October 13th - Horror Feature: Black Christmas

Let's throw it back to 1974. And to Christmas. Yes, it's okay to watch this in October because it's still a horror film. Some would classify Black Christmas as a slasher, and I agree that it follows the many rules of one. However, it predates the 1980s craze for gore. You're not going to see brutal kills but you're going to feel the frustration of not knowing the killer's location and identity at all times. It's creepier for it.  

There are still a number of elements of slashers that appear throughout. Black Christmas used the killer POV before Halloween, and I don't think it gets enough credit. It wasn't the first, but it sure did it well. The crude humour and sexual content is not spared and it plays well in the first act. Black Christmas was one of the first films to have a killer call its victims before ramping up the action. And spoilers, it's coming from inside the house! The way they discover this is so true to the time. It's kind of cool. 

Black Christmas may not be the flashiest slasher out there, but if you want to appreciate the genre's roots you should see it.