HOLY CRAP IT'S NON-OCTOBER POST! Don't get too excited: I don't imagine this is going to a regular thing around here. But last weekend I was in a particular sort of holiday mood and watched the three Black Christmases. And it was good. I only like a couple of real Christmas movies - Elf and A Christmas Story are it. I am a big fan of non-traditional Christmas fare, however, like Die Hard, A Nightmare Before Christmas, Gremlins ... and now the Black Christmas movies. In fact, the more time that passes, the more fond of them I am.
I started with the OG from 1974, the one that started it all, the one that started slashers (an argument can be made). It's right before Christmas, at a sorority house, and the sisters are having a little party before everyone takes off for the winter break. There's sassy Barb (Margot Kidder) (OMG I love Barb), our SPOILERS FOR A 49 YEAR OLD MOVIE Final Girl Jess (gorgeous Olivia Hussey), loyal Phyl (Andrea Martin, recently seen in Only Murders in the Building), etc. Barb drinks a lot - so does their house mother, Mrs. Mack, so there's really no judgment - and is outspoken; Jess is going through some shit with her pretentious conservatory musician boyfriend Peter (she's pregnant and he doesn't want her to get an ab0rt10n); quiet Claire is packing before her dad comes to pick her up and meet her townie boyfriend. The house is getting a bunch of obscene phone calls and to be honest, they're a little disturbing. The girls try to get the police involved but are brushed off until bodies start piling up.
In fact, we waste no time getting to the killing: Claire goes first, then Mrs. Mack, and both are stashed in the attic by the killer. There is the classic glass unicorn scene, creepy killer POV, "The call is coming from inside the house!" - it's terrific. I mean, it is a little slow - way too much time watching Peter play the piano. But I guessed wrong about the killer, the ending is totally ambiguous and this movie is even kind of feminist. Pretty rad for 1974.
The second Black Christmas is from 2006 and has a pretty major cast, very 2000s. Andrea Martin is back, this time playing the sorority's house mother. The sisters include Lacey Chaubert, Michelle Trachtenberg, Katie Cassidy, Mary Elizabeth Winstead; Oliver Hudson plays the bad boyfriend. It starts pretty much the same with the sisters having a holiday party, and obscene phone calls, and the first girl (poor Claire, again) gets it within the first three minutes. This time, however, there SPOILERS FOR AN ALMOST 20 YEAR OLD MOVIE two killers, because the crazy person hasn't quite escaped from the asylum yet. But he does, and goes straight to the sorority house which had been his family's growing up. The bigger twist is who the second killer is.
This BC iteration is very gory, like eyeballs and stuff, so fair warning if eyes squick you out. And hoo boy do the bodies stack up: I counted thirteen (and may have missed one). There isn't much suspense, however, and the movie spends quite a long time on the killer's backstory. Other than two killers, however, it stays pretty faithful to the original idea.
The third Black Christmas is as recent as 2019 and departs somewhat from the formula of the first two. It does start the same: sorority Christmas party, but the sisters are getting ominous texts instead of phone calls (who even makes phone calls anymore?). The first two girls are offed similarly as well: the first, just before she leaves for break; the second, in her room. This movie is PG-13, by the way, so it is relatively bloodless. These sorority sisters have a strong bond and they are not shy about speaking up against injustice. And when the movie takes a hard left and swings into supernatural frat boy secret societies, the girls fight back. Girl power! Topple the patriarchy! Watch out for bows and arrows though (I laughed out loud when the bows and arrows showed up)! I do like supernatural stuff but I thought BC #3 was stronger when it seemed like a straight slasher.
So anyway, happy holidays to you all! And enjoy watching whatever makes you happy this holiday season. Except for It's a Wonderful Life - I can't stand that movie.
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