History YMMV / BlackChristmas1974

* SugarWiki/FunnyMoments:
** Mrs. Mac is discussing with Clare's father about her disappearance in Clare's room, when he notices a poster of an old woman giving the finger. Mrs. Mac looks at it, and then just nervously smiles.
** Barb one-ups the incompetent Sgt Nash by telling him that the number for their sorority house spells out 'Fellatio'. He believes it. This turns into a BrickJoke later when Detective Buchanan reads this (shortly after the little girl was discovered murdered mind you) and bursts into a laughing fit. Lt Fuller finds it ActuallyPrettyFunny.
--> "Nash, I don't think you could pick your nose without written instructions."
** Another cop is brought in having been shot at by a trigger happy farmer. Shot in the ass to be specific. Buchanan looks ready to burst out laughing again, and Lt Fuller says the following while [[HypocriticalHumor barely concealing his own amusement]].
--> "If you laugh, Buchanan, [[CoolAndUnusualPunishment I'll bust you to boy scout]], I swear!"
** Barb proves quite unhelpful yet surprisingly knowledgeable when she out of nowhere tells Mr Harrison about a species of turtle that can "screw for three days without stopping", and says she watched them in the zoo. She clarifies that she didn't spend three days in the zoo watching turtle sex, and also refers to the zebras -- who finished far too soon.
** Mrs Mac's reaction to the ghastly nightgown the girls bought her as a Christmas present.
--> "I've got as much use for this as a [[DirtyOldWoman chastity belt]]."

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation:

* VindicatedByHistory: While it was a modest success when it was released, it didn't do too well with American critics when it was distributed there -- and there were complaints of such a dark film being themed around Christmas. Over the years however, it acquired a strong cult fan base and by the 2000s Margot Kidder joked that she got more fans asking her to autograph ''Black Christmas'' related merch than ''{{Film/Superman}}''. These days, it's considered a quintessential SlasherMovie. The tepid reception to both the remakes has only increased respect and acclaim for the original.

** Peter quits the conservatory after his botched recital, tries to badger Jess into marrying him, and again tries to shame her out of getting an abortion. When Jess refuses, he tells her she'll be sorry and leaves angrily, but is later seen skulking around outside the house after the police leave. He then breaks into the house again through the basement window, which is when Jess kills him, believing him to be the killer. In light of his abusive nature towards her and his threats, it's not hard to believe that while Jess was mistaken about him being the killer the police are looking for, [[IfICantHaveYou Peter might have breaking back into the house specifically to kill Jess.]]

** One could argue that Billy ''himself'' is somewhere between this and a full blown WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds. He does throughout the movie show signs of being a ReluctantPsycho and when he does kill it doesn’t seem to bring him any joy in fact it only seems to send him even further down [[MurderMakesYouCrazy the rabbit hole]]! Whatever his [[MysteriousPast background]] is it’s clear that he’s a deeply disturbed individual who’s in dire need of [[ThereAreNoTherapists help that he’s not getting]]! The [[''Film/BlackChristmas2006'' remake]] is a lot more straightforward about this…

* DracoInLeatherPants: Billy has a fanbase online who finds his obsessive stalking attractive.

* SugarWiki/DevelopmentHeaven: Lynne Griffin had to sit in a rocking chair with a plastic bag over her head for some time. She said her years of swimming gave her experience holding her breath.

** Billy could arguably be a supernatural figure, since he always seems to be in the right place to attack one of the girls unseen - and no one catches him creeping around or hears this person at all (though it is a big house). He coincidentally knows exactly what to say to get Jess [[spoiler: to believe it's Peter]], and the multiple voices would be very tricky for a normal person to do. There's also the possibility [[spoiler: there were multiple killers and Peter was one of them]].

** It's left open whether the murder of Janice Quaife was done by Billy, although the film leans more towards yes. Was it random, like all the sorority murders seem to be? Or was it more calculated - putting the body in the park to convince the girls they'd be safer in the house, and therefore making it easier for him to surprise them? The film opens with Billy climbing back into the house, and Janice has been missing for a day, so maybe he had just come back from committing that murder.

** While Mr Harris is worried about his daughter's disappearance and there's talk of another young girl who's missing - Barb out of nowhere starts talking about turtles that can "screw for three days without stopping". The sheer MoodWhiplash is fantastic.
** There's also a gag where Barb is seen giving a child a sip of beer from her glass - which for someone like her is perfectly in character. It's funnier to fans from the UK and Ireland, where underage drinking is considerably less taboo than America.

** Barb proves quite unhelpful yet surprisingly knowledgeable when she out of nowhere tells Mr Harrison about a species of turtle that can "screw for three days without stopping", and says she watched them in the zoo. She clarifies that she didn't spend three days in the zoo watching turtle sex, and also refers to the zebras - who finished far too soon.

** Barb's status as the HardDrinkingPartyGirl - most of which is PlayedForLaughs - becomes harsher once you know that Margot Kidder later died of an alcohol overdose.

