40
Considering the ersatz tension and plotting, Black Christmas is hardly worth the efforts of all concerned.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
50
Canadian-made unpleasantness (1975) about a psychopath stalking a college town. Bob Clark's direction is enthusiastic but sloppy-a presaging of his later Porky's. [02 Dec 2010, p.52]
91
Much of the shtick used by Clark and screenwriter Roy Moore was later stolen both by countless hacks and at least one real artist (Halloween director John Carpenter), but few repeated Clark's most devious tactic, accompanying the violence with the sound of the killer's nerve-janglingly maniacal shouting.
88
Not only does Black Christmas provide real chills, it introduces devices - like the opening, which is shot from the slasher's point of view - that inspired John Carpenter's Halloween and countless genre flicks to follow. [20 Dec 2009, p.61]
Christmas festivities take a chilling turn. So interesting to see how this lays the groundwork for the development of the slasher genre to come – the opening scene in particular will remind horror fans very clearly of another classic holiday slasher.