BLACK CHRISTMAS (1974)

With special guest Zac Locke

Intro, Math Club, and Debate Society (spoiler-free) 0:00-34:52
Honor Roll and Detention (spoiler-heavy) 34:53-1:04:45
Superlatives (so. many. spoilers.) 1:04:46-1:26:26

Director Bob Clark
Screenplay Roy Moore
Featuring Keir Dullea, Lynne Griffin, Art Hindle, Olivia Hussey, Margot Kidder, Andrea Martin, Doug McGrath, Michael Rapport, John Saxon, Marian Waldman

Opened October 11, 1974 (Canada)
Budget $620,000
Box office $4.1 million

SPOILER-FREE SYNOPSIS

It’s Christmas at a college somewhere in North America, and the girls of a campus sorority house are welcoming the season with boys and libations. For Clare, Jess, Phyl, Barb and their house mother, Mrs. Mac, it’s an especially sweet time, as the house welcomes kids from the neighborhood for a party and the spirit of giving is in the air. But soon, giving turns to screaming as one of them finds herself confronted by a mysterious stranger who has seemingly entered the house via an upstairs window.  Soon, the case of one missing girl draws in the residents of the house, the local police, and the town, and an oddly hard-to-locate killer initiates a game of hide-and-seek, sororicide, and some truly awful telephone etiquette.

SPOILER-FREE GUEST BIO

Zac Locke is an experienced producer and business affairs executive who recently moved into writing and directing. As a producer, he's shepherded more than a dozen films from inception through production and release, including THE VOYEURS, BLACK CHRISTMAS, THE WIND, BLOODLINE, and AGNES. His directorial debut, FLOAT, was released December 8, 2022 by XYZ Films. Zac lives in Portland, OR. Favorite recess snack: sushi.

TRAILER

SUPERLATIVES

The Gaspar Noe Award for Most Disturbing Scene
Zac Peter sweating up a storm during the music recital
Eric: The phone calls from the killer (all of them)
Bradford: Barb’s death

The Ellen Ripley Award for Character Who Most Deserves to Live (But Does Not)
Zac: Clare
Eric: Barb
Bradford: Peter

The Michael Myers Award for Character Who Most Deserves to Die (and Does)
Zac: Peter
Eric: Peter
Bradford: [Abstaining]

The Ken Russell Award for Most Baroque Screen Moment
Zac: Peter smashing the hell out of the piano
Eric: The “pile-up” of Phyl and Barb, dead on the bed
Bradford: Peter smashing the hell out of the piano

The Brad Dourif Award for Character Who Could Have Been Played by Brad Dourif
Zac: The Double Dourif: the two yokels who show up at the house with guns (as part of search party)
Eric: The killer (if only for the voice work)
Bradford: Sgt. Nash

FINAL LETTER GRADE

Zac: C+
Eric: B
Bradford: B