Black Christmas (1974)
A film i'm slowly warming to although i still don't think it the classic that many fans do.
Bob Clark's film about the girls at a sorority house terrorized by a maniac, firstly through obscene phone calls and then murder. What's different about this proto slasher is that the killer is actually hiding in the attic so as well as establishing a tone and mood for the forthcoming slasher phenomenon it also sets a precedent for the lesser filmed hider in the house genre.
Although the killer's identity is never determined we soon discover that they are in the sorority house which contributes immensely to the tension, however the films middle third veers away from the thrills to concentrate on sheriff John Saxon and his deputies searching the local area for what they believe is one of the madman's victims and there's a lot of comedy which detracts from the seriousness of the film itself.
Olivia Hussey and Margot Kidder are excellent as sorority sisters and give what could be stereotypical final girls some much needed screen presence.
/ 5