One of the formative slasher movies, Black Christmas concerns a sorority house accosted by an unknown killer who slaughters young college students from his base in the building's attic. It features an eerie score from Carl Zittrer, grounded direction from Bob Clark, and strong performances from Olivia Hussey and Margot Kidder. While only a modest success in its day, Black Christmas gained an enduring cult rep and its stylistic innovations were imitated by many subsequent horror movies, most notably Halloween (1978).
Ryan is joined by Rachel as he describes and deconstructs this film. Talking points for this episode include Black Christmas' subtext regarding feminine agency, its frank abortion subplot, its origins in urban folklore and true crime murder, and whether one can make a case for Black Christmas being a feminist film. They also touch upon the remakes of Black Christmas produced in 2006 and 2019, opining upon how those interpretations reflect the times they were made in.
Ryan goes on a tangent comparing Black Christmas to Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019) and insists that this is a natural juxtaposition for one to make. Rachel, naturally, shoehorns in a terrible Bing Crosby impression.