** Creator/JohnSaxon would later play a police lieutenant in another classic slasher film - ''Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet1984''.

** Olivia Hussey playing a character who decides she's not ready to be a mother, considering she'd infamously play Norma Bates - the queen of abusive mothers - in ''Film/PsychoIVTheBeginning''.

** If you pay attention to the phone conversation at the beginning, Barb's mother has decided to take off for Christmas with a new boyfriend to leave her daughter alone. That certainly explains why she may be fond of drinking or acting ridiculous - not to mention she's also later feeling guilty for her PartingWordsRegret with Clare.

* OneSceneWonder: Lynne Griffin does a lot with her small part as Clare, making her feel like a likable and compelling character - and that makes her sudden death all the more striking. Additionally, she holds her breath and convincingly plays a corpse for several long takes (even having to do so with a cat crawling all over her).

* SeinfeldIsUnfunny: It was, more or less, one of the first slashers - so the plot points of a killer picking off young women one by one, harrassing them over the phone and an obvious FinalGirl can feel a bit formulaic. But it is argued that Bob Clark's direction, the refreshing nature of the characters (see below) and a lack of gratuitous sex mean the film still holds up quite well.
* SignatureLine: "TheCallsAreComingFromInsideTheHouse!" - what was originally a shocking twist, [[ItWasHisSled is now one of the most remembered parts]].

** Behind the scenes, there's the story of the original choice for Lt Fuller - Academy Award winning actor Edmond O'Brien. He signed on and flew in, ready to start filming. Upon collecting him, they discovered he had begun suffering from Alzheimer's disease. WordOfGod is that he would have "taken a chance" had there not been scenes requiring him to film outdoors in the freezing cold (the first scene to be filmed was the search party assembling in the park). Co-producer Gerry Arbeid sadly recalls having to break the news to this acclaimed veteran actor that he wouldn't be able to do the part - to which he started crying - and later called it a traumatic experience. What's more is that they had to drop him without any guarantee of a replacement. Had John Saxon not come on board two days before shooting, the film would have been cancelled completely.
* TestosteroneBrigade: Creator/OliviaHussey, who had become something of a sex symbol for ''Film/RomeoAndJuliet1968'', at the height of her beauty - with her iconic long hair on display in most scenes - attracted quite the brigade of admirers.

* VindicatedByHistory: While it was a modest success when it was released, it didn't do too well with American critics when it was distributed there - and there were complaints of such a dark film being themed around Christmas. Over the years however, it acquired a strong cult fan base and by the 2000s Margot Kidder joked that she got more fans asking her to autograph ''Black Christmas'' related merch than ''{{Film/Superman}}''. These days, it's considered a quintessential SlasherMovie. The tepid reception to both the remakes has only increased respect and acclaim for the original.

** Good lord, Mrs Quaife. She experiences the ultimate horror of her thirteen-year-old daughter not coming home from band practice - and her husband is out of town, so she's implied to have spent the day worrying and alone. Then her poor little girl is found killed in the park.

* TestosteroneBrigade: Creator/OliviaHussey, who had become something of a sex symbol for ''Film/RomeoAndJuliet1968'', at the height of her beauty - with her iconic RapunzelHair on display in most scenes - attracted quite the brigade of admirers.

** Good lord, Mrs Quaife. She experiences the ultimate AdultFear of her thirteen-year-old daughter not coming home from band practice - and her husband is out of town, so she's implied to have spent the day worrying and alone. Then her poor little girl is found killed in the park.

** John Saxon would later play a police lieutenant in another classic slasher film - ''Film/ANightmareOnElmStreet1984''.

** Jess insisting that she knows Peter wouldn't be the type to harass the girls or hurt them. Does she genuinely believe that? It's implied Peter destroying the piano is an isolated incident and he could just be exceptionally high strung from his stressful week [[spoiler: and the fact that he's ''not'' the killer]]. However, Jess doesn't want to marry him and is very quick to announce she'll abort his baby. Does this mean it's not the only time he's displayed abusive tendencies, and Jess has just been in denial beforehand?

** The film was given the American title ''Silent Night, Evil Night''. Another horror film set at Christmas would come along a few years later titled ''Film/SilentNightDeadlyNight''.

* UnbuiltTrope: Jess is the brunette FinalGirl and somewhat more moral than her sorority sisters, but she has an active sex life and a steady boyfriend. In fact, she subverts GoodGirlsAvoidAbortion by planning to get one against the wishes of her boyfriend. Not to mention that having a Latina actress in the lead role is still rather unconventional (Olivia Hussey is Argentinian born). It's arguably Clare who fits the template of the typical FinalGirl most - being more timid and modest than the others - and she's the first victim!

** Billy is subject to this since we know so little about him. His ranting during the phone calls indicates that he had a very negative experience with someone named Agnes, but nothing is known beyond this. There's also the question of just how insane he actually is (several times he acts in such a way that indicates that he knows what he's doing and is acting with premeditation) and whether or not the phone calls are just an act to intimidate his victims or if he really is just that crazy. There's also the question of how he's able to change his voice so often.

