Rating: 15/20
Plot: A killer prank calls sorority sisters before killing them off one-by-one.
Here's a nifty little Christmas surprise. I should get out of the way that this is directed by A Christmas Story director Bob Clark which, although they're on completely different ends of the spectrum, makes two Christmas classics for the guy. This movie builds this incredible atmosphere, and perhaps because it's an early slasher movie--predating a slightly-similar Halloween--it doesn't reek of cliches or cheap tricks to bring the chills. But it certainly brings the chills. I watched this one late into the night, and it got to me a few times. At the same time, there's a little submerged humor in the thing although it's not quite a black comedy. There's a lot of killer-cam used, again similar to what happens at the beginning of Halloween, and a lot of those perspective shots are really creepy. And you know what else is creepy? Christmas music used in a horror movie. I'm not sure if the same songs would have seemed creepy in a different context, but the carolers in this and the record the sisters were playing at a party early in the morning just added to the creepster vibe of this thing. I'm impressed with how subtle Clark was with the violence in this. It really seems that the violence is part of a story more than there for just shock value, and although there's a little blood in the thing, it's never tacky or even all that gross. Maybe Silent Night, Deadly Night desensitized me though. Olivia Hussey plays the last-sorority-sister-standing, and even though her accent didn't seem to fit, there wasn't something alluring about her. Margot Kidder also shines as a sex-obsessed sorority sister who alludes to fellatio with a naive policeman and discusses turtles doing the deed which, I can tell you from personal experience, is stunning. Watching two turtles in the act of love-making, I mean. I have never had a sexual encounter with a turtle or anything else with a shell for that matter. My favorite thing about this movie is easily the obscene phone calls, something that might turn off a few viewers. The serial killer snorts and giggles, says things like "Let me lick it" while "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" plays in the background, and even sounds a little like Beavis. Unrealistically, it sounds like at least three people at times, but for whatever reason, that makes it even more awesome. Oh, and the ending is fantastic! This is a movie that I didn't really know about, but I'm glad I made it part of my Christmas Extravaganza.
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