BLACK CHRISTMAS is considered to be probably one of the first slasher films along with things like THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, A BAY OF BLOOD, PSYCHO, and PEEPING TOM.

In addition to being a prototypical slasher film, this is the first seasonal slasher movie, or a horror movie that takes place on a holiday, and of course right on its heels would come things like Carpenter’s HALLOWEEN in 1978 and FRIDAY THE 13TH in 1980; plus things like PROM NIGHT, MOTHER’S DAY, MY BLOODY VALENTINE, and SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT, which is of course another Christmas horror movie.

It also may have been responding to a segment called “And All Through The House” in the original Amicus TALES FROM THE CRYPT anthology film from 1972, which was later remade as an episode of the HBO series, and other great Christmas horror movies like RARE IMPORTS, KRAMPUS, SAINT NICK from 2010, and 2021’s SILENT NIGHT.

The title is a reference to WHITE CHRISTMAS, which was both a film in the fifties and a song we hear again ad nauseum at infinitum throughout the holiday season.

Listen to our episode on BLACK CHRISTMAS here.

Bradford Louryk