Black Christmas

One part frosty Christmas atmosphere, one part stalk ‘n’ slash magnificence, and all parts influential horror classic, Black Christmas is a timeless, terrifying and demented holiday tradition. When sorority sisters Olivia Hussey (Romeo & Juliet), Margot Kidder (Superman), and Andrea Martin (SCTV) decide to spend Christmas break on their deserted college campus, they find themselves under attack from an unseen, foul-mouthed killer who uses obscene phone calls as a prelude to murder, and it’s up to police chief John Saxon (A Nightmare on Elm Street) to even the odds. But what about Keir Dullea (2001: A Space Odyssey), the brooding art-school pianist? Could he have something to do with the mutilation rampage? And will anyone survive to celebrate the New Year? A decade before he crafted the ultimate yuletide comedy A Christmas Story, genre pioneer Bob Clark gifted moviegoers with this suspense-filled seasonal shocker that forever changed the face of horror by influencing such iconic terror hits as Halloween and Friday the 13th. (Dir. by Bob Clark, 1974, Canada, 98 min., Rated R)