** Billy is subject to this since we know so little about him. His ranting during the phone calls indicates that he had a very negative experience with a child named Agnes, but nothing is known beyond this. There's also the question of just how insane he actually is (several times he acts in such a way that indicates that he knows what he's doing and is acting with premeditation) and whether or not the phone calls are just an act to intimidate his victims or if he really is just that crazy. There's also the question of how he's able to change his voice so often.

** The 1974 film's very premise, which is about a serial killer stalking and killing young women at a sorority house, becomes much harder to watch with the knowledge that it was precisely in 1974 when SerialKiller Ted Bundy turned to regularly killing student girls, and four years after he would break into a sorority house at night and kill two girls. Thankfully, three of the sorority members survived but it's still pretty horrifying.

** The film's very premise which is about a serial killer stalking and killing young women at a sorority house, becomes much harder to watch with the knowledge that four years after this film premiered, Serial Killer Ted Bundy would terrorize a sorority and kill two girls. Thankfully, three of the sorority members survived but it's still pretty horrifying.

* CultClassic: Considered one of the grandfathers of the slasher genre. Its cult status even gained it [[Film/BlackChristmas2006 two]] [[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10481868/?ref_=nv_sr_1?ref_=nv_sr_1 remakes]].

** Jess also has to deal with an abusive boyfriend. Olivia Hussey detailed such a relationship in her autobiography, with Christopher Jones who at one point raped her. Jess also chooses to abort the baby the abusive boyfriend gives her, and Olivia's book revealed that the rape left her pregnant and she aborted it. And of course her marriage to Dean Paul Martin had fallen apart right before filming.

* UnbuiltTrope: Jess is the brunette FinalGirl and somewhat more moral than her sorority sisters, but she has an active sex life and a steady boyfriend. In fact, she subverts GoodGirlsAvoidAbortion by planning to get one against the wishes of her boyfriend. It's arguably Clare who fits the template of the typical FinalGirl most - being more timid and modest than the others - and she's the first victim!

** Barb one-ups the incompetent Sgt Nash by telling him that the number for their sorority house spells out 'Fellatio'. He believes it. This turns into a BrickJoke later when another cop on duty reads this (shortly after the little girl was discovered murdered mind you) and bursts into a laughing fit. Lt Fuller finds it ActuallyPrettyFunny.

** Another cop is brought in having been shot at by a trigger happy farmer. Shot in the ass to be specific.

* HilariousInHindsight: The fact that Creator/BobClark, who directed this slasher film set in Christmas, later went on to make ''Film/AChristmasStory'', one of the most classic American Christmas movies.

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Barb is fondly remembered thanks to Creator/MargotKidder's performance.

* TearJerker: At one point, Phyllis just bursts into tears in Jess's arms; knowing Clare is probably dead and openly weeping for what her father must be going through.

** Billy is subject to this since we know so little about him. His ranting during the phone calls indicates that he had a very negative experience with a person named Agnes and a baby, but nothing is known beyond this. There's also the question of just how insane he actually is (several times he acts in such a way that indicates that he knows what he's doing and is acting with premeditation) and whether or not the phone calls are just an act to intimidate his victims or if he really is just that crazy. There's also the question of how he's able to change his voice so often.

%%* SeinfeldIsUnfunny: It was, more or less, one of the first slashers.
%%* SignatureLine: "TheCallsAreComingFromInsideTheHouse!"
%%* SignatureScene: Jess getting a glimpse of the killer's eye.

** Barb one-ups the incompetent Sgt Nash by telling him that the number for their sorority house spells out 'Fellatio'. He believes it. This turns into an epic BrickJoke later when another cop on duty reads this (shortly after the little girl was discovered murdered mind you) and bursts into a laughing fit. Lt Fuller finds it ActuallyPrettyFunny.

** Another cop is brought in having been shot at by a trigger happy farmer. Shot in the ass to be specific. Lt Fuller turns to the same cop mentioned above and tells him he's fired if he laughs again.

** Even though it provides an entry under TooDumbToLive, when Jess is informed that the calls are coming from inside the house, she calls out for [[spoiler: Phyllis and Barb who are dead. She runs upstairs, showing that she won't leave her friends alone in the house with a psycho]].

* MoralEventHorizon: Billy crosses it by killing a little girl.

** Clare's body is never found. It's always going to be up there in the attic. By the time Christmas break is over, the smell will probably alert someone. And think of the state it'll be in by the time they find her.

* SeinfeldIsUnfunny: It was, more or less, one of the first slashers.
* SignatureLine: "TheCallsAreComingFromInsideTheHouse!"
* SignatureScene: Jess getting a glimpse of the killer's eye.
* ValuesDissonance: A DownplayedTrope example with Mr. Harrison casually inserting himself into the lives of the sorority house girls, up to and including having dinner with them. He often acts judgemental and like he's in charge of their lives just because he's an older man in their home. This despite having no relationship to any of them other than his daughter. The downplayed element is the fact his daughter is missing and he's working with them to find her.