a “roaring rampage of revenge” against those he feels have poisoned the spirit of Christmas.
Christmas Evil is less of a slasher film and more a psychological character study, a sort of Christmas Taxi Driver. Viewers can symphasise with Harry because what he wants is ultimately pure and admirable. The guy wants to be Santa Claus and give kids who deserve it a good Christmas, and most of the adult characters around him are so horrible we can actually see his point of view despite him plainly being as mad as a hatter. I actually found myself cheering when he started to take down the suits. The film ultimately doesn’t feature much that much gore or violence, like I said, it’s more psychological than slasher, and it has an ending that leaves you thinking, “what the hell just happened?”. I highly recommend all cult film and horror fans check Christmas Evil out, even more so than Black Christmas, simply because it’s so off the wall and entertaining in its concept. The film is well directed by Jackson, who really gives us a sense of Harry’s isolation, and it’s a shame he hasn’t gone on to direct any other films. Brandon Maggart also does a good job at selling the lead (though some of the other performances leave a lot to be desired). Christmas Evil might be the ultimate cult Christmas film, and deserves to be a yearly tradition for people who enjoy this sort of thing. You go in expecting a sleazy Christmas slasher film, but get a whole lot more than you bargained for.
Oh and incidentally, a very Merry Christmas to all at you at home from Torn From The Tomb!
(Originally published at https://tornfromthetomb.wordpress.com/2015/12/24/black-christmas-1974-and-christmas-evil-1980/)
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