As we come to the end of the first 50 films, we end with five titles where their reputation exceeds my personal opinion of them. #51 will start another run with titles from the very top of my personal list and that will complete the Top 100.
I’ve watched Black Christmas three times in the last 10 years, trying to unlock its greatness. It’s considered the true starting point where Italian giallo becomes the 80s Slasher genre, preceding Halloween and containing many familiar elements that were reused. For me, the evolutionary step here is still mostly primordial ooze and not as recognizable as what John Carpenter sculpted with Halloween.
Using naturalistic Christmas touches to create the atmosphere, the film sets us up for a big reveal and final confrontation that will knock us back in the seat we’ve been perched on the edge of. However, there is no big reveal. The sorority house is observed to be little more than the probable home of a madman, a spider in a mansion of flies. Mundane events are connected by some creepy phone calls. The concept is promising, but the execution largely flounders. There’s no punch and as it increasingly feels like there isn’t one coming, the suspense drains out.
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