As the girls of a sorority house plan their various escapes for Christmas break, a stranger makes himself at home in their attic. As a wave of obscene phone calls begin, one of the girls goes missing. The police don't take her disappearance seriously, until the body of a local high school girl turns up in the park. As the police piece the clues together, the sorority roster begins to decline. Will anyone survive Black Christmas?

This movie is a true classic and I'm really pleased to see it more wildly available in recent years. It has a great story and a top-notch cast. Which includes: b-movie giant John Saxon, lovely ladies Olivia Hussey and Margot Kidder, plus an early role from SCTV's Andrea Martin. We even get to see Keir Dullea, Dave from 2001: A Space Odyssey, sporting a long haired 70s do and flipping out on a piano.

The killer is never seen clearly, there are a view blurred glances and an inquisitive eye. Most of his scene are shot from his perspective to keep in line with the ambiguity. If he's the one making the obscene calls, he does provide some extra humor for Barb (Kidder). While the calls frighten some of the girls, she finds them a bit amusing and even eggs the caller on at times. It's worth noting to me because it's rare to hear the word "cunt" used in films seeking wide release during this era.

The addition of humor really aids in keeping you interested in the plot. Kidder really shines in the role and her lines are great. Another couple of humorous moments to watch for are Clare's dad looking around her room, pretty much any scene that features the house mother, and the second fellatio scene. Yep, you read that right, the second fellatio scene. Add a few creative murders and you have an enjoyable film. Death by unicorn. I never thought I'd be including that in any of my reviews.

As far as our ranking system, the movie does have some faults. Blood is kept to a bare minimum and gore is non-existent. And, gasp, there are no topless shots. Which is strange because this film was made during the time of her career that Margot Kidder couldn't keep her shirt on. It was released before studios plotted to miss the R rating, so the reasoning escapes me. If our primary location is a sorority house, there should at least be a shower scene. And personally, the choir went on a bit long for me. I guess the film makers really wanted to get their money's worth out of those kids.

On the flip side, the positives outweigh the negatives. We have a high body count and some fairly tense scenes interspersed with humor. All of the actors are really on their game, especially Kidder and Hussey. While there are definitely some slasher movie staples evident, you must remember that this film predates the others using them. Especially a baby-sitter movie which will remain unnamed. So pop the top off a couple of pints and enjoy a classic horror movie that deserves it's cult following .. if not more